#also yes matty is gross

[belleswiftss17]

I don’t really get the people saying Taylor is out to hurt/destroy Joe. I think she’s pissed at him and wants him to believe she’s fine and doesn’t need him. BUT I don’t think she is a terrible person because she’s showcasing her new fling/rebound/boyfriend. She’s messy and always has been. Did you forget about BTR and her interview with Ellen about JJ? MESSY. Let her live a little bit, jfc.

[hp-hcs]

mattheo with sick! reader? idk something fluffy about mattheo taking care reader or angsty about reader trying to hide some sorta sickness or maybe mattheo's the sick one you ask for mattheo I shall deliver - yxdls

‼️WARNING: hella gross‼️ like, it goes into genuinely nauseating detail! i’m in a weird mood right now! i don’t know!

fine (chapter one of phoenix tears) — ex-death eater! injured! mattheo riddle x gn! reader

GRAPHIC GORE WARNING

seriously, don’t read if you’re easily grossed out. or eating. actually, just don’t read this at all. it’s pretty poorly written. i’m so sorry yxdls, for whatever this is 😭

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

“…and for which scenario would each of the following listed Charms work bes-”

Mattheo was cut off by another of his loud coughing bouts, hacking into his elbow.

Your brow furrowed. “Baby, that’s like, the seventh time you’ve coughed in the last five minutes. Are you sure you’re okay?”

He waved a hand in your direction. “I’m fine. Just a little cough.”

You set down your flashcards, leaning across your bed to lay the back of your hand against his forehead. “You’re burning up, baby.”

“So you think I’m hot?” He asks with a cheeky grin, waggling his eyebrows.

You roll your eyes and lightly smack his arm with the sleeve of your hoodie. “Yes, you idiot. But you also have a helluva fever.”

He grimaced. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

~~~

It was, in fact, Not Fine™. It looked horrible. The skin was sunken in, to a worryingly deep degree, and the edges were blistered and raw, slowly leaking pus and refusing to scab over. Mattheo grimaced as he peeled off the old bandages, biting his bottom lip to keep from screaming when the gauze got caught on part of the torn edge. He was forced to look away as he hastily rewrapped his forearm, trying desperately not to vomit.

The minute he had deserted his father, his Dark Mark had begun to burn, to brand itself into his flesh. The tattoo sank deep into his skin, into his muscles, and into his tendons; Mattheo was convinced that at this point, it was entirely carved into the bone.

It would never go away.

The skin over the tattoo had first erupted with bright red blisters and a sickening rash, which sent Mattheo into a feverish daze for two days. Despite his friends’ protests, he refused to go to the hospital wing.

Nobody could see the Mark. They’d know. They’d know he had been a coward and a fool.

But then, his skin had begun to rot. It was unsettling. Not to mention that the Mark wriggled still, now more furiously than it ever had when he’d been a follower of his father. Combined with the state of his arm, the odd frantic movements of the tattoo felt like phantom maggots, crawling all over him, crawling under his skin, into his eyes, his mouth, Merlin-

~~~

“Riddle, man, you good?” Theodore nudged him and spoke quietly.

Mattheo startled, his eyes flying open from where he had begun to drift off standing up.

Sleep had become impossible. His arm was now constantly afflicted with burning, never-ending pain. Occasionally, random bursts of an even sharper agony would grate up his bones and make his teeth rattle. It felt like being Crucioed, but with no forewarning, no nothing.

“Mattheo!”

He startled again, not even aware that he’d started falling asleep again.

Theo put his hand on Mattheo’s shoulder, even just that small touch sending stomach-churning zaps of fresh pain down his arm. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out, squeezing his eyes shut as he did so.

Theo glanced around the room, waiting for the Herbology professor to turn her back before talking to Mattheo again.

“Dude, you seriously look like you’re about to keel over any second. You should go to the infirmary.”

“‘m fine,” Mattheo rubbed his eyes, his words slurred with feverish delirium. “Don’ need’a go anywhere.”

“Matty, dude, you look like a dead man walking.”

He opened his mouth to protest, when the worst pain he’d ever felt in his entire life struck him out of nowhere. It felt like what Mattheo imagined being beat with a baseball bat, run over by a semi-truck, and being Crucioed at the same time would feel like.

