#god the bass drums on this are fucking perfect

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 2, Match 2 BRING IT ON vs. THIS IS HOW TO BE IN LOVE WITH YOU

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for BRING IT ON:

"Reasons why Bring it On should win:

- Just by starting the song, the instrumentals are BANGER. Like his more rock style is very cool, even better than After Pain’s more mellow style - Arthur’s voice (Futa’s va) had bills due because have you HEARD his singing?? His raspier voice fits Futa so well - It feels so explosive and like a call to action in a sense, which very much matches Futa’s mentality during trial 1. He also wasn’t playing victim like a CERTAIN girl… (jk, love you mu!) - SAA HAJIMEYOU USOTSUKI KARIDA - UNDEAD HEROOOI YES SLAY KING HIS HIGH NOTE HERE IS HEAVENLY - His scream at the end. Oh my god. HE LITERALLY ATE THIS NOTE. AFTER PAIN COULD NEVER. BRING IT ON FTW 🔥🔥🔥" - His range goes WAAAAAY higher than Mu. She would end up like PHG if she even tried hitting any of his high notes in the last chorus /j

---

- The vocals are amazing, those growls are so well done - You’re able to get Fuuta’s crime and motive pretty succinctly, only based on the visuals - But it still leaves a lot up to interpretation, like how he only attacked once in the final fight scene. It lead to some cool theories. - On that note, the game aspects are so cool!! Especially when paired with him going after people online, just good synergy with awesome style! - Fuuta’s scared face after he realizes what he did. The great contrast of other foes simply being knocked out then being met with blood splatter. - The tempo of the song changing with his mood is a really good touch as well. Make the song more chaotic which highlights his character traits well

---

"propaganda for bring it on: the music FUCKS it genuinely slaps so hard listening to it. song style is incredible its perfect for fuutas personality and gamer vibes. also the way the mv frames everything as a game? the only time real blood and real gore happens being when killcheroy dies? the little details of all the usernames, the different monster designs, the generally distorted feel of everything being too lighthearted?

okay i could go on about the mv for hours but lets not. aside from that: the FEEL of the song!!! the vocals!!!! it really feels like fuuta putting his whole heart into it, into this point of view that both blows problems out of proportion and minimises them, and DEEPLY fucking up. my darling little hypocrite gamer boy twitter user. he makes his witch hunt genuinely sound like something that could sweep people up into it. also the instruments goddddd. the guitar and synth the bass and the drums the DRUMS. im relistening to it to write this propaganda and it keeps making me headbang when i should be writing. if you arent headbanging to bring it on you are LYING.

the way the lyrics are written is wonderful too!!!! they feel so brash and brave and powerful and like. cocky about it. and it fits PERFECTLY. its gets someone swept up into it and it FUCKS. vote bring it on im serious. lets go!! a victory march!! dan da dan!!"

Propaganda for TIHTBILWY:

okay so like the thing im most in love with: the VOCALS!!!! this song has an absolutely AMAZING singer and AMAZING vocals!!!! the way the conversational talk-singing lines still feel so musical!!!! the cute cute cuteeeee mahiru voice!!!! it brings you so much energy!!!! its a song sung with so much love!!!! mahirus va brings such an amazing feel to the song with such amazing talk-singing!!!! its very skillfully done and it happens in i love you too!! mahiru songs r the QUEENS of musical talk singing

the silly phone call bit. kurururu~!

the little vocal flourish and the way her voice raises up like an excited exclamation in the final prechorus!! daijoubu nante kirai DA!

its such a fast song but everything flows so well!!!! it makes it feel so bright and cheery and peppy!!

the instrumental is so underrated just LISTEN to that catchy bass line thats so pretty in the verses!!!! no for real even if u dont vote this is how to be in love with you go listen to the bass line in the verses it works to move both the song and the listener forward at mahirus sweeping breakneck pace. and the cute keyboard sounding and synth instruments!!!! its SUCH a danceable song!!!! i cant listen to it without bopping along in my seat

the way the ominous bits are subtly hidden? it all sounds so cute but there are just these Things that she sings that are really kind of concerning and unhealthy when she sings them!! and the veiled desperation to be in her relationship- listening to that and the cheery tone and breakneck, quick song pace, it really does represent mahiru SO well. she throws in all these little bits that just go noooo teehee the relationships just fine!! when it REALLY isnt

i would listen to mahiru talk for hours

the MV!!!!!! HER FASHION SENSE THE MAGAZINE STYLE!!!! the magazine style especially works so well with her character!!!! its so cute and stunning and just looking at it you have a blast. also her birdcage!!!! her birdcage and the bright orange and the pink bars!!!! the way everything desaturates and becomes more sickly looking when she wakes up at the end!!!! its such a happy carefully curated and designed dream and then it drains away!!!! also god all her outfits are stunning. mahiru call me

the way she sings "overheat de~!" cutest thing in the WORLD.

the little faces she makes!!!! godddd shes so expressive

actually the whole songs so expressive!!!! shes putting her all into it!!!! her words have so much expression in them!!!! once more praising mahirus va the way her voice can soften and become bright or subtly desperate so quickly is MASTERFUL control of expression when singing and its so underrated. join me in being insane over miho okasaki delivers her lines. shes such a perfect mahiru.

funniest es cover. hands down. funniest es cover.

this is how to be in love with you is FREE serotonin!!!! free energy right there!!!! this is how to be in love with you sweep!!!!!

---

-The song is so cheerful!! I always feel like dancing and singing when this one comes up in my playlists!! Absolute banger, mood definer, kicking sadness in the shin with those high-heels and then hitting its face with a cute purse -THE HIGH-HEELS STEPPING TO THE BEAT OF THE MUSIC IN THAT ONE SCENE (0:50). SIMPLY ICONIC. NO ONE DID IT LIKE HER. -👠💅👝👗 -She is slaying. Look at her outfits. She put so much effort there. She gave it her all. Absolutely serving. -SUKITTE KIMOCHI WAKATTA TSUMORI? NARA KONO MAMA FUTARI O-VA-HI-TO- DE -The storyline of the mv MAKES SENSE and you can form a COHESIVE TIMELINE OF EVENTS (unlike other unspecified contestants' mvs you know 🙄) -look at herr 🥺 she beby 🥺 all she did was love too much 🥺 we all love mappi don't we 🥺 she deserved more let her win this pleease 🥺 -No medical malpractice happened in the making of this mv 👍

---

I care so much about This is How To Be In Love With You- it's visuals are brilliant in the ways it conveys its themes and narrative. I'm never normal Ever about the "Love as marketing" symbolism that is brought in by the use of magazines. It's a lovely upbeat song but the Horrors are Always Lurking under it, the breakup Ritual line is my Favorite Line cause its so horrifying but its said so casually and its so good oh its so good-

[reflectismo]

RINGO & PAUL: A MINI COMPILATION

McCartney offers a further, more emotional reminiscence: "I probably bore him by telling him the moment when the three of us realised he was The Guy. In my recollection it’s at the Cavern and there's me, John and George — which, right there, is pretty cool — standing at the front doing our thing, facing out on the mics. And then behind us there's this new guy depping, who we knew we liked — we'd seen him in another band. But now he was playing with us. And it just felt so different. It felt so amazing, and it just locked in with what we were all about. And I have this very vivid recollection of kind of looking at John and him looking at me and looking at George and him looking at me, and the three of us are going, 'What the fuck, this is fucking amazing!" As McCartney describes this, he wipes his eye. "And as you can see, it gets emotional. There was a moment."

