#And of course this is usual fandom behavior. But we're talking this from people who within their own posts or community are acting like this

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Existing in Prime fandom is seeing posts about Nine and 99% of the time either thinking "congrats, you fell for his act" or "...and you just believed what other characters said about him over his pattern of actions?"

[tayfabe75]

what do you think of wcs x ivy mashup that taylor did? seems like a strange combination

Oh, anon! Much like the rest of the fandom, I'm struggling a bit to understand this particular mash-up, lol (I really would have bet on 'Would've Could've Should've' getting mashed up with 'Mad Woman' due to what sounds like melodic similarities compared here and here, alas…)

Right off the bat, I'm going to have to admit that I'm personally on a different page than most people when it comes to WCS. I was genuinely shocked by just how many sources state, very confidently, that WCS is about John Mayer - not that it could be about him, but that it is. Of course, this stems from its similarity to the song 'Dear John'. Looks like we're going to have to discuss that song first so that we're on the same page! So, what did John, himself, have to say about 'Dear John'?:

"It made me feel terrible because I didn't deserve it. I'm pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do."

And when Glamour revealed John's comments to Taylor, here's what she had to say:

"How presumptuous! I never disclose who my songs are about."

That then got me thinking about this quote:

"If you didn't see a picture of it, it couldn't have happened right?"

And then this quote...

"People think they know the exact narrative of the way my life has gone."

Yes, Taylor was nineteen when she met John Mayer. But is that the only thing that happened to her at that age? I get that the title 'Dear John' seems super transparent, yet the term "Dear John" predates their collaboration or relationship by decades, so I don't think Taylor was necessarily "naming names". A "Dear John letter" is basically shorthand for dumping someone via written correspondence, usually someone who is physically far away (typically deployed) and seems to involve infidelity on the part of the dumper. To potentially support this theory, the lyric video for 'Dear John' looks like a handwritten letter:

Yet, the lyrics kind of sound like Taylor was the dumpee? Anyway, all of that is to say that I do think that WSC is connected to 'Dear John', just that the muse probably isn't who everyone thinks.

Anyway, WCS shares lyrical parallels with 'The Great War' - both referencing banners and tombs/crypts, implying that something that should be dead isn't. Would you believe that the first time I heard WCS, I thought it sounded like pure religious trauma? Obviously, after reading all the matter-of-fact reviews and blog posts about how it's definitely about grooming, I heard it. But I'm still not sure that's the only explanation.

Honest question: Is nineteen a "child"? I'm a few years older than Taylor, and while I would probably answer "yes", it would also feel infantilizing to call a nineteen-year-old a child. So, when I hear the line "years of tearing down our banners", I wonder if it implies a passage of time or aging, or that these banners were torn down for years after "dancing with the devil", an expression meaning to engage in "risky, reckless, or potentially immoral behavior". All of the religious imagery seems to imply some kind of loss of innocence. The line "give me back my girlhood" reminds me a lot of ATW, actually - I forget Taylor's exact quote or where she said it, unfortunately, but something about how the girl in the video is the same person, but the pain changed her, that she no longer approaches the world with the same openness, that it made her more guarded.

Themes of war appear in both 'The Great War' and 'Ivy', which is exactly the part of the song Taylor chose to mash-up with WCS. 'Ivy' describes a meeting in a "faith forgotten land", which is an interesting parallel for WCS - which seems to be, at least metaphorically, about the pain of having lost one's faith. All of this talk of death and tombs and crypts… meanwhile ivy is symbolically "eternal", likely because it can survive even through winters. Interestingly, it seems to symbolize loyalty - making it a rather curious metaphor in a song about infidelity! Though, perhaps the loyalty is not to the "husband" in this story?

Taylor ends the mash-up with "I regret you all the time", perhaps implying the aforementioned "war" had something to do with infidelity. If so, then who is it, in this love triangle, that she regrets?