He dropped like a rock, the unrelenting pain forcing the edges of his vision to darken and then fully go black.

~~~ Mattheo woke up to quiet.

His eyes slowly creaked open, and he was greeted with unfamiliar white walls. He blinked quickly to rid the sleep from his eyes, before surveying the room.

It didn’t look like the hospital wing at Hogwarts, but it was definitely a place of medicine, if the bleach-heavy air was anything to go by. Maybe St. Mungo’s?

The overhead lights were off, thank Merlin, leaving the room lit only by the overcast afternoon sky peeking through the window.

But he started to panic when he saw that his arm lay across his chest, freshly wrapped and sore as all hell.

Someone saw.

Somebody saw the Mark of his cowardice.

Of his yearning for his father’s approval.

Fat tears started to roll down Mattheo’s cheeks. His sobs became louder when he saw that you were there.

You probably knew. You probably saw.

Merlin damn it. Why wasn’t there a magical version of HIPAA?

You’d pulled up the visiting chair all the way to the side of Mattheo’s hospital bed, your crossed arms lying on top of the mattress, and your head resting on your arms as a sort of makeshift pillow.

At least you were asleep. Mattheo couldn’t even fathom what he’d have done if you’d been awake.

You surely must hate him now.

How couldn’t you?

He started to raise his right arm, his only currently working one, to wipe away his tears, but the movement was held back.

He had the fleeting but terrifying thought of those cliché leather restraints on hospital beds in horror movies. Honestly, it wasn’t even that far-fetched. He was a criminal. A traitor. A psycho.

Mattheo looked down, expecting the worst.

Instead, he saw your fingers interlaced with his, your thumb slowly skating over his knuckles in a soothing back and forth pattern.

You were holding his hand. Asleep still, yes, but you were actively holding his hand. You were choosing to be near him.

Mattheo burst into tears again, but this time in relief.

If you were still by his side, despite everything, then maybe things really were fine.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

chapter two

[ughgoaway]

have you ever thought about a time when Girlie is with Annie and Matty bathing the dog and it's a warm family atmosphere? and maybe then go to the park and play as a family.

Thank you so much for the cute idea 🪐 anon!! my random thoughts below the cut as always lol <3

✿❀✿✿❀✿✿❀✿✿❀✿✿❀✿✿❀✿✿❀✿✿❀✿

anyway, yes, this is so fun to think about. I love anything with mayhem, and the image of you all trying to tackle him into the bath to give him a proper wash is so funny.

I can see Matty, mayhem, and Annie coming home from a walk, and to say they are muddy is an understatement. He calls you as they're approaching the house and tells you to prepare the bath; warning you that is officially time to bathe mayhem.

You try to avoid washing him at home as much as possible, sending him off to the groomers whenever you can. Not because you don't love him, but because he is fucking massive and it's somehow a three-man job. 

Getting Annie involved was the last solution after too many disastrous attempts, but you needed an extra pair of hands. And she was the only one in the house. But Mayhem loves her so much, so she's actually a pretty good distraction. 

You line the walk to the bathroom with towels and creek open the front door slowly, and your jaw drops at the sight in front of you. Mayhem is caked in mud, staring up at you with his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging wildy, splashing more mud around.

Matty and Annie were both wearing welly boots, and they were also covered in mud. Annie even had some in her hair, but those two could be dealt with later. Mayhem was your current mission.

“Oh my god. Matthew, how did it get this bad?” You ask in shock, flicking your wide eyes over the three of them.

“It's not my fault. I swear. Mayhem got out of his harness and ran into a muddy puddle. Me and Annie ran after him, but the puddle turned out to be a bit deeper than we thought…” Matty says sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck with his hands, but quickly snatching them away with a grossed-out look on his face when he feels the mud in his hair.

You sigh heavily at Matty and start gently guiding mayhem in the house as Annie holds his tail to stop him from wagging it and spraying mud everywhere.

Eventually, you get Mayhem safely in the bathroom after walking very slowly the whole time. You all know from past experience that if you walk too quickly, mayhem takes it as a queue to sprint at full force through the house and rub his face on the rug in the front room. 

You really tried to get the mud out last time, but it was a pointless task. Matty still claims you somehow planned it because you hated that rug. “How else did he get so muddy when it hadn't rained in weeks?” he accuses you time after time.

You deny it wholeheartedly, but you can't deny the feeling of joy you felt when you saw mayhem rubbing his whole body over it, and let's just say you definitely didn't do anything to stop it.

But you actually like the new rug you bought, so when you finally got mayhem in the bathroom this time, the three of you couldn't help but cheer as soon as the door clicked shut.

However, you forgot that any sort of excitement would hype mayhem up to no end, so as soon as he heard the cheers, he jumped on his hind legs and pounced onto Matty.

“Woah mayhem- WAIT NO-” Matty shouts.

Now, usually, Matty caught him quite well, keeping mayhem upright and balancing him perfectly on his chest. But this time, he wasn't prepared, and before you knew it, all you saw was a massive splash of water coming out of the bath as mayhem pushed both him and Matty in it.

You and Annie stood there in shock for a few seconds, but as soon as Matty sat up in the bath, covered in mud and bubbled. You all couldn't help but burst out laughing. Matty pouted, of course, but he soon realised that this kind of was the ideal way to wash mayhem. He could keep him calm as you and Annie scrubbed him.

“Right, Annie, will you grab the peanut butter for me, sweetheart? Your dad is on mayhem feeding duty today” you say, lathering up the soap between your hands as Matty uses a bowel to wet mayhem.

“Here you go, Daddy. Don't eat the peanut butter, though, mayhem licks from this one” Annie warns, holding the jar just out of Matty’s reach until he nods at her words. After she knows he heard her, she quite happily hands it over, grabbing the bowl from Matty’s hands and rinsing mayhem once more.

The four of you are all huddled either in or around the bath, scrubbing mayhem and watching the mud pour off him. Matty sits in front of him, holding the peanut butter jar in front of his face so he can happily lick inside the jar whilst you clean his paws.

“Daddy you look silly in the bath with Mayhem.” Annie giggles as she scrubs Mayhem’s head, giving him a mohawk with the bubbles that form. 

“I know, i know. Will you go grab my camera for me, sweet girl? I wanna get a photo of us all” matty asks, smiling down at mayhem with too much love in his eyes, considering mayhem had bowled him over not even 10 minutes earlier.

Annie scampers off and grabs the camera, leaving you and Matty alone in the bathroom. 

“You do look quite stupid in the bath, you know?” You tease, grinning down at Matty and watching him roll his eyes and hold in a laugh.

“Quite dilfy too, though” you add on thoughtfully, looking at how Matty’s soaking white shirt was starting to become completely transparent, and you couldn't help but gawk at the way his tattoos became more visible beneath the wet fabric. Matty pulls his shirt off cheekily, dropping it on the floor next to him before teasing you back.

“Mmm, I always look dilfy. S’how I got you, anyway” Matty gives you a smug smile, and you can't help but kiss it off his face, humming happily as you feel his lips working against yours. 

You both get a bit lost in the kiss, and soon it becomes a little desperate and breathless, all tongues and teeth as poor mayhem has to stand there are witness it all. But it soon enough gets interrupted by Annie walking in, and very eloquently proclaiming “ewwww!!”