Keith Smith, Assistant Engineer: All I can say about Ringo is that you just have to listen and watch him playing drums with Paul on bass, it's pure synergy. I can't think of any other way to describe it. He is a completely unique drummer and when they play together it's as near to perfect and natural as I have ever witnessed. It is something that still to this day hasn't changed.

McCartney digresses for a moment to describe the most recent example of getting-together-with-Ringo, nine days before this conversation, at the end of his show at Dodger Stadium: "Just the other night we finished our tour in Los Angeles and Ringo got up and we were doing 'Helter Skelter' together, and when I wasn’t on the mic, in the solo breaks and stuff, I really made a point of turning round and watching this guy drum. And thinking, 'My God, you know, the memories across this ten-yard gap here,' with him on the drums and me on the bass. The lifetime that’s going on here, and here he is! And I was just listening to him during that song. I was doing my performance but basically [he sings] When I get to the bottom I go back to the top — as I’m doing that bit, there’s normally just the guitars sort of playing, but Ringo did what’s on the record" — McCartney sings the drum part to demonstrate — "building. So I’m going, 'Oh yeah, great.' So you know it’s a sort of magic."

"It’s always a special experience to play with Paul," says Ringo now. "I love Paul and I love his playing and, you know, we spent a lot of time together in the sixties."

[notroosterbradshaw]

It’s Only My Heart (Save Yourself)

about: Rooster’s very bad, terrible day. Super angst and maybe a glimmer of hope at some point.

word count: 7.3k

warnings: angst, language

masterlist.

"My God, if you are not a sight for sore eyes," Jake Seresin shook his head, slowly taking you in from top to toe.

"You're all dressed up," you smiled, acknowledging the Navy's traditional ceremonial kit and gloves. "Very slick, Bagman."

He gave you his trademark, megawatt grin that didn't quite meet his eyes. "What are you doing here? Thought you were tearing up the East Coast, living the dream!"

Completely embarrassed, you hated that nothing could be further from the truth. But that was a story for another time. He enveloped you in a warm hug as you gave him a gentle smile. "Gig," you motioned behind you to the band setting up, the gentle thrum of a snare drum and bass echoing gently.

"You're playing?" he pulled back with a raised eyebrow. He blinked, almost like he didn't believe your answer.

"Yeah," you smiled at his confusion. Something reflected in his bold blue eyes and he held up a finger.

"Hold that thought, huh?" he gently released you and wandered away, catching a look over his shoulder as you went back to your bandmates to warm your vocals up a more. 

There was still plenty of time before the wedding reception, but you always wanted to give your all, and ensure the best part of the day was the happy couple cutting a rug on the dancefloor, with love, joyous grins and laughter. "Where's the playlist?" you asked your guitarist and band manager, Tom, as he handed you the info. It was perfect. The couple's first dance was to Adele's version of "Make You Feel My Love". You adored it and knew how to make it perfect for the couple too.

“Jesus Christ," Rooster sighed to himself. This could not be happening. Not today, of all days, this just could not be happening.

Removing his cover and sitting it protectively under his arm, he debated his dumb luck. There you were, eyes closed and lost in the song you quietly rehearsed. Still magical as you basked in the late afternoon light that poured through the bay windows behind you. Fucking ethereal, he realised. He had to get to the bottom of this as he carefully walked into the reception hall of the hotel the wedding was being held. His throat tightened as he approached you, the lyrics of the song clearer.

"'Dream a little dream of me,'" you crooned and grinned as the band gave themselves some kudos, ready for the evening's festivities. You turned your back to face your guys and chatted about switching up a few songs, depending on the vibe of the wedding party and guests.

"That was really beautiful," some guy told you, affectionately patting your shoulder as you ducked your eyes bashfully. You were never one to take a compliment easily.

Before he knew it, Rooster was before you. "It is you," he said, just quietly enough for you and your bandmates to hear, a little bewildered, as you and your bandmates turned to face him. If you weren't holding the mic stand, you might have lost your footing.

"Holy shit, Rooster. What are you doing here?" a blink and you'll-miss-it fondness gracing your features. He didn't return it.

With a gentle scoff, he replied, "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I thought you were in New York."

"I have been back a few months," you admitted. God, you were getting sick of admitting that. It sounded more pathetic every time.

"Of course you have," he started pacing. He paused, raised his long index finger, and continued to pace. If it wasn't so dramatic, it would certainly be comedic as your bandmates behind you bit back their chuckles.

"Uh, do you know this guy?" your band's manager, Tom, whispered, standing with you.

"Ex-boyfriend," you answered softly, heat prickling your face.

"Ex-boyfriend?" Rooster's ears pricked up and his deep voice cracked a little, and you cowered a little. "I think I was a little more than that." True. He was the love of your life.

"Okay, okay. But Rooster, you need to calm down. Maybe I should have mentioned I was back, but you made it pretty clear when we broke up that you didn't want to see me again.”

"You broke up with me to go to New York," Rooster calmly reminded you. "Follow your dreams, or whatever. Do not pin this... on me."

"Do you need something, man?" Tom asked. "Because all you're doing is intimidating her and that's not cool with us."

Rooster stopped and inhaled. This Tom dude wasn’t wrong and Rooster reflected, hoping to recall his cool, reminiscing on all his years of psychological training to put his body and mind through the worst of human conditions. All of that training escaped him as the moment unfolded. Of all things, he'd never want to scare or hurt you. "You have absolutely no idea, do you?" he almost accused. "I fucking texted you about this."

"I didn't get it," you said, softly. "Sorry, Rooster." He'd been blocked on your phone for so long... it had hurt too much to keep receiving his texts and you having nothing but failure to respond with.

"Well, you hadn't responded to any texts for years, why would you have started with that one?" He'd definitely fine-crafted the art of sarcasm.

"What the hell is going on, Roost?" you asked softly, embarrassed for this scene he was causing.

"This is my goddamn wedding!" he exclaimed, loosening his tall collar. He felt like he was going to have a panic attack and retreated himself. He needed air, his throat constricting.

