#are those if i loved you chords?? like from the intro

[aibafiles]

so there are two big musical throughlines in npmd, which i was mostly aware of from the digital ticket but it's nice to listen through and confirm it:

the first is the "hatchet town" piano motif, which you can hear in the trailer, hatchet town (the chorus of course, but it's also the bass in the verses if you listen for it), and npmd/ddmd in the "who will pray for you" verse. i feel like i remember hearing it in the digital ticket before the opening (during the police bit) but maybe my brain is just making things up? idk, we'll find out. BUT we actually heard it for the first time in the bridge of axe man, very appropriately accompanied by the "watchin nerds run for their lives" lyric. it seems to be associated with the imminent threat of death, particularly if you're a nerd.

the other is right at the beginning of the opening (leading into "I'm dead"), and we hear it again in cool as i think i am ("I'm not a loser") and its reprise, and of course npmd and ddmd ("darkness will spare my soul"), neatly bookending the show. i think this one is more associated with The Nerds growing and asserting themselves, in contrast to the other theme. it reminds me a bit of black friday having two distinct themes that don't come together until the finale, one associated with wiggly and one with family (remind me to make A Post about that too) - it makes the act 1/2 closers really hit home and the show feels more musically cohesive for it.

uh, in conclusion:

[coco-loco-nut]

die first

Pairing: Max Verstappen x Reader

Summary: Max’s wife is an international superstar, who’s anxieties tend to show up in her songs

Inspired by: die first by Nessa Barret

requests open! masterlist prequel

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“What are you writing, Schatje?” Max asks, sliding onto the piano bench beside you.

“I wrote a song based on my vows,” you tell him, writing down the last couple chords, humming a rhythm to yourself.

Max, ever since I met you, I knew you were special. You’re my fire and my safety, you never try to break me, and you promise to always stay. I promise those same things to you. I don’t want to live without you, I never want to learn how to fall asleep without you, I want to be in love with you forever. You are my forever.

“Play it for me?” he asks when you finish, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. You nod, gently pressing the keys, mentally noting the kinks to fix before recording tomorrow. “It’s beautiful, the fans are going to love it, I love it,” Max compliments and you grin at him.

“I’m excited to announce the album and tour, and I’m glad we follow F1 around Europe. I get to spend more of summer with you that way,” you lean on his shoulder. You dedicated the album to him, and your third record is set to be the best selling one yet.

You took the unconventional route and took his last name after marrying him this year, despite having two hit albums and international fame. You still publish under your maiden name, but the name change caused a lot of shock.

You became an international superstar with your first release and it’s only grown since. Despite your relationship with Max spanning most of your music career, the both of you are able to spend a relatively low profile life in Monaco. Everything you record in the studio down the street is sent to your Hollywood label and released from there.

The next few months see you doing press for the surprise drop that was your bestselling third album and hyping the tour. Tour rehearsals fell during training time for Max and the both of you were going nonstop.

“I have to go to bed, Schatje, love you,” Max yawns over Facetime, you wish him goodnight as you stretch for your last show in North America. Tomorrow you jet to Europe to pick up that leg of the tour.

By the time you reach London, your tour has officially lined up with F1, which means your personal box near the stage is full of drivers, who likely are being bombarded with autograph requests. You slip into your black, sparkly bodysuit and matching hells; hair, makeup, and nails perfectly done; and grab your matching microphone before heading to your mark under the stage. The roar of the crowd energized you as the intro video plays.

“Come on London, let’s have some fun,” you say into the mic before smoke fills the stage above you and the trap door opens, the platform beneath you rising you up. You launch into your opening act. Half an hour later, after prancing and dancing and singing around the stage you take a pause to introduce the next act. The crowd cheers loudly before you have a chance to speak. You look around, smiling at everyone even if you can’t see them.

“London, thank you, my name is Y/n Verstappen, that’s my show for tonight,” you tease, the crowd silences. “Nah, I’m kidding. I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that, not when you are one of the best crowds I’ve had on tour,” you tell them, giving them a second to cheer.

“Since you have been such a great host, I wanted to share something special about this next song, something not many people know, but not quite yet. Quick shoutout to the F1 drivers here tonight, including my handsome husband, y’all are cool. But not as cool as everyone else here,” you purposely leave them hanging a little, blowing a kiss in the direction of Max.

“Alright, so, this next song is not only the title of my new album, but I also took parts of my vows and wrote them into the song. I hope you like it,” you say and the crowd cheers as the first chords play behind you.

“Thank you, London! Goodnight!” After the concert, you rush backstage and into Max’s open arms.

“You were incredible, Liefje” Max kisses you. Charles jokingly gags behind you.

“Thank you, Maxie,” you whisper, hugging him tight. Your assistant hands you a towel to put around your neck and a bottle of water which you happily take.

“You had a great show,” the other drivers tell you, all complimenting the show and thanking you for the tickets. You thank them for attending and excuse yourself so you could change. Max reminds them of the post-show dinner and club plans and carries you to your dressing room. You collapse on the couch, as Max chuckles at your dramatics.

“I swear the best part of a show is laying down after,” you groan and Max gently takes off your heels causing you to moan in relief.

“Y/n! People are going to think we are doing things in here,” Max laughs, you wave him off, changing into comfy but club appropriate clothes. Max helps you take off your stage makeup, and redoes your hair as you put a little bit of normal makeup on.

“Ready, Maxie?” you ask, grabbing your purse. It is nice knowing that assistants will take everything back to the hotel for you.

“I promise I will always come back home to you, I know my driving style is agressive, but I won’t make you learn how to fall asleep without me,” Max says, his hands holding your face gently.

“I know, but I will always be scared when you are on the track. You can’t promise nothing will happen, but I know you will always try,” you tell him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. You stay in his embrace for a minute until rejoining half of the paddock. I can be in love forever, if I die first…

[agustdiv1ne]

hey ash! soft hours idea i just had: you, beomgyu's best friend, takes his guitar and asks him to teach you to play something in a lazy afternoon. he oh so patiently teaches you how to play the beggining of a classic rock song and when you finally get it and play it right he blurts out how hes been in love with you... for like a decade.

(im melting

SAM YOUR MIND>>>>> i'm gonna disintegrate this is so adorable

god, just imagine: you're laying on beomgyu's bed one lazy afternoon, the weather outside is cool and soft gray clouds paint the sky, the soft pitter patter of rain mixing with the show that he had turned on earlier. the room feels comfortable, warm, cozy; you think that these words can be used to describe beomgyu, too.

speaking of the boy, he's laying right next to you, the warmth of his thigh seeps into your bare skin as the both of you relax against the bed's headboard, his fingers mindlessly playing with your own his screen-strained eyes stare at the television. shooing the butterflies in your stomach away, you tap his palm to grab his attention. his gaze slides over to you in an instant.

"'m bored," you pout. his nose scrunches up before he's asking you what you want to do, then, if he's just so boring to be around. you roll your eyes at his dramatics, but mull over the question for a moment. what do you want to do?

your eyes trail over to the acoustic guitar that is propped up in the corner of the room. "can you teach me how to play something?"

at first, he thinks you mean a video game, a taunt on the tip of his tongue about how you suck at them, until he follows your line of sight to his beloved instrument. his heart softens a little.

"yeah, sure," he responds while he gets up to fetch it. he sits back down with the guitar set in his lap. you shift so your body completely faces him and watch as he fiddles with the tuning pegs, strumming and adjusting the tensions until it sounds about right to his ears. he peers back up at you once he's satisfied. with a dramatic strum, he announces, "i'll teach you something easy 'cause you're a noob."

you slap his knee in retaliation. "i hope you choke."

"you shouldn't be saying that to your one and only guitar teacher," he smirks. "i could just not teach you. in fact, i'll just go back to watching my show-"

"fine, sorry," you concede, even though you know he wouldn't do that to you, not really.

thus, beomgyu's guitar class commences. he places the guitar in your lap. as he helps you with the finger placements for each chord, fingers gently covering yours, he hums under his breath. the first notes you pluck out are clunky and disjointed, and the tempo is wildly off, miles too slow for it to actually sound anything like the original song. the air seems to shift as he continues to guide you through the intro of the song; he's not cracking the usual jokes at your expense, and — while it might just be your imagination running wild, searching for things that are not really there — he seems to be leaning closer than what is normal for friends.

he works with you for over an hour. you push away those absurd thoughts all the while.

"alright," he says once he deems you ready, leaning back on his palms. "now try playing the full thing."

there's this furrow in your brow as you focus on the strings with the utmost concentration, ensuring that you're playing the right chords with the correct picking, until you successfully play the intro to pink floyd's wish you were here. with a final strum, you look up at beomgyu with a wide grin, and you just seem so happy and excited and proud of yourself that beomgyu just can't help himself-

"i love you," he blurts out. you tilt your head, and regret immediately curls around his chest.

"i love you, too? we're best friends," you respond, unsure what else to say. when he deflates, you continue, worried. "where is this coming from?"

"i don't think you understand."

"beomgyu," you sigh. "if you're gonna be vague about it, then i never will."

"fuck, um." beomgyu is nervous. gone is the typically confident boy, now fiddling his fingers and unable to look directly at you. "i love you. i've loved you for years, now, i think."

stunned, you gape at him, and he takes your silence as rejection, laughing humorlessly. "i shouldn't have said anything. i'm sorry."

shaking yourself from your stupor, you carefully place the instrument still in your lap on the comforter before shifting forward. your knees knock against his as you bring a hand up to cup his jaw. "you never let me respond, idiot."

he finally looks at you, and you send him a gentle, close-lipped smile. "if you hadn't jumped to conclusions so quickly, you would already know that i love you, too."

his eyes light up. "wait, for real? how long?"