You and Matty both laugh against each other's lips, and you feel a bit dizzy when you pull away, having to blink a few times before you bring yourself back to earth. 

You quickly snap a few shots with Matty's Polaroid camera; a selfie of you all, and a picture of annie grinning next to mayhem with his bubble mohawk. But, you get a particularly cute one of Matty and mayhem and you can't help but sneak that one away for yourself.

(ik this is not actually mayhem in this picture… but let's all use our imaginations <3)

You eventually get him all washed up and wrangle him out of the bath onto a towel. however, as soon as things are slightly too quiet and still, you can see the mischief brewing in mayhems eyes.

“Mayhem… no. don't even think about it” but he is a dog after all, so he ignores you completely. And soon enough, he's shaking every single drop of water off his body and onto the three of you.

The only thing that's heard in the bathroom is all of your screams, Annie runs behind the bathroom cabinet in an attempt to hide from the spray, but alas, there is no escape.

After far too many seconds for your liking, he stops shaking. And is looking at Matty with his mouth open in a smile and with a wagging tail.

“You're so lucky you're so cute, mate,” Matty sighs.

“Bloody horse dog,” you mumble under your breath, looking in the mirror at your now dripping wet hair.

Annie simply giggles, grinning as she bends down to give mayhem a hug and squealing when he starts to lick her face. you forgive mayhem pretty quickly after that, blowdrying him, yourself, matty, and annie in a row and snapping another picture of you all.

Now, as for going to the park after, I think you try to avoid it for a few days, trying to keep him clean as long as possible. But before the week is over, all four of you are running around in the mud together like crazy people, and you don't even think about the carnage this is all gonna cause.

[toomuchracket]

Mads, I'm having the worst period cramps. How would d word matty be with girlie when she's on her period? I feel like he would super sweet, but I can also imagine her on her 3/4 day when the pain isn't so bad being super horny but maybe at the beginning of the relationship she thinks he would be grossed out but obviously he isn't. He goes on to say he's a man and only boys are disgusted by some blood

oh babe :(( he's wary of any mood swings, so he's a little bit quieter than usual lol, but like you said he really is very sweet - offers chocolate and ice cream and ibuprofen to make you feel better, and offers himself up as a human hot water bottle too, hugging you and holding his warm hands on your stomach or back to ease any cramps. even before everyone knows you're dating, matty subtly does the latter for you at work if he knows you're feeling shitty; you're always like "matty! you can't!", and he's like "yes i can, my girl needs me. also, darling, we're the only ones here lol", and you cave because yeah, his girl DOES need him. and speaking of need... yeah, as mentioned, in the later few days when you're feeling better, you do find yourself really quite turned on - you're making out with matty and then you break away reluctantly like "shit, we can't, still my time of the month", and he's like "so? if you're horny, sweetheart, we might as well do something about it". and you sigh like "yeah but i just really want sex, and we can't do THAT", and matty's dead serious like "if you want to, we can. i'm not bothered. i'll never turn down you wanting to fuck me lol that's a privilege, babe"; you blink like "even NOW? when i'm *stage whisper* bleeding? that doesn't freak you out?", and matty's like "not at all, darling. i'm a man, for fuck's sake, i'm not put off by a bit of blood. just wanna make you feel good, honestly". you think for a second, and smile shyly like "alright, let's do it. but can we do it in the shower so it's less messy?", and matty kisses you like "whatever you want, my girl". sweet <3

[the1975attheirverybest]

Being Funny In A Foreign Language

Chapter 6- All I Need To Hear

Read all previous chapters here

Warnings: mentions of smut

——

Somewhere, in a tour bus, on a dark American highway, Matty stirred from a dreamless sleep.

He rubbed his eyes, turning to lay on his side. He the top of his duvet was cold. He shimmied his way out of cocoon that he’d created in his sleep, his feet finally touching the floor. He stood there for a moment, wondering if he should run into the restroom first or have coffee….coffee won.

“Yo,” he attempted, but his voice was too low. Mark noticed him anyway.

“You’re awake!”

“And you….are….for some reason?” Matty scratched his head, his eyes squinting to adjust to the bright light outside of his bedroom.

“Just couldn’t sleep.” Mark shrugged.

“Right. Sorry, you always say you have a hard time with the movement.” Matty cocked his head. “It’s why you should try drugs.”

Mark chuckled. “I think I’ll stick to my herbal tea. Thanks.”

Matty threw himself down on the couch, laying his head back and closing his eyes. “Fuckkkkk” he groaned. “Think I’m still asleep, actually.”

“Coffee?”

“Yeah, but I’ll get it. Maybe. In a moment. Once my legs have woken up properly.”

Mark smiled, disregarding Matty’s words, he stood up and poured him a cup of coffee. Peaking in the small fridge for a moment, “you hungry?”

“You don’t have to take care of-“

“So that’s a yes then. Is toast alright? Who am I asking…you like anything to do with bread…”

Matty smiled, touched by how well Mark knew him. He peaked out the blinds, into the pitch black of night.

“Where are we?”

Mark stopped buttering the piece of bread in his hand and flicked his wrist. “Interstate.”

“Which one?”

“I75”

“So…." Matty tried to guess the schedule “we’re on our way to Charlotte?”

“Columbus, Ohio.”

“Oh. Yeah. Right. Ohio.”

“Eat.” Mark handed him his coffee and piece of toast.

“Thanks, man.”

Matty ate in silence, listening to the sounds of his own chewing, and evading Mark’s curious gaze. He knew Mark had something on his mind. He also had an idea of what it might be.

“What?!” Matty eventually said, swallowing dry.

“I haven’t said anything.”

“But you want to. So, just- go- ahead and say it!”

“Alright.” Mark inched closer towards him, clearing his throat and looking directly into Matty’s eyes. “How are you?”

Fuck. A loaded question. Matty found it impossible to look away, now that Mark had locked eyes on him. He couldn’t lie. It’s all over his face. So; instead, he shrugged, picking up his coffee mug and sipping on it, just to have something to bust himself with.

Mark said absolutely nothing, simply continuing to look into Matty’s eyes with a gentle smile.

The silence was unbearable, Matty eventually spoke just to make it stop. “I’m- im….fine. You know. I’m always fine. It’s all good.”

He pushed the plate away from him, then spoke again. “Am I- like- feeling the best I’ve ever felt? No. But- you know. What about it? It’s not like I’m fuckin suicidal or anything….and, I’m happy the boys have all got places to be and all that cuz….could you imagine if the whole band was getting all this…’backlash’? I don’t even like that word ‘backlash.’”

Matty paused to catch his breath. His own words sinking into his mind. “But yeah…it does feel a bit odd. There’s a lot happening….of course, they know. George’s been texting me. You wanna see the memes?” Matty giggled, recalling their latest text exchange. “I’ll go get my phone.”