You felt as if your heart fell out of your butt, a horrible concoction of shock... and terrible sadness. "Oh," was all you said. Well, this escalated into literally the worst day in a matter of seconds. "I didn't know - "

"How do you not know?" he demanded. "You're the fucking wedding singer."

"She's not the MC, she's never the MC," Tom spoke up. "I talk, book the gigs; she sings."

"Just the singer," you told him meekly as Tom looked over the call sheet and handed it to you and you about wanted to die. "Lt. Bradley Bradshaw and Ms Hayley Wills. Okay. Roost, I'm sorry," you looked at Tom, panicked. "I won't do this, I'll go. I won't ruin the evening for you guys."

Tom nodded, patting your shoulder. "It's okay - "

"How did you not know?" Rooster refused to understand. "This is my wedding day. Has my name not crossed your band's lips once?" he was astounded.

"No, only your bridezilla and all the changes she wanted to make up until about two hours ago," Tom warned as you raised your hand, not wanting to hurt Rooster more. "Hardly mentioned you. Can't imagine why, though," he sneered.

"Tom, it's okay," you didn't need him making the situation much, much worse.

"It's cool, man. We'll return the deposit and start packing up - " Tom continued, giving your bandmates the sign to wrap it up.

"You can't go. I've got 100 assholes I don't know watching me get married in - " he checked his watch. "Less than five minutes, depending on how late Hayley wants to be and make me sweat more than I already am."

Sighing, you carefully stepped off the stage and approached Rooster, guiding him with a light touch on his bicep that he didn't shrug away (even if it scalded him). You moved him away from your confused, protective bandmates who were about ready to take his head off. Without a word, he followed you outside into the choking humidity, no relief from the breeze off the water. “Go get married. I will leave; the band can stay. No one has to know - “ you tried as he whipped his arm away from you.

”But I’ll fucking know,” he hissed, pounded his chest, wanting to scream it at the top of his lungs. The last thing he needed to do was draw more attention to the situation.

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I get that you're upset, but I didn't know and clearly neither did you, so we're both equally as pathetic here. Your day can still go on without a hitch. I'm sure your bride is on her way now and your guests are probably wondering where the fuck you are. So stand up straight," he immediately did so. "Go find a mirror, take a shot with Bagman, and man the fuck up," you hated every word you said.

He frowned, his height towering over you suddenly. "I hate this."

You wanted to ask if he meant you or the day, but kept your trap shut. You were beginning to think a little of columns A and B.

He inhaled sharply, in hopes of calming himself. "I told myself I would never allow myself to be alone with you ever again," he looked back at your bandmates through the sheer blinds of the reception room. They'd taken the initiative to put your guitar away and start putting your kit near the door. Bless them, you thought. "And here you are, on my wedding day. I don't even want to get married," he confided. "I never did. Even when we were together, it was just a piece of paper. Why do you need it if you love someone? Shouldn't love be enough?" he rambled.

You nodded, with a shrug. "Sometimes people just need it, Rooster."

"But I don't. And she," he waved towards the rest of the hotel, putting his bride-to-be in the 'people' category. "She does. She needs the fanfare, the show. The dress. The band," he spat the last part as Hangman came into view and approached you both steadily. "Make sure I'm in my uniform. Make sure everyone knows who I am, what I do. My badges gleaming. It's 75 fuckin' degrees!"

"Rooster... Hayley is here and the guests are asking questions," Hangman said quietly. "Do you want me to go and say something?"

"What do I say?" Rooster retorted and Hangman was understandably speechless. "Just buy me some time."

Hangman nodded and made a very hasty exit.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked you. "I cannot get married, knowing you're here."

"I'm leaving. You'll never have to think of me again," you tried reassuring him. "Tom can cover the singing, he will find a believable cover for me in case Hayley asks questions. Just breathe, and try and have a good day."

"No," he shook his head, finally meeting your gaze. "No. Know that I know you're back? I can't - I don't - " Rooster struggled to get out and you stopped, desperately wanting to hold him - hating how angry he was at you, how much he despised you in this second. "I was madly in love with you, and you left me like I was fucking nothing to you. You broke my heart! I thought about following you every day for a year and you didn't call or text me once."

Panic washed over you a few moments later when you heard, "What do you mean, 'he's just getting some air', Jake?"

Tears streaming down your face now, you dropped your eyes. The situation was escalating much faster than you had the ability to process. Guilt-riddled and in a predicament you never thought imaginable but you weren't veiled in an invisible cloak of obscurity and people could see you both now. And just to Rooster's side in your eye view, a vision in white approached, her dress moving whimsically around her. She was beautiful, everything you'd ever imagined for him. Just spectacular.

"Fuck," he rubbed his face. His entire relationship was hanging by a moment and he hoped and prayed that you both couldn't make more of a mess of this than you'd done already.

"Bradley, sweetheart? What's going on, why aren't you inside?" she asked nervously. "Is something wrong?"

He had the balls to reply, "Baby, I don't think I'm supposed to see you yet," he kept his back to you, his eyes telling you not to make a goddamn sound. No problem, you had no interest in acquainting his fiancee.

Credit to her, Hayley wasn't buying what Rooster was selling and she stiffened. "Don't bullshit me. Why are you out here? Are you getting cold feet?"

Of course he is, you wanted to reply. Things like this weren't natural to Rooster... he hated being the centre of attention, he choose when and how he'd be put on display and you knew this just wasn't him. Eloping? Yes, you could see him eloping. On a beach, a sunset, some tropical island, a cocktail function later with a handful of people you'd bothered to invite - and just like that, those thoughts you'd pushed to the back of your mind years ago were bopping in your heavy brain again. All those dreams of when you thought you and Rooster would celebrate this day and you just wanted to be sick.

"I'm just nervous," he admitted, turning to face her, bad luck be damned (how could it all get worse though?). Even he had to admit, even at his worst, she looked absolutely stunning and she was right there... waiting for only him. "You look beautiful."

"Who is this?" she disregarded Rooster's terms of endearment.

"I was just getting some air, walking past," you kind of lie. Argh. Shut up, you told yourself. Let Rooster handle this. You glued your eyes to the decking below you, wishing it would disintegrate and you'd just disappear.

"No... you're the singer," Hayley realised.

You waved gingerly. "Hi."

"Hi," she broke into a small, relieved smile. "Baby, are you coming in?" she asked Rooster as he tensed.

"I will be right in," he said. And you didn't know how well Hayley knew him, but you know without seeing those soulful hazel eyes that this man was lying through his teeth.

"Hold on... Do you two, like, know each other or something?" She certainly wasn't buying anything, you gave her credit, she had learned the wiles of Bradley Bradshaw. She was smarter than you were giving her credit for.

"No," you both lied terribly. Hayley stepped back to gaze at you both in her focus. "Brad, is there something you need to tell me?" Ew, he hated being called Brad.