"a really long time, probably since we were, like, fourteen," you mumble and your hand retracts, slightly embarrassed. "i didn't accept it 'til a few years ago, though."

"ah!" he exclaims, causing you to jump a little at the volume of his voice. he seems to be back to his normal self, which is confirmed when he starts poking you forehead and excitedly exclaiming, "i beat you! i've known since we were eleven. see, no one can ever beat me, i'm just that good at everyth-"

not without a playful roll of your eyes, you lean forward and capture your lips with his, effectively shutting him up. the kiss is brief and his lips are a bit dry, but your heart pounds nonetheless. when you pull away, there's these dopey smiles on both of your faces. he's staring at you in a way that you've seen several instances before, but never knew what it meant — you know now, what that unique glint in his eyes, the quirk of his lips mean.

"i love you, choi beomgyu," you say, pressing another kiss to his cheek. "but you really need some chapstick."

he groans. "you just had to ruin the moment."

"say it back," you argue as you hand him your own chapstick. his expression softens a little when he looks back up at you, his lips curling up in a tiny smile.

"i love you," he breathes. "now c'mere."

hands cup your cheeks, squishing them a bit, before the rest of him is surging forward to kiss you once more. it's all giggly and sweet and neither of you can fight off the grins pulling at your lips. he begrudgingly pulls away after a few minutes, if only to get more air into his lungs, reaching for the guitar and beginning to serenade you. you hum along with him.

this is what finally being home after a long journey feels like, you think.

this is what love feels like.

[inawearyworld]

little things in the wonka score/soundtrack that get me every time: a post made by a music major with severe brainrot (seriously it’s getting bad)

• even though i’m not sure how to feel abt what they did orchestrally to pure imagination when it was sung in full, i loved the way it was interwoven until then-the opening credits, the clock tower chiming its intro, etc

• when the intro to hatful of dreams ends and the instrumental HITS. that was the moment i was sitting in the theater like “…oh i’m going to be so charmed by this movie huh”

• something abt the way timmy sings “i’ve put everything i’ve got into my choc’late”. see above bullet point

• welcome to scrubbit’s has no right to be that much of a banger

• the low brass in scrub scrub HELLOOOOO?!?!? the chromatic slides. the muted trumpets. abacus’ bass moments (go off king). the song is literally about laundry and yet IT GOES SO HARD

• walk into the club on a friday night like FIRST YOU PICK UP THE APPAREL AND YOU

• the instrumental of ynhclt that plays while everyone’s flying is so cheesy and so golden-age-of-hollywood-children’s-musical and i cannot help but smile

• the cuh-lassic “one instrument at a time” opening of sweet tooth

• mathew baynton’s voice. that’s it that’s the bullet point.

• #GiveTheCartelMoreTight3PartHarmonies2k24

• well we’ve got lots and lots and lots and loTS AND LOTS AND LOWHY AM I SINGINGGGGGGG

• somethin about how the “noodle noodle” countermelody is a sort of arpeggiated outline of each chord, like a vocal warmup, like he’s letting her take the melody bc he knows she will in time. i’m gonna sob they’re literally family

• the orchestration of for a moment, esp while they’re dancing on the rooftop, just SOARS. idk if anyone here has seen mr magorium’s wonder emporium but that movie shaped my childhood, it’s probably my favorite film score ever, and this instrumental bit is SOOOO reminiscent of it

• clock tower. a fifty-second masterpiece

• CHOCOPOCALYPSE. (for those of us who were on the theatre kid side of the internet in 2018, i think chocopocalypse should be the new calculust. hear me out)

• mat’s voice gets a second bullet point bc what the hell man. literally the sonic embodiment of dark mint chocolate. h e l p m e

• …#fickelgruberisathinmint2k24

• noodle’s portion of ynhclt, while she’s teaching willy to read, has a few instrumental nods to mozart’s famous sonata in c, a typical piece for piano beginners-kids-to learn. in the 1971 film mrs teavee incorrectly identifies mozart as rachmaninoff. this MOVIE

• i wish there could have been more, and more involved/complex, ensemble vocal moments

• charlotte ritchie <3 (okay i’m biased sue me)

• the new orchestration for the oompa loompa song is straight fire

• the LEITMOTIFS the fucking LEITMOTIFS!!!!!!!! the opening fanfare that became the basis of hatful of dreams popping up here and there. the melody to a world of your own playing whenever he thinks of his mom. every time we think willy’s safe from the cartel, ope there’s that descending major sixth again.

• (now that i think about it. sweet tooth is in g major of all keys, rather atypical of a villain song. most of the intervals are major too. it’s the trembling strings that give it that “evil” sound. and it fits so well-like, “we’re not completely immoral! time for a fun little tango! there’s colorful lights! killthisguyplsOH LOOK CONFETTI!” they’re so sinister i love it)

• the way that the intro to a world of your own echoes the intro to pure imagination

• THE ORCHESTRATION DURING “chocolate bushes, chocolate trees” etc AND THE WAY IT BUILDS OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD. MY HEART JUST BURSTS. EVERY TIME. I AM NOT IMMUNE TO CHEESY MUSICALS.

• the!! chromatic!! basslines!! in!! that!! song!!!!!!!!

• the fact that the bridge comes before the second verse-name any other songs where that happens i dare you. just another example of willy changing the narrative in every way

• the fact that sorry noodle is AN ENTIRE *OTHER* COUNTERMELODY that then falls back into the for a moment melody at the end what the FUUUUUUUUUUUCK

• the monks chanting “giraffe. a massive giraffe”. so fucking funny

• stripping down pure imagination to its essence while willy sings it to noodle was a thousand percent the right decision. and the lyric changes for the situation are sooooooo clever

• as someone who grew up with the 71 movie and has been utterly enamored with its music her whole life, i’m not the world’s hugest fan of this version’s pure imagination orchestration; i get they felt they had to do something different, it just feels slightly too modern/disneyesque, but it had the vibe that they intended for the end of the movie

• anyway god i love this score

[cloverdaisies]

SNAP OUT OF IT : ERIC SOHN

contains: slight mature themes e.g drug misuse, strong language, that’s about it

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Radio announcer: “Let’s talk about alternative rock band the boyz, their lead singer Juyeon Lee announced their world tour over instagram this morning! How exciting! Their drummer Sunwoo Kim, actually commented on the post the singer wrote saying he wasn’t meant to announce the tour yet.”

Radio announcer 2: “That’s class actually, they’ve taken the UK by storm in recent months I actually saw a girl at a recent fan event for them in Manchester with ‘Eric Sohn sign my tits’ written on her forehead. I was gobsmacked.”

Radio announcer 1: “Honestly the ladies and men out there can’t get enough of them, here’s their newest track ‘Snap out of it’ here on Radio Z”

ERIC POV:

Blacking out, my hands clumsily falling against the strings of the guitar in my hands. The stage was a sickly blur, as it always was. Spinning at a head thrashing speed, the only thing I could decipher was Juyeon slurring into the mic.

"This ones for all those angels up there.. " He giggled the last part with a smirk, hanging on to the mic and leaning into it lowly. Whilst I slammed down onto the strings of my guitar, the intro faded out as the song started.

Chaotic screams and a huge ruckus erupted from the crowd, the tranquil verses bursting into the manic chorus. If I wasn't so high, I probably could of remembered the set we played that night. The destructive sea of fans bashing their heads into the air and throwing up their arms in uncontrolled moshing.

"I want to grab both your shoulders and shake baby-.." Juyeon paused as the music halted momentarily.

"Snap out of it..."  I finished his sentence with my own mic. Swinging along to riff, the ascending chords fitting together perfectly to the pitch Juyeon sang over it in. I smirked as we got to the last chorus, my fingers bleeding as they were split open from grazing the strings at an insane pace for the entire concert.

"It's been a good night, the lovely city of Los Angels. We've been The Boyz. Goodnight!" Juyeon announced from the mic, completely faded but sober enough to be understood. The lights faded into complete darkness, slinging my guitar over my head and handing it to the staff on the sidelines.

"Well done." Hyunjae, our bass player, limped over planting a kiss on my head unknowingly. I shrugged the intoxicated elder off of me, downing the open neck of beer on the side drawers.

"I'm gonna fucking pass out." Sunwoo threw his drumsticks on to the coffee table and plummeted on to the leather couch behind him with a lazy slap.

Lighting one up between my lips, no matter how much I drank, my mouth was completely dry - my tongue feeling trapped between the two walls of a paper-like texture. Exhaling the smoke into the closed room and tipping the excess off my ring finger tiredly. I leant back into the couch, Sunwoo's legs kicked up over my lap.

"Eric, the manager wants you." Juyeon walked into the backstage area last, sweat leaking from the strands of his hair as he collapsed on the couch beside Sunwoo.

"What for?" I huffed, crushing the cigarette into the ash tray and getting up to my feet lazily.

"I'd tell you if I knew." He snapped, rolling my eyes I slapped him with the back of my hand as I walked by.

Grasping the coolness of the silver plated handle with my bleeding finger tips. I swung open the door to the staff's room in the venue, coughing as I entered and announcing my presence.

"What?" I asked bluntly, falling on to the couch opposite the manger - sitting with his arms folded arrogantly, cocking brow at my snappy attitude.

"I wanted to speak to you about your image." He began, causing me to roll my eyes with snicker and flash a glint of my sharp teeth that grazed the chapped skin on my lips.

"What about it?" I chuckled, waiting for an outrageous proposal from the middle aged and balding man tutting his head across from me.

