#but like I don’t got a piano up here so I’m hoping maybe my guitar will fill that void

[cassandralexxx]

manifesting that I actually learn how to play guitar.

[steddieas-shegoes]

Steve grows up playing piano, absolutely hates it, but is so good at it. His parents aren’t around enough by the time he’s a teen to force him to his practices, so he slowly stops going.

His music teacher happens to be Robin’s mom, who studied at Juilliard, and traveled for nearly a decade with various orchestras and bands before settling down with her husband in Hawkins.

She can see what’s going on with Steve from day one, but knows better than to interfere.

Until he quits.

She can’t stand by and let someone so musically gifted give it up.

She shows up at his house with a violin, her own violin that she hadn’t used in years.

He’s hesitant at first, but decides to give it a try as long as she doesn’t tell his parents. The last thing he wants is for them to find out he picked up a new instrument.

She can’t give him official lessons, so she shows up to his house twice a week and hopes that he practices in his own time.

He’s a natural.

He takes to it like a duck to water.

She encourages him to perform in a local talent show, all kids under 18, most of them not half as talented as he is.

He only agrees when she says she’ll be front row.

And sure enough, for once in his life, someone shows up when they say they will. She’s sitting front row with her husband on one side and her daughter on the other. She smiles as he takes the stage, nervous about people who know him seeing him and reporting back to his parents.

He performs with heart, something he lacked with the piano. He performs with talent, something he may have with any instrument he picks up.

But most importantly, he plays with a smile. He’s having fun.

He sticks around to watch some of the other people performing: Tammy Thompson singing a very out of tune rendition of America The Beautiful, some kid from one of his classes playing piano miserably, and some band performing very loud, very angry music.

Steve wins, and for once, it feels better than when he wins at a swim meet or basketball game.

He spends the next three years secretly practicing, only performing in shows out of town, never saying anything to his parents.

He doesn’t want them to ruin this for him.

He applies to Juilliard, not thinking he has a chance in hell, not with his academic grades.

Luckily, they see that he’s “exceptional with the strings” and “plays with emotion that can’t be trained.”

He gets in.

He goes.

He thinks he may actually be able to do this, use a gift he has to make his life better.

His parents even find it acceptable, mostly because he got into the best school he could have. They still don’t bother showing up for his shows, but Mrs. Buckley always finds a way.

In his sophomore year, Robin gets in, and they both move into a small apartment off campus together. He promised to look out for her.

She tells him that music wasn’t really her passion, she was just good with a trumpet. She really wanted to be an engineer.

In his junior year, Robin transfers to Columbia, starts doing what she really wanted to do from the start. He’s proud of her, but misses having someone on campus during the day to have lunch with.

Until he stumbles, literally, into someone vaguely familiar.

“Sorry, man. Running late.”

Steve pats the man on the shoulder and turns to get to his class when the man stops him.

“Harrington? You’re a student here?”

He turns back and finally recognizes the man in front of him.

“Munson? When did you get here?”

“I got in this year. Kinda fucked up my first audition last year and they were kind enough to give me another shot.” Eddie smiled. “What on earth are you here for?”

“Violin. You?”

“Guitar and songwriting.”

“That’s great, man. I’m just really running late. Catch up soon?”

Soon was two weeks later, when Steve ran into Eddie again while leaving class.

“We should probably stop running into each other like this,” Eddie smirked. “The universe is trying to tell us something.”

“What’s it trying to tell us?”

“Not sure. Maybe we should go grab dinner and find out.”

“Now?”

“Why not? Got better plans?”

Steve thought about how Robin was barely at the apartment due to studying for midterms. He thought about how his only other friend from here was busy rehearsing for their senior showcase.

“Nah. Let me bring this home first,” he held up his violin case. “Actually.”

Steve was on a budget. His parents gave him money, sure, but they thought he was living on campus so the money they sent covered rent and groceries and nothing else.

“I could make dinner. If you want?”

“Steve Harrington cooks? And plays violin?” Eddie fake swooned. “Be still my beating heart. How will I not be seduced?”

Steve rolled his eyes. He remembered Eddie’s dramatics from school and knew better than to feed into them.

“I can make some spaghetti. Nothing fancy.”

“Spaghetti sounds great,” Eddie’s fake swoon turned to a soft smile. “You want some help?”

Steve didn’t need help, usually didn’t even want any.

But something about the way his stomach dipped when Eddie stepped closer, and the way he thought about having Eddie in his apartment, made him agree.

“Sure.”

They walked to Steve’s apartment in a comfortable silence, though Eddie kept tapping the back of his fingers against Steve’s hand.

Eddie fit next to Steve. They cooked together, they ate together, they even managed to clean up together. It was easy to find something to talk about. He’d never clicked with anyone like this, not even Robin.

By the time Robin came home, Steve and Eddie were both passed out on the couch, fingers laced together as if they hadn’t been brave enough to do anything more before they fell asleep.

By morning, Steve’s head was on Eddie’s shoulder, Eddie’s arm wrapped around him loosely.

Waking up to a soft kiss on his lips was something Steve couldn’t have imagined when he first ran into Eddie, but he was pretty glad it was how he started his day.

And almost every day after that, whether he woke up to a kiss, or met up with Eddie on campus for a kiss, he started his day with love on his lips.

[paisley-constellations]

Thoughts on the TNA remix!

Suburbia Overture

• Loveddd this one sm, genuinely had me giggling and kicking my feet

• The vocals are so much clearer in this version, especially w/ the ensemble parts (doo-wops, ‘good morning!’ etc.)

• Not rlly sure how to feel about the drums tho, idk why but it was kind of giving me trap vibes?? It didn’t sound bad or anything, just not what I was expecting + it was a little out of place in the first section

• I feel like the musical theatre/60s doo-wop aspect of Greetings From Mary Bell Township was kind of toned down a little bit in this version? Maybe that’s just me tho

• The part before Vampire Culture was AMAZING, the crackly, radio filter really works for this section and the instrumental in the background was incredible, would rather listen to this part than the original any day

• Speaking of Vampire Culture, WOW did I love this version of it

• Like the transition from GFMBT felt so much more impactful in this version?? Genuinely felt like a punch in the gut, had me floored

• The clear vocals make this version of VC so much better as well, love that we can hear the screaming in the intro and instrumental breaks properly now

• A little less chaotic than I wanted tho, but that’s more of a personal problem than anything

• My fave part of the song by far

• Also love how much easier to hear the vocals in Love Me, Normally is now

• I do miss the piano being more audible but it’s not a huge issue

• The original still probably gets the edge over this one, but I still adored it from start to finish, such a good intro

2econd 2ight 2eer

• S!

• Do you think this one is pronounced ‘two-econd two-ight two-eer’?

• I didn’t really like the vocals on this one tbh, felt a bit too echoey for me

• This version just feels a bit washed-out too me, idk

• The instrumental sections are amazing though, I love the slightly louder guitar during the piano solo

• I don’t really have much to say about this one

• It was still good, but I’d rather listen to the original any day

Laplace’s Angel

• ‘feat. The Onceler’

• I acc love this man

• The build-up to this one is sm better imo, and I love the extra brass part in the intro

• The vocals are thankfully much better here, and the song overall feels cleaner

• The background voices in the chorus are a little louder and I can actually here what they’re saying now

• Especially love the piano here, it’s always my favourite part of the live performances so I appreciate it getting some more love here

• The percussion here is also so much clearer, which is always a plus

• The bridge is genuinely incredible, like I’m literally ascending

• The added percussion in that section helps so much

• Acc might prefer this one to the original, surprisingly

• The slightly quieter instrumental works in its favour

I / Me / Myself

• I’m not sure why but I didn’t really like this one?

• Idk it’s kind of got the same problem with 222 for me, the vocals just don’t sound particularly clear and I’m not a fan of the effect Will uses here

• A little disappointing bc I was rlly hoping to love this one

• The piano solo is way better in this version tho, it’s a big improvement from the original

• Overall tho it was just kind of forgettable

• Not exactly bad, like it’s still I / Me / Myself, but I don’t think I’d give it another listen

…well, better than the alternative

• Probably my favourite on the whole album tbh

• Something about this version just hits the spot, idk man

• Like don’t get me wrong, I love the original WBTTA, but this kind of live music vibe really works for it

• I can see why people were comparing it to ICIMI/ICID, I love how much more mellow and authentic this version feels

• The production on the drums is so much better as well, which is a complaint I saw a lot of people had with the original

• The different take for vocals is also a really neat touch, though there’s a couple of parts where I prefer the original delivery (mainly the ‘if everyone’s sick nobody can catch it’ part)

• I feel like this version is a little slower as well? Or at least it feels that way, but I think it definitely makes the song a lot more emotional

• Like I was already crying to this song on a daily basis, but this version genuinely makes me sob

• It might be the ukelele emphasis as well? I also really love the background vocals

• The bridge is also phenomenal, that piano never fails to make me fall to my knees in anguish

• The viola (I think it’s a viola? I’m not entirely sure tho) is also really nice in this version, it definitely ties the section together

• Overall this is definitely better than the original for me, immediately added to the 17 hour long playlist

Outliars and Hyppocrates

• No way he lied about the apple thing?? I thought I could trust you Will Wood, you’ve always been so honest w/ us

• What next, you’re going to tell me you don’t actually have a daughter?

• I’m so happy the skeleton bones were added in this version

• Unfortunately I think I prefer the original instrumental tho

• I don’t have any issue w/ the vocals here, but honestly the instrumental in Outliars was always my favourite part of the song, so changing it so drastically left me a little sad

• Bonus points for the skeleton bones though

Black Box Warrior

• I showed my dad the new title for this song and I think he had a stroke

• This might be the longest WW title ever? Not sure though, BFB might still reign supreme

• I really like the drums here, and while the focus on the piano in the original is one of my favourite things about BBW, I think the choice to let some of the other instruments have their time to shine helps this version really stand out

• Surprisingly, the echoey vocals in the choruses actually add to this version, rather than annoy me like 222 and I / M / M

• I ADORE the instrumental and monologue section in this version

• Like I’m not sure how Will managed to make it better than it already was

• What did he put in this part

• Overall really solid, tho I think I might prefer the more piano-centric original a tiny bit

• I’m a little biased tho

Marsha, Thankk You For The Dialectics

• Gonna be honest rn, I really don’t like this version

• Like it pains me to say it

• But the instrumental is far too quiet

• Where is the punch of the saxophone in the intro Will? Where is my banging piano tune?

• Marsha is already one of the less chaotic songs on the album, you did not need to do this to me

• It kind of feels like it’s the only thing that was changed as well

• There’s really nothing else for me to enjoy about this version

• It’s still Marsha tho

• + the title is amazing, love the Stranger Things ref and the confirmation that the ‘thankk’ was a typo

Memento Mori

• My second favourite in the album

• Actually adore this version, 100% better than the original

• The background vocals are once again louder in this version, which adds a ton more to the original song

• I always liked the relative simplicity of MM when compared to the rest of the album thematically, but I like the added texture here

• The little woosh in the bridge also makes me happy so yk

• It’s probably the least changed song out of all of them but I still prefer it to the original

[forever-fixating]

Rewrite the Stars

Summary: Austin is feeling homesick while filming Elvis and gets one hell of a birthday surprise!

Rating: General Audiences

Words: 3.6K (I swear this was meant to be a quick drabble, and yet here I am finishing this at almost five in the morning...oops?)

Warnings: Lots of pining from our boi here

Author's Note: This was written for @foreverdolly. I hope this fills the pining!Austin feels you were hoping for! Perhaps if this gets enough likes (and if school and work permits me), I’ll write a part two! A couple of minor details- I headcanoned Austin here as more of a serial dater rather than anything involving Vanessa. It felt more suitable, given the pining angle I’m going for. Also, I wrote this like COVID never happened because that is a reality I’m sure we’d all love to live in right now. Enjoy!