His resolve breaking, he introduced you only by name although you figured she'd know that, but different contexts now. "My ex."

"Your ex-girlfriend?" Hayley asked as so calmly that it cooled your blood.

"Yes," he replied numbly.

"Oh, my God," she said softly. "The wedding singer?" she asked incredulously. "How the fuck could I have been so goddamn stupid?"

Right? 

"Did you do this on purpose? Not tell me?" she suddenly flared up, the accusation in her voice rising as she closed in on Rooster.

"No, I didn't," he answered. "Trust me... there is nothing I would have wanted less. Believe me, when I tell you I simply did not know. You were pleased with the band, frankly, that's all I needed to hear. You've done all this yourself..." he rambled. But Rooster's eyes changed. You had only seen this rage once or twice, not including today, but his ability to keep his rage in tact had always been a slight downfall of his. Oh dear, you hated when Rooster smartened up because reason had found him and good things never happened when Rooster let the beast out. "Because like everything in this wedding, it's been what you wanted. If you wanted the band, you were just going to get the band anyway,” his tone must have stung his bride-to-be because the wave of bitterness hit you like a little ton of bricks.

Oh, that didn't help the situation, you thought, turning to try and leave. "Don't you go anywhere," Hayley hissed.

"This is between you two - " you tried.

"True. But you've always been there," Hayley said evenly, moving past Rooster to approach you. "Always like a shadow in the background. When I met Bradley, he made it no secret he had been hurt before and that he needed someone who he could trust fully. And that is me."

"I don't deny that," you admitted.

"You destroyed him."

And while it hurt to hear Rooster say, it felt a shit tonne worse to hear someone you didn't know say it so explicitly.

"I brought him back to life, my family adore him, only for you to come back today. How could I be so goddamn stupid? It's like I practically invited you to wreck our day," she paused to retrieve her gorgeous heel from where it was caught between the wooden planks through the layers of sheer fabric.

"I swear, I'm not here to ruin anything. I didn't know Rooster was getting married today."

Hayley gave a bold, mocking shrug. "Well, I guess now you do."

"Okay," you said, your nerves shot, you'd had enough. "You two are a mess. Clearly, the issues between you are way bigger than me. I've tried to be polite to now, but fuck it. Hayley, Rooster, good fucking luck to you both if you manage to get yourselves married today. You clearly belong to each other. I don't need this shit. Goodbye, good fucking riddance. Your dress is lovely, by the way," you told her quickly, it really was, as was the woman who wore it before her, as you desperately held back the bird and walked away.

"It's Rooster's mom's dress," she replied after you and you slowed to look to Rooster as his eyes dropped. He gave you credit, you knew exactly what Hayley was wearing and commended you for keeping your trap closed.

"This is Carol's dress?" you played up for him and him only but he didn't reply. He knew you were just trying to poke the bear.

"You knew her?" Hayley asked.

"Yeah, I grew up down the street from Rooster." You stopped yourself before you told her she let you dress up in it all the time as a child, it was your dress well before it was ever hers. That would certainly have been the final nail in the coffin of an awful, terrible day.

"So this was probably supposed to be your dress too," Hayley exploded, face red with rage. "Jesus, get me out of this place. Get me out of this shitty dress," she turned, and for the first time, you noticed a couple of dozen people around you, bearing witness to what was embarrassing to you... was probably a helluva lot worse to Rooster and Hayley. "And get me the hell away from him."

It took hours for you to stop thinking about the horrors of the previous day. The last time you checked the clock was about 2am and the alcohol in your system had helped you finally pass out, amidst the misery of your bedroom spinning and thoughts of lost love tearing you apart.

Hearing an incessant knock at whatever time it was frightened you as you noted the time on your phone. 4:30am, it blared as you sighed and reached for your UVA hoodie. "Good Lord," you muttered as the knocking continued. You shuffled down the hallway to the door, telling whoever it was to calm the fuck down. Opening the door to Rooster, maybe you weren't entirely surprised, but a little alarmed as he almost fell through the doorway. "Woah," you tried to help and pushed him upright.

He was still in his suit nix the jacket, the collar undone, his curls unruly and his face flushed from booze and frustration.

"Sorry," he mumbled quietly.

All you could ask was, "You lost?"

"Must be," Rooster replied, exhausted as he slumped against the doorframe, chewing his lip. "She, uhh... she thought it was best we not get married... today," he mumbled.

"Oh, Rooster - " you said, eyes welling as your heart broke for him.

"Or ever," he drawled.

"I'm so sor - "

"Yeah, I know. You're sorry. The sorriest you've ever been," he said meekly. "You know, I didn't even realise this was still your place. I just assumed you got rid of the lease when you left," he rambled. "Lucky guess, huh? Could have really pissed someone off if this wasn't your place," he snorted.

Failing to see the funny side, you replied, "I sub-let. What are you doing here?"

He inhaled sharply. "Nowhere else to go. Penny had to close the bar at some point. Can't go to Hayley's. Too embarrassed to show my fuckin' face on base."

”Come in, Roost,” you took his clammy hand in yours, guiding him into the apartment, and he followed numbly. "Drink?"

”Least you can do,” he said, voice terse. "I drive past here to our - Hayley's place - all the goddamn time and always see the light on. Now I know you were there, just living your life..." he stopped at a photo of you and Pheonix at the zoo one day, grinning and giggling, both gorgeous and sun-kissed. "She knows you're back, right?"

"She's known a while," you confirmed. Pheonix had seen the whole showdown between yourselves and Hayley and followed you home, damning any nuptials Rooster and Hayley may have had. She brought over the first 2 bottles of wine you shared to drown your sorrows together - a true friend.

"Can't believe she kept it from me." You knew it must have hurt him to learn his close friend keeping such a big secret from him.

"I asked her to keep quiet."

"She did a good job. She didn't know you were working yesterday?"

"Not your wedding," you sniped. "This isn't about her, Rooster. Please don't drag her into it."

"No, no," he agreed calmly. "You're right. I'm just wracking my brain, right?" he drawled. "How have we not bumped into each other? This is a small town."

"I'm not dumb enough to go where you frequent, Rooster," you rolled your eyes. Seemed fairly obvious to you.“Take a seat,” you instructed with a sigh as he meandered into the living room. It looked the same as when he spent every waking minute there. You went to the cabinet and collected a tumbler, a double shot of whiskey. You knew he’d already been drinking but this poor bastard… you helped ruined his life today.

Wandering back to him slowly, you watched him sit in his old spot and look up at you. “I don’t know why I’m here. I shouldn't have come to see you,” he accepted the glass and sipped, easing back and rubbing his face. “Hayley put me back together and you walk back into my life for five minutes and destroy it all again.”

Wasn't getting any easier to hear.