"You're in a rock band, not a bubblegum pop group, you're too nice. You need a scandal, you need to be hated by the wrong people. Destroy that glint of hope in the mainstream media's eye. Show them you're like the rest of your group, heartless, conniving, toxic, but have the girls love you." He vented, his mouth bubbling in an excited hiss, closing his fist in exaggeration as his eyes drifted into that one thousand mile stare of his.

"That's not the real me though." I argued artistically, playing off the idea with a shrug.

"Nothing in Hollywood is real kid. Unless you want your career ending, I'd do what I say." He smirked evilly, my hands trembled on my knees as a chewed on the nail of my index finger - whether that was nerves or the drug rush I didn't know myself.

"Whatever." I spat in defeat, getting up from the couch in an aggressive strop.

"Good kid." He sneered, leaning back into the patent leather with an demonic stare glued into his blackened eyes.

Outside the door, Sunwoo seemed to of heard the entire ordeal as he stood against the wall with a lit cigarette between his lips.

"I hate our management, why do we even do this?" I slammed my fist into the wall beside me with a sharp bang. Sunwoo seemingly unfazed by it, walked up to me with a casual stroll and patted my shoulder sweetly.

"You're the only one that has complaints." He smirked as I brushed him off in annoyance.

"Yeah that's because I'm not like the rest of you, none of your care about anyone but yourselves." I spat nastily at this point, not caring too much about what I was saying to the wavy haired brunette next to me.

"We do care, but it's because we want the best for all of us. The best thing for you, is to listen to management. They'll ruin your life and all of ours if you don't." He replied with tolerance, stepping back to give me some space since I was clearly worked up about the situation.

"Sounds like you only care because it affects you." I chuckled bitterly, brushing past him and back down the hallway.

"Eric you're being-" He yelled after me, throwing his hands up in the air exaggeratedly.

"Fuck off." I cut him off before he could claim I was being 'childish' or 'immature' - in realty I knew I was the only one with any emotional intelligence, not that it would change.

The moonlight shone on to the rooftops in the city, walking out of the building with my hood over my head. We were playing in our hometown that night anyways, the others would only assume I went home early. The wind blew harshly, the bottom of my leather ankle boots hitting the pavements in loud echos.

"Do you think they'll leave through this exit?"

"I don't know I think Juyeon's more of a 'through the fire door' type of guy."

My ears perked up to the sound of a few girls whispering amongst each other beside me. They were clearly fans, their baggy fan merchandise tucked into their black skinny jeans.

"Excuse me, sir." One began to approach me, with that I sped up - almost picking up into a light jog down the street. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"Sir?!" They didn't move but stayed in the same place as I ran away. I didn't intend to run as far as I did, wandering far into the high street where the store fronts lit up in glistening neons and fluorescent whites that flickered on and off in malfunctioning glitches.

Where even am I? I looked around as best as I could without spoiling my low profile. I continued to walk, to try and find some familiarity in the area. But it was filled with nameless bars, small pawn shops and taxi services. The nightlife was wild, however I couldn't risk asking someone for directions without the risk of them recognizing who I was. It was slightly quieter when I reached the end of the street, sighing to myself I took my hood down and proceeded.

"Come on just let me take you home princess."

"Fuck off, No."

"I'll take real good care of you."

"Leave me alon- GET OFF OF ME."

Overhearing a conversation to my left, I whipped my head around to see a girl in a short black ruffle dress being tugged by a larger male on the sidewalk. Crossing the street, I yelled over quickly.

"Oh there you are! I've been looking for you!" I shouted, approaching the unknown girl closeby. "Who's this?" I pointed to the man holding her arm, with a strange look.

"I don't k-" She replied with great alarm before being cut off by the large man next to her.

"We're old friends, she's letting me take her home." The man spoke for her, still trying to force her into his car.

"Well I'm her boyfriend, so I think I would know who you were. Now please get off of her." I brought her waist close, the man dropping her arm with a defeated huff and sliding back into his car. The car sped off down the street, the engine firing in a high pitched squeal.

"Thank you- thank you so much." She huffed out in relief, bracing her knees in a release of fear.

"No problem at all, are you okay?" I pulled her up from her trembling hunch and supported her upright.

"Yeah I'm fine, seriously thank you for doing that, god knows what could of happened." She replied brushing off the gesture in curtesy.

"Do you wanna grab a drink or something? Can you get home safely?" I asked, watching her eyes glint in the night light. She glanced over to a nearby convenience store, the ones with the small metal tables outside.

"Sure. I guess I wanna know more about you." She smiled, I returned the small curl on my lips and leisurely followed her across the street.

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hi clo here ! let me know if you want to see more snippets like this from possible plots of mine!

[thequeenrains]

“And then I see you... And I love you all over again.”

Tags: midnight talks; closure; kinda painful ig; unrequited love (or is it)

Summary: Sometimes, we all try to find peace in the midst of the chaos that is happening within our lives. But how can you find chaos if the same person that brings you that same problem is also someone that you find hard to let go?

Word Count: 2697 words

The moon shined brightly above the horizon, in its full glory, putting those who are a witness to her beauty in a tranquil daze at such a magical encounter. The dark surroundings were slightly luminated by her gentle light, bringing forth to the vision little details of the path to the city and silhouette of the trees that, at that hour, seemed like they hold such mysterious secrets kept for decades. The stars twinkled and danced along side the bright luminous moon, shining on their own rhythm, singing to the light of their almighty companion.

You felt the kiss of the evening breeze, which in turn made you hug your ukulele. You let your gaze wander through the dark silhouettes of the sleeping city, the sound of the insects humming in a choir in the distance serving as your accompaniment to the acoustic music that you were trying to create at that hour. 'My', you thought to yourself,  'I wonder what's in store for me?'

Through the moment of silent contemplation, and the staring and trying to make sense of the silhouettes painted in the distance, your fingers found itself lingering on to the frets of the instrument that you held tightly between your grasps. With clueless hands and a wandering mind, you let whatever music that may be produced from your thoughtless fingertips on for the silence of the world to hear. With each motion, the small scarf tied to the neck of the ukulele made a little moving motion, slightly tickling your leg. Shifting slightly from your position, you continued on to play to the insects and the darkness.

Mindlessly, you found yourself playing the intro of a song you know by heart. As if on instinct, your hands knew the correct tempo, the precise rhythm, and the correct placement of the chords that you didn't have to take a second glance to know where your fingertips were at, because your heart knew where to place them. And with each breath you took serving as the metronome for the rhythm and the tempo.

Your phone then rang, throwing you off of the daze that you found yourself caught on. You glanced at the contact saw that it was Hiro. Smiling a bit, you placed your phone on the window sill and answered the call. You pressed the speaker button and smiled as his voice soon filled the silence of your solitude.

"Hello," you greeted.

"Hey," he replied, his voice noticeably deep.

"How was your nap?" You asked with a little giggle. He chuckled and you could hear a yawn from the other side, signifying that he just, indeed, woke up from his nap.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping? It's already late."

You giggled a bit and eyed the moon up above, humming a bit before answering his query. "The moon's beautiful tonight."

Your hand began to strum your ukulele. You let a few notes hang in the air for a moment, before you began to hum along the lyrics of the song that you were playing earlier. Somehow, you found yourself being sucked into the small world that the melody brought forth, and you almost forgot that you were in the phone with someone.

"Hold on, I have to grab something," he said, which then somehow snapped you out of the little reverie you caught yourself onto. You could hear the shuffling of the covers from the other line and you hummed in acknowledgement. Continuing to strum your ukulele, the pattern over the past second became more and more consistent, and each strum becoming more and more familiar. You waited for the cue and then began sing the first lines of the song Heavy Crown by Trixie Mattel.

"Heavy head and a heavy crown, had a few since you came to town. Where are you gonna keep them still?"

"Winning's losing with a couple strings, it's a choosing between two things. It's a two-piece suit or all the frills."

You giggled a bit when your finger strummed the wrong string. You then paused and eyed the moon above, continuing on with your contemplation all the while waiting for the other person form the other side of the line to come back.

"Why'd you stop?" Hiro suddenly spoke.

His question made you blink. Needing a moment to process his question, you stayed silent, slightly confused. When you finally caught up, you could feel your eyes widening in shock and your heart stopping for a moment.

"O-oh? You heard that?" You asked, flustered. You could feel your cheeks heating up in embarrassment. No one ever heard you sing, you didn't let anyone listen or at least hear you open your lips to hum a certain tune or even a melody.

His sweet chuckle from the other line made your cheeks grow redder. As if that wasn't already embarrassing enough. "Yeah I did. You have a beautiful voice. C'mon, you need to sing more often."

You nervously laughed and bit your lip. "Uhm..."

"It's the first time I heard you sing actually. C'mon, sing a tune."

You stopped yourself from smiling at his compliment. You weren't going to lie, that felt great. It felt good to somehow be appreciated for the small things that you felt quite shy about. However, you were still embarrassed from earlier so you said; "No. I don't..." you cleared your throat and eyed the horizon above, "I don't sing anymore so I'm quite, y'know, rusty... and bad. Really bad." You said the last sentence in a whisper.

Unfortunately for you, Hiro heard that. "Why? I think you have a good voice. It'd be a waste if you're not singing anymore."

You let out a sad laugh, the stars twinkling in the horizon also gave you the impression that they were laughing at you too. "Well, it's just... people used to laugh at me and stuff when I do sing so like... yeah."

Utter silence from the other line.

You waited for a moment, playing with the scarf around the neck of your ukulele before you looked back at your phone to see if the line was cut off or not. Strangely, it was still connected. So he just wasn't talking...