Matty reached for his phone at the charging station, plopping down on the bed, scrolling through several unread messages from a variety of friends and acquaintances to get to George’s name. His finger hover over Amelia’s name for a moment. He opened their text chain and typed a quick “hiya. Checking in. You left before we could talk about things. Wanted to make sure you’re feeling okay about it all 😊” he sighed, reading his own words back, he felt gross. Perhaps he could rephrase things? He thought about it for a quick second and replaced the emoji with a “xx.” Then, rethinking it again, he deleted the “xx” and ended the text with a full stop. He sat there, staring at the “send” button. Why hasn’t she checked in with him though? His mind couldn’t help but go over every single torturous detail of the last time that he’d seen her. Had he done anything wrong? Had he failed to make her happy? To follow her orders? He was a bit too stubborn with his begging when she told him she didn’t want him cumming. Did she not want him to? Did he break the rules? The entire night played in his head on a loop. He remembered every moment. Her hitting his face, repeatedly. Him feeling it everywhere, from his what to his toes, begging for more. Being on his knees. Her sweet touch on his pulsing, red face. Her fingers in his mouth, on his crotch, her expression of concern once he’d lost balance and landed on the floor after she withdrew her hand. Though she sounded concerned, she still chose to pick his head off the floor by the roots of his hair. Something about that combination excited him immensely. Still, if he was being honest with himself, he kind of hoped she’d lean down and kiss him. Or say something to indicate that she knew how badly he wanted her. But she didn’t.

The pain was good. Him ending up naked and at her mercy wasn’t where he thought the night would go. But he did push her buttons. It hurt so much. And it felt so good. He loved it. Loved feeling that burning on his skin and knowing that she was the cause of it. But he wished he knew if she liked it too. The entire time, he longed to hear a word of encouragement from her. He recalls her pausing to give his cheek a quick kiss once he’d offered to count. She did actually tell him he was doing good. But how sincere was she? Was it just a platitude? Like a “thanks” you say when someone hands you the tv remote or asks if you want anything from the store? Did she know that he liked taking the pain for her? To please her? To show her that he would do anything for her ? Surely she would have said something if she’d appreciated his suffering. Once they’d stopped, he was sure she’d scoop him up in her arms and tell him how good he’d been for her. That she was happy he’d done as she’d told him. Maybe make him promise to try to eat better tomorrow. Or give him the chance to apologize better. Sure, she’d helped clean him up afterwards, but that’s the bare minimum. She did let him cling to her and bury his face in her for a bit. But he’d wanted more. Was he greedy for wishing that he could lay on top of her or be enveloped by her or feel her skin directly on his? She does have a boyfriend. One that she’d offered to break up with. He was the one to stop her. He told her not to. It’s selfish, but, that night, he really wished that she hadn’t left him alone in the room. He needed her so much. He still does. They did have sex, so, isn’t it arbitrary to draw the line at staying afterwards? Or did they even have sex? She whipped him bloody and then held his hand as he experienced his first orgasm in a long time. And then he cried like an idiot. Does that even count as sex? Fuck. The most sexual contact he’s getting these days and he’s not even sure if it really is sexual contact. What has become of him?

The welts on his ass, sending pain through him every time that he sat down or moved a bit too quickly, were a constant reminder of his failure to make her happy. she hadn’t even called or texted to ask if he was healing up nicely or if he needed anything. Where had he gone wrong? Should he have offered to get her off after? Perhaps. It wasn’t fair that she never got to cum. He just didn’t have the foresight to think in that moment. He wasn’t sure his brain was functioning at all. Everything was fuzzy and unclear. Yet again, his thoughtlessness had let her down. Even when he was doing all this for her, he still managed to make the experience about himself and his pleasure. He hadn’t meant to. It was all supposed to be for her. But somehow he got it wrong.

He deleted the text that he’d been composing, replacing it with a new one. “I’m so sorry, Amelia.” Sorry for what? Sorry is what you say if you accidentally bump into someone or if you reach for their spoon at a restaurant. What kind of words could he use for being a useless human being? What gives him the right to even reach out? Clearly, she hasn’t messaged him because she didn’t want to hear from him. He shouldn’t bother her or remind her of what a disappointment he’s been. He deleted the apology and swiped out of the text chain, finally finding George’s name.

“Okay; here it is.” He stood in the doorway, choosing a selection of texts to show to Mark.

***

Three hours behind, in Los Angeles, Amelia struggled to fall asleep in the plush hotel bed that she shared with Joshua. She couldn’t stop seeing Matty every time that her eyes closed. She’d left him crying, in bed, in nothing but his underwear. After inflecting a disorienting amount of pain on his already exhausted body. At the time, it felt like the right thing to do. He asked for it, even. Thanked her for it. He looked so beautiful wincing and smiling every time she’d hit him. He’d say ‘thank you’ and beg for more, unprompted. The dazed look in his eyes was clear proof that he wanted it just as much as she did. Though it broke her heart that he was all too eager to be punished, he’d been stoic and brave about it. Still, it was the thing that finally made him cum, so it couldn’t have been bad, right? Her heart shattered into pieces at the memory of his pained cries. He was overwhelmed. Scared to even experience pleasure. She couldn’t forget the way he’d helplessly squeezed her hand. As if begging for her to intervene. To implore his body to be less cruel on him. She wished she could help him but she didn’t know how. Did she have the power to slow things down? To heighten the pleasure and lessen the pain ? Shouldnt she know if that’s a power that she posses or not? Had she taken on a role that she’s woefully unprepared for?

she wondered if she’d gone too far. If he’d only gone along with it to make her happy. If she should’ve been gentler, slower. She remembers being on the receiving end of things like this. She never did it just to make Matty happy, though the knowledge that it pleased and amused him to hear her whimper and beg always made her excited to partake. She had no idea if he felt the same though; it never occurred to her to ask. She felt around the nightstand, in the dark, for her phone. The screen lit up, she checked it for any messages from him but there was nothing. She wished he were here right now. Wondered how he’s been doing since she’d left to get to this exhibit. Has he been eating? Sleeping? Is he feeling excited about seeing the boys again soon? About getting back onstage after a small break? He always had has smile on his face whenever he is up there. She’d missed that smile. All she could hope for was that doing his job would remind him that he wasn’t alone, that people all over the world love him, and that things do get better.

[joesalw]

My friend who is not a swiftie but likes her enough to go to have tickets to her concert msged me because she knows I was a swiftie back in the day and was so confused because she read the album was about Matty (her exact words were 'idk he who that is'- she barely remembered the whole tabloid tailspin from last year lol) and not her long term bf she just broke up with. And then when I explained and sent her some links and I told about how the only thing she wrote about Joe's was to blame his depression she was so grossed out.

Her own bf has clinical depression that has at times caused him to act selfishly, so she gets the struggle of having a partner who is unwell in that way, but she would never make him feel like his depression was something he should be able to switch off for her. She said something like 'yes I want him to be better for us to have a better relationship but more that that I want him better for himself not for me.' and went on a rant that it's fine for Taylor to leave Joe if she couldn't cope but how she has sung about it (I also sent her renegade) is from a very selfish place.

Anyways she doesn't want to go to her concert anymore and I told her she should, because she'll have fun with friends and like she spent the money so she might as well get drunk and dance. But it's interesting how ppl outside the fandom are getting turned off from her.

!!!

[butyou-callmewhenyourebored]

This Must Be My Dream Universe - instagram series

yourinstagram This is a joke right? trumanblack rass1975