“I can’t believe this has happened,” he put his face in his hands before looking back up with an incredulous smile, unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling his sleeves half up his forearms. You didn't like that smile.

”I don't know what you want me to say, Roost.”

”Stop calling me that. You don’t get to call me that anymore," he warned, there was no humour in his tone.

“Okay. I'm kind of fucking sick of talking anyway,” you sighed, sitting cross-legged on the coffee table before him. He was wretched and still as beautiful in his way. Maybe as handsome as before. The boyish innocence was gone though, and there was a man about to start his life over again. The guilt was swallowing you whole.

“Hayley's a good girl. She cares about me, she loves me,” he looked up and was simply defeated, you wanted to hold him desperately and fought every urge not to do so. “I’ve never been more embarrassed. Having to tell everyone that there wasn’t going to be a wedding today. Thought her old man would put his fist through my teeth. But I maintain that I didn’t do anything wrong."

"You didn't," you reassured him. It was on you both.

"And here I am anyway," he reasoned with his demons and continued to internalise.

Answering would only end up with a barrage of pain and insults so you stayed quiet. Rooster leaned forward, sipping the amber liquid just like he had a million times before in the same seat he found so much comfort. His eyes started from above your messy hair, they softened when he met your eyes. “And you haven’t changed a bit. Just as beautiful as the day I dropped you at LAX, with your dreams that were bigger than me and fuckin’ suitcase. I looked you up Fleet Week last year,” he confided. “I saw you had a show in Brooklyn and I was gonna come see you, make sure you were okay. Just to see with my own two eyes that you were okay in the big city without me."

"Did you come?" your eyes were trained to stay with his, but the pain dripped from his eyes unbearably.

He shook his head, but after all the booze he'd consumed, it was just a messy roll of his head. "I thought it best I didn't."

"I would have loved to have seen you."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you would have. Whipped into a frenzy of old memories before you up and left again like I was fuckin' nothing to you."

"Do you have a single thing to say to me that isn't in the shape of an insult? Because I'm kind of done with this today. You can leave if you don't have anything constructive to add," you muttered, eyes watery. His face softened as he scooted closer to the coffee table, legs wide and he grabbed your ankles and dragged you closer to him, his palms grasping the hoodie for dear life. You were clinging to each other and it was killing you at the same time. The word vomit spilled from your lips before you could stop your, restraint failing in his close proximity. "When I left... I didn't call or text you, Rooster, because I knew the second I heard your voice, I'd be on the first plane back home, begging you to take me back. Begging you forgive me and my fucking ego. Thinking that I had a chance to ever make it."

He sighed, gently wiping a tear away with his thumb. "You deserve all the success in the world, sweetheart. You took your chance. It took me a long time to understand that. I guess I thought that maybe one day you'd come back to me... but I couldn't expect you to stay here while I was gone for weeks and months on end. I was a selfish asshole too."

True.

You stayed silent for a while, happy to study him, reaching to touch the scar that ran across his Adam's apple. It bobbed under your touch and Rooster swallowed hard. "Please don't touch me," he begged. "I will lose all resolve."

But you ignored him as your finger continued tracing the others that ran scant on his chin and the left side of his jaw. You knew what the sensation did to him, and it wasn't the intent to drive him crazy, but the temptation of him so close was starting to affect your mind and body. "Did she love these as I did?" you dared ask; and your heart raced as his eyes fluttered closed, his cheek falling lightly into your palm. "Cherish every blemish because she knew what you went through to get them?" you continued, your thumb padding his bottom lip as his breath hitched.

"Please, stop," his tired eyes half-lidded. A mix of lust and drunk... on you. His phone sounded abruptly, interrupting the revelry. You looked down, saw the callsign and dropped your touch as he sighed. You picked up his phone and he didn't stop you.

"It's okay, Mav. I've got him."

"Thank Christ," Pete sighed. You were hearing his voice for the first time in years. "I thought he'd done something stupid."

"He has. He's with me," you told him. A small chuckle replied you and the line went dead.

"Why did Mav call?" you asked. Rooster and Mav's long-running feud saddened you.

"Long story," he sighed. As long as he had Maverick back in his life, you hoped Rooster was a little less lonely.

"Does everyone hate me?"

"Naw," Rooster said softly. "Worse, they miss you. When Hangman told me you were here today, he felt like he'd seen a ghost. Like someone was playing a practical joke on him," he bit back a laugh, a half-smile gracing his features and he relinquished your touch, falling back into the couch. "I get the ghost bit though."

"I'm here, Rooster."

"Yup. In my UVA sweater that you never gave back," he licked his lips, dragging in a deep breath.

"I love this sweater," you admitted, bringing the collar to snuggle into your face. And it was all I had left of you after I walked away from you.

"Always looked better on you anyway," he gave a slow chuckle.

"Roost?"

"Hmm?" he hummed, easing back into the couch, his eyes closed as he nursed the whiskey to his lips. He took a slow sip and raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain his attention but the alcohol had taken over, the heat of the moment had gone with Mav's call and you were both back to your corners, preparing for the next round. Deciding against telling him how much you missed him and were happy to see him, even in the day's circumstances, you told him to put the glass on the table and lay down. You'd get him a blanket and pillow so he could finally give in to the sleep that was beckoning him. "You're probably right."

"I'll be right back," you told him, getting off the coffee table and walking slowly to your room, finally able to breathe. Realising that since you opened the front door, it was like someone was standing on your chest. Rooster was back in your life in a way that you'd never expected. But he was back and it was like you'd never found the courage to leave him. You had no idea how you'd be able to get over him this time.

Finding a blanket in the cupboard and a pillow from your bed, you wandered back down the hall to find him exactly how you'd guided him, snuggled into the cushions on his side and already asleep. Not surprisingly, the adrenaline had to wane at some point. You took a mental picture of how sweet and relaxed he looked for the first time today and lightly covered him with the blanket before you went back to your bed. But there was no way you could sleep again, not with him just a room away. Checking your phone, you went to his number and unblocked it, littered with all the texts you never saw when you left. Hundreds. A lot that he missed you, did you miss him? Can I visit? Are you coming home for the holidays?

Then nothing for a year. Finally... the last one, six months ago:

I'm getting married.

And there it was. "Shit," you bemoaned, realising how easily avoidable today was in hindsight. But also? How relieved you were now you had Rooster back in your life. What does that look like? You didn't know. But he was mere feet away and you would be patient to find out. As long as you could find a way to be near him, laugh with him again, it would be enough.

He was an enigma to you now. So close, yet so far. For three years, you tried your best to pretend that Bradley Bradshaw didn't exist and in a single moment, he came back screaming into focus. He still looked every bit as handsome as you'd remembered, even the moustache, new for you, surprisingly wasn't a dealbreaker, just so masculine. He was definitely in better shape, losing the last of the puppy fat that you always adored but Hayley had reaped the benefits. But his voice... oh, God, his voice, even when angry at you could still bring you to your knees. The gravelly rumble was still delightfully laced with honey, maybe deeper now with age.