You raised a brow, confused. "Hiro?"

"Yeah? Oh sorry. Hold on, I'm just thinking of ways to hunt that someone down," he said with a grunt from the other line.

You cracked a genuine smile, something that you really can't manage especially after recalling such a sad memory that you kept at the back of your mind, never to be remembered. You giggled a bit at his statement and sighed. "Well, what more is there to do now? I mean, I still suck at it. And like, it still is traumatizing me at this point so..."

"Look, whatever you're thinking right now— stop. You have a good voice and I would die just to listen to that again."

You couldn't help the smile breaking onto your face, the heat climbing up your cheeks, and the tears that somehow found itself up to your eyes.

"Oh you," you said with a laugh, in an attempt to push down the tears from pouring out of your eyes.

"What? It's true. Now, who ever laughed at you for singing, well, I would like to have a little chat with them. Just... just a chat," you can hear the humor in his voice and you couldn't help but keep laughing at his silly remarks.

"Is this a tactic to get me to sing to you?" You asked him, tone playfully taunting.

He hummed from the other line, "No...? Well, I'm just trying to prove my point here. What do you have against that?" You could literally hear his smile from the way he said his statement.

You shook your head, although he couldn't see you. "Nothing. Just... trying to find out the intent behind these flattering words."

"Not a single ill intention," you could hear his chuckle, "I just wanted to give you the words that you needed to hear."

"Well, how kind of you," you said with a giggle, feigning formality like that of a princess. Hiro laughed from the other line. You then let silence fall between the both of you.

You eyed the moon above —  still on her full glory. You never know what is it with the moon and the way it does always give you the feeling of safety, but here you are — basking in the comfort of her dim light, listening to the insects in the distance, and laughing without a care in the world with your friend over the phone. You also have a feeling that Hiro was also peering out of his window, eyeing the moon. You wondered for a moment if he was feeling the same as you were at that very moment — at peace.

You can picture him perched on his window sill, phone in hand and probably doing something else whilst listening to you, like what he always does.

In the midst of the silence, he called out your name. You hummed in return, telling him that you were still there, listening.

"I'm sorry."

You blinked, confused. "For what?"

"For... for everything." You could hear the defeat in his voice from the other line.

You couldn't help the sad smile. Biting your lip, you ran through the things that you wanted to say to him. But since things already happened, and there was no turning back now, you only settled on; "There's nothing to be sorry about, Hiro—"

"Look, I know I messed up big time but I..." he took a pause, as if trying to regain his composure, "I just don't want to lose you." You sighed at his statement, but nonetheless, continued to wear that same smile that you would always give him as something to assure him. But at that moment, it seemed that the emotion was directed to you — you were assuring yourself.

"Well, it's okay." It's fine. You're okay. "And I'm still here Hiro," you assured him. But as you did so, your smile slowly began to lose its emotion. There were moments that you had to put yourself aside just so you wouldn't ruin things for the both of you. It was hard, yes. But... somehow, you were fine. You just had to gather whatever courage you had for yourself and silently fight the battles that you were left alone with.

"Yeah but I... I'm still sorry."

"It's okay. I don't blame you, okay? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Your feelings are valid. Always. Remember that, okay?"

"I..." somehow, you could hear him battle out his own demons just judging by the tone of his voice. And there it is again, you thought to yourself. At this point, you knew how to read him as if he was an open book. He was guilty. You took a deep breath and thought of whatever you can say to him that'll somehow put him at ease.

Somehow, despite the hurt that he gave you, you still found compassion for him. You wanted to hate him for what he did, but oddly, you can never find it in yourself to loathe him. You can never find it in yourself to be angry at him entirely. You care too much. You have no idea if that is a blessing or a curse. Nonetheless, you still found words to somehow put him at ease, and you're hoping it will give him peace.

"Hey, don't be too harsh on yourself. Things happen and you shouldn't beat yourself up for it. Don't worry about me, just focus on Megan, 'kay? I'm fine. Trust me. I'll be here when you need me."

"...okay." He sighed, defeated. You smiled at that. Then silence engulfed the both of you once again. Your fingers began to feel for the strings of your ukulele, then soon, the silence was then filled by the rich melody that your hands created, soothing the heavy ambiance that somehow wiggled its way between the both of you. Little by little, there was consistency in the chords that you played, and you found yourself being pulled into that little daze that carries you anywhere but the ground, only brought forth by music. But the melody was broken when he spoke once more from the other line, causing you to stop playing.

"Sing it."

You paused. "Hmm? Sing what?"

"That. That song. You should sing it."

You paused and bit your lip. But you nonetheless followed his request. Taking a deep breath, you opened your lips to start the first few lines of the song.

"And I don't smell you in my sheets. And I don't hear you in the hall. Without your cologne, your calls on the phone, I don't know you at all..." to begin with, you had no idea why you chose this song, but it just somehow explained your side...

When you were finally told that he was dating Megan... It felt so much like a slap in the face. Somehow, at the back of your mind you were expecting that. But you never really thought of how hard that might hit you when you were finally coming face-to-face with that fact.

"And I'm growing older, I know that we're over, the way we'd always have been. And then I see you... And I know you all over again." There was never a 'thing' between the both of you, but maybe... it was just because you were secretly hoping for more. But when the chapter has to finish, and the book is coming to a close, you have no choice but to stop writing the pages and bring it all to an end.

For you.

And for him.

For your peace, and for your happiness.

Because you deserve better. You deserve so much more.

This song... somehow became your closure. With each word that you sang, you could feel everything being left behind. As if all the events that unfolded became nothing but distant dreams of yesterday's escapades. Just remnants of silly conversations, and little decisions that led to actions that felt so much like a strange fever dream. And just as it always will be — nothing more than just... that.

You know to yourself that if you wanted more, you could always gain more. But it felt like this is all where it's headed. And thus, you'll let it go.

What a waste. But what is there to throw away wherein there was nothing to waste in the first place? Nothing fruitful grew out of it, and thus, nothing will be withered away. Not a single one.

And with the final chorus, you felt your heart ache from the bittersweet feeling that you got. "And then I see you... And I know you all over again."  It felt bittersweet, because it was like saying goodbye to a million what-ifs and what-could've-beens. But what are those worth when the outcome of letting it all go is the never ending peace that you longed for in what felt like a while?

"And then I see you... And I love you all over again."

With the final strumming rhythm and with the final hums of the strings of your instrument dissipated the chaos that you have been fighting with for months on end. With the final vibrations of the melody came the silence that welcomed the peace that calmed the storm that kept raging inside your heart for months. So, this is what it felt like before.

For the first time in months, you felt as if you could finally breathe. You let yourself take a deep breath, and you could've swore that it never felt so easy. As if millions of worries were suddenly lifted from your chest and it just felt so... freeing.

You thanked the moon, the stars, the universe, and the heavens. Because finally, the chapter has ended.

And that night, you finally slept soundly on your bed.

Yet little did you know, the final words that you sang left a footprint on Hiro's heart. A tear rolled down his cheek and he couldn't help but eye the moon and question; "Why?"

[jmdbjk]

Man at work.

 Apparently working more than we thought he was...

Kookie bought a pack of 500 straws so he could exercise his vocal chords because he saw Sam Smith do it. But alas, he didn’t think it was working for him. Nevertheless! they won’t go to waste! because he can slurp down his highball much faster using a straw...

This cute goofball is the global spokesperson for Calvin Klein jeans... he mentioned that the Calvin Klein video was up and he acted bashful about it. He did say when doing these types of endorsements as a group is one thing, but doing them personally on his own, the product must be something he personally endorses. And he also said he will be embarrassed when people speak to him about his ad images. Perception vs reality. 

He tells us he’s cleaned out his closet recently and only kept all his black clothes, but now he says he will wear Calvins now. One thing to look forward to... Calvin Klein clothing silhouettes are typically cut close to the body. Meaning they are not the oversized baggy things that we normally see on JK. Just sayin’! Bring on the airport fashion! 

He asks to please show Calvin Klein a lot of support. Check! Marked off the list! I believe that company is scrambling to actually have any merchandise in stock this week, right? They weren’t prepared. Mission accomplished, JK. 

For a few moments he thought he spoiled Jimin’s episode of Suchwita because he couldn’t find it on Youtube. Sus, Youtube. 

Aside from the adorable heart eyes he had and the knowing grins and outright laughter while he watched, Jungkook nodded when Jimin said if he could go to any point in time, past or future, he would choose 2025 when they would all be together again. Kookie nodded vigorously again and let out a deep, wistful sigh while watching that brief segment. Was he getting a little lump in his throat too, just like I was?

Yoongi then says “we all have an idea of what things will be like when we come back” and Jimin agrees and when Yoongi asks Jimin what he thinks it will be like, Jimin says “we’d all be back together after we’re done.” I am assuming he means military service, and that he is curious to know how it will be and that’s why he wants to go to that point in time. 

Jimin, we all want to fast forward to that time. None of us want you all to have to take this mandatory break and we all want it to be over with as soon as possible. 

When it was over, Kookie fixed himself a fresh drink, took a potty break and then sat wordlessly on the couch for at least 15 minutes listening to music and pondering the universe (it seemed). Songs he queued up: “12:45″ by Etham; “thoughtboutu” by Karencici; “Another Day” by Gervs; “Adrenaline” by Lauv; “Where Does the Love Go” by by María Isabel and Yeek and “Honeymoon” by Johnny Stimson.

He sweetly sang along to “Honeymoon.” That song has a similar vibe to “10,000 Hours” and I wish to god Kookie would create a song with that ambience because it would become one of those all time greatest hits.