Liked by adam1975, charlixcx, trumanblack and 216 others

trumanblack Do what I like 🤷🏻

-> yourinstagram You're a dick -> denise_welch Honey don't tease her!

adam1975 If it makes you feel better, he tried to kiss me too!

-> yourinstagram A little but no offence Ads but I'm not jealous of the rat kissing you!

charlixcx I volunteer to kiss you when we finally meet?!

-> yourinstagram Deal! 😍

-> bedforddanes75 Can I watch?!

-> rass1975 Stop trying to steal my girl!

rass1975 I hated every second of it sweetheart!

-> yourinstragram I miss you! Can you come home now please!

-> rass1975 Soon I promise! 🖤

yourinstagram One from the archives! trumanblack bedforddanes75

Liked by charlixcx, carly.rh, denise_welch and 438 others

bedforddanes75 Is this the night we necked?

-> yourinstagram George!!! 😳 It might be? 👀 Also evidence this meeting was enough to not see you again for ten years

-> bedforddanes75 Sick! love you too 🙄

-> trumanblack Look at those youthful looking chaps!

-> yourinstagram Yeah! What the hell happened?!

fan1 Sorry who is this?

-> fan2 She's Matty's childhood best friend!

denise_welch What is this circa 2008?

-> yourinstagram Yes! Literal babies!

rass1975 To think we could have known each other all this time if our mate wasn't such a shit head!

-> yourinstagram I know! What a little rat!

yourinstagram Never been happier! 🥰

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comments have been restricted

charlixcx We know why you're glowing! 😏

-> yourinstagram Shhhh

rass1975 My girl 🖤

-> yourinstagram Always 🖤

trumanblack Get it girl 🍆🍆🍆

-> yourinstagram You're getting blocked

-> adam1975 Do it!!!

denise_welch I love seeing you so happy sweetheart!

-> yourinstagram Thanks Auntie Denise! ❤️

rass1975 happy wife happy life

Liked by yourinstagram, carly.rh, bedforddanes75 and 17,249 others

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yourinstagram Always the happiest by your side my love 🖤

-> rass1975 I love you 🖤

trumanblack Funny what a good dick and some pasta will do

-> yourinstagram I hate you so much

charlixcx Goals! How I aim to be! 😍

-> yourinstagram Good to know G isn't satisfying you babe 😏

-> bedforddanes75 hate you

-> yourinstagram 😘

-> rass1975 hahahaha p.s thanks charli x

carly.rh My fave couple 💗

-> yourinstagram *gasp* But you're in mine! 💗

yourinstagram How did I get so lucky? Fuck Me! 😍🥵🤤

Liked by rass1975, taylorswift, charlixcx and 427 others

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fan1 mood

charlixcx You guys make me sick 😵‍💫

-> yourinstagram Babe I have to look at you and G on a regular basis and that is just next level gross

-> bedforddanes75 Do we have a problem?

-> yourinstagram Yeah we do! Let's go big boi outside right now!

fan2 I would pay to see you fight George

-> trumanblack She'd win

trumanblack I mean he is quite a catch I would know

-> yourinstagram Stay away from my man Healy!

yourinstagram and rass1975 11.03.23 - ♾

Liked by charlixcx, bedforddanes75, carly.rh and 51,256 others

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trumanblack I know I like to tease you both but in all seriousness thank you for making my best friend the happiest I've ever seen her. This goes both ways. I adore the both of you so so much. I love you!

-> yourinstagram I love you the most you know this (just not as much as my hubby) thank you for being my best friend and confidant my entire life. You mean the world to me.

-> rass1975 Thanks mate, love you x

charlixcx Watching you get married was a privilege, love you both so bloody much! 🖤

-> yourinstagram Thank you for being my maid of honour just needed our Carls there for it to be extra perfect! 💖

adam1975 Family for life! ❤️

-> yourinstagram Love you so much Ads! ❤️

bedforddanes75 Best wedding ever!

-> yourinstagram Love you G 🤍

denise_welch Ohhh my! My darling girl! I'm so happy for you! 💗

-> yourinstagram Thanks Auntie Denise! Can't wait to celebrate with you when we're back! 💗

rass1975 Love you to the moon and back Mrs McDonald! 🖤

-> yourinstagram I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you Mr McDonald! I love you to the cosmos and back! 🖤

Hope you enjoy this little instagram series for the This Must Be My Dream universe! I love reading everyone's little insta posts they make and was inspired to do my own whilst motivation is low to finish both my wips. So enjoy! Not sure why two of the pics have resized but you'll have to just deal with it because I don't have the patience right now to sort it! x

[allamericansbitch]

Everything I've learned about Matty Healy has been deeply gross to me. I've liked Taylor Swift on and off throughout the years. And always liked her art. I don't call myself a Swifty because I don't agree with or defend all of her behavior. But I do follow her and know a lot about her and the fandom. So I feel like when I'm being critical of her, it's from an informed place, yk? But I see all these creators on Tik Tok, who aren't even fans, responding to this just for the content, and either saying things about her that aren't true, or responding with plain misogyny. So while I am just as troubled by her association with him and disappointed in her lack of vocal support for abortion rights and trans rights, I'm also concerned about people not being critical about the WAYS they are choosing to criticize her. Yes, she is very privileged. She and her family before her have benefited from capitalism and she makes being "a good business woman" part of her identity. She's benefited from this system. She surrounds herself with POC and queer performers on tour but then makes then share a stage with a bigot. She speaks out for social justice the loudest when she's effected by it, when the size of the platform she's worked to achieve and the values she's monetized in Miss Americana give her a responsibility to do more than that. (Tho I have my own opinions about celebrities not being the best demographic to be activists). All of this and more is worth approaching with critical thinking. But when people who only know surface level stuff about this and about her throw out misogynistic dog whistles like "she's Never been discriminated against" (she's been SA'd in her work place. That's definitely discrimination). Or she's "playing the victim" (a woman can make mistakes without being a calculated manipulator). Ultimately, while the situation is very different to 2016, I just don't want to see the same misogynistic dog pile we did back then. Where everybody that was already against her because they aren't comfortable with women being sucessful or talented jumps on top of valid criticism and dilutes it with bad faith vitriol. Ultimately I do want to see her showing the overt support at her concerts for the LGBTQIA community with her words as well as continued actions. Artists like Lizzo, Harry Styles, Panic! (back when they were touring), and so many others are speaking at their shows specifically about anti trans and anti abortion legislation and waving our flags. When people say it's a safety thing, I don't believe them because these other artists are doing it. Even if that's the intention, the effect is that space is being held at her shows for homophobes to buy a ticket and feel comfortable there. Again, I don't think celebrities make good activists. But I also think inadvertently catering to homophobia and racism goes against her stated values and I'd like her to address that. And for god's sake stop bringing Matty Healy on stage.

Asking anon jic somome wants to send me a death threat for not having the "right" thoughts about this.

yes! this is very well said and i agree. sadly there's always gonna be people who are just flat out sexist and will see the valid criticism she's getting and decide to join in their not-so valid narrative riddled with sexism and misogyny. the water always gets a little murky with these things.

this situation is 1000% different from the 2016 situation because that was powered by misogyny and the act of using her as a scapegoat for people's anger during the election, it wasn't really about her as a person but more of what she represented to people- which was a rich white person taking advantage of their privilege and not speaking on anything or using their platform for good. And I think the label they gave her as ‘always playing the victim’ was very aggressive for the time because while she had her moments, generally she wasn’t doing that and like you mentioned was a victim of many things.