Convinced the last three years were a mistake, you put your head in your hands and cried for all the failures, but also for the strength you had to walk away from a man you were so terribly in love with the try and see if you could make it without him. Maybe you could have, but the universe had other plans for you both. Not knowing what else to do, you picked up your phone and texted Natasha.

You: He's here and I don't know what to do

You weren't surprised when you saw the little dots indicating she was texting right back to you. "Just don't tell him you're still in love with him. Not yet. Do you want me to come and get him?"

You: No, he's passed out in the living room atm. Why are you up?

Pheonix: Left sound on my phone in case R texted or whatever. Kind of expected the worst tonight tbh

Pheonix: You know he's in love with you. But you can't rush this. You know what's coming: good things. But now you have to adjust to being in each other's lives again 🫣

You: Bullshit logic. Hate fucking could be amazing 🥵

Pheonix: But you don't hate each other. That is why you found it so easy to hurt each other today...

You: Deep 🫡

Phoenix: Try and get some sleep. But don't be surprised if he's not there when you wake up.

You were more surprised when you saw him at the door to your room when you woke up, still in what he wore last night, but barefoot. Stretching and hangover in full effect, your eyes raw and like sandpaper, you tried to look like a functional human adult as he gave a half-smile. "I made coffee," he said. "But you didn't have any sweetener," he nodded to the cup on the bedside table he'd left before you rose.

"Thank you," you smiled appreciatively, taking the warm mug into your palms and letting the aroma envelope you. "I don't take sugar anymore," you admitted after all the years he tried to get you to quit it.

"Imagine that," he said, amused at the development.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," he admitted. "Head killing me, body feels like it's been ejected about two hundred times."

You stayed quiet. You didn't need to talk about that kind of stuff this morning.

He remained in place, very good after years of being told to stay to do it exactly. He was scared to cross the threshold to your bedroom, but you didn't want him to approach either. You'd be a lost cause if he took another single step. "I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday."

"What, like your horrible ex-girlfriend wrecked the biggest day of your life?" you slowly sat up. Thinking about it, you added, "Honestly, how were you supposed to act?"

"Better," he told you and it quietened you. He didn't want your apologies, he was taking ownership of the situation and you were so proud of him. "I know better. I was a dick, and I hate how I treated you - both of you."

"I accept that. But you don't have to apologise. It was a lot," you tried to reassure him, but it was his redemption hour and he was on his box.

"You didn't mess it up. I did," he sighed and sat down, stretching his lean legs out as he leaned against the doorframe. "I never wanted to get married - I just thought it was the logical next step, you know? I was spiralling and you were the one there that took the brunt of it."

"I shouldn't have come. I will do better research next time about who I'm singing for," you pledged (and would continue to do so).

"Hayley wanted you there. She didn't know."

"Well, now she does."

"And so does everyone on the Island," he rubbed the back of his neck, tensing, his lips in a tight line. "I thought marrying her was the right thing. I'm not getting younger."

"Yeah, how old are you now? Like 63 or something?" you teased the two-year age difference between you.

"Knock it off, I'm not dead yet," he rolled his eyes. "We're not spring chickens anymore. What are we doing with our lives?"

"Clearly making messes of them."

He actually laughed, a hearty, raspy, oh-so fucking sexy Rooster laugh. "I said knock it off. You're such a pain in the ass."

"Hey."

He hummed in reply, sipping his coffee, and looking at you over the rim of the mug.

"It's not like you do to do what's expected of you, Roost."

"Mav said the same thing," he said, quietly.

"I'm so glad you two cleared the air. Whatever happened was worth it," you told him honestly. "You need him and he needs you. You're family."

He shrugged, nonchalant. "Only took half-killing us, though," he bit his lip, knowing you would ask what the fuck he was talking about.

"WHAT?" you howled.

And he proceeded to tell you the story about the squad and their near-brush-with-death mission. And even though he made it out relatively safely in the end, you kind of wanted to kill him yourself. And Mav, for what it was worth. "Oh, my God," you said, eyes watering, body shaking by the end of it. And although you knew you shouldn't have, you bolted from the bed into him, crushed against his chest, openly wailing that you could have lost him and you would have been no better for it if Natasha had to tell you as such.

A gentle 'oof' escaped his lips as your force made contact with his torso and he smiled. "It's okay, it's okay," he said softly, patting your back tenderly. "I'm still here and making terrible life choices."

"It was a fucking one-way ticket to your grave, you idiot! I am not even surprised with Mav."

Rooster chuckled quietly. "It's okay, really. He saved us."

"You're both idiots," you conceded.  

He gently pulled you back and wiped away the tears from your face. "Oh, darling. I lived to tell the tale. Don't live in the past," he whispered the latter part. "Or at least that's what my shrink says," he adjusted your posture and sat you across his lap - close, intimate and forcing you to face your demons head-on. "God, you beautiful disaster," he teased, a gentle laugh escaping his lips and he combed his long fingers through your hair lightly, tangling in your hair as they did so many moons ago, gently calming you. "Did you mean what you said last night? About if Hayley loved me like you did - "

Hiding your eyes, you played with his collar instead. "Can we not?"

He ignored you. "No one has ever loved me like you," he said softly, terribly nervous again. "I've been through some shit. But losing you was the worst thing I've ever been through as an adult. It took me a long time to learn that I pinned too many things to us; a home, a family, a life. Then you were gone and I was debilitated. But now you're back, I'm not expecting anything. I know I'm a mess too. But if - after..." he tried, stumbling over his words and holding your chin to meet his gaze. "I just want to be your friend. Just to be in your life, that will be enough for me."

Thought it killed you to say, you told him, "Things are complicated now. More than they ever were before."

"I know," he nodded. "We're older. No one said wiser." Swallowing, he continued, "Tell me this is all in my head, and I will believe you," he said confidently.

"It's not in your head," you told him delicately. "I have missed you every day since I left. Leaving was the stupidest thing I ever did. And I regret it every minute. But you have a lot of stuff to clean up... and I'm not sure I should be there for that. You need to see Hayley and apologise and sort your life out. I don't need to overcomplicate or distract you."

"But you're such a good distraction," he mewled, he thumbed your cheeks in his rough warm palms. His eyes tested you, dared you to look away.

"Don't," you warned again. You were waning though, and he knew it better than you did. He was watching you keenly, just waiting for his chance. You brought yourself here, he'd remind you, just like you used to. A position like this was never romantic, it always led to a certain wildness in you both -

"To be honest," he said. "If Jake didn't see you yesterday... we wouldn't be here."