JK read a few comments (FINALLY?) he randomly says he was wanting to look up Jimin’s lyrics...? Jungkook and his never-ending fight with his Apple TV commands ensues. And he finally finds what he’s looking for... the BigHit intro.

He proceeded to fanboi during Set Me Free Pt 2 even being a tad slack-jawed and droolly when the 2nd verse started and Jimin’s cheat sheet tattoos were on full display, JUST LIKE US! 

Done satisfying his need to know the lyric was “maze” and watching the entire video anyway, he quickly found a Jimin compilation video. Are you shitting me? 

Now, we all know how insidious the Youtube algorithm is. If you watch ONE video of any genre/topic... what happens? YT serves up several more from the same creator or same topic or genre. Watch a reaction video? Then a dozen videos by various Youtube reactors will be summoned. Watch a Korean street food video? Then you will see a dozen videos about Korean street food. FACTS!

Every time you go to Youtube after that it’s like trying to get rid of cockroaches. You spend some time hitting the “not interested/don’t show me this shit ever again” option or else that will be all you ever see forever and ever amen. 

So my point is, that Jimin compilation video was not random. Youtube isn’t a random platform, it is very articulated to deliver cocaine in video form straight to your brain in order to get you addicted so you keep coming back. 

Anyway. Kookie again was like a kid watching cartoons and Army comments were totally forgotten while he watched this fan made video. 

The evening full of Jimin, laughing at a fan made compilation video and a song that was playing called, “up at night”, by Kehlani featuring Justin Bieber, stirred something inside him and the lightning bolt of inspiration hit him and that was it. Game over for the live broadcast.

I’m glad he’s working. I’m glad he’s doing well. He’s still our Kookie and he still loves his Jiminie and the rest of his hyungs. 

[desmorotu]

vincent’s playlist 🫧 (a glimpse)

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒

☆ as the world falls down - david bowie (at the Summit, if Lovely was revealed to Vincent instead of greeting guests with him, this would have been the song that played while they made their way to him. just like in the Labyrinth, this song gives that mystical, romantic feel. he’d stare in awe, mouth agape until he swallows thickly or until Sam comes up to close it for him LMAO. he’d chuckle in disbelief, looking deeply into their eyes with his kohl-lined ones and stuttering his words. he’d lick his glossy lips and trace his gaze down. “ex-fucking-scuse me? you look incredible, Lovely.”)

☆ square hammer - ghost (loves the intro, the lyric cadence, the sound of papa’s voice, and especially the thought of seeing it live. he was more of a rocker kind of guy growing up, always adorning band tees and silver chains of some kind. the year he was turned, in fact, was when he was the most into the style part of the subculture. after he turned he had decided to keep most of his piercings, including his triple lobe, helix, eyebrow, and nose ones. he fears that taking them out will heal them immediately because of his power, even if he knows it’s not technically true. he keeps this kind of music near and dear to his heart.)

☆ lovesong - the cure (loves driving to this song. whether it’s sunshine, rain, clear skies or cloudy, this song has to play at least once. he puts on his sunglasses and bobs his head to the beat, glancing over at Lovely often and smiling to himself when they’re doing the same. he plays it when they’re at home doing chores too, having a mini dance party for themselves. they go out to goth clubs often for the same atmosphere and to get new songs on their lists.)

☆ kiss me until my lips fall off - lebanon hanover (loves the bass. he sways his whole body if he chooses to dance, raising his hands above his head and “plucking cobwebs.” he likes reciting the lyrics to Lovely as a silly way to ask for kisses. loves the drums and the deep tone of the vocals, humming it to himself even if he’s not much of a singer.)

(suggestive/sexual annotation below)

☆ not my type: dead as fuck 2 - motionless in white (“she loves me ‘cause i like to give head like a zombie—eat! eat! eat!—‘til her insides are on me” …those lyrics low key [high key] turn him on and they burn a fiery heat into his chest. as a man with an oral fixation on both the giving and receiving end, the thought of his lover being so desperate to have their mouth on him sends his thoughts into a carnal frenzy. simultaneously, the lyrics make him want to grab Lovely, throw them on any flat surface, and let the lyrics speak for themselves. he always has his mouth on them, whether he’s kissing their neck + shoulders, back, hands, arms, chest, stomach, thighs—anywhere they’ll allow him, really. there’s rarely a time where Lovely doesn’t have hickeys, but it’s not always in a sexual light. he just likes to have his mouth on them.)

☆ dive in - pierce the veil (this song strikes a chord in his heart for a reason he can’t explain; perhaps it’s the piano mixed in with the intense guitar and drums? perhaps it’s because the song goes too fast for him to focus on his thoughts? he plays this in his headphones on full blast when he needs to pay attention to anything other than his mind. his favorite part is the octave jump and the beat drop near the end!)

☆ props and mayhem - pierce the veil (he doesn’t branch out too much when it comes to music, so a lot of his playlist is just ptv. he loves the lyrics and finds solace in them, despite how vic fuentes probably does not understand that he wrote lyrics relatable to a vampire and his supernatural culture. the song strangely reminds him of his last few years as a human. when this song plays, he thinks about the stranger from the Surge line. he hopes they’re peaceful.)

(slightly suggestive annotation below)

☆ god complex - violent vira (when he listens to this song, his movements instinctively get more sensual and calculated. it’s not intentional, but the slow feeling of the music brings him to be a more captivating “predator.” sultry eyes, wet lips, and smooth touches often bring Lovely to a state of “aroused confusion,” as they call it. it’s like a switch; as soon as the song’s off, he goes back to normal. in most cases, however, the song ends long before Lovely is done with him. if vincent had a sex playlist, he’d think of adding this song.)

☆ love gun - kiss (SAM SHOWED HIM THIS SONG!! he absolutely loves the sick ass bass line and the cool lyrics. he agrees with sam’s sentiments that paul stanley’s voice is one of the best in rock history. he feels cool as fuck when this song comes on—especially when he’s driving. he drums on the steering wheel and taps his free foot in the floorboard. when he’s able to dance, you bet he most certainly will. he wishes he pursued his talent on the guitar, but he unfortunately no longer practices.)

☆ rosemary - deftones (“TIIIIIME SHIFT.” he loves the build up, the guitar, the seeming desperation in the vocals, and the overall tone of the song. he has to bite his knuckles to shut down the feeling that this song gives him. he breaks out in goosebumps and he loves how full and warm the sound is, especially when listening with headphones. he doesn’t really like how long it is, but it’s a personal preference that he excuses for the “dope ass vibes,” as Lovely likes to say.”

refer to vincent’s playlist cover at the bottom :)

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒

vincent is honestly the inspiration behind the song association in general, but asher’s song happened to come on while casually listening and i couldn’t help but make his post then and there. this one stays in the same kind of realm of music for the most part; i feel like vincent isn’t a super musical person anymore but he used to really enjoy it and is trying to get back into it. these are just my opinions! in my mind, vincent is on the goth side of things with a mix of a bunch of different musical subcultures thrown in. if you want more, lmk :3 (i will make them anyways, but if you desire a specific character then you need only ask!) @morgansplace

i wanna write mini fics but UGHHH i don’t think my writing is good enough smh. maybe i’ll do it anyways at some point.

k bye 💟

[mausuwinasa]

Things I like abt every Side Order level track bc this is one of my fav OSTs of all time!!!

I have lots of thoughts abt the music in this game so I’m gonna just spit all of them out in this one giant post :3 90% of this will make sense only to me, also keep in mind I have synesthesia so I mention colors a lot when I talk abt music. I’m sorting these based on level type and talking abt each track individually.

d3mol12h

1. Simple and empty, much like the early levels! It creates a nice base to transition into the other tracks from. The detuning on the synths and ticking percussion remind me of a certain Purple Kiss song.

2. This track is genuinely beautiful. The organs (??) in the background give it an oddly emotional feel for such an intense song. The pinks and purples of the synths stand out well against the neutral colors of the in-game stages and enemies. It’s like the musical embodiment of a noble sacrifice! I’d put it on my nuzi playlist if it were on Spotify, smh…

3. Now it really feels like the difficulty has ramped up! The drums here are really interesting, I love the syncopation on some parts. They were also present in the second version, but I didn’t want to drag out the notes for that one any longer. The less intense parts are awesome, and I love how they get aggressively interrupted by the synths! It matches the gameplay very well.

rout1n32

1. Probably my least favorite track, but still pretty neat. I like how the same sample gets “recontextualized” into different chords, if that makes any sense. It has a bright and sunny feeling to it!

2. Metal pipe falling sound… basically just a more intense version of the first track. I like those weird ascending sound effects, they remind me of bubbles. They’re also kinda weird rhythmically, making them a ton of fun to listen to! There’s a tiny little piano sample in a certain part of it that I just noticed, and I really like for some reason.

3. GOOD LORD this song sounds like pure fear and absolutely slaps. The metal pipe has been multiplied thousands of times. Definitely a good encapsulation of the emotions most players feel upon entering Cruel_Sisyphean_Eight-Shaped.Floor.

2ouv3n1r

1. Great use of emptiness. The vocal samples sound almost corporate, a great representation of the conformist world Order is trying to create. Almost puts you to sleep, much like the early ♾️-ball levels do! Hardy har har.

2. The weird, distorted sounds, contrasted with the more relaxing parts with the lovely “wah-wah” synths make this a natural transition between the first and third tracks. I love how the repeated violin and flute sounds make a return here, but with slightly more complicated parts!