However now I feel like we are very much inching too close to that and it’s making me nervous due to the amount of people who took that stance back then in 2016 and being like ‘I told you so! She’s playing the victim again’ because tbh I can totally see it being spun that way.

And to the great point you made about how bad people can feel safe at her shows, I’ve seen a few people point that out as well. I saw a video of someone who went to a show, saw people singing yntcd and then saying homophobic things in the parking lot after the show. I also understand the idea of her not speaking out as a safety thing… but her not speaking out makes others also not feel safe at her shows. Their safety is also important and, by Taylor not speaking out, she’s providing a space for them to feel threatened.

[lottiecrabie]

linecook!matty cumming in you and then eating you out after 🫣🫣🫣

Yes i think he would be into gross stuff like cumplay. also he’s just a Man like he doesn’t fucking care about his own cum if he wants to eat you he will Eat you. and you’re Ofc overstimulated because you guys have been at it like rabbits in all parts of the house for hours and your eyes are droopy and you’re super exhausted but also Buzzing and he goes down on you and you’re just too tired to push him so you just let him lick you clean and it’s so gentle and tender and he barely has to swipe your clit that you’re coming Again

[dragonologist-phd]

Owlcatober Day 31 - Owlcat

Owlcatober 2023 Day 31 - Owlcat

also on ao3

Ophelia squirms in place as her mother brushes and braids her hair. It’s taking a long time- her hair is long, and she likes it that way, because her father can braid ribbons through it for fancy parties. But days like this, she just wants to chop it all off.

“Hurry, Mama,” she says, wiggling her shoulders. “If I’m late, they’ll leave without me.”

“No, they won’t,” her mother replies. “And it’ll take me even longer if you don’t hold still.”

“They will. Matty says he’s gonna do it all the time.”

“But Ronan and Ana never let him, do they?”

Ophelia pouts and crosses her arms. Her mother might technically be right, but that doesn’t change the fact that Ophelia’s cousins are all older than her, and she can’t be the one making them all wait. In a deep voice- an imitation of her father- she declares, “There’s a first time for everything!”

It just makes her mother laugh, while her father turns away from his mirror, his own hair half-styled.

“Was that supposed to be me?”

“Yeah. You say it all the time.”

A rapping at the window interrupts her father’s reply, and Ophelia smiles at the sound of Midnight tapping her head insistently against the glass pane.

The owlcat isn’t black, which Ophelia disapproves of. She thinks any animal named Midnight should be inky-black, but their Midnight is tawny brown and flecked with gray. According to her mother, Midnight was so named because ‘that was the time the damn thing woke me up every night before we finally took her in’.

Midnight still has a habit of clawing at the windows, but Ophelia has never minded. The owlcat is practically her best friend.

At the sound of her best friend’s attempts to get inside, Ophelia throws her hand out and focuses her will. The window snaps open in response, and Midnight happily skitters inside, winging across the room to land in Ophelia’s lap. She nips at Ophelia’s hands, and Ophelia can’t help wiggling again.

“See? Even Midnight is ready to go!”

Her mother ties off her braid and lifts her hand. “There, there. I’m done.”

Ophelia leaps to her feet and hurries to the door, her bag in one arm and Midnight in the other. “ThanksI’llseeyoulaterbye!”

“Hold on!”

Ophelia’s escape is halted once more as her mother takes hold of her shoulder and spins her around so they’re facing each other. Her mother’s smile is warm, but she’s wearing that listen to me look that Ophelia knows quite well, so she does her best not to fidget as she looks up into the brown eyes that are so much like her own.

(Ophelia knows she looks a lot like her mother, except that her Mama’s long brown hair is streaked with gray, and she never wears it in braids. Still, Ophelia’s father likes to say that she’s her mother’s spitting image, which Ophelia thinks sounds kind of gross.)

Her Mama tugs teasingly at Ophelia’s braids now, and smiles fondly as she says, “Make sure to be back before dark, okay? I mean it. Your father and I will be out late at a military council meeting, but we’ll be back before your bedtime. Until then, Ronan is in charge. Okay?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Tell me- who’s in charge?”

Ophelia groans. She ran off on her own once, and she’s never heard the end of it. “Ronan.”

“And when will you be back home?”

“Before dark.”

“And you, Midnight,” her father cuts in, addressing the owlcat sternly, “you make sure she remembers that.”

The owlcat in Ophelia’s arms meows in acknowledgement, as Ophelia groans. “Guys!”

“Okay, okay.” Her mother kisses her forehead, then waves her out the door. “Go have fun, sweetheart. Love you.”

“Love you, too!” Ophelia shouts over her shoulder, already running down the path to meet her cousins. She wills her short legs to move faster, thinking about all she’ll do today- and maybe it’s her imagination, but the world does fly by just a little more swiftly.

Rosemary watches from the window as her daughter runs off, a strange combination of worry and affection rising in her chest.

“She’s too much like you,” she comments to Varn. “Always rushing off and wanting to get into trouble.”

“Oh, and she gets that completely from me?” Varn teases. He moves to Rosemary and wraps his arms around her shoulders, quiet for a moment as they both watch Ophelia disappear down the road. “You’re not wrong about the trouble part, I admit. And her magic’s getting stronger, to boot.”

“I’ll say. I think she’s casting a Haste spell on herself right now. Like I said- always in a hurry.”

“We’ll have to get her a magic tutor soon.”

“If she’ll sit still long enough for that,” Rosemary says, shaking her head. “And if they even know how to teach her.”

The source of Ophelia’s powers is still something of a mystery. Rosemary knows her bloodline isn’t pure human- her sister is a tiefling, after all- but as far as she knows none of her relatives have ever shown signs of sorcery. Nor have Varn’s. Rosemary wonders, sometimes, if the First World left some strange trace in her that now lives in her daughter. More impossible things have happened.

Varn can feel her tense as the thoughts run through her mind, and he kisses her on the cheek. “We’ll figure it out. We always have before.”

“True,” Rosemary admits, leaning back against her husband. “We’re pretty good at figuring things out.”

They are. Together, they’ve built a strong home, a loving family. Rosemary loves her husband and her child and her work for Varnhold.

And though she may worry, she knows Varn is right. Whatever life decides to throw at them in the future, it won’t be anything they can’t handle.

[taylortruther]

“You'll find it fits better somewhere else” I agree, I guess I just don’t think that means it was about Matty. It means she liked the lyric and found it fit and applied better in a different song and story? Maybe it’s semantics but that is a distinction to me.

to be fair you are quoting an anon and i don't want to put other words in their mouth.

but yes it's a significant distinction! and of course thats how taylor works sometimes.

i don't personally find it hard to believe that she's sometimes come up with lines inspired by one person/situation but fleshed it out and gave it life when used at another time. idk! i don't think "reworking" lines to be about a new situation is a disrespectful or gross thing. maybe taylor doesn't ever work that specific way ever ever ever. but art and inspiration can be organic like that.

i know the real issue is that y'all think we're saying the song is ABOUT matty and that's not what anyone is saying? but i also do not know how to explain it better so, alas! perhaps we just let it lie.