"So we thank Bagman?!" you asked incredulously as Rooster laughed heartily, his head lolling back and resting against the doorframe and it was absolute bliss - god, you'd missed that breathy tinkle of joy and you sighed, able to fight just a moment more to keep him serious.

He relaxed and his eyes dropped, nodding. "Yeah, okay. You're right."

"Bradley," jolted back to your gaze by his name on your lips, you added. "I am so in love with you. I've always been in love with you. I'll wait for whenever this all works out for us."

"I know," he nodded, a glimmer of hope returning to his handsome features, he leaned forward and kissed you, just once, just chaste, just to test the waters. He inhaled, evening his breath - how lucky for him considering you'd stopped breathing somewhere in the conversation.

"Don't start, I swear. I'll be a lost cause if you kiss me," you begged, your fists clutching his collar and your knuckles turning white, taunting you just like you had the night before when you reminded him how you knew every devastating scar on his skin. You loved and moved each other in a way no one would ever understand.

"Don't start what?" he whispered, moving your hair from your face to trace the rim of your ear with his steady finger. A tactile asshole when he wanted to be, the use of his hands was his love language and he was going straight for the jugular. He knew every nuance of your body and mind and it left you brutally exposed for defeat.

"Rooster," you warned. "Don't."

He laughed quietly, your tone betraying you - not force, just accepting your fate and you'd lost. "I'm not doing anything," in his other palm, he gripped your wrist and brought it to his lips, the bristles of his moustache as he placed a tender kiss on your pulse. "It's racing," he tormented you. Goddamn heartbeat selling you out. It raced like a hummingbird when you were in his presence. It never changed. Its effect on you still pushed you to the absolute brink and made your head spin. "Just say the word and I'll stop."

But the words were lost as you moved to your knees and brought his face to yours. He adjusted his legs, allowing you more room and his face remained passive, daring you to say no. But as in most instances with him, the words were lost only to the actions.

A/N: the tag list no longer exists. To keep up to date, give @notroosterbradshaw-library a follow x

[acandleinthewindow]

I’ve had When the Levee Breaks stuck in my head for the entire day - I need to rant.

Everything about that song is fucking perfect. Every. Fucking. Thing. Bonzo’s drum beat. The wailing harmonica. Jimmy’s guitar riff and Jonesy’s bass line and the way they go with the drums. The pause right before Robert sings. The way his vocals start slightly late - you can almost hear his breath. His voice in the “don’t it make you feel bad” verse. There’s something about the texture of Robert’s voice throughout that’s just fucking magical. And let’s not forget about the guitar ending.

Oh my god. Every time I listen to it, I’m in awe.

[64yrsold]

give yourself a try!!

“C’mon, darling, it’ll be worth it,” I ushered him into the crowded venue, the band already filling the room with distorted noise.

“This is… Baby, is there enough room for us?” he scratched the back of his head anxiously, reaching for my hand out of habit.

“Sure there is,” I gave him a grin and a squeeze, and his eyebrows unknotted, “Humour me. I used to come here with my friends back in uni, remember?”

“Alright,” he gave in, letting me pull him to the bar.

I waved to the bartender, “Two ciders, please.”

“A cider?” he questioned in my ear, trying to speak above the band.

“It’s local,” I shrugged, “Nostalgic.” He didn’t seem convinced. He eyed up the stage, a glow in his eyes I was familiar with. I paid for the drinks while he was distracted, trying not to wince at the gouge to my bank account.

“This kid on the drums,” he popped his chin toward the drummer, who was madly flailing with perfect rhythm, “Fucking fantastic.”

“Maybe you can ask for some tips after the show,” I smirked, passing him the glass of amber gold.

“I actually would,” he looked at me seriously, taking a long sip. He hummed, looking at the glass closely, “This is nice.”

“Come on, I want to get closer,” I wrapped my hand around his wrist, holding my drink away from incoming elbows and shoulders.

“We’re alright here, aren’t we?” he squeaked behind me, but let me pull him a bit farther.

“Look, now you can actually see the band,” I grinned, settling into an empty corner.

“Well, I could see them back there,” he muttered, “Tall enough.” He let another long sip of cider slide down his throat. I tried to keep pace with him, finishing the glass once the first song had ended.

“Oh my God,” I shrieked, turning to him with wide eyes. He mirrored my expression, smiling softly at my excitement. “This song could bring me back to life.”

He quirked an eyebrow, “You’ve never said that about my songs.”

“Sure I have,” I frowned, and gave him a quick kiss as a distraction. He tasted sweet, like apples and mint. He wrapped an arm around my waist, letting me rest my hot cheek on his leather shoulder. He held me steady as I swayed and nodded to the music, squeezing my hip and laughing when I got a bit too excited. He moved to stand behind me as someone pushed past us, throwing his arms over my shoulders to press my back to his chest.

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered in my ear, kissing my jaw.

“What?” I said, ears overwhelmed with the droning bass and splintering snare. I looked back to find him grinning.

“You’re fucking gorgeous!” he shouted, picking me up off of the ground momentarily. This sent me into a fit of giggles, throwing my head back against him as he buried kisses in my neck. “One more drink, darling?”

“I can’t say no,” I smiled, letting him guide me through the mass of drunken strangers this time.

“Two more ciders, if you can,” he called to the bartender, pulling out his credit card. His mouth popped open with realization, and he looked at me sternly, “Did you pay last time?” I only shrugged. He sighed, turning to the bartender again, “Get us two shots of vodka as well.”

“It’s nice to treat you sometimes,” I leaned against the bar, looking up at him. He was contrast personified, the slick leather jacket hanging off his sweet, sugar skin. His soft, loose curls tumbling forward over his furrowed brow, hiding dark eyes and emphasizing his pretty pink mouth.

“Ah, sweetheart, you don’t understand,” he pressed a thumb into my red cheek, “You treat me just by keeping me company. Alright?”

“Alright,” I rolled my eyes, letting him pinch my chin. He handed me a shot and a cider, thanking the bartender, then giving him a serious look, “Don’t let this one pay for anything, yeah?”

The bartender shrugged, turning away.

“Cheers, baby,” I grinned, clinking our shot glasses together and downing the vodka. I winced, then laughed at his sour expression.

“Really doesn’t taste better as you get older,” he grimaced, then looped an arm around me to move us away from the bar. He leaned against a wall, pulling me against his chest. We listened quietly, sipping cider as another song passed by. He kissed the top of my head absently, humming harmonies and drumming his fingers into the middle of my back. I finished my glass as he finished his, setting them on a sticky table. The next song was gentle, a soothing melody which had me sighing against him.

“Could I have this dance, miss?” he mumbled into my ear, dropping a hand to grasp mine.

“I’d be honoured,” I curtsied, making him release a heavy laugh. He turned me into a spin, mouth open and grinning as he looked down our outstretched arms to meet my eyes. He pulled me in, catching me with a hand at my hip, pressing his hips to mine. He pulled my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles before laying my hand on his chest.