Austin knew that filming Elvis would be hard. One doesn’t go into a project about a beloved figure of American pop culture thinking it will be a walk in the park. Hell, the months-long audition process made that abundantly clear. But the most challenging part wasn’t the months and months of vocal training, singing lessons, costume fitting, or reading every possible book and watching every video about Elvis Aaron Presley he could get his hands on.

It was being away from his friends and family.

It was just him alone in an apartment halfway across the globe from the place and people he called home. It didn’t matter how many FaceTime calls he made with his sister Ashley or his childhood best friend Y/N or how many care packages they sent filled with his favorite snacks. Eventually, the calls ended, and the snacks were eaten.

His birthday was around the corner, although he was surprised he even registered that it was close. He texted Y/N to see if maybe you would be able to fly down for a quick visit. He even offered to pay for your plane ticket and introduce her to Baz, one of your favorite directors. That morning while he was in hair and makeup, you texted back, “Get me a spot on the soundtrack, and you got a deal!”

He snorted at the reference to the joke you made when he told you that he got the part…after screaming and crying out of excitement and happiness for him. You were the first person he wanted to tell when he got the news. You had been the one that encouraged him to go for the part in the first place. It had become a tradition between the two of you. Celebrating each other’s big moments. He remembered the day you told him about your record deal. He always believed you had the talent to follow your dreams. Growing up, you always wrote poetry and bits of songs, and the two of you constantly played guitar and piano in your room. It was one of the few spaces he felt comfortable enough to be himself. You never got frustrated with his shyness or anxiety, even agreeing to play in the dark to make him feel more comfortable. When you won your first Grammy, he was in the crowd, clapping until his hands ached.

Your subsequent text made his heart sink. “In all seriousness, I wish I could be there for your b-day. (Don’t think I forgot!) But I’m in the middle of recording my next album and my producer is a workhorse. I’m so sorry, Aus.”

“It’s okay,” he texted back. “It’s just 29. Should be done with filming before I turn 30 and we can do that one big!”

You sent back thumbs-up and blue heart emojis, and he tucked his phone into his pocket. There was a small lump in his throat. He closed his eyes for a moment. The last thing he wanted to do was cry over something so dumb. Because it was dumb! People didn’t stop living their lives back home just because he was in Australia. Jobs had to be done, bills had to be paid, and his feeling homesick like a little kid didn’t change that. His sister had sent back a similar response when he asked if she could come for a visit. He told her he understood and to not worry about him.

“Are you all right, Austin?”

He opened his eyes to his makeup artist Trisha looking at him in the mirror. She had a gift for reading his moods. Sometimes, he wished she wasn’t so accurate. He shrugged and mumbled, “Just got a disappointing text from home.”

“Sorry to hear that,” she said. She stayed silent for a moment, brushing more bronzer onto his face. “Want to talk about it?”

The lump in his throat hurt to talk around. “Not really.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day before his birthday, Baz picked Austin up at his apartment. He had a coffee waiting and was listening to the usual Elvis Presley playlist. He had long stopped being surprised by the Australian director’s eccentric nature. What surprised him was Baz didn’t drive them directly to set. Austin looked at the older man and asked, “Where we goin’?”

Baz just shrugged as he flipped on the turn signal. “The airport.”

This confused Austin. He tried to mask this by joking, “Is this your way of telling me I’m fired?”

That prompted a laugh out of Baz. “Nothing of the sort. I’m just picking up a friend. Flying them in for a special cameo for the film. I thought you’d like to tag along.”

“I’m not needed on set?”

“That is the beauty of being the director,” Baz replied with a grin. “I determine where you’re needed.”

Austin picked up the coffee Baz bought him and took a sip. “That’s not ominous at all, Mr. Luhrman.”

The two of you spent the rest of the drive discussing work. What Baz had planned, any concerns Austin may have, and what could be done to fix them. He loved working with Baz. He was unlike any director Austin had worked with previously. The man had a vision but never let that stop him from treating his cast and crew respectfully. Austin’s time in Hollywood had shown him what a rare quality that was in a director.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the Brisbane airport. Baz had been tight-lipped about who exactly they were coming to get. He was happy he took care of getting dressed this morning. The weather flipped down in the Southern Hemisphere, so he woke up to a cold snap that morning. He put on a navy cashmere sweater Ashley bought him before he left. The closer his birthday got, the more intense his homesickness felt.

Baz parked the car, and the two of them headed inside. They were stopped a couple of times by fans eager for a selfie or an autograph. Austin watched as a young woman told Baz how she was inspired by his work to go to film school. He gave her some words of wisdom and agreed to take a photo with her. It was touching to witness and a lesson on how to talk with fans. Finally, they arrived at the area where people waited for arrivals. Austin turned and asked, “Gonna let me in on who we’re meeting?”

Baz looked up from his phone and simply gestured in the distance. Austin turned to where Baz was pointing and thought his heart would stop. It was Ashley and Y/N! They were here in Australia! Austin turned back to Baz, who simply said, “Happy birthday, son.”

Austin wasted no time sprinting toward the two women. He pulled his big sister in for a hug first, squeezing her tight and saying through tears, “If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up.”

He felt Ashley rub his back. “This is very real, little brother. And you have Baz and Y/N to thank for all this.”

He pulled away from his sister to see you standing there. Your eyes were glassy with tears even as you joked, “Well if you weren’t going to get me on the soundtrack, I figured I had to do it myself.”

Austin choked out a laugh and picked you up, spinning you around and squeezing you tight. His nickname for you growing up was Tink because of your tiny frame and fiery temper. When he finally set you down, he looked down at you as you explained, “Me and Ashley have been worried about you lately. You seemed really blue. So, I did the L.A. thing: I had my people reach out to Baz’s people and ask if we couldn’t arrange a surprise for your birthday.”

By this point, Baz had joined all three of you. He clapped Austin on the back and said, “I know that the Method is all the rage in Hollywood, but I don’t see sense in tormenting yourself needlessly. We can put production on pause for a little bit. Spend some time with these beautiful women who love you very much.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, the three of you decided to stay at Ausitn’s place and order takeout later that evening. You were slightly more experienced with jetlag, but Ashley required a late afternoon nap. That gave the two of you time to catch up. Austin asked how work on your new album was going and just let your voice live and in person wash over him. You wore one of his t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Your hair was in a messy bun on top of your head, and your face was covered with one of those Korean skincare masks you loved. But to Austin, plain or dressed for a red carpet, you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He had always been a little in love with you. The timing never seemed to be on his side enough to make a move. As a teen, he was intimidated by your sudden rise to fame through MySpace. One day, you were posting songs you wrote, then suddenly, you had a record deal and were playing across the country. The last thing you needed was some awkward guy next to you whose biggest claim to fame was bit parts on iCarly and Hannah Montana.

As you both got older and started dating people, Austin figured maybe the two of you were meant to be just friends. He remembered watching a movie with that phrase as the title and the rant you went on after the movie ended.

“I swear to God,” you raged, “guys feel like just because they have feelings for a woman and treat her like a human being, that makes them entitled to sex with us! It’s disgusting! ‘Nice guys finish last’ is such misogynistic bullshit.”

You looked at him after finishing and squeezed his arm. “I’m so glad you’re not like that, Austin. You are rare among your gender.”

He never wanted to be that for you, either. He loved you as a person before he fell in love with you. The last thing he wanted was to be another creep trying to get into your pants. You had a long-term boyfriend, Trevor, who Austin could not stand. He was also a musician, and you met while on tour for your second album. It seemed like a match made in heaven. But Trevor had a nasty habit of comparing your careers, with his being more “legitimate” because he didn’t have to use the internet to become successful. It was a point he learned not to bring up around you or Austin unless he was ready for an argument to ensue.

“You know you’re going to have to introduce me to Tom Hanks,” you said, your eyes bright with excitement. “You know Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movies of all time. God knows how often I’ve watched Toy Story, Sleepless in Seattle, or You’ve Got Mail. I practically grew up with Tom Hanks!”

Austin grinned. “Ah, and so the true motivation for this trip emerges.”

“Oh, you were just a great bonus,” you teased as you removed your mask and massaged the excess product into your skin. “I’m here to see Woody.”

Austin laughed. Your presence melted away all of the angst he had been feeling lately. His whole body felt relaxed and at ease for the first time in months. At this moment, he didn’t have to worry about being ready for the set or rehearsing the same sequence for hours on end. He could just be Austin.

He reached out to squeeze your hand. You smiled and squeezed his back. His voice cracked as he whispered, “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” you replied.

You reached out to pull his head down and kissed his forehead. He couldn’t stop himself from encircling your wrist with his hand as you did. You pulled away slightly, and for a moment, you both breathed the same air. Your eyes connected. It could be so easy. He could just lean forward and do what he had been dreaming about for ages. He rubbed your inner wrist and found a racing pulse. You were so close. But…he wouldn’t do that to you. Austin knew how you felt about cheating, no matter how innocent the act was.

He was the first to break the moment. Clearing his throat, he pulled away and said, trying to force a laugh, “Don’t let Trevor hear you say that. How’s he doing, by the way? Still on tour?”

Something fell over your eyes at that moment. Before he could question it, you laughed harshly and said, “Yup, still touring. I think he’s still pissed because I told him I didn’t want his help on my next album. He’s been weird since I helped improve one of his singles by making it a duet. So now he’s needlessly looking for “improvements” in my work.”

Leave his sorry ass, Austin wanted to snap. You’re twice the songwriter he will ever be, and you deserve someone who recognizes true talent. The words were on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he said, “I’m sorry. Maybe it’s just a rough patch?”

“Yeah, maybe,” you replied. “But…they seem to be coming more frequently here lately.”

Scrubbing your face, you jumped up and said, “Bleh, enough about Trevor. Let’s see if Ashley has recovered enough so we can order something to eat. I’m starving!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People could never say that Baz Luhrmann was a subtle man. For Austin’s birthday the following evening, he rented a restaurant with an adjoining karaoke bar. This surprise party had been well-planned. Catherine even decorated the space and ensured the manager secured any recording devices from non-guests. When the trio arrived, Austin hugged Baz and Catherine and thanked them for such kindness and generosity. Ashley wore a dusty rose off-the-shoulder dress with an A-line skirt that looked gorgeous. You looked stunning in a black cocktail dress inspired by Breakfast at Tiffany’s, complete with an updo and tiara. When you finally emerged from Austin’s bedroom, he mumbled, “Hello, gorgeous.”

You winked and said, “Thanks, but wrong movie.”

There was the usual dinner and giving of gifts. Baz, Tom, and others gave speeches, praising Austin so much that by the end, he was a puddle of tears and emotion. At the end of the dinner, he couldn’t say more than, “Thank you for all over this. Making this movie and being here with all of you has been one of the best experiences of my life. I will carry it with me and treasure it always.”

Once the dinner concluded, the party moved to the karaoke bar. Baz and you, as Austin figured, got along like a house on fire. Both of you were music nerds and kept trying to outdo each other in karaoke performances. You won the night with a spirited rendition of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary that saw your heels kicked into the crowd, your updo wholly wrecked, and Olivia holding your tiara as she screamed and cheered. As you exited the stage, Baz stood and bowed, saying, “I know when I’m beaten. Now, what’s this about you wanting to be on the soundtrack?”

A few others took turns on the stage. Dacre, Luke, and Adam tried to sing together to Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl. Tom and Rita sang I Got You, Babe before bidding everyone good night. Olivia, Ashley, Catherine, and you giggled through Wannabe by the Spice Girls. After the song ended, Olivia, Ashley, and Catherine teetered their way back off stage, but you remained. Putting a hand on your hip, you said into the microphone, “Mr. Butler…you are the only one who has not sung this evening. It’s time we fixed that. Get your ass up here!”