[placeinthisworld]

i am relating to SO much of what im reading on ur blog rn. do not get me wrong - i LOVE ttpd and love taylor. it's kind of one of those things that's like "always have, always will." im always going to be so grateful for her work and this community, and as i said - i AM loving the music rn!

BUT. she feels different, and feels so far away. i know we are not owed her time or attention, but when you've built your entire brand on fan connection and being "different" than any other celebrity in that regards, it's going to feel off and unexpected when it suddenly stops with no explanation. most of her little interaction is on tiktok, which is half the time not with actual fans, but rather anyone who uses her song in the background (which a lot of times is influencers!) ppl say "yeah but now she does so much more for us" .... yeah... so many new THINGS to buy.

i also think she's at a place where she KNOWS she is on top of the world rn (good for her!) but it has come with a complex - she knows now she doesnt NEED to be close with her fans, doesnt NEED to use her platform for good, doesnt NEED to take constructive criticism - because the gp likes her enough to where she doesn't even need a strong centralized fanbase. as of rn, no opposition can make a dent in her fame or income and she knows it. and it feels icky, and honestly makes her feel less human (which is interesting, because the ttpd is imo some of the most raw humanlike work)

the new social circle is off too. i dont hate travis, and i was happy for her, but have come to like him less and less since realizing he's a bit sleazy and is kind of only liberal for pay. he's publicly made r*pe jokes and xenophobic comments in the past couple years (NOT from 15 year old tweets! recent!) his dad is also super transphobic and mahomes brother is a charged SAer yet taylor gallavants w both of them. travis just seems like an oaf and while im glad she had something more easy and fun, it's telling that there's been a lack of backlash towards him when he's exhibited the same behavior as matty and the only things taylor could write ab him were sports and high school references. i hate to even touch on her personal life like this but god forbid this is a forever thing :/ omg this is a lot but yeah im glad we're having this convo

yup!! bestie your feelings are so valid and i feel very very similarly about everything!!

she knows she doesn’t need to appeal to a niche audience of tween girls anymore. she knows she’s beyond that. fate worked its magic and now she’s america’s it girl without any of drama of having to censor her work. and while yes i’m very proud and happy for her, you’re exactly right, she’s more than happy to continue to push things for us to buy in order to feel close to her. she’s already established a group of life long fans by those who she’s interacted with, invited to things, sent money too etc. so she really doesn’t have to do anything else besides make more music and have the world speculate about her personal life. at the end of the day she just feels sooooo disconnected to us now, compared to how we used to have it at least.

ugh i knew icky meathead was sleazy without even needing taylor to bring him into the limelight but now everyone and their mom is obsessed and up his ass too. EVEN with all those gross things about him (we all saw the recent commencement speech excuse 🤢) he’s definitely democratic for pay. i definitely don’t think he’s gonna stick around forever, either he’ll fuck up and get caught w another girl or she’ll get bored of his ass (speculating that this is a legit relationship and not PR at least lol) she’s a girl that needs a new boy every now and then i fear.

generally i’m just disappointed in her now in a lot of aspects. but completely disconnecting from the world, acting like a whole ass genocide is not actively happening, only ever promoting of talking about herself or her own work just seems so bland and selfish. she’s mentioned voting like what, twice this year? in generic ghost written sentences on an IG story?

[idsb]

One thing is stuck in my mind since the release of TTPD and I just wanted to know your opinion about it. If we actually pay attention to her songs then the only thing that can keep Taylor happy are her boyfriends?? I mean if we take her lyrics into consideration making music, achieving success and performing is just her job and she do it with a broken heart if there isn't a boyfriend besides her. She grins when she wins but that's all a deception to hide her real heartache. What actually make her happy in her real life is just her boyfriends. If not for Joe she was starving her body, if not for Matty she was stuck in a relationship with Joe and loving him was ruining her life, if not for Travis she was depressed because of Matty and was having suicidal thoughts. So all her happiness just depends on having a constant boyfriend by her side otherwise she can show us lies and she do her job with a broken heart??

I think this is a really gross oversimplification, honestly - have you not heard of someone using metaphors in their songs? or just gravitating towards writing about a particular topic that interests them?

she wasn't literally starving herself until she found a boyfriend (and I think if you listened to a single time she has brought up her ED, it's abundantly clear that it was both a self-image thing and a control mechanism), and I think the literal entire point of YOYOK, and that bridge, is that she thought she'd be saved by a perfect kiss and that was incorrect. Eventually she looked around in a blood-soaked gown (another metaphor) and saw the thing they can't take away: her fans, and how she achieved her success herself. Hence, "you're on your own, kid, you always have been"

Performing on tour where she had a broken heart and being proud of her ability to work through that is a legitimate thing to be proud of. it doesn't mean she ONLY finds value in performing on tour when she has a boyfriend. She went through the undoing of a 6 year relationship, which is objectively devastating, and then also right after was love bombed and gaslit by someone who made her think they were the one. Also a horrible double-blow to go through. So, yes, she was sad. And yes, it's impressive that she carried the best-selling tour of all time while going through this! so she wrote about it. That seems extremely simple to me. Have you not ever felt totally leveled by something you've gone through anymore?

Also, lastly, there is WAY more going on in TTPD than "I did a breakup so I wanna kms". Have you heard WAOLOM? BDILH? The way she was made to feel like she was put in a cage and fucking insane and like she couldn't make her own choices? while simultaneously going through something difficult while simultaneously being completely love bombed and gaslit and ghosted by the person she put it all on the line for while simultaneously performing & carrying the best selling tour ever? that's enough to make anyone feel like they belong in an asylum / are dying inside.

[toomuchracket]

just picturing matty when morning sickness is involved. maybe dword because they were probably on the road when a majority of it was happening. i think he was never not immediately behind girly holding her hair and rubbing her back, she’s the type to be like “no go away im gross” him being like “if you lock this door i will just break it down 💪” and after he always makes sure that she’s getting re-hydrated, has his own little stash of peppermint tea on him at all times and is always making sure she re-fuels with toast or if she suddenly has a craving he’s throwing his hoodie on so fast he puts it on backwards to run out for pastries or pancakes or whatever his girl wants

yes yes and he's also ignoring you when you complain about your hair being gross and kissing it anyway like "i love you i love you SO MUCH and i wish i could take the sickness away but i also just want to say that i'm so in awe of you and so grateful that you're going through it for us and our baby and the family i've dreamed of having with you for an embarrassingly long time. couldn't give a fuck if your hair's mingin, my love, i just need you to know how much i love you and appreciate you". also he's defo run offstage to hold your hair back while you spewed lol. you yell at him like "matthew what the FUCK you're meant to be doing a show right now there is a paying crowd out there" and he's like "so? you're more important. i'll just tell them i was doing dad-to-be shit. they're all hype for me to be a dilf they won't mind"; as it turns out, he's right, but you're still mortified and annoyed at him for abandoning work to check on you. but it's not like you can stop him - you and tiny baby lyla are his world, after all <3