3. This song is fascinating AND very stress-inducing! It’s like the song itself is warning you about the 15 or so battering lentos currently trying to charge you. Watch out! Oh, and the less intense parts are GORGEOUS!!! The transition from a yellow to pink key reminds me of a beautiful tropical sunset. The subtle guitar part really adds to the vibe, and the descending chords are the perfect cherry on top for a lovely listening experience. They also contrast the rising synths of the chaotic parts well! It’s like a wink to the camera, a sly reminder that these tougher ♾️-ball levels are way easier than they look. Good lord I wrote for a long while on this…

j1tt3r2

1. Hmm, I don’t have much to say about this one, but I definitely like it a lot. The repeated piano samples feel almost awkward, like when you’re trying to explain your thought process to someone. Some parts of this song almost seem like miniature versions of the more ambient segments of the third track. Pretty neat!

2. I love just how weird the percussion on this is, it’s like it’s bouncing back and forth. The piano sample becomes more chopped up, and some of the beeping sounds that are more prominent in the third track start coming in, like the seeds are being planted for them.

3. Lovely intro! The abrasive synths quickly lead into another odd piano sample, like you’re swaying back and forth in a precarious spot. Almost like a more relaxed version of the vibe created by the percussion! I love the echoey ambient part in this too! There’s a certain element that sounds like someone coughing, which may sound very weird but I mean that as a compliment. The bleeps and bloops make me think of an old Game & Watch game.

j32t1ng

1. Some of the effects sound like dogs and cats to me. It makes the panicking alla mambos feel like skittish little animals, which they sort of are. The ascending beeping sounds are reminiscent of the player chasing them down. I really like the typewriter (??) sounds too! What is it with this game and abnormal percussion? I’ve gotten so much inspiration!

2. The animal-like sounds are still present. Some of the bitcrushed sounds remind me of the noises the enemies make. The meandering but relaxed melody in the beginning always feels fitting when I’m surveying the stage and planning out how I’ll achieve the objective.

3. I love this song! It just feels so cute and silly! The orchestra hit sounds are really neat. I like how the melodies often sound like circus music. I sure feel like a clown chasing down these stupid fish… the cute vibes of this song definitely make its levels feel like just a fun little game, which they certainly are! This has got to be one of my favorite tracks.

Alright that’s the end of my absurdly long post, if anyone wants to hear me rant abt the boss music just let me know because I’ve got plenty of thoughts on that too.

[thepresentmic]

still into you

band!au

ʙᴀᴋᴜɢᴏᴜ ᴋᴀᴛꜱᴜᴋɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

summary: It's been 6 months since things with katsuki exploded, now he's back and you're not over him - and maybe he's not over you

contents: drabble, to be expanded (possibly), light angst, post-break up, band!au, bakugo is bad at feelings, reader isn't over him, both are stubborn, everyone else is sick of their shit, reader and shinso are like siblings, background shinkami, hopeful ending

a/n: based in the same universe/timeline as my original band!au pov and inspired by this tiktok. i know barely anything about musical instruments so if i've gotten anything wrong, pretend i didn't

it's not like this was your first time on stage. hell, you'd been front and centre at dozens of other shows before and never batted an eyelid. but it was still weird being up there without them.

without kiri bouncing about behind you with that dopey smile, or denki constantly strumming the same chord procession of his 'pre-show warm up, without-

you shake your head and hop up on the nearest equipment case, one combat booted foot rested on the edge, the other leg dangling as you tap out a rhythm against the metal with one of shinso's stolen drumsticks.

"would you loosen up, it's gonna be fine." shoto grinned and shouldered your arm, leaning back against your leg. "easy for you to say, dumbass, you've never played a show this big before." you sunk your fingers into the back of his hair and shoved his head, making him lurch forward.

shinso snatched his drumsticks from your fingers as he passed by, "you're the one that organised this show, remember?" he smirked, dropping down onto his stool and pushing his headband up and flexing his fingers in a half assed impression of you.

'"fuck him, i'll show that-" what was the phrase they used?"

Sho laughed, 'emotionally stunted asshole'.

you flipped them both off and hopped down, heading for the mic set up behind the tattered navy curtain as shouto and tetsutetsu and took their places. "i was drunk."

you heard a muffled announcement on the other side of the curtain, band name, basic intro, the usual stuff. "by the way, i invited denki and the others."

you shot him a dark glare over your shoulder. "you did what-"

"he loves me and he misses you."

you grunted, "i hate you." he just grinned, "no you don't."

the room when dark and the curtain began to fall.

"fuck it. let's do this."

it's not like he would show up anyway. it wasn't like he still cared.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

fuck, you had missed this. missed the thrum of the chords under your fingers and the heavy vibrations that rocked through the floor and up your body.

it wasn't the same, but it was a start. and it had felt good. music had always been your escape and it finally felt like a piece of you was coming back. denki had pushed his way into the 4th row, and you silently cursed shinso for being right. seeing your best friend had brought a bittersweet smile to your face.

and he was alone. of course he was. fine. good. you didn't need him anyway. not anymore.

you were over it.

your buzz lasted right up to the final song, it was new and it was honest and you were glad that bastard didn't show.

it's not a walk in the park to love each other

you closed your eyes and pulled the mic off the stand, bringing it closer, waiting for the bass to drop.

why didn't he show? how could he care so little?

but when our fingers interlock, can't deny can't deny you're worth it

you open your eyes, and immediately they find a blaze of crimson right there, next to denki. everything else became a dulled sound, your eyes dropping down, confidence wavering.

right in those few seconds, it's 6 months ago and your heart is collapsing.

fuck, you weren't over it.

'cause after all this time, i'm still into you

"focus on the guitar." sho's quiet voice speaks in your ear. you turn just a little in surprise and grin as he suddenly starts to strum a loud, intense electric guitar solo over your chorus.

i should be over all the butterflies, but i'm into you. and baby even on our worst nights, i'm into you 

when you look back at the crowd that's going wild, all you can see is katsuki. he's looking at the two of you with fire in his eyes. it's a look that lets you know that maybe your story doesn't end here

[jaketswine]

dear stranger…

the intro

a/n: this is a multi part imagine series based on Laufey’s songs dear soulmate and beautiful stranger.. hope you all enjoy <3

600+

summary: moving to a new city has been a little isolating, but you’ve managed to pick up a self-soothing journaling routine.. filled with hopes and dreams, and maybe someone in particular…

making the move to a new city after grad school had proved to be one of the most difficult things you’d ever done.

it wasn’t that you didn’t like it here.. you loved the city, but you were now hours away from friends and family, beginning a new chapter of your life virtually alone.

you’d spent the majority of your free time so far exploring the streets, stopping by local spots you hoped would become frequented locations. lots of time at local markets, and coffee shops; always being sure to check out any bookstore you saw.

you had found solace in one location in particular. a little cafe that doubled as a used bookstore.

it reminded you of home the second you entered the store.. smelling of freshly baked cinnamon rolls just like your mom used to make on special occasions. the hustle and bustle had drawn you in as well; the constant grinding of the espresso machine, low chatter from the customers, and always a friendly face behind the counter.

they had everything you wanted.. spinning records in the store, some of the best lattes you’d come across in quite a while, and even selling locally made art and products.

on your first visit in you’d had a long chat with the owner; one of those people who seemed to know everyone.. everyone but you. they wanted to know all about you after learning you had just moved. you laid out your whole life for them, never caring to keep things to yourself hearing you speak about your struggles of feeling alone, they gifted you with a hand bound leather journal made by a friend of their’s.

weeks went by, and you only found you’re growing more attached to your journal.. writing down anything and everything that came to mind. grocery lists, quotes, even your mass amounts of dreams.

which is where you found yourself again today, head buried in your journal, favorite pen in hand, trying to remember the tasks you had wanted to accomplish.

you’d been so engrossed in your writing that you barely noticed the nudge to your shoulder. quickly raising your head, you locked eyes with what you thought had to be one of the most beautiful men you’d ever seen.

he wasn’t too tall, just enough that you had to told your head upwards to get a good look at him. he had slender features, defined cheekbones, and you noticed the slightest shadow of a dimple peeking out as he spoke.

“i’m so sorry, I hope I didn’t mess up your writing.. these damn trains shift so unexpectedly sometimes.”

realizing he had bumped into you on accident, you gave him a quick grin, promising that no harm had been done. you watched him carefully as he gave you one last apologetic smile, backing away to find a seat of his own on the crowded subway car.

you watched him as he sat, withdrawing a book from his small backpack. looking him over, you took note of how his long brown hair fell in waves over his shoulders. watching the singular pendant on his chest rise and fall, under his mostly unbuttoned maroon shirt. the tan chelsea boots he was sporting looked to be well-loved, matching nicely with the tattered chord bracelet around his wrist.

a man who loved and cherished things.. that’s exactly what he appeared to be. for the briefest moment, you envied the people in his life, the ones who knew him best. you wondered if they received the same warm smile he gave you just minutes ago. you quickly decided this train of thought was ridiculous.. he was just a beautiful stranger.

arriving at your station shortly after, you gathered your things and prepared to exit the car, giving one last look over to the man you had been intermittently staring at the whole time. you watched him as he read, waiting for the doors to open, taking in every detail of him you could.

you decided you’d be thinking about him for many days to come.. and who knew, he may even land in the dreams section of your favorite journal.

taglist: @gretnavannfleet

[declanlikesmusic]

The Best Song on I'll Try Living Like This

In May of 2015, the now legendary & iconic vaporwave trio known as death's dynamic shroud put out what would be the 12th album in their now 50+ discography of full-length records, this one on the then-prestigious Dream Catalogue label: I'll Try Living Like This, produced solely by two of its members James Webster (known as HCMJ) and Keith Rankin (known as Giant Claw). The album was produced in the midst of awaiting cassette production for what would end up being their 13th album in 2016 on Rankin's Orange Milk Records label, produced by the remaining member Tech Honors: CLASSROOM SEXXTAPE.