Everyone began chanting Austin’s name until he shrugged off his jacket and tie and joined you on stage. You had a look on your face that seemed both nervous and excited. Ever the performer, you turned back to the crowd and said, “Now, D.J., before you start the song we spoke about earlier, I wanna tell everyone here a little story about Austin and me.”

“Oh Jesus,” Austin said loud enough that the mic picked him up.

“Hush you,” you smacked his shoulder. “Anywho, me and Austin have a favorite pastime back home of watching bad movies together. It’s kind of like Mystery Science Theater 3000, snarking comments and all. Well, one of our favorites to watch is The Greatest Showman.”

This prompted boos and shouts from the crowd, to which you replied, “I know, I know. The movie made over a billion, and Hugh Jackman is your national treasure.”

You paused to allow people to cheer for their man before continuing, “But as an American…the movie is ridiculous. P.T. Barnum was a dick who did not deserve the talents of Mr. Hugh Jackman! But that soundtrack fucking rules! There would be nights when Austin and I couldn’t sleep, and we would drive around L.A. screaming that soundtrack at the tops of our lungs!”

You finally turned back to Austin, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. You smiled at him as your voice softened. “So we’re going to sing you of those songs tonight. Apologies in advance to Zendaya and Zac. May you never see this.”

Oh, Jesus…it was that song. You motioned for him to come closer. The butterflies were now a hurricane. He was about to sing a love song in front of a crowd of people to the woman he wanted more than anything. What could possibly go wrong?

“You know I want you,” Austin began, his voice shaky with nerves. “It’s not a secret I try to hide. I know you want me. So don’t keep saying our hands tied.”

A few people cheered, sensing his nerves. He grinned, and as the verse progressed, he felt his confidence growing. The two of you had watched this movie so many times, you began doing a facsimile of the scene from the film on stage. You kept your eyes downcast, your body turned away from him, as if you were fighting against this as much as you wanted to give in. At last, you came together at the end of the chorus, Austin going so far as to put his hand around your waist and tuck your hair behind your ear as he sang, “So why don’t we rewrite the stars? Maybe the world could be ours tonight?”

You took the microphone from the stand and took a giant step back as the music continued. Austin could hear his heart pounding in his ears. The look in your eyes reminded him of the look from yesterday. You lifted the microphone and sang, “You think it’s easy? You think I don’t want to run to you? But there are mountains and there are doors that we can’t walk through.”

You began walking along the edge of the stage and gesturing to the crowd as you continued to sing. Austin followed you as he felt the desperation behind the song's words for the first time. As you sang the chorus to the audience, he led you back to the center of the stage. And what’s more, you let yourself be guided back. You placed the microphone as the chorus ended, and you both began belting the bridge.

“All I want is to fly with you! All I want is to fall with you! So just give me all of you…”

There seemed to be something in your voice as you sang of this being impossible. Was he making this up? Was it just the two of you committing to the bit, as it were? The edges started to blur for Austin. Were they blurring for you too?

“You know I want you,” you sang finally, your voice just as shaky as he was at the song's beginning. “It’s not a secret I try to hide. But I can’t have you. We’re bound to fate, and my hands are tied.”

Both of you were startled when everyone began cheering. In those brief moments, they seemed to fade into the background. Before Austin even had time to process what the hell happened, you said into the microphone, “And that’s enough from me. Austin, thank you for humoring me. Maybe we can get him to sing an Elvis song next?”

He was shell-shocked as you hurried off stage to rejoin Ashley and Olivia. He wanted to follow you. He wanted to take you somewhere quiet and private and ask a million questions. What did you mean by that song choice? Were you trying to tell him something? But before he could even think of what to do first, he heard the all-too-familiar chords of Jailhouse Rock blast from the speakers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days after you and Ashley returned to L.A., he got an email from his big sister. She had recorded your performance of Rewrite the Stars that night. The only text in the email stated, “If this is anything to go off of, I think you can, baby brother. Don’t waste this moment.”

Author’s Note: So…do we need a part two? Let me know down below! Likes, comments, and reblogs are cherished and adored.

[starsofmilos]

Use Your Fingers (Eddie Munson x reader)

Request: ooh could you write something with eddie trying to teach the reader guitar?

OOOOHH I love this idea! It sounds so cute! Also I have an announcement to make soon and I hope you guys enjoy this story! Also sorry but this is a small blurb! Kinda lol 

Masterlist

Warnings: cursing, mentions of sex, fluff, mentions of rocky relationship with parent, Eddie is a simp

Eddie held very little things he considered actually valuable. 

Growing up he didn’t have valuable things and when he got older and started making his own money he used it mostly for things he needed.

There was the occasion where he felt like he deserved a treat so whether it be a new guitar pick or a fast food burger.

Eddie Munson held very little things that he considered valuable and his guitar was one of them. 

His sweetheart as he called her.

He never let anyone touch her. Not even his Uncle Wayne who had gifted him it on his thirteenth birthday. 

No one touched his sweetheart. Not even you. 

Yes you. 

The love of his life and the person he swore he was gonna marry. You loved him just as much. 

“Eddie!” You yelped as he threw you down on his bed jumping on top of you.

“Yes my love?” He kissed your cheek smiling as you giggled wiggling underneath him. 

“Get off please?” He hummed as he laid his full weight on top of you.

“No. You are too comfy.” You leaned up kissing him softly. 

“I love you..but I wanna go make us some mac and cheese.” Eddie sighed contemplating it before shaking his head blowing a raspberry into your cheek.

“No.”

“Eddie!” Wiggling underneath him, you huffed as he blew more raspberries in your cheek. 

“I said no. Wanna hear it in Spanish? Noh.” You laughed as he nuzzled into your neck.

“I’ll take us to get food in a bit...” He grumbled out after you released a small sigh of defeat.

“Okay..” You wrapped your arms around him pulling him into a deep kiss. Eddie’s breath hitched as you wrapped your legs around him keeping him on you.

“Fuck if you keep kissing me like this I’m never gonna move.” You smiled running your hand through your hair. Eddie groaned giving you a small playful glare.

“I’ll stop then..” You whispered against his lips. Eddie shook his head smiling back.

“I never said stop..” You rolled your eyes pushing him off of you. He groaned grabbing your waist to pull you back to him.

You laughed before catching his guitar in your eyesight. “Your sweetheart is looking especially nice today.”

“I know you are.” He sat up as you gave him a blank stare.

“I meant your guitar.”

“Oh..well you’re both my sweethearts so..” You chuckled lightly leaning into him. It was quiet for a small moment as you gazed at his guitar.

“You know it’s kinda funny sometimes when I was younger I wanted to play the guitar..” 

Eddie’s head snapped to you within seconds. You could’ve swore you heard it crack. “You did?”

“Yeah..My dad didn’t let me said it was a ‘boys’ instrument so I played the piano instead. More feminine like.” Eddie was a bit taken aback by your words.

He knew your relationship with your father was rocky, but he never expected that. “You do play beautifully, but you would’ve been killer on guitar.”

“Yeah..well it is in the past-”

“Not necessarily. Would you still wanna learn?”

“Well yeah, but I don’t know anyone who could teach me-” Eddie kissed you softly cutting you off.

“Wait right here.”

You raised an eyebrow in confusion before gasping softly seeing Eddie sit next to you with his guitar in his hand.

“No..Eddie I can’t.”

“Oh come on! Look this is my most prized possession and I wanna teach you how to play.” 

“That’s why! I’m pretty sure you love that thing more than me! I can’t possibly-”

“Uh yeah you can. Look maybe I do love this more than you, but I trust you and I’m gonna be right here. So here grab it.” He teased placing it in your hands.

You took it a bit shakily as Eddie moved behind you looking over your shoulders. 

“Relax..Gotta have steady hands..” He whispered in your ear positioning your fingers. 

“Alright when you play you need to know your cords so we’ll go over some this is a d cord..and this one is a..so play a first then d..”

You nodded strumming as he instructed you too. “So A and D..Now I’m gonna show you G..”

Hissing a bit from your fingers strumming Eddie pulled back cursing under his breath. “Sorry I forgot to give you a guitar pick. Here..”

He reached over to his bedside handing you his favorite one. “Alright now this is G..so play A/D then G/D..” 

“Wait these cords sound familiar..and I know for sure this isn’t your type of music.” Eddie shrugged trying not to make it a big deal.

He may have spent the last month teaching himself your favorite songs so he could play them for you as a surprise.

Eddie had it bad for you.

“So maybe I learned a few of your favorites-”

“Eddie Munson learned some tears for fears for little ole me?” Eddie felt his chest tighten a bit seeing the lovestruck look on your face.

“You should by now I’d do anything for you now come on play the cords.” You laughed as he kissed your cheek using his hands to guide your fingers.

“This is my favorite song too..Everybody wants to rule the world..”

“I know it is and might I say you are a natural at this already. Gotta say pretty metal of you to learn this quickly.”

“I’ve learned two cords besides I don’t think the music you’re teaching me is considered metal.” 

“Well probably not, but you’re pretty metal and cool and smart and beautiful-”

“Shut up Eddie.” You grew flustered as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

“Fine, but practice those cords.” Sighing you listened to him playing the cords for a good ten minutes. 

“Okay safe to say you got those down. That’s basically the beginning. We gotta move onto the chorus, but I know my girl is hungry so how about you sleep over and we continue?”

“Damn if you’re trying to get laid tonight you’re succeeding.”

“I am?” Eddie raised an eyebrow as he moved taking the guitar from you. You nodded looking in amazement as he hung up his ‘sweetheart.’

“Yes you are.” Eddie gripped your chin giving you a soft kiss before sighing.

“Yeah too bad we’re gonna play guitar tonight. Even worse for me though cause seeing you playing guitar is already doing things to me.” 

Pouting up at him you laughed as he kissed you again lifting you off the bed to drag you out. “Do you think you could teach me some Cyndi Lauper?”

“Oh for sure..Let me learn it first then I’ll teach you it.” 

“Can I listen in?” You gave him a small hopeful look. Eddie grinned nodding as he opened his van door for you.

“Of course you can. I’d love nothing more than my two sweethearts together.”

You held his hand as he drove you both off into the night ranting about what songs you wanted to learn and how excited you were.

Eddie didn’t hold much he considered valuable and for sure it would stay his own secret, but you were the most valuable thing in his entire life.

He’d let you play his guitar and even better teach you how to play so long as you kept smiling at him like the way you were right now.

[panthera-tigris-venenata]

“Get in the fucking blanket fort.” For CJ? She is playing pretend; Freddie needs to play along now.

As always, the prompt got out of hand a bit. But I think it’s funnier like this.

I think that CJ had her bed done up like a make-believe pirate ship in Freddie’s dorm at Auradon Prep. If I’m wrong, don’t correct me, please and thank you.

Also, @tucktuck22 I remember you wanted a CJ/Freddie story, so I’m tagging you here?

I hope y’all enjoy!

CJ decided to decorate the dorm – of course she did. The fact that she’s basically a stoveaway here didn’t stop her. Or, you know. The fact that she’s technically wanted by the law? For kidnapping the king and then dipping and all that?

Anyway, CJ is the reason why Freddie has a blanket fort in her dorm right now.

„It’s not a blanket fort, Freddie,“ complains CJ, „It’s clearly a pirate ship!“

Well, it was pretty, ehm, structurally unusual, fort anyway, so, yeah. A pirate ship. Obviously.

…The haphazardly pilled up and hanged blankets could pass for sails? And, wait? Is that a spear?

Oh. It was a spear. It is a mast now, obviously.

It also has a string of fairy lights on it?

„CJ?“ Freddie asks reluctantly, „Why are there the fairy lights?“

„Well Harry has them! He hasn’t told me yet why, but he has them, so I must too!“

„Sounds fair–“

Okay, makes sense. Harry has fairy lights, so CJ must have them too. Nevermind that more accurate assessment is „Uma has fairy lights,“ Freddie knows.

Also, Freddie isn’t gonna question the assortment of daggers and knives and other weapons. As long as CJ doesn’t have any guns, she’s good.