[didhewinkback]

this whole thing just gives me the biggest ick about her. the fact that majority of this album is about her pining for a bigot and the cringe ass lyrics of them being fated but tortured & its “them against the world” like girl. you and that nasty ass racist man are in your 30s!!!! GROW UP. i just can’t. the album production was so boring and the lyrical content made me roll my eyes the entire time. i’m just so boggled by it all. the way she’s so loud and proud about the fact that she didn’t end things with that man because of how terrible of a person he is but bc of the way he treated HER specifically and ghosted her??? so all his bigotry she can excuse but when he treats her like trash? no that’s where she draws the line. just insufferable and gross.

(sorry im ranting lol you don’t have to post this. im just pissed and annoyed at the fact that she’s being praised for this shit by her fans and music critics.)

babe i was ranting all day yesterday did u see me !!!! and yes i agree with u, i mean i really dont think many of these songs are very good but to add to the fact that they are about matty... also like the funniest thing about this to me is that i had assumed she ended things with him bc she saw what trash he was but turns out he ghosted her and shes like fuck u weirdo fans for trying to tell me to not date my racist king whose friends called my mom miss piggy <3. like !!! why admit any of that !!! put that in ur diary !!!

[tayfabe75]

Speaking of the IILWY mv… It’s interesting that the songs — IILWY and COH — are not linked, but the mvs are. The same goes for cardigan and willow. COH and cardigan end with the protagonist alone and IILWY and willow are about reuniting with the lost lover. Also the invisible string in the willow mv appears to be music!

It's not just IILWY or ACOH, anon! Matty brings back the clown for the beginning of the 'Somebody Else' video as well as the end of 'Sincerity is Scary', even describing clowns as a "motif", heh!

Anon, I love that take about 'Cardigan'! I interpret it in a very similar way, though slightly different. But before I get into it, I want to stress, yet again, to anyone who might be reading this… that Matty Healy is the muse of 'Cardigan', confirmed by Taylor, herself! This rarely happens!

"I've never named names, so I feel like I still have a sense of power over what people say."

I've noticed that most fans completely ignore this bombshell because, rather than explore 'Cardigan' from a new, exciting angle or trust their favorite popstar not to get seduced by or romantically entangled with a "literal monster", they'd rather jump on the bandwagon and believe a 280-character gross misrepresentation of him on Twitter. Boo!

But... I digress! Anyway, as we take this journey, just please remember that Matty is who she is singing about all throughout 'Cardigan'… and keep him in mind as she purposefully ties various songs together with these "plot devices" (more on that in a bit!)

In 'Cardigan', we see how Taylor accesses that golden thread through music (the piano), and the way it is tied not just to this enchanted, magical place (memories from the past, I'm thinking), but by continuing to follow that thread, she ends up in a precarious position - in the middle of dark, turbulent waves during a thunderstorm (very reminiscent of 'Clean'). As the camera pans out, we see just how massive the body of water is. In nothing but a nightgown and totally unprepared to suddenly find herself in this giant ocean… Taylor luckily finds her piano floating on the surface, clinging onto it for dear life. The piano, or the music, is the only thing that saves Taylor from drowning in that abyss - the golden thread luring her to, instead, immerse herself in music once more. Through the piano, or through music, she is able to return to safety and ground herself again, even finding comfort in having taken the journey, because in it, she found a lot of strength and resilience.

Gosh, that sure sounds familiar… doesn't it? Here is where it gets even more interesting! Yes, the beginning of 'Willow' is a continuation of the end of 'Cardigan'. Taylor described the golden thread as a "plot device", which is a "technique in a narrative used to move the plot forward". Taylor is suggesting that there is a plot.

So, let's check out what the Vevo Footnotes video for 'Cardigan' has to say (found on Taylor's official YouTube channel - so, it's as good as "official" to me):

"Returning to the cabin signifies returning to a sense of self after experiencing love lost. However, Taylor's clothes remain soaking wet to represent that she was changed by the journey but has discovered who she always was. I view folklore as wistful and full of escapism. Sad, beautiful, tragic. Like a photo album full of imagery and all the stories behind that imagery."

It's a bit subtle, but the ending of 'Cardigan' is just another iteration on the same story we've already seen elsewhere in Taylor's work. The two that immediately spring to mind are these:

Out of the Woods: She lost him. But she found herself. And somehow that was everything. I Knew You Were Trouble: I don't know if you know you who are until you lose who you are.

And of course, Taylor is directly referencing another song from Red, this time by name: 'Sad Beautiful Tragic' (by the way… I strongly suggest listening to that one back to back with 'Bigger Than The Whole Sky'!)

Taylor suggests that she uses various scenes in 'Willow' to represent the songs 'Seven', 'Exile', 'Mirrorball', and 'Mad Woman'. By the way… 'Mirrorball' is a song that shares sonic similarities with The 1975's 'About You' and 'Medicine' (click the links for fun mashups that help showcase those similarities!)

In the Folklore foreward, Taylor alludes to 'Cardigan' again by describing "lovestruck kids wandering up and down the evergreen High Line" - does that remind you of anything? It sure reminds me of:

"Slut!": Got love-struck, went straight to my head Superman: I'm far away, but I never let you go, I'm love-struck and looking out the window

So, we have a connection to a song that we know Matty helped co-write a different version of… as well as a song that he, himself, hearkens back to via the Superman shirt he chose to wear in the music video for 'Me & You Together Song', as well as lyrically in 'About You'… for some, reading parallels is better, for others, listening is better, so here goes both:

Superman: Don't forget, don't forget about me About You: Do you think I have forgotten? Do you think I have forgotten… About you?

Even the golden thread in 'Cardigan' and 'Willow' is reminiscent of the pixie dust from Peter Pan! Just another connection to Matty, who has not only compared himself to Peter Pan about half a dozen times in interviews throughout the years (slowly adding all instances to this blog), but in one of them, he even talks about Wendy!:

"For me, the Peter Pan analogy of him not wanting to grow up because his… Captain Hook is his only example of a grown-up and he has Wendy, who's a conservative lady who wants to grow up and get married, but he has Tinker Bell who titillates him and she's like pornography, she's like all these… it's like, of course you get like um, titillated by the absence of a domestic reality. You don't live anywhere. You're doing something for other people, although it's yours, you know. You eventually find solace in relationships, like I have done."

Of course, I get it - that this could all be "accidental", but upon studying Taylor's techniques and listening to countless interviews where she says storytelling is the most important aspect of her work… I just don't see coincidence being the most likely conclusion, here. Forgive me, anon... I can get a bit carried away 😅

Thanks for the ask! ♥