I have even found myself wondering whether WCS is some kind of metaphor for fame, celebrity, the music industry… I don't have that thought fully fleshed out, though.

Interestingly, as I pondered a bit on your question, there has been a discovery that Taylor changed a few words of WCS for the mash-up, and maybe switched perspectives mid-song (credit to gaypoetsdept on Twitter):

"If I was a child, did it matter if I got to wash MY hands" (at about 1:19) "Would've, could've, should've, if YOU'D only played it safe" (at about 2:32)

I personally hope this was just a flub on Taylor's part because I can't even begin to understand the implication of these changes or what they mean! lol

Thanks for the ask! I don't know how helpful it was, but that's what I got! ♥

[suganovakawa]

𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐄 .

PAIRINGS : tooru oikawa x fem! reader , slight hajime iwaizumi x fem! reader

GENRE : angst , romance

WARNINGS : cursing , car accident , recovery from amnesia

SYNOPSIS : tooru doesn’t understand how special you are to him until he comes close to losing you forever . as he struggles to comes to grips with his feelings and balance it with his future , you still have to recover from your own injuries , but without your memories to assist you .

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐗𝐈𝐕 < [ 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐗𝐕 ] > 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐗𝐕𝐈

now, this is tooru’s business.

word count : 1.3k

saudade masterlist .

SAUDADE

( 𝐧 . ) a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant , or that has been loved and then lost ; “ the love that remains ”

⠀the last people tooru expected to ever hear from again, besides you, were any of his third year teammates. maybe his underclassmen had it in them to forgive him eventually, but not issei and takahiro. they had all the right reason to not forgive him for his actions. they, just like hajime, had doted on you quite often during the season. while they weren't obsessive over it, they both visibly appreciated your presence.

⠀way more than he did at the time, anyway.

⠀he was almost scared as the two of them approached him during lunch. oikawa stopped showing up to the cafeteria and began enjoying his lunches in silence at the library, as many social outcasts choose to do. he didn't think that their motive for going to the library was to see him of all people, but his mind began to race as they began walking towards him at a surprisingly quick pace - their faces were anything but pleasant.

⠀"makki? mattsun?" tooru's body initiated his fight or flight instincts as both of them stood at his sides, making it impossible for him to just stand up and leave. "what are you doing here? i didn't do anything, did i?" he really hoped he didn't make another mistake. the last thing he wanted was to be remembered for nothing more than his shortcomings as a boyfriend.

⠀"no, not this time." mattsun replied in a hushed whisper, shaking his head. "but there's something going on that no one on the team likes. we don't know if you already know or not, but given your past with y/n, we figured you'd be interested."

⠀he hesitated at the mention of your name. of course he was interested in anything that had to do with you. what could possibly be going on with you that would be so important for him of all people to know about? the other two third years were uncharacteristically serious for their usual joking demeanors, but he was too nervous to say anything more.

⠀oikawa was additionally surprised to watch both them take a seat on both sides of him, leaning in closer to ensure only he was able to hear what they were saying. tooru leaned back slightly, his stomach running in circles with the suspicious activity going on. were they going to prank him? go through all this just to call him a loser? if so, he didn't want to be part of it. he had already messed up with you again, that was all the confirmation he needed that he was just a downright idiot. damn him and his stupid bad habits. if only he knew how to control his temper, this wouldn't have happened in the first place.

⠀"do you want the news just thrown in your face, or do you want us to discreetly tell you?" makki crossed his arms and leaned over the table, throwing the seijoh captain out of his deep thought. "doesn't really matter, bad news is bad news. we're probably going to ruin your day with this."

⠀really, what could be worse than this? "just tell me," was all he could muster.

⠀"iwaizumi and y/n are dating."

⠀what?

⠀tooru almost fell out of his seat as the blood rushed throughout his body like a tidal wave, both anger and astonishment crashing together furiously. he almost screamed but bit down on his tongue due to their current location. both makki and mattsun noticed the sudden shift in oikawa's behavior, and nodded their heads as if to agree with his reaction.