„Freddie?“ CJ nudges her hand with back of her palm, „Wanna go into the ship?“

„Come on, Freddie. It’s awesome, look at it! It’s almost like being back home! Not that I miss home. Or anyone back there, obviously!“ CJ backtracks quickly, getting lost in her own thoughts and see-through lie, and Freddie takes a sharp breath.

She does miss home, and Celia and her father; the school and the arcade. Her allies.

CJ jumps up and down a bit and grabs her hand, dragging her towards the bed. She only stumbles a bit to kick of her boots and then climbs inside: She holds the blanket-sails open for Freddie with one hand and extends the other for her to take.

„Yeah, sure,“ Freddie giggles shakily; she can recognise an offer of comfort when she sees it. Especially when coming from CJ.

„Let’s go in there.“

So Freddie toes off her own shoes and climbs into the blanket pirate ship. It is a thing that she does now.

Holy fuck, it is a thing that she does now–––

(Great, and she is thinking of the Isle again.)

„No bad thoughts on my ship, Shadow witch,“ CJ tells her, and „What has you so glum, oh your Dark Majesty?“

„Hey! It’s a pirate ship, I told you!“ CJ defends herself, „Besides. I kidnapped the king, like, yesterday. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy. Easier than playing a fiddle. Or a piano. Or an organ. Maybe even a guitar, really, but Diego won’t let me touch his.“

Against her will, Freddie giggles. CJ tends to have that effect on her. But even so, the laugh quickly dies in her throat.

„Just. Thinking about the Isle, yeah? About Celia. Wish she’d get to just build blanket forts too, just like that.“

And for a good reason, Freddie suspects. She has no doubts that her menace of a girlfriend would drive anyone crazy within, well, two days tops, if given access to any kind of loud noise-making instrument. In which case Freddie would conveniently vanish off the face of the earth for about a week. Not that she has any plans to gift CJ with a trumpet on FG’s watch, obviously. Absolutely not.

„Anyway,“ CJ shakes her head, which makes her hair bounce all around, and grabs Freddie’s hand with both of hers, „Point is, I’ve kidnapped the king, and I could do it again! We could take him hostage and tell him he must give us Celia and – and – and he will walk the plank if he doesn’t!“ CJ lets go of Freddie’s hand to mimic a hostage walking down the plank as well as their dramatic fall; her hands fly up high.

„Or,, Freddie joins in on the impromptu plotting session, „We could kidnap someone close to him. Maybe the old queen. Or this Audrey girl.“

„Boom!“ she finishes her dramatic reenactment and falls down, laying her head in Freddie’s lap. She looks up at her and flutters her eyelashes; Freddie brushes out some loose strands of hair that fell on CJ’s face.

„It’ll be easy, Freddsie. Really.“

„Oh!“ CJ sits up again in her excitement, „We could kidnap Mal! Harry would love it if we kidnapped Mal!“

„…Do you think he likes her enough to trade her for that many people?“

Freddie laughs at CJ’s pout.

„Yeah, no, you’re right,“ CJ deflates and fall back down. Yes, into Freddie’s lap. As she damn well should.

„Of course you are right,“ CJ continues, „No one likes Mal that much.“

„Yeah, come in,“ Freddie calls out, annoyed.

Which is why she doesn’t hear the knocking at the door at first. Though, honestly, knocking? No one has the decency to just quietly pick a lock here in Auradon.

The knocking doesn’t stop.

The doors open and through the gap in the blanket-sails, Freddie can see the king.

„Hi, Freddie,“ he says, waving awkwardly as he stands at the doorstep.

Freddie reluctantly greets back.

„I gather that you have CJ here too, so, hi CJ?“

…Okay, back track. Why does the king of Auradon know where CJ’s staying? Auradon doesn’t have a decent spy network, as far as Freddie is concerned.

…Unless?

„Greet the king, CJ,“ she whispers instead.

„CJ?“ she asks quietly. She doesn’t even need to finish the question before CJ flutters her eyelashes in utterly innocent manner, because of course she does.

And of course she did. Why would kidnapping a king in the middle of a very public event be an excuse not to run her mouth?

„Servus, Majesty,“ drawls CJ unenthusiastically before hiding her face in Freddie’s t-shirt.

„She says hello,“ translates Freddie just in case, as Ben likely isn’t used to, well, CJ. His loss, really.

„…Okay? Anyway, I wanted to, like, resolve your legal status in Auradon? Not like you’re in trouble, just–“

„Why am I not in trouble?“ CJ complains, „I kidnapped you! Held you hostage! That must be some kind of treason, right? I mean, Harriet would ground me for kidnapping her!“

„Shut up!“ Freddie hisses and nudges her in the ribs, hard, „Do you want to get in trouble?!“

„Yes!“ CJ exclaims like the crazy drama queen that she is.

„She said that she’d love to talk!“ Freddie calls at the king.

„I did not!“

„Yes you did. Now shut up and talk with the king who is insane enough to want you in his kingdom, you bloody menace.“

CJ makes a long face and mutters something like „But you love me!“, before backing out.

„Okay,“ she allows, „I’ll talk to the king. But he must come on my ship.“

She is talking to the king right now, if you couldn’t guess.

Freddie turns her eyes back at that.

„What?“

„No, nothing,“ assures Ben quickly, „I just– ship?“

Freddie peeks over the blankets and gestures at him: She means this?

„The… Blanket fort?“

„It’s a ship!“ protests CJ again.

„Yes,“ answers Freddie instead, „Now get in there?“

„Into the–“ Ben cuts himself off and gestures around, mouthing „The blanket fort“ for only Freddie to see.

„Yes, she says again, „Now get into the fucking blanket fort.“

And he does.

What is a little talk about skirting around the loosely written laws in a blanket pirate ship, really?

(Easy answer: A day to day reality, when you hang out with CJ Hook. And Freddie wouldn’t have it any other way.)

[austinswhitewolf]

Blue Eyes Baby Pt. 17

Almost Friday! <3

The entire way from the airport to their home, Gabe was wide eyed and staring out the window. Everything was so different from Atlanta, she couldn’t wait to explore it with him. As they got into the neighborhood where the house was, the yards grew, the landscape became more elegant and the houses got bigger. 

When the driver slowed and pulled into a driveway that had a gate, he punched in a code and the gate opened. Once he parked, he got out and started to pull out their luggage while Austin got out and held his hand out for Gabe. She smiled, excited to see the inside of his house. “It’s beautiful Aus.” She said looking at everything she could see. “I’m glad you like it. If there is anything you don’t like, we can change it.” He said while leading her to the front door and pulling his keys out of his pocket. After he unlocked the front door, he opened it and let her in first. Gabriel was in awe of the design, color and feel of it all. It just fit him perfectly. It was homey while also staying the perfect balance of fancy and relaxed. The living room had a piano in one corner and a few guitars hanging on the wall as well as a record player with a few shelves full of vinyl. The kitchen was something any true cook would drool over with plenty of surface space. There was a bedroom on the first floor that he had turned into an office and one entire wall was bookshelves that were full of not only books but knick knacks that held memories and sentiment for him.There was a full bath across the hall from that. There was a laundry room off the door to the garage,

Austin grabbed his two suitcases, leaving his carry on by the door, Gabe followed suit and stayed behind him as he led the way up the stairs. “Master bedroom is down the hall here.” He said, leading her there so they could set their bags down. “This room is a spare bedroom I have set up for guests, there is a bedroom over there that was empty but I had my dad guide the movers to put what they could in there. Anything that didn’t fit, they put in the garage.”  

When Austin opened the door to the master bedroom, her jaw dropped. It was so beautiful. The wall the bed was against was a beautiful dark grey while the other three walls were white. The bed had a very fluffy couch at the foot of it that was an off white/grey color with a glass table in front of it. Almost the entirety of one wall was glass. There were two sliding doors that opened the space up to a balcony. 

Austin guided her over to a doorway that led into a large walk in closet. His clothing filled only a third of the space, maybe a little bit more. “You can use up all the space you need.” He said, setting his bags down by a counter that held a mirror and chair. “We can unpack later or even tomorrow if you want. I usually just take a day to wash it all even if it doesn’t need it.” “We can do that, just may steal something from you to change into tonight.” Gabe responded with a cheeky grin. “Sounds perfect to me.” He said, giving her a look over quickly before leaning down slightly and giving her a loving kiss. “There is a pool outback and I’ll show you where your stuff is in the spare room and then the garage.” Lacing his fingers with hers, he led her over to the empty room, opening the door. When they both looked in, Austin had a slightly amazed look on his face while Gabe had a happy and proud smile. Kris and Rose had done better than you had hoped. The boxes were labeled with the room they came from and what was in them. They were also taped up well so nothing got damaged from the cross country trip. Austin’s dad must have had the movers stack things by room and in nice stacks. “This looks like it should be most of it. If not, there would only be a few extra boxes that aren’t here.” Gabe said, leaning her head against Austin’s shoulder. “Well it shouldn’t be too hard to get unpacked with how everything is labeled.” He said with a light squeeze to Gabe’s shoulders before kissing her head. “Would you want to clean up and get rid of the travel feel? I’m going to go take a shower myself.” “Sure. I always hate long travel days for that reason.” She said with a nod. Austin led the way back to their bedroom, making a quick stop in the closet to grab a pair of shorts and shirts for them before heading into the bathroom. Setting the clothing down on the counter, he grabbed two towels while Gabe started the shower, turning the heat up just enough. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Austin and Gabe decided to just relax on the couch and turn something easy on while they napped on and off. It was a wonderful afternoon and Gabe was happy to do just this, as long as Austin was at her side, this was perfect and enough. That evening, they just ordered chinese so they didn’t have to go out to get groceries yet. There wasn’t much food left over when they were done eating, so they just put it in one container and into the fridge. When Gabe gave a huge yawn, Austin smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Want to call it a night? Maybe read something or turn the tv in the bedroom on?” When he got a nod and soft smile in return, he scooped her up into his arms, earning a light yelp and gentle laugh while she slid her arms around his neck. Once in the bedroom, Austin let her legs down, keeping his arm around her waist while he pulled the blankets down and turned the lamp on the nightstand on. Gabe was quick to slide onto the very soft mattress and waited for Austin. He nabbed the remote for the tv off the small table in front of the couch and then shut all the shades. Once he slid onto the bed, Gabe rolled and curled up against his side, head on his chest and arm over his stomach. Both gave happy and content sighs as he pulled the blankets up over them. “This is the most comfortable bed ever.” Gabe murmured, wiggling her legs just slightly with a smile. “Glad you like it. It took a while to get used to the bed in Australia.” He murmured while kissing her forehead. He offered her the remote for the tv as a large yawn formed. Gabriel smiled, taking it from him and turning the tv on.  It didn’t take long to choose on demand and found Mysteries of the Abandoned. Once that was on, she turned the volume to a soft level and the timer on the tv was set for a half hour. Austin took the remote when she handed it back to him and set it on the nightstand before flicking the lamp off and the room was then bathed in the flickering light of the tv.

“Love you so much Austin.” Gabe said softly, looking up at his beautiful blue eyes. “I love you too, Dove. More than you could ever know.” He tilted his head down and gave her a soft, loving kiss. Long lith fingers started to thread through her hair as he once more kissed her forehead. He loved the feel of her silky hair trailing over his fingers. Something about it was very soothing to him. 

When he glanced down a few minutes later, her eyes were closed and her breathing was even. “Welcome home my love. My soulmate.” With those words, he let his own eyes close and let sleep take him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The following morning, Gabriel was slow to wake up. The warmth surrounding her, the soft mattress and Austin’s scent was everywhere. When she shifted, Austin’s arms pulled her closer to him and he nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck and shoulder. 