From the moment it came out to this very day and beyond, I'll Try Living Like This remains to be seen as death's dynamic shroud's revolutionary, genre-redefining magnum opus and it stands as one of vaporwave's most creative & experimental records to achieve this level of notoriety. There's a lot to be said about each individual track and how it pushes the boundaries of a genre so many people neglectfully view as reductive & derivative. But one tracks I want to particularly highlight is one that isn't often seen as the emotional high point that it is early on into the record.

혼자 남은 지금 꼴이

The fourth track into the record in a short streak of amazing tunes kicks off with two samples: The introductory vocal humming of Avant from his song Separated and the stretched out instrumental to AOA's Miniskirt providing the beat & chords, provided more density & reverberation added to the beat. Beyond that, you hear a whole lot going on. There's a specific recurring vocal sample that gets chopped up & glitchy throughout the song, I can't confidently tell you where that's from, it could be from Separated again for all I could tell. Above that, you hear dialogue from CSI: NY spliced in, coming from Kim Kardashian of all people, some shimmering sounds coming from the intro to Fleetwood Mac's classic song Everywhere and later on, some lesser edited samples of the Legend of Zelda Sound & Drama, which I'll touch on in a moment.

It's an incredibly dense track, but more important than what it samples it how it feels to sample these things. The Miniskirt beat, once an upbeat, sharply produced k-pop track, is paulstretched & echoed out to feel much more lethargic but equally intoxicating. I think even without the added elements, the backing track is absolutely thick & heavy. It's like walking through the city on a packed night and just slowly dragging yourself through an extremely concentrated atmosphere, an opaque fog of urban smoke & emotional weight, and it wouldn't feel that way if it didn't sound so… melancholic.

There's a sadness permeating throughout the song. The strange CSI: NY dialogue, the dragged out & buffering vocal glitches, the lonely Avant vocalizing, there's something about all of those elements, combined with the once sensual love song beat profusely slowed down, that makes the whole experience feel so depressive, like an alcoholic bender. After two and a half minutes of this, you're given even more hints to what all of this is. A Japanese dialogue sample from the aforementioned Zelda Sound Drama plays and it of course reads like a piece of Zelda drama… but one sentence sticks out:

愛が鍵です。(Love is the key.)

A little further in, the shimmering of the Everywhere sample strips away. For a moment, it feels less crowded, but still… sad. Shortly before the four minute mark, Link's cry for Zelda is heard, the beat disappears for that moment and when it cuts back in, you hear something swelling in the background. You feel an emotional tension starting to rise. Then Avant sings.

We never turned our backs on each other But now that we're separated We can't stand one another And when we were together We never turned our backs on each other But now that we're separated We can't stand one another You did me wrong

This is a breakup song. More than anything else, it's a tragic, bittersweet, heart-wrenching breakup song. The added bass synths to the beat and orchestral strings climbing further up in the background for as long as those lines are sung; it feels like the rest of the track that came before was trying to suppress its deeply sorrowing emotions before all that resistance just shatters and every ounce of grief just spills out into tears falling into the puddles of rain below. The song concludes from there and it overall changes the dynamic depths of this album's extremely abtract concepts that are as hard to define, pinpoint or deciphir as this one is, if not more so.

This wasn't my favourite song for the longest time. I mean, for a long while, it was 그대 기억에 지쳐 잠들죠, but that's more of an interlude piece that directly transitions into a reprise of this song, funnily enough, that further elaborates on that Miniskirt sample with a bit of an eccojam. But other times, it was Loving is Easy or everybody's favourite 내 마음은 떨고. It was hard to define what really makes I'll Try Living Like This's best song. Sure, the latter had probably the best production of the bunch and the most energy for it, but an emotional pique or a definitive highly was hard to come by in an album that was always so consistent but always in some way relied on its surrounding pieces or the overall album package. 혼자 남은 지금 꼴이, however, completely stands on its own. As its own song and its own emotional piece.

I think it goes ultimately unrecognised in the grand scheme of this album because of how subtle it all is. Everything I just described to you about the song is subtle in their respective degrees. You really don't come to notice its value at the face; you find it out by digesting it further & more thoroughly, giving each listen its own time to clue you in to what it's about and what it's doing here on the album. It ultimately comes across as the most rewarding song on what is considered to this day to be death's dynamic shroud's masterpiece.

One that is immeditely ruined by the vocal samples on 이보다 좋을 수는 없겠어, but believe me, we do not want to have that conversation today.

[bettyshoweduptotheparty]

Hi! I saw someone say it’s a coincidence that Dear Reader and Miss Americana just happen to have the same opening chord because Taylor hardly ever uses them. What do you think? If you have any other thoughts on Dear Reader, I would love to read them. Thanks 😊

Hello anon!

So the similarity of the chords has only been pointed out to me yesterday but yes, I’ve had a quick look and they are pretty much the same. In fact the full chords for Dear Reader are G, Am, C and F. Not a rare chord combination by any means, songs in G major are one of the most common in pop music. And I don’t have nearly enough knowledge of music theory to tell you anything about chord combinations and their meanings, my choir MD is a literal genius in music theory, he could tell you a story and a half about every possible note combination but I’m out of my depth here, sorry. Only thought, if she was in fact referencing the beginning of Miss Americana in this song, it would make sense that she was talking about her old diaries in this scene, because the song is called Dear Reader (like dear diary) and it’s arguably her most confessional song ever and I’ll tell you why I think that.

What I can say about the chords (and it kind of ties nicely into what else I have noted about this song) is that, these are all what I would consider ‘beginner chords’. When I was learning the guitar for a year when I was a teenager, those were all chords I learned within the first few weeks. So if you were teaching someone an instrument, maybe a child, this would be a song they’d be able to play along to relatively easily. And that somewhat ties in thematically with the other two noteworthy things in this songs: the sounds in the back of the intro and the child saying ‘mom’.

I have a hyper-sensory condition which means I have very sensitive hearing (among other things) so to me dissonant sounds are extremely uncomfortable and when I first heard this song I was grinding my teeth over the combination of the piano chords and the chimey lullaby over the intro at about 2-6 seconds in. In fact, I’m pretty sure I had that exact same toy as a child (it’s one of those draw-string ones) and it’s brahm’s lullaby that’s playing. The other more noticeable sound is that rhythmic clacking noise, which I haven’t been able to definitively identify. I used to think it might be a printer, but I’ve recently thought it might be some kind of exercise equipment, maybe an old exercise bike. Which made me think of orange girl from the yntcd mv, remember her:

Bit weird that she has such an old school bike right? But then I found this from Miss Karlie Kloss’s launch of her sportswear collection with adidas in November 2020:

Certainly a similar old school look, right? Not sure who’s referencing who here, but the noise makes a bit more sense in that context.

Lastly, there is a slightly distorted child’s voice saying the word ‘mom’ a total of four times in this song, the most obvious and clear being at 3.01 minutes. That in itself is unhinged to me, not gonna lie. That and the existence of Bigger than the whole sky is convincing enough for me to be certain that Taylor has children in her life. And if you think she’d be the sort of mom who’d teach her kids to play an instrument (duh 😉) then this brings it back to why it’s so fitting that this song has such relatively simple chords. Because it’s the kind of song you could play with your child.

Hope that answers your question, I always love giving these my best shot.

[munson-disruption]

Like Real People Do

Pairing: Eddie Munson x reader (established relationship)

Summary: You play guitar for Eddie all the time. But they’re usually his songs—not this time.

CW: None. Just a whole lotta fluff

Word count: 0.9k

A/N: Title/work inspired by Hozier. Cuz I love him (not that you could tell by my tattoo with these exact lyrics) and Eddie would absolutely lose his mind if his partner wrote him a song like this. I’m also just a slut for song fics, so.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Come onnn, you’re too slow!” you whine, dragging Eddie along by the hand through his trailer.

He chuckles behind you. “How can I refuse when you ask so nicely?”

Upon reaching his room, you spin him around and push so he lands on the bed with a huff.

“What’s with the rush, sweetheart? Not that I’m complaining, of course. Kinda into it,” he muses.

You roll your eyes, not that he can see it in the darkness of his room. You fumble around searching for the lamp switch, a quiet “aha” passing your lips when you find it.

The soft light it casts through the small space is enough for you to make your way across the floor, dodging piles of clothes and whatnot all the while.

Situated in the only clean corner rests an acoustic guitar. A gift that you’d gotten Eddie for his birthday earlier in the year, to which at the time he insisted he couldn’t accept. He tried any excuse that came to mind—he’d somehow break it, it would get dirty, lost. And when pushed on how a guitar could disappear in a trailer park he responded with something along the lines of “The fuckin’— crows, baby. You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

Safe to say you’ve never seen a single speck of dust on it and have yet to witness the wrath of the crows.

And while he doesn’t play it nearly as much as his other precious baby, you got to play it whenever you wanted, so it’s a win-win in your opinion.

Eddie had heard you sing and play before, a lot actually. There have been multiple occasions you secretly learnt one of Corroded Coffin’s songs and performed them just for him on nights like this. The first time you showed him, you stopped halfway through when seeing the small tears gathering in his eyes. You joked, saying you didn’t think it was that bad, to which he gave a watery laugh. He assured you that he loved it, it was just that he’d never expected anyone to do something as sweet as that. All for him.