⠀"yahaba told me today. kindaichi apparently made small talk with iwaizumi, where the big news was revealed." mattsun continued without letting either brunet peer reply, "and frankly, it's very strange. all of it. but i'm pretty sure the only ones who have been suspicious of the relationship are us."

⠀oikawa was livid. whatever control he had over his temper, had been thrown long gone by now. his face glowed with an underlying red hue, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists as he rest them on the table. he wasn't mad at you - he was mad at iwaizumi. hajime. he did something to manipulate you into a relationship. he did something to you to result in this outcome.

⠀and this was all oikawa’s fault.

⠀"this is bullshit," he seethed, shaking his head in an incredulous matter. "there's no way this was mutual. it can't be." curiously, he turned to the other two with furrowed eyebrows, his eyes narrowed in their direction. "why aren't you happy about their relationship? isn't this what all of you wanted ever since i..." hurt her? his voice got caught in his throat before he could finish.

⠀"don't get us wrong. you're still a complete asshole for how you treated y/n in the past. nothing will change that." it was like a hammer hit straight into oikawa's chest. "however... it's more complicated with iwaizumi. more complicated than what we would like it to be."

⠀realistically, it shouldn't be complicated at all. oikawa knew that. he was never the nicest to you, but he truly had no ill intentions when it came to your well being. now that he was stripped of whatever pride and dignity he had during the volleyball season, he realized that even though he had no ill intention, it still hurt you. that's what hurt tooru the most.

⠀"...complicated?"

⠀"i'm sure you've heard that iwaizumi has refused to tell y/n of her... past. and she doesn't remember anything either, which works to his advantage." makki began listing down points with his finger. "she asked us, she asked the team, she's asked iwaizumi way more times that i can count with both hands and toes. hell, i'm pretty sure she's asked you, too."

⠀you have, but tooru had his own reasons for hesitating.

⠀"she's been pretty stubborn about what she wants, and actually pretty pissed that no one refuses to tell her anything. then all of a sudden she comes back to seijoh with iwaizumi after a normal weekend, hand-in-hand and happy as can be." makki shook his head at the thought of it. "something doesn't add up. maybe it's not our business to butt in, but that's what's been going on."

⠀"what do you want me to do about it?" the lonely third year leaned back against his seat once more, more frustrated than anything. "i thought all of you didn't want me near y/n anymore. now you're telling me this, and for what?"

⠀"truth be told oikawa, this was just an impulse decision on both our parts." mattsun sighed and stood up, stretching his legs a bit. makki followed suit. "even though it's suspicious, it's really not our business. everyone else seems to be content with it, especially with what y/n's been going through. it's almost meant to be at this point."

⠀ouch, another strike to the heart. "but," the rose-haired peer interjected, "even though it's not our business, it most certainly is yours, isn't it? after all, you still haven't been able to officially break up with her yet, huh? and don't you have bad blood with iwaizumi now?" he shoved his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to the side.

⠀just how much did these two know? "no," oikawa mumbled quietly, "i haven't been able to."

⠀"anyways, the bell's gonna ring soon. you're in the loophole now, so you decide what to do with the information." mattsun walked up to tooru and grabbed him by the blazer, pulling the captain up to his feet before whispering quietly, "and if you have any sense of redemption left in you, it would probably be in your best interest to see what the hell is going on with hajime iwaizumi. maybe you'll get a sense of closure in the process."

⠀tooru could only nod in retaliation to this sudden confrontation, and mattsun gently let go of his blazer before giving him a quick nod. as quickly as the two of them arrived, they had already disappeared into the hallways by the time the bell rang.

⠀the frustration followed him like a raincloud for the rest of the day.

⠀y/n, what has hajime iwaizumi done to you?

a/n : i got nothin’ to say for ya today, so enjoy!

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+ continued in the comments!