He took a deep breath and gave her skin a soft kiss as he started to wake up himself. When he did finally open his eyes, a sleepy smile filled his face. Gabe was hugging a pillow to her chest while sleeping. He was content to just lay there and watch her until she was awake. When she finally opened her eyes she felt Austin run his hand gently up and down her arm. “Morning Dove. How’d ya sleep?” His voice was deep and gravely, the drawl thicker at the moment. “Mmm… The best I ever have.” She said softly as she shifted to face him, sliding her arm over his side. “I’m glad.” He kissed her on the forehead and the tip of her nose before leaning his forehead against hers. Both laid there happily for a while before Gabe had to go to the bathroom. She slipped from his arms only after telling him she would be right back. Austin stretched, rolling onto his back, arms above his head, feet pointing out in a very long stretch. A few pops emanated from him and he groaned happily, a goofy smile filling his face. When Gabe stepped back through the doorway from the bathroom, a loving smile filled her face. Austin’s hair was a mess and it was adorable. She moved to the edge of the bed and sat down, lacing her fingers with his. With her free hand, she brushed some hair from his face. Austin turned into her touch and kissed her wrist. “Want to go to breakfast then get groceries?” He asked softly, leaning up on his elbow. “Sounds wonderful Hun.” “I’m going to go to the bathroom, change and then I should be ready to go.” Gabe nodded and when Austin got up, she moved to the closet to grab an outfit for the day that was clean from her suitcase. 

When both were ready to go, Austin grabbed the keys to one of his cars and guided her out to the garage and opened the car door for her. Within moments they were backing out of the garage and on their way. 

[crazedlunatic]

Happy Birthday, Blaine.

“I know you’re trying to plan something for my birthday. The last few years you’ve been swamped so you couldn’t couldn’t… and I know I acted sad that we couldn’t do anything those times but I was actually relieved.”

Bob looked at Blaine, confused. “What?”

“You really want to do it and I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. But I just… can’t do birthdays.” Blaine let out a deep breath. “I should have said something last month when you mentioned it but I thought maybe I would feel up to it but I’m just… not yet.”

“It’s… a few days away. You may feel better on Thursday, Blaine.”

“No. I’m not sick. I don’t really do birthdays. My own. Other people’s are fine but… I can’t do mine.”

“You don’t do birthdays?” Bob blinked at him and then put the back of his hand to Blaine’s forehead. “You’re not warm.”

“I told you I’m not feeling sick.”

“Then what’s the deal?” Bob asked, frowning.

“My birthday is… a huge trigger for me.” Blaine looked down. “Ice cream with Kurt or walking in a park or going on a drive is okay. People, cake, food, drinks, and gifts… I can’t do it.”

“Okay.” Bob, who had just made it into his office, grabbed his car keys off his desk. “Let’s go on a drive or go somewhere else and we’ll talk about it.”

“I don’t know that I can without getting like I was… before. When I told you about wanting to kill myself.”

“You were waiting for me to get here so you could catch me before I clocked in, weren’t you?”

“Maybe.” Blaine bit his lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to—"”

“No!” Bob said quickly. “Don’t ever apologize for setting boundaries. You’ve been very quiet the last couple of days so I had a feeling something was going on… I just didn’t think it was about your birthday. I thought it was lack of sleep because of the twins.”

Blaine got into the passenger seat of his car and said, “You usually don’t drive this one.”

“Sarah said if I don’t drive my nice cars more, I have to sell them.” Bob huffed, pulling out of the parking lot. “So. Park? Panera? Just find somewhere to talk and stay in the car?”

“It’s up to you.” Blaine bit his lip.

“You’re making me very nervous, you know? Are you okay?”

Blaine didn’t really answer.

…

“Okay.” Bob plopped down under a huge tree that, for the most part, was in an area without a lot of people—especially without people who looked like they’d be design students. “Want to talk about what’s going on?”

“Truthfully I was hoping to never speak about it again but I don’t think I can get away from it anymore since you’ve adopted me.” Blaine bit his lip, sitting next to Bob on the ground.

“Want to just dive in or…?”

“When I turned ten everything was great… but about five months from turning 11 I figured out that I wasn’t really interested in girls but I started noticing guys a lot at church… particularly Wes who had just moved into the neighborhood.”

“Am I asking questions or am I just letting you get it out?”

Blaine took a deep breath. “I’m not sure what I want.”

“Okay. I’ll ask questions if they pop up and you tell me if you need me to not ask them.” Bob made eye contact with Blaine.

Blaine bit his lip again, not sure exactly how to voice any of this.

“Or we can abort mission and get an early lunch?” Bob asked, clearly getting worried.

“I came out after my eleventh birthday party after my soccer friends left.” Blaine blurted. “I was like this trophy son with perfect grades and all these extracurricular activities. They took me places and let me have as many music lessons as I wanted. Piano, violin, guitar… singing.”

Bob nodded, not speaking and maintaining a neutral face.

“My mom acted like it was great news at first and my dad…” Blaine took a deep breath. “He kind of lost it. I kind of remembered fights that happened with him and Alex but I was three when he left. They had this whole story about how awful he was never coming home, not doing good in school, disappearing after graduation and not coming back.”

“Yeah?” Bob asked.

“Yes. He really left because his then girlfriend had gotten pregnant. I think I told you? My dad basically offered her family a large sum of money to make her have an abortion… and her parents made her do it.”

“Did he take that out on you?”

“No. I was three. I guess that wasn’t really in order. Sorry.” Blaine’s hands had started to shake.

“No.” Bob said quietly, shaking his head. “Go in whatever order makes sense to you. I’ll keep up.”

“I guess the point was that if something or someone didn’t match the political image… they were out. He did all the same stuff with Alex but I hadn’t known it because I was so young. Apparently my dad tried to throw him over the banister a couple of times too.”

“Your parents—”

“My father.” Blaine interrupted him.

“Your father wanted you all to be… perfect? For his image?”

“The whole family was apparently like this excluding my grandparents… though I’m still confused about my grandmother. I’ve got two other uncles who are well to do. I don’t know them at all. One is in Michigan and one is in Wyoming or something. Alex doesn’t talk to them either but we saw them at my grandmother’s funeral.”

“Let’s focus on the birthday?” Bob asked.

“My birthday… is also the day that I was going to kill myself at 16.”

Bob stared at him, clearly not expecting that. He’d had a response to everything else. But not this. At least not right away.

“That’s… my birthdays trigger me into feeling the same hopelessness… like after I came out, after I ended up in the hospital after getting beat up, the fights that turned physical with my dad, my…”

Bob didn’t say anything—he just took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

“I know you want to do something for my birthday b-but…” Blaine took a deep breath. “Please don’t. I’m sorry.”

Bob lowered his head and took a deep breath, wiping his own eyes.

“I just can’t.” Blaine whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. “I know I have to get over it because the twins will pick up on it but I… I can’t put it out of my mind… and the longer it goes, the harder it gets.”

“It’s okay.” Bob looked him in the eyes, voice gentle. “Can I suggest something else, though? Something that isn’t you sitting at home and thinking about all these horrible things?”

“Sure.” Blaine sniffled, wiping under his eyes again.

“First, we don’t go back into the office today. Second, we do something you want to do that isn’t birthday related. Third, you consider still having a get together but not birthday related. Nothing overwhelming. No cake or ice cream or presents. We’ll all just hang out.”

“I don’t know. The twins go to bed so early anyway.”

“Then we’ll have a get together at your place downstairs. It’s not a birthday party so no pressure.”

“Will I ever not be like this?” Blaine asked, making eye contact.

“Yes. It will get better… it’ll happen quicker if you make better memories to replace the bad ones, though. Trust me.”

“Did something bad happen on your birthday?” Blaine asked.

“Yeah. I don’t really like to talk about it either.” Bob nodded.

“What happened?”

“My dog was killed in retaliation after I won a case. They chose my birthday to make it extra personal, I guess.  They wanted me to see them kill him and then they attacked me.” Bob bit his lip hard.

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah. It is.” Bob sighed. “That’s why we don’t have dogs. I can’t do it. We almost did it once but I backed out. That’s why we have a guinea pig now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. This isn’t a pity party for me. I’m worried about you.” Bob gave him a look. “You deserve these good things. Being celebrated. Because your birth is big. You still being here through all this shit is big. You had to fight through so much bullshit to get to where you are and you’re kicking ass. You are.”

Blaine made eye contact.

“You’re meant to be right here, right now, and I’m not going to let you forget it. You and Kurt both are amazing parents to Nick and Zach. You’re undoing everything your shitty parents did by loving these boys so hard. They are both chunky, smiley, funny, precious babies who are loved and happy. Anyone can see it. You’re an awesome father and don’t let self-doubt make you think otherwise. And if you do, I’m here to remind you of what a great parent you are.”

“It’s just a hard day.” Blaine’s voice was barely audible. “I’m trying hard not to lose it.”

“That’s okay.” Bob said gently, meeting his eyes. “Losing it is okay too. Whatever you need to do or feel right now is okay because that’s how we move on and how we eventually be happy.”

“Are you really happy, though?” Blaine made eye contact. “Doing what you do still? Being over all these people and having all these high stress cases? How can you be happy?”

“Do you want the truth?” Bob kept his gaze.

“Yeah.”

“No, I’m not happy doing this. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thrown up after clients have left. It hits close to home sometimes.” Bob admitted. “Especially the sexual assault ones.”

“Why do it, then?”

“People need someone bigger and louder in their corner at court. I can take some of the worst moments of someone’s lives and make it just a little more bearable to get through the hours, days, weeks, or years… Helping them is worth it to me.”

Blaine nodded.

Bob moved so he was right next to Blaine and pulled Blaine to his side. “I love you. If I could say it enough times to make you feel better, I would.”

“I love you too.” Blaine sniffled a bit and relaxed against Bob. “Can it be a super small thing?”

Bob pulled back and looked at him, surprised. “You mean tonight?”

“Yes.” Blaine said, looking unsure. “If its super small… yes.”

“Yeah. We can. Just the family, David, and Wes?”

“Yeah. We can even have Kurt and the twins if you’re feeling generous.” Bob joked.

Blaine smiled even though his eyes were still teary. “I guess they can come.”

Bob reached up, ruffling his hair.

“Since we’re already here… can we go on a walk? Or a hike?” Blaine asked somewhat sheepishly.

“Only because it’s your birthday.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me.” Bob kissed the top of his head like when he’d the day Blaine had broken down about his parents—they day they got closer. He then asked, “You have hiked before, right?”

“I take offense to that.” Blaine scoffed as Bob grinned.

[nickeverdeen]

Hi! I was wondering if you’re still doing matchups? If you are, then I hope you don’t mind doing mine! I’m hoping for one for Harry Potter with male characters. My pronouns are she/her.

Appearance wise, I’m a short left-handed girl, standing at 4’11 3/4 or 152 cm. I have dyed Camilla rose (closest color name I could find on Google lol) hair and dark brown eyes. I’m a Sun Capricorn, Moon Virgo, and Rising Leo with a personality of an ISFP. I am straight (leaning towards greyaromatic), but according to every single one of my friends who thought (some are still convinced) that I’m a lesbian that I give off very gay vibes. No matter how loud I get, I’m 100% an introvert. I don’t mind silence, I love it at times, which sometimes creates first impressions of me as a nice, polite, and quiet girl, so when they see me being mean to my friends, they get so surprised.

My entire humor consists of the classical “Your Mom” jokes, exposing my friends, bullying, and lying/gaslighting. I also love exerting my right to say ‘no’ since a lot of people don’t like saying it and I love gaslighting the hell of my friends. Although, I do lie about some things because I don’t want to be seen as weak or ignorant or easily exploitable, which leads to me acting like a know-it-all at times.