He was also impressed that you managed to turn their songs into acoustics.

Every time after that he’d sit there quietly, simply taking the music and image of you in. Then smother you in affection the second you finished.

But this time was different.

Eddie adjusts himself, getting comfy against the headboard. “Y’know, I think you’ve played about every one of our songs, sweetheart. What have you missed?”

You plop down on the side of the mattress, reclining back completely so you stare up at the ceiling. The guitar feels like a million tons against your middle.

“You can’t laugh, okay?” you mumble, not taking your eyes off the chipping paint above you.

“‘Course, baby. You know I wouldn’t.”

You suck in some air. Time to shine.

Almost hesitantly, you start strumming, the soft sound filling the otherwise quiet room. Your fingers catch once on the strings when changing chords, but you don’t stop, even when your face feels like it’s burning.

Why didn’t I make this intro longer, you scold yourself, not wanting to get to the next part.

You try to not let your nerves seep through too much as you open your mouth.

And sing.

I had a thought, dear

However scary

About that night

The bugs and the dirt

Why were you digging?

What did you bury

Before those hands pulled me

From the earth?

The words are only slightly shaky, but it doesn’t sound terrible to your ears.

You just hope he’s thinking the same.

I will not ask you where you came from,

I will not ask and neither should you,

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips

We should just kiss like real people do

Your eyes slip closed and you take a moment to breathe as your hands continue the tune. There hasn’t been any movement beside you, no sound. Nothing. You can only imagine the expression he’s wearing.

I knew that look dear

Eyes always seeking

Was there in someone

That dug long ago

So I will not ask you

Why you were creeping

In some sad way I already knew

I will not ask you where you came from

I will not ask and neither should you

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips

We should just kiss like real people do

Finally, you turn your head and risk blinking up at Eddie. Your voice doesn’t waver.

I could not ask you where you came from

I could not ask and neither could you

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips

We could just kiss like real people do

The last few strums ring out, and when they fade, it’s silent.

Eddie looks like he’s been holding his breath the whole time. He sits stock still, not taking his eyes off yours.

“Still with me?” you whisper, smile in place.

Ever so slowly, he moves closer, coming to kneel just above your head. He takes your face in his hands, and being this close allows you to see the glistening tears that have formed.

“Hey...” you move to sit up so you can face him properly but he ducks his head down, nose bumping into your chin as he kisses you. It’s soft, and you feel it against your skin as he stutters out a sigh. The contact doesn’t last for more than a few seconds, but he doesn’t stray far, his face mere inches over yours.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” he murmurs.

You hum, tilting your head to chase after his lips again. “So I’ve heard”

He laughs and indulges you, and suddenly doing this for him more often doesn’t sound like such a bad idea.

[styrmwb]

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXIII)

Some people hate XIII (a lot of people hate XIII). I am not one of those people (I'm also a Hope and Snow enjoyer so maybe I'm just wrong). I was never quite good at the gameplay, but I really liked the world, and I really liked the music. It's like... the least Final Fantasy out of all the soundtracks? But also in a way that makes it the most Final Fantasy cause of how different it is. The game uses a lot of these 2 motifs (which is cool cause there's like 2 main worlds), and uses a lot of cool vocals and futuristic noises. My man Masashi Hamauzu is back from FFX, and he kills it.

5. The Archylte Steppe Hey! It's everyone's favorite part of the game! This is my favorite version of the "The Promise" motif; the slower tempo befitting the vast field you're running around in. Other than the fact that I love this melody, I'm a big fan of the heavy drums, and that little part where they hold back to let the melody shine through (which is also the part where the notes do that thing where they pull on my heart aaaaa). Perfect song for accidentally getting stepped on by an adamantoise to.

4. Desperate Struggle By all means, considering the context of this song, I should hate it. The amount of times I got doomed or launched into the air and smacked around, is ridiculous. But this song is so fun (especially in theatrhythm). I love the really heavy part where the rhythm gets real bouncy with the triplets, and also the part with the heavy dissonant chords, and the melody they create (buuuuuuuh buuhbuuhbuuhbuuuh buh buuuuuuuuh) it sounds so cool!!!

3. The Hanging Edge After the intro to the game, you're immediately thrown into a fuckin war, and this is what plays. That intro piano is such a unique opening, giving you that feeling of stress very unfitting of the start of most FF games, and then the rest of the song starts to build it up. The strings adding more stress and rising the song further, throwing in the percussion to add that heaviness to the song and the synth to show the vast and futuristic nature of the area, not to mention using the sound of a train stopping as an instrument (wording this as a joke but in context it's fitting)??? This song starts out so cool. But my absolute favorite part is when the fiddle (I think) comes in, and just goes absolutely bonkers with the sickest solo you've ever heard. You can say what you will about this game but goddamn the atmosphere of the opening is amazing.

2. Eidolons Similar to Desperate Struggle, I should hate this song for the very same reasons, but it slaps way too much for me to hate it for any reason. The entire song feels like constant buildup, never truly having a full melody or release, but I think that works perfectly for the stressful and timed nature of the fights it primarily plays on. I love the constant rhythm in the back, the heavy drums and the looping synth; and the guitar is fuckin rocking out the entire time. This whole song is a headbanger, also bringing in the orchestra to keep the same XIII vibe. The echoey nature of the end of the song, the guitar sounding like it's shredding in the distance, is my favorite part.

1. Blinded by Light This is THE XIII song. This is the trailer song, this is the second of the two main motifs, this is the battle song, this returns in the next two games constantly, and all of this for good reason! This song fucking bangs!!! The start is a perfect classic FF battle buildup while having its own unique nature, the drum set and guitar combined with the orchestra perfectly shows you the nature of this entire game's soundtrack, and not to mention. The melody. That violin. That violin is absolutely legendary. I don't really know how to word it, but the way it's composed is like crack for my ears. The high notes it hits, that main BUUUUUUH NUUUUUUUUUH BUHNUHHH NUUUUUUUUUH section is musical gold, and every single time I hear it in any other song that plays in this entire trilogy, I feel nothing buy joy and pure positive emotion.

Honorable mentions go to: The Promise, Defiers of Fate, Saber's Edge, The Sunleth Waterscape, Test of the L'Cie, The Yaschas Massif, Taejin's Tower (boing), and Eden Under Siege.

[kamenwriter]

"Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord" reactions.

Spoilers I'm sure behind the cut.

Space Babies

"It was a genocide" wait I thought the time war got trapped in a painting and then...oh wait the Master killed them all during the Chinbal run, didn't he? God we could just ignore that whole mess but noooooo

The butterfly gag...sigh.

"we made it...we went to the stars" like, I get the whole "hopes and aspirations thing" but when we've got billionaires trying to sell us colonizing mars when it would be a hundred times cheaper and easier to save the planet we're living on, I'd rather a solar punk future not a colonization future. Am I being exceptionally cynical? Maybe. These are just "reactions" not a proper critique.

I can only imagine how difficult filming with all the babies was.

Making the Doctor adopted and all about "embracing what makes you unique" is good Timeless Child damage control but I dunno the idea of him being a renegade of a detached society appeals to me more than him being THE ULTRA SPECIAL TIME BABY.

The AI might actually be an AI?

AND there's something mysterious about Ruby because of course there is.

Star Trek ass looking uniforms on the crew.

"The planet down below refused to stop the babies from being born, but refused to take care of them afterwards" hey now this is getting close to some proper Doctor Who.

"It's like a children's story" this is is a good set up for the mystery here's hoping they stick the landing. Now watch it being some alien that feeds of psychic energy and manifested as the babies fears or something.

The incredibly literal baby raising machine made a bogeyman out of boogers to give the babies a monster to fear. Okay. Acceptable.

I totally understand the Doctor empathizing with the bogeyman but why the babies?

The constant babiesSPACEbabies bit got old so fast.

And a fart joke.

And don't forget, Ruby Sunday is super special and not just some random person we can't have random people do incredible things in Doctor Who nope nope nope

The Devil's Chord

The visual representation of The Maestro sucking out music and eating it is some fucking comic book shit and I am here for it.

The Maestro starts playing the intro oh god don't let this character be meta don't let this character know they're in a story don't fucking lay on that crutch.

"What about my clothes?" Both of those retro ass fits would work fine in the 60s. I'll concede to the hairstyle change though.

...trying to visually communicate the Maestro's influence on reality is definitely a trick. Again this feels exceptionally comic booky (That's a compliment).

Oh that's right Susan was potentially killed during whatever bullshit killed the Time Lords during the Chinbal run.

I do enjoy a camp villain.

The Doctor using the Sonic to actually do something sonic. What a refreshing change of pace

Ugh don't wink at the camera.

"I was born in 2004" well I'll just turn to dust, then.

Power scaling doesn't just affect shonen series the Doctor has to go up against literal gods now...

Callback to the Sound of the Drums yeah okay.

"There's a hidden song deep inside her soul" SPARE ME FROM THIS TROPE OF COMPANIONS BEING SUPER SPECIAL.

"What is this song?" "Christmas" actually it's the Carol of the Bells which was originally a Ukrainian song called Shchedryk do your research.

MuSIC BaTTle hahahaha

DONT WINK AT THE DAMN CAMERA

I want to make this clear I have no problem with a big musical number at the end but making it a meta joke I wanna bash my head in with a hammer. I'M SO FUCKING SICK OF META WRITING.

So in summation Space Babies was kind of what I expect from nuWho nothing amazing I would have loved The Devil's Chord if it weren't for the "oh Ruby is some secret incredible thing" and all the metaphorical and literal winks at the camera.