Despite that, I have a blunt personality which also stems from saying no a lot. My friends describe it as the humbling kind. l tend to be more blunt for emotional things, like calling them out if they went too far on someone else, but if any of those things were directed at me, I tend to be silent. I don’t like talking about myself a lot to my friends and even my parents. I’m about blunt with talking about vulgar things, sometimes sexual stuff but only if my friends bring it up first, and it doesn’t help that I curse a lot. I also love being a bad influence, trying to convince my friends to do stupid things with me. Generally I don’t stress which is weird to both me and my friends. A very important test could be happening in the next hour and I’d be out here making jokes and playing around while my friends are stressing out of their mind.

Hobbies! I play the piano, violin, guitar, clarinet, and just recently the kalimba! Despite all of this, I’m planning on dropping my music lessons in a few months. I’ll be sad to drop especially the piano which I’ve been playing for over 10 years now, but I was never that passionate for music as it was something I forced to keep going by my parents. The other instruments, I’ve picked up within the last 3-5 years. Music’s always been and will be my friend, but it’ll just be on the back burner for now. I’ve gotten new hobbies instead, like drawing and writing!

I see

Your Harry Potter match is…

Ronald Weasley

First of all: height jokes

When Ron’s feeling really playful, he’d rest his arm on your head teasingly

As soon as you got mean to your friends, Ron was really suprised thinking they maybe did something?

After a while he realized it

He doesn’t care that you give off gay vibes, he loves the whole of you

At first he wasn’t really into the all “your mom” joke thing

After a while he’d definetly warm up and start using it too

Maybe way too much

Ron mainly likes the fact that you can stand up for yourself and say “no”

At first he thought you were like Hermione in the first year: know-it-all

It didn’t take him long to realize thag the “know-it-all” thing is not the real whole you

Does his best to comfort you if you’re feeling stressed

Even though you don’t like to talk about yourself, he’d definetly brag about you and show how amazing you are off to Harry, Hermione and definetly his family

Ron is a trouble-maker, so if you ever wanna do something stupid, count him in

When you’re in public he likes to hold your hand

If Ron gets jealous he’d probably put his arm on your lower back

Even though it seems to him kinda weird that you don’t stress, he’s glad that you don’t

Ron prefers if you wouldn’t stress at all instead of stressing all the time

Asking each other for help with homework

He’d mostly ask you

Playing piano? He’d ask you to teach him how to play

He’d try his best, but still fail

Mad at your parents for forcing you to do something you don’t wanna

Ron is amazed by how many instruments you play

He’d like to see your drawing if you’d let him, sometimes

Molly loves you!

If you’re ever meeting up with his family they will probably tell you about all the stupid and embarrassing things Ron did when he was a kid

No matter what, Ron us really supportive and caring

Does some silly magic to cheer you up if you’re ever feeling down

Cheek kisses

————————————————————

[daggerzine]

Pernice Brothers- Who Will You Believe (New West)

It’s been five long years since the last Pernice Brothers album. I had the pleasure of hearing some of these songs performed at Kiki’s House of Righteous Music in Madison last November. I’m still amazed I was finally able to check off another artist on my bucket list, especially in such an intimate venue. But back to the new album. Joe wrote and produced all of the songs on the album. He’s joined by Michael McKenzie, Liam Jaeger, Patrick Berkley, Michale Belitsky, Peyton Pinkerton, and we can’t forget brother Bob Pernice. The album kicks off with the title track, “Who Will You Believe.” Jangling guitars, beautiful harmonies, and soaring guitar solos that seem like a track right out of early REM’s songbook. “So, don’t cash out ‘cause some rumor says it’s over. Look here, I stagger, but I swear to God I’m sober. Who will you believe? Who will you believe?” Next up is “Look Alive,” my favorite on the album. It’s a beautiful, upbeat piano-driven, indie-rocker complete with strings and horns! ”At best a shaky maybe. Strumming the old banjo, baby. Snuffing out a torch that was held for me. I wish I could sing that song... The one that makes the ordinary extraordinaire.“ Track 3, “Not This Pig,” is a short foot-tapping number complete with dreamy keyboards and howling guitar solos. Next is “What We Had.” A slower, sad acoustic guitar number with trickles of echo-laden guitar bits. And the lyrics add an extra punch to the sorrow. “I can see the way it’s playing out. It’s a comedy of errors, but it’s sad. I think of what we had. It’s hard to watch good love go bad.” In comes more explosive guitar jams that eventually leave as the song drifts off. Track 5, “December in Her Eyes,” if I recall, Joe introduced as a 60s Motown song that he said to imagine strings and horns. It’s a beautiful, sad song, and yes, those gorgeous strings and horns are way upfront on this one. “We’ve been friends for so long, I would tell you that I might break down and cry. I hope you can find her and find out ‘cause I swear I don’t know why she’s got December in her eyes.” “A Song for Sir Robert Helpmann” is a short, highly orchestrated instrumental dedicated to the Australian ballet legend. “Hey, Guitar” is the fastest rocker on the album. Searing guitar solos and a bopping rhythm section highlight this one. Next up, “A Man of Means,” is a flashback to Revolver-era Beatles. I’m thinking “Taxman” with its heavy bassline and chiming guitars. Track 9, “I Don't Need That Anymore,” features another Dagger favorite, Neko Case. When I first heard this performed at Kiki’s, Joe, strapped only with an acoustic guitar, did a hilarious version by tilting his head when he sang “the Neko part.” Couldn’t wait to hear the full-blown version with Neko, and it surely doesn’t disappoint. Next up, “Ordinary Goldmine,” also captures the vibe I felt at Kiki’s. Not sure if he sang this at our set. Love the repetitive ending. “Tell me where. I swear I’d be on-time.” Track 11, another acoustic beauty, “How Will We Sleep” is one to move any listener to tears. It’s not just the beauty of his acoustic guitar, the lyrics really grab you, especially me. “Growing old seemed like death to me when I was young. Now I want to grow old. And I want to belong. Oh, how will we sleep to the crash and the clang, as the hell-bent hell fires burn on in our names? How will we live: By the dove or the blade? Will we keep our eyes closed as the dream slips away?” The album ends with “The Purple Rain.” Dedicated to the loss of his cousin to cancer. The emotional lyrics say it all, “Here’s a man one heartbeat from a ghost. Here’s a vein, it spiders coast to coast. One thousand quiet cuts, and I do believe we’re close. Been bleeding out for years and years and years.” Dedicated to one of the many people close to Joe that left this earth recently. Joe’s heartfelt vocals, acoustic guitar, swelling strings, and gorgeous choir truly add to the sorrow of this piece. ERIC EGGLESON

https://www.pernicebrothers.com/

[doomboogie]

Got through Ch 1 and Ch 2. Trying to even out my thoughts with gripes and praise but uhh so far mostly complaints. It feels very FFXV in a lot of ways that I don’t think are great! Nothing super coherent or clear yet in the critique department

My concerns were immediately founded . I hope this game can make me at least tolerate Zack since he’s obviously gonna be a major part of it and I’ve never been a fan. Remake made me change some of my reception to other characters so it’s certainly possible!

Repeating NPC dialogue still sucks, but that’s not unique to FF. Still annoying.

Zangan is interesting and I’m really wanting more of him! I like his design a lot.

Don’t like the addition of Aerith chiming in on “You asshole!” when Cloud goes through Tifa’s room, I liked when it was just Tifa in the demo.

😞 they removed the sheet music from Tifa’s piano.

The audio mixing is still bad. The music is way too loud, even when manually adjusting in the options settings. Voices get drowned out

The acoustic guitar rendition of Tifa’s theme is really cute

I don’t mind the yellow shelf paint, because the game is already so visually busy it really needs to paint to stand out

As one half of my favorite YT video gamers, ChipCheezum, said: there is a level of nuance given to Sephiroth here that he usually isn’t given, and it is very refreshing to see

Pacing is a bit slow while crawling in the village. By a bit slow I mean way too slow

Cutting the camera away from Tifa showing her scar just made the scene funny, idk why they did that

Literally laughed out loud at the weather warfare conspiracy. I get that magic exists in this world but lmfao, yeah, Wutai controls the weather. Great cover story Shinra

I see a mysterious freak with a kind disposition and dying cough and I latch on, so Broden’s inevitable doom will break my heart.

I usually like remake Aerith fine but Christ she is very aggressive in her flirting and there’s no option to tell her no. I don’t care about the love triangle and never have so it’s just exhausting.

I spent all of Ch 2 with Red and Barret as my party because I got so tired of the romance shit with the girls in the opening scenes. Doesn’t seem to matter tho because party members never really say anything unless there’s a side quest they care about.

Red’s fun to play, I like his spins a lot! He still does the standing up roaring animation on battle end which is cute, and he rides a chocobo like a human shaped person which is also cute.

Animations are slow and overbearing. Not quite rdr2 levels but still enough to be annoying.

There’s a few seconds after moving from something or getting up from a bench when you cannot enter the start menu or save menu and it trips me up every time.

MAI. Is certainly a character. I turned her voice off (and by extension Chadley) because the one introduction was too much. Chadley is fine, Chadley is good. I did not need a worse version of him chittering in my ear during combat. It’s like they saw how (some) people like Purah and wanted to make their own.

There’s a lot going on mechanics wise and I think maybe there’s too much. Crafting, synergy moves, weapon abilities, folios, equipment leveling, materia, all on top of the combat system. I do not think this game needed crafting, tbh.

Fuck queen’s blood and fuck the side quest chain for it. Sorry Tifa, I’m not helping out this bartender because i don’t like this card game and your favored side quest requires me to play it.

The field and combat versions of Hollow are great, really liked those.

Fuck those moogles, man.

I hate the overfilled open world! Society has progressed past the need for open world in everything! What took 10 minutes in the original is now 10 hours - I don’t see how people can consider that a good thing when most of that time is wandering around doing fetch quests and gathering crafting materials. Unfortunately the only way to find out which quests are actually interesting is by playing them through. A burst pipe leading to a fast approaching energy crisis? Sounds interesting, too bad fucking Kyrie ruins it. A farmer’s cows are harassed by a monster? Sounds boring as fuck, but it leads to a questline shedding light on Junon’s history and Broden’s past, both of which are interesting and relevant to the story!

[chorusfm]

Middle Kids – Faith Crisis Pt. 1

It’s a funny feeling when your heart and mind are going in different directions. Middle Kids tackle this concept head on with grace and poise on Faith Crisis Pt. 1, that finds the Sydney-based indie rockers exploring the limits of their sound. While their vision came fully-formed on their sophomore LP, Today We’re The Greatest, Faith Crisis Pt. 1 is a small departure in the direction I would have liked for them to go. But hey, that’s music. Hannah Joy remains as captivating as she’s ever been, and checks all the boxes for what you’d want in an interesting lead vocalist. The band chemistry she shares with Tim Fitz and Harry Day pays off more often than not here. The album was produced by Jonathan Gilmore (The 1975, Beabadoobee) and he does an admirable job of honing in on the band’s strengths. The album is largely inspired by Joy’s conflicts with her faith during the writing process of the band’s third studio album, and features a duo of interludes paired with a noteworthy song on each side of the record. The themes on Faith Crisis Pt. 1 range from euphoria, to self-doubt, all the way back to taking the listener on a journey through Joy’s headspace. Middle Kids are at their best when they trust their instincts and block out the rest of the outside noise in this world. This task is easier said than done, but their lyrical commentary remains top notch. The record opens with a steady bassline on “Petition” before exploding into the bright chorus of, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking / ‘Bout all the ways that things could be different? / I have been listening to your petition / I think that it’s finally sinking in.” Joy’s vocals are crisp, and she seems to be singing with a smile in lines like these that feature a shimmering chorus. Things continue to unfold well on “Dramamine” that starts off with a spiraling guitar riff, paired with some great drumming, while Joy admits, “I used to be the saddest girl that you had ever seen / Just need a couple things to sleep, maybe some dramamine,” while still keeping its true heading on the refrain of, “You are the only reason I believe in anything / I hope you don’t take this the wrong way.” It’s a stark contrast between the two sections of the songs, and showcases some of the internal friction going on with Joy. ”The Blessings” is the first song on the LP to be followed by an interlude, and the bellowing piano strikes in the verses pave way for some crunchy guitar riffing on the chorus to avoid the “trap” of the song sounding too dark. Middle Kids really went down an exploratory path on their third album with songs like this to test the limits of their songwriting and keep themselves motivated as artists. The first single to be released from the set, “Bootleg Firecracker,” follows in the album sequencing, and yet it feels a tad out of place after some of the softer sounds that come through the speakers on the last two songs. While I enjoyed the chorus lyrics of, “I’ll keep moving til I see you cruising in / And I am an average dancer / That’s not the point that I am after,” it all feels a little too restrained for the band that captivated my imagination so strongly on their sophomore set. Things pick up well on the next song of “Highlands” that reminds me of why I fell in love with this band in the first place. From the static intro, to when the bass, drums and guitars all come into sync with Joy’s vocals, everything falls into focus like a jigsaw puzzle connecting each intricate part to finally see the full picture. The best song on the album, “Bend” features the heartfelt lyrics of, “Because I am one bend away from a break / I am one step away from the precipice of crazy / I am holding all the pieces in place / But maybe you’ve got to break me to see what I’m made of,” and they are easy to connect with since many of us are at the cusp of our breaking point with the state of the world. Having someone else go through something similar to ourselves brings a certain facet of comfort and connection on a deeper… https://chorus.fm/reviews/middle-kids-faith-crisis-pt-1/

[rylandjennings]

「  ryland jennings : the playlist 」

「  a e s t h e t i c s 」

the crunch of boots on gravel, a beat up old truck that feels familiar no matter how long it’s been, a fridge door full of pictures, a well-loved guitar, jeans that fit just right, that one phone call you make when you end up in jail, a 5 o’clock shadow any time of day, warm leather seats in the summer sun, a pair of eyes that carry more stories than you can imagine, calling your grandma every single day, a perfectly mixed playlist for every mood, a drawl that isn’t quite one thing or another, countless voice memos saved for when the inspiration circles back around

「  p r e s s p l a y 」

♫ “Does To Me (feat. Eric Church)” - Luke Combs I was a last resort to go to prom with the queen, thanks to an ex-boyfriend who broke her heart that week. No, I didn’t get lucky but I still felt like a king, and that might not mean much to you, but it does to me.

♫ “The Sound of A Million Dreams” - David Nail So I labor for hours ‘cause I know the power of a song when a song hits you right, pourin’ my soul into stories of life, hopin’ someone will hear one tonight. Maybe my voice will cut through the noise and stir up an old memory, and out of these piano keys comes the sound, the sound of a million dreams.

♫ “5:19” - Matt Wertz One eye on the clock and one on the phone. It’s 5:19, I’m feeling alone. If I could talk to you, I’d want you to know, I’m holding loose, but ain’t letting go. We both know that I could think myself dizzy. Right now, I’m spinning around.

♫ “Everything” - Steve Moakler Probably sounded like nails on a chalkboard tryna play a Pearl Jam song. Never got big, only had one gig at the Rocky Ridge Moose Lodge, but it was everything. The beat in my chest, the smile on my face, the wind in my sails, just a simple, every day nothing, but it was everything.

♫ “One Sweet Love” - Sara Bareilles Ready and waiting for a heart worth the breaking, I’d settle for an honest mistake in the name of one sweet love. Savor the sorrow to soften the pain, sip on the southern rain. As I do, I don’t look, don’t touch, don’t do anything but hope that there is a you.

▶▶ listen to the full playlist here.

[d0ll-partz]

Week One

19/9/22

Here’s my at home practice for Go Your Own Way. I found the second line in the chorus ‘you could call it another lonely day’ a point of struggle as my voice seems to break on the word ‘it’ or I have to move up and do it in my head voice which doesn’t sound very congruent with my tone for the rest of the song, so on the last chorus I started experimenting with singing different lines in my head voice to see if it sounded any better. I don’t think it was very successful as it sounds very disjointed and doesn’t flow with the rest of the track. I also need to make sure I warm up properly before I try it again, as my voice sounds fatigued. (LO2, LO3)

22/09/22

Unfortunately I do not have any recordings of the pre-production session or the performance in the venue for this track as we had such a blast we all forgot to document the actual work! I do have a voice recording of some harmonies we looked at with Abi in pre-prod though which is useful for me as I struggle with focusing on harmonies. (LO2)

Overall I found Go Your Own Way quite a good song to start with, the verses were very comfortable for me as I have quite a low range and the choruses were challenging enough that I felt as though I’d achieved something when I got it right. Due to it being the first week of classes I definitely did not perform to the best of my ability as I was quite nervous but I think the vocals went well! I got good feedback from Candy who said my voice is very strong and suits rock & roll which is great because I’m hoping to do a rock song for my assessments. (LO3)

WB01 Initial Ideas - 24/9/22

For my formative assessment I’m thinking about a few different choices, I’d like to do a heavier song which will allow me to really showcase my performance abilities as that is one of my strengths, however I have little to no experience with production and trying to produce a track with several different instruments right out the gate would be a huge challenge. (LO1)

 I was thinking about using an original song I’ve written with my boyfriend as the old studio recording was mixed badly and I’d like to have a well produced version I feel comfortable sharing/releasing. If i decided to work on the original I would need to collaborate with a bassist and drummer (at least) as my boyfriend would play the guitar parts, but once again I think the production side of things will be an issue, it would be a good opportunity to develop that skill set but I think maybe for the first project I should look at something more achievable, as any experience producing will develop my (currently non-existent) skills and produces a plethora of research opportunities. (LO1, LO3)

This is when I started thinking about more stripped back/acoustic tracks (which I generally find more difficult to perform effectively onstage) as a good place to start in production, and it provides me with a challenge in the performance aspect. I was thinking about singing Take The Box by Amy Winehouse or Hallelujah originally by Leonard Cohen as they are both very vocally driven tracks with a piano. I would need to collaborate with a pianist and make sure that we have access to a rehearsal & recording space with a piano/keyboard. (LO1, LO3)

[illicitlimerence-writes]

our song | c. leclerc

pairing: charles leclerc x singer!reader word count: 1.9k words. request: yes/no by anons "charles one shot where his gf is a singer/songwriter. she's making a new album and he's playing the piano and accidentally uploads him playing the melody in the piano in a insta story. a while later the song comes out and charles surprises her in one of her concerts playing the piano to the song 🥰" & "hello, could you maybe write a charles lecerc x reader? with story he posted when he plays the piano?" aaah! so sorry this took so long. i really hope you both like it. prompt: roses from this prompt list. warnings: language, kissing, fluff, it gets kinda suggestive in the end. i think that's it. a/n: here's day 2! i had one (1) piano lesson when i was ten and guitar lessons from ages 12 to 15 so i apologize if there're any mistakes about terminology and stuff. just like my xmas fics, PLEASE DON'T SEND REQUESTS FROM THE VALENTINE'S PROMPT LIST. i'll tag all the fics as illicitvalentine's so it's easier to keep track of them.

my masterlist / valentine's day masterlist

you’re laying down on the couch, with your back pressed against the armrest as you read a book, the soft music charles is playing in the background is the perfect soundtrack. you read about a girl running away from a life she didn’t want, and as she thinks about everything her life could, can, be, your mood falls as charles stops playing.

“why’d you stop?” you ask, placing your bookmark in the page you were reading.

“my fingers hurt,” charles replies, stretching his fingers.

“that was a nice song, where did you hear it?” you ask as you walk to him, sitting next to him on the small bench in front of the piano.

“it’s mine… i came up with it,” he says, and you think you see his cheeks reddening. “i’ve had the melody in my head for a while now,”

“why didn’t you tell me? charles, you just composed an entire song in your head, remembered it long enough to get here and play it. not even i can do that,” you smile, grabbing his face and placing a soft kiss on his lips. “you’re amazing,”

you’d been feeling a lot more connected to charles lately. maybe it was the fact that you had to leave him for a few months, with your world tour coming up, you wanted to spend every moment you could with him. loving him.

“it’s nothing, really,” he shrugged his shoulders, making you roll your eyes.

“don’t do that. you’re a very talented person, you have a gift.” you lean your head on his shoulder, placing your fingers on top of the keys as you start playing a song you’d written for him about a year ago. he helped you play it, your fingers occasionally grazing his as the melody sped up.

there are words floating in your head, your phone is on, the front-facing camera recording everything you’re humming, mumbling, singing as you try to find the right words for the song.

"there must be more to life, than just empty promises and never-ending lies," you sing, pressing the keys and testing different notes and rhythms.

you don't know how long you stay there, trying to find the right melody for the story you’re building in your head. you let out a small yelp as you feel a pair of arms sliding across your waist, a chin rests on your shoulder, smiling at your reflection on your phone screen.

“sorry, i didn’t mean to scare you,” charles smiles, pressing a kiss on your shoulder. “you were too caught up in your music you didn’t hear me coming in,”

“yeah, i’m sorry,” you laugh, scooting over to one side, making enough space for charles to sit down next to you. “i can’t figure out the melody for the song, i- i’ve been sitting here for hours and still can’t get it right,” you lean your head on his shoulder. this wasn’t new to him, or you. he’d been by your side multiple times as you wrote your previous albums, offered help and support whenever he could. “i think i should just give up,” your hands move to pull down the fall board, but he stops you.

“don’t. show me what you got so far, we can work on it together,” you nod, reciting the lyrics you had written even though it wasn’t finished yet, playing the different melodies.

“but it just doesn’t fit, it doesn’t feel natural,” you get up, walking to the kitchen to get a glass of water. you lean against the marble countertop, watching the sunset through your window. the soft sound of the piano playing brings you out of your thoughts, and after a few seconds, you recognize the melody. it was charles’ song.

you walk back to the living room, where charles has set up your phone in a way where you can only see his hands and torso, the picture cutting off at his neck. you sit next to him, smiling at the small frown on his face, a sign of concentration.

“are you bragging, mozart?” you laugh, watching as a smile forms on his face. you expect him to stop once he reaches the part where he’d cut off the last time he played it, but he keeps going, the build-up makes you shiver, and you get goosebumps once the crescendo fades. he finishes in a perfect fade out. “you finished it,” you gasp, showing your arm, “i got chills. it’s amazing,” you grab his face in your hands, planting a soft kiss on his lips. “you have to register it, publish it somewhere, somehow. charles, this is one of the best songs i’ve ever heard,” you throw your arms around his neck, pulling him close to you.

“i, uh, actually had another idea,” he says as he pecks your cheek.

“what?” you ask, letting go of him as he places his fingers over the keys again.

he starts playing, and after a few seconds, he hums a melody. your melody.

‘pop star (y/n) (y/l/n) teases possible collaboration with long time partner, formula 1 driver, charles leclerc. the young singer posted on her instagram a video of the two of them playing the piano as she sang words to what fans assume is her next single.’

the headlines, tags, mentions and comments flood your cell phone. you read one after the other, feeling a pang in your chest at the mistake you’d made a few days ago. what was supposed to go on your personal, private instagram account, ended up for the whole world to see.

“i’m sorry,” you pout. charles holds your hips and brings you close to him. “i know you said you wanted to use a pseudonym,”

“it’s fine. creating this song with you has been one of the greatest thing i’ve done in my life. i didn’t want to take attention away from your success by having my name involved,” he kisses your forehead, leading you to the piano. your safe place. “but don’t let this stop you. you have to keep the song in the album, it’s your song.”

“god, i love you,”

-

you say hi to the people as you pass by them, heading to your dressing room to prepare for the concert. the sound of people yelling, chanting your name, screaming the lyrics to your songs is music to your ears, it helps ease the pain you’d been feeling all morning.

no matter how much you and charles both tried to spend valentine’s day together, you simply couldn’t make it work and had to spend the day of love with an entire ocean separating the two of you.

as you open the door, you’re surrounded by colors, the scent of flowers strong given the number of roses that currently occupy most of the room. your heart flutters as you stare at the delicate roses, eyes watering at the thought of charles going out of his way to prepare something for you even when you’re both miles apart.

it’s past midnight back in monaco, so you settle with texting a red heart emoji, alongside a picture of your teary eyes to charles. your hair and make-up team walks in, they squeal in delight as they see all the roses.

“thank you so much for joining me today, this is a special day for all couples, and throughout the night i’ve seen countless couples singing, dancing and it really means a lot to me that you, all of you, decided to spend this night with me. this next song is one that my boyfriend and i wrote together. and even though i can’t be with him tonight, i’d like to sing this song, our song, as a way to feel closer to him.” you speak into the microphone, hearing the thousands of people yelling in excitement. “it seems that you like the idea,” you giggle, looking around at the sparkling lights from the bracelets the crowd received when they entered the stadium.

you felt nervous about performing the song, even though you sang it at every stop of the tour because it quickly became a fan favorite, this song meant so much to both you and charles, and you wanted to perform it the best way you could, knowing that this would be all over the internet the next day.

“this is called ‘for you’ and i hope you like it,” that’s your cue for the keyboardist to start playing. the screaming and yelling die down as you wait for the melody to begin, but it doesn’t come. you turn around, noticing that the spots where the rest of your band is supposed to be are empty. you look around, seeing your publicist and the band with smiles on their faces, you frown and are about to say something when the melody starts.

the crowd cheers as they hear the piano, and you feel the stage shaking beneath your feet. worried, you look at your band, your friends, who are signaling for you to keep going. to start singing.

you clear your throat, softly singing the first verse. there are cheers around you, they get louder, and you don’t really know why. thanks to the giant screens on top of the crowd, you see movement behind you, something is being lifted from under the stage. you don’t know what’s going on, but the music keeps going, and so do you. there’s something familiar about the way the person plays the piano. the screaming and yelling get so loud, and as you turn around you understand why.

there, sitting on a piano bench is charles. playing the piano to your song. you can’t keep singing, your eyes widen as he smiles at you, all you can see is him.

“you’re here,” you say. he finally stops playing, standing up and wrapping his arms around you.

“i really want to kiss you right now,” he whispers in your ear.

“me too. god, i love you, i-” you shake your head, tapping the corners of your eyes with the pad of your finger. “i can’t believe you’re here,” you throw your arms around his neck, it feels so good to be in his arms after so long. you loved touring, you really did, but nothing could ever compare to the feeling of being home.

“what did you think of your debut as a pianist?” you ask, you’re laying down in the bathtub of your hotel room, your back against charles’ chest. the carpet floors were covered in rose petals, and there was a red heart formed with the petals on the bed as well. there are candles lit up and baby pink petals floating in the bathtub water.

“i liked it. i think i might stick with racing, though.” he chuckled.

“you were amazing. i love you. thank you so much for this, i-” he cut you off with a soft kiss on your lips, grabbing your chin and moving your face toward his. you hummed softly, turning around until you’re sitting on his lap. you continue kissing him, feeling his hands over your bare, wet skin.

you shiver as something soft trails down your back, charles is holding a rose between his fingers and caresses your skin with it. you smile against his lips, getting ready to enjoy valentine’s day as you’re supposed to. in the arms of the person you love.

[lollypopsx]

Flatmate!Harry: I'll Make It Up To You - Part 2

Please like if it’s not too shabby, reblog for anyone who may enjoy this and follow if you want to see more! Any suggestions are happily taken for future writing! I love you all! be safe and be kind x

Warnings: Hints of depression and anxiety

Part 1 - Part 3

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Days had passed since the audition, and while you were sat on your laptop every hour searching for new jobs, new projects, more auditions and pure hope of some miracle, you couldn't help but starting to feel like you were failing slightly.

You liked to write happy songs and create stories using your music, but you were finding it harder to find the inspiration. Usually you and Harry would sit and talk ideas for hours, but since he made you miss your audition, you were distant from him, it was only the last day or two that you had been getting slowly back to normal.

Every day since the incident when Harry came home after working at the studio, he would open the curtains to make sure you had fresh air and daylight after cooping yourself up on the sofa all day, in the dimly lit living room. Not only that, he would check the cupboards, fridge and the sink to check that you were eating enough. He had seen you stressed and upset before. He had been there through some difficult moments in your life, and had always been your rock throughout the years, especially when your mental health was struggling during these times. But this time was worse. He couldn't help being concerned for someone he loved and cared for.

"Hey pumpkin..." He whispers softly, settling himself down beside you after completing his daily routine "Have you done much today?" he gently combs his fingers through your hair before dropping his arm round your shoulders.

You just sigh softly, looking ahead blankly at the quiet TV, simply shaking your head. If only he could see what was going on in that pretty mind of yours then maybe he could make everything better.

"I see you used the piano and the guitar today though..." he states, although it came out more like a question.

Minutes of silence filled the room until out of the blue, some words left your lips. "...Adam came to get the ring today" you whisper, feeling the tears brim your eyes once again, for what felt like the millionth time today.

"Oh darling" He frowns, pulling you into his chest tightly, just like he did the night you found out your (now ex-) boyfriend, Adam, was cheating on you. Unfortunately, you happened to find out minutes before he proposed to you, in front of all of your friends, including Harry. You didn't know what to do, so you took the ring, said you'd think about it and you left him standing alone. This all happened months ago, and you really thought that you was totally over it.

"Everything that's happened this week...I-I just...I feel like such a failure Haz. It just feels like I...I-I'm falling...falling apart and nothings going right! Why isn’t anything going right! I can’t even write one stupid song that makes sense" you let out hard sobs as your hands fisted his clean white t-shirt.

"No...no, no, no don't say that...please don't ever say that." He frowns, pulling away from you, but still staying close. His warm hands press against your cheeks as he lifts your face gently "hey, hey look at me" he whispers, begging you to look at him.

Your sad wide eyes flickered up into his, gentle tears falling down your face. "I know...I know it's hard at the moment. But everything happens for a reason. And everything will get better...I know it will. Do you trust me?" He whispers, his eyes gazing deep into yours, almost like if he looked hard enough, he could read your mind.

You give a hesitant nod as he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead before wiping the tears dampening your cheeks. Being affectionate together wasn't anything unusual for the two of you, you really were the best of friends.

"I'll go make some dinner okay? Pasta sound good?" You just nod your head gently at him as he leaves your side. You let out a deep sigh and head over to the living room window, watching the sunrise beginning to set over the busy London town. "So...how's the studio going?" You ask him curiously, your gaze still at the window.

"I erm..." He clutters around in the kitchen. His job was a topic he had been avoiding for the last few days. He didn't want to rub it in that he was busy writing an album for millions of fans, who would be screaming his lyrics back to him all over the world in years to come. "It's...good. I mean, its tiring but I...yeah. It's good" He nods.

"H, you don't have to avoid it. I forgive you for what happened. I know you would never have done it out of spite...and you deserve your life style, you work hard!" You say as you head into the kitchen, re-filling the water in the vase on the table, your vibrant roses and lilies still looking as beautiful as the first day Harry bought them for you.

"You work hard too!" He frowns softly "Harry I don't think moping around on the sofa, drowning in my sorrows, is the definition of working hard" You let out a gentle chuckle.

"So...how's it really going?" You hop up onto the stool beside the kitchen counter.

"Well, we have 4 songs so far...and they are...different to the last album. I mean they reckon three of them will be on the pop charts...maybe even a number one slot there" He sighs softly.

"Oh wow, that does sound different to before...and you...don't want that?" You ask curiously, judging by the lack of excitement. "Well...it's not that. I just...it's hard to write another album when the last one did well, and you have to make sure it's better than the last one." He sighs softly as he cooks. "They want me to write some slower, more emotional songs. I just can't...well the words don't fit right. I'm just not feeling emotional about anything, so I don't know where to get the emotion from"

"Well you can't put a price on emotion Haz, you can't just go and buy it in Gucci. You have to really feel it. Even if you aren't thinking about something specific or direct to you. I used to find that sometimes when I was trying to write, I'd create these characters in my head, and I'd give them all these different stories and personalities. And I...I used that to really help me write music. It's not easy." You explain while getting two of the plates from the cupboard and pouring two drinks for the table.

"You used to? You mean you don't use that method anymore?" He asks curiously, while giving the pasta one final stir.

"I...I think I've decided that I'm not going to write music anymore" You shrug softly, your eyes unable to life to his. "I need a proper job. And things aren't going well with auditions lately and I make a total fool out of myself every time I go into a meeting. It's time I looked for a proper job. Besides, the price of bills in this house keeps going up and up."

"What?! Y/N you're so good at writing songs and music! You can't throw it all away now! That is your proper job. And I love hearing what you write, it inspires my own stuff!" He frowns, his brow furrowing, trying to understand you. "Think of all the songs no one will get to hear"

"No one hears them anyway...It's different now. The entertainment industry is changing more and more by the day. Maybe the stuff I write just isn't as trendy anymore." It was difficult for you to admit, but you knew you had to accept it.

"There's a fine line between us Styles, because the difference is, you're already there. You have the whole world in your hands Haz, you can go anywhere and do anything. You could sing a song to a fish and the whole world would be adored by you still! If I did something like that...I'd be laughed out of every interview, audition and meeting for the rest of my life. But we’ll be alright" You smile and shrug, your mood had certainly been hit and miss the last few days, but you knew you had to carry on with your life.

—————————

“Hey Y/N come here!” Harry calls from the living room. You were currently in your room, scrolling through your Instagram, while in a pasta coma after dinner. You rush over to the living room “What’s up?” You ask, seeing him sat at the gleaming white piano, which as always was sat under the window.

“What do you think?” He starts to play a few notes on the piano, looking between the scruffy paper notes cluttering the top of the piano and his hands. 

“Can’t put a price on emotion...it’s something that you just can’t buy...you...you’ve got my devotion...but....but” He sighs softly, playing around with the notes and the wording on his notes. 

You smile softly as you recognise his acknowledgment of your earlier conversation “...but man, I can hate you sometimes” you sing gently, testing to see how it could fit.

“Hey that’s mean! Why would you say that!” He fakes a pout up at you “I thought we- hey actually...you’re right! That really fits!” He chuckles, pulling you onto the stool beside him. “Can you try a G chord, B chord and....lets try a C...” You nod and smile as your fingers gloss over the keys effortlessly, while Harry fits the verse together and tries to find the right tempo.

“Wait...it doesn’t sound right. Maybe lets try a D instead of C?” You suggest as you re-try, playing those three chords over and over again.

“You...are...a genius!” He grins and wraps his arms around your waist. ”Keep going!” He smirks, pushing more lyrics in front of you. Sometimes having a fresh pair of eyes really helped...or perhaps he just wanted to prove that you had talent.

You peer down at the pages upon pages of words flooding your view. “...I don’t want to fight with you....and I...and I don’t like to sleep in the dark...we’ll get the drinks in...I...I can’t stop thinking of her...” 

Harrys fingers join yours at the piano “We’ll be a fine line....We’ll be a fine line...”He smiles softly as he taps on a few random keys. 

You pull your fingers away gently “It...your song sounds...really good H. It’s beautiful actually.”

 “You mean our song...” He whispers.

“Harry no, it’s your song, all the pieces, I just put your jigsaw together” You smile. “I know how it is writing songs and the first draft is never the same as the final version. You might decide to change it all completely” You whisper.

“Not with your lyrical genius ability and words of wisdom...your name will be all over this track” You felt a shock of electricity ripple through your veins as you felt his eyes burning into yours. His lips pressed gently against your forehead, lingering against your skin longer than usual. That sort of affection was normal from your best friend...so why did it just feel like something completely different? And what did he mean about my name being all over the track?

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