“I can hear your heart from here,” he smirked, tongue pushing into his cheek. “You don’t hide it very well.” He trailed his fingertips along my collarbone, placing his palm flush to the left side of my chest.

“Yours is practically beating out of your chest,” I teased, tapping my finger against his heaving chest, “You tired, old man?”

“Careful,” he licked his bottom lip, eyes jumping between my mouth and needy eyes.

“Poor thing,” I pouted, “All out of stamina. Just from a little dancing.”

His laughed dryly, “Sure.” He took my hand again, guiding me into another slow spin. I giggled, throwing my arm over his head to spin him once. He grinned as he turned, eager to meet my eyes again. He caught my other hand, pushing us apart, then pulling us together. He lowered his hands around my waist, and I pressed my head to his chest. We swung slowly to the rhythm, the room feeling emptier with each sway.

I peeked up at him, “You’re so pretty.”

“Aw, darling,” he nearly blushed, kissing my forehead, “You’re glowing.”

“I think I’m a little drunk,” I laughed, head tilted back to wait for a kiss.

“I’ve told you to stop trying to keep up with me,” he shook his head, tongue peeking out from between his teeth, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll take care of you.”

“You gonna take me home?” I asked as he dipped to meet my lips. He kissed me, his mouth feeling like a promise.

“If you’d like.”

“I’d like,” I smiled as the song ended with a flourish. He gave the band an encouraging shout, his hands too busy to clap.

“Let’s get out of here,” he brushed a thumb over my cheek, eyes heavy as he pressed a kissed to my mouth, “Fast as we can."

//

[bradshawed]

angel eyes <3 / send in a character + and au for a blurb! e.g, rockstar!james or college!bradley

ok what about rockstar!jj maybank. i feel like he’d probably lay the drums maybe the bass (i’m not sure about music) but him as a rockstar would be soooo hot

join the party!

kissing u on the mouth for this ask bc it’s perfect (not as perfect as u ofc) but omg i’m obsessed. totally agree with you, he would definitely play the drums, no question, and it would be hot af. they’d be a modern day djats in a sense with jombie on lead guitar, jj on drums, pope on bass and kiara on keyboard, with sarah as their missing piece…inspired by this post! hope u like it and thank u so so much for the ask mwah ily xx

The sky darkened overhead as the night fell, settling the anxious crowd under a blanket of stars. The Pogues were set to play in their hometown after months of touring all over the country, and everyone had gathered at the bonehead to see them play.

Smoke clouded the air as the fires in the pits crackled and danced with the slight wind. Kooks, Pogues, and Tourons alike crowded the beach and stood waiting in anticipation around the mock-up stage placed for the band.

Then came the opening notes of a familiar guitar and the crowd burst into screams. It was simply electric.

JJ winked into the crowd and they all screamed even louder than the band thought was possible. He could just imagine the uptight kooks throwing a fit, complaining at the loud music. And that’s exactly why he wanted to play here, on the boneyard, where no one had to pay to get in. Where they could play freely, as a huge fuck you to everyone who said they couldn’t make it because here they were, one of the biggest and hottest new music sensations in the world.

You blew him a kiss back, swaying to the music, the very one he’d pretended to capture and place in the back pocket of his shorts.. the crowd none the wiser.

Hints of the sun peeked through the darkness, sunrise on its way as you wrapped your arms around your boyfriend, holding him close as you sat on the stage long after the show, both your legs dangling off the edge. It had been one of the best shows they’d played, and with their adrenaline still high, you all decided to bask in the moment for a little longer, watching the sun rise.

JJ jumped off the stage and onto the sand, scooping your body and holding you close to his bare chest, your fingers tracing and drawing shapes into his skin while he announced that you were both off to bed and that he’ll see them in a couple of hours seeing as it already was morning.

He whispered sweet promises, nipping at your ear and smothering you in kisses the whole walk back to the Chateau. Or more accurately, the whole time he carried you back, dropping you on his bed with a fake thud, and whining at how much he missed you.

He definitely showed you exactly how much he missed you…all of you.

And when you both turned up to brunch, a little sleep deprived, hickeys coating both of your skin, money was passed around, Pope unsurprisingly winning the round of bets. Laughter echoed as you buried your head into JJ’s chest, cheeks burning and smiles never leaving either of your faces. God if felt good to be home.

[frogmanfae]

Modern era Davey who plays the drums and it's his big outlet for frustration but he never plays in front of anyone and he's very protective about people touching his drum set until the first time Jack comes in his room and asks him to play something for him and Davey just can't say no and eventually, maybe a year later it leads to:

Davey: *staring at his drum set* it looks a little boring don't you think?

Jack: what? No it's so cool

Davey: but the bass drum is just... White

Jack: ain't that how it's supposed to be?

Davey: I dunno... You wanna paint something on it?

Jack: do I wanna what?

Cue Jack freaking out because holy shit this is Dave's pride and joy I can't fuck it up this has to be absolutely perfect oh my god-

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

The Last Polka (Ben Folds Five)

She said, "You've been pushing me like I was a sore tooth/You can't respect me cause I've done so much for you."/He said, "Well I hate that it's come to this/But, baby, I was doing fine. How do you think/That I survived the other 25 before you?"

"OH my GOD for starters the piano is absolutely genius. Ben Folds is one of the cleverest musicians of the modern era, the chords used and meoldies mixing with the most. genius lyrics jusrt RAAAAGH. and its not just piano. Robert Sledge and Jesse (bass n drums) are masters of their craft as well. This song is my top listened of all time, through 3 years of having spotify, and i only started listening a month ago. all of my friends are tired of it. theyve never heard the song but they know it off by heart. i learned how to play it in half a week. Ben Folds KICKS AND PUNCHES THE PIANO DURING THE SONG. he plays CRISP 16TH NOTES INCREDIBLY FAST WITH 0 EFFORT WHILST SINGING. iT FITS MY SILLY OC UNIVERSE PLOT TO A POINT. AND AS A PIANIST I GET TO APPRECIATE IT EVEN MORE. ITS CATCHY. ITS CLEVER. ITS IN G MINOR. IT USES MAJOR 9THS. its SUCH AN ORIGINAL SOUND. THERE IS NOTHING GOOD LIKE IT, FUCK YOU ELTON JOHN. The styles of playing drum, bass and guitar are INCREDIBLY unique, and the lines just stick with you forever. this song has taken me over i can never escape. i will never get tired of it The glissandos? perfect. the everythjing theRAAAAGH"

My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion)

You're here, there's nothing I fear/And I know that my heart will go on/We'll stay forever this way/You are safe in my heart and/My heart will go on and on

"Sad vibes. Full angst. The inevitability of death and its lack of meaning. Things end and you can never get them back. Be like before. Time inches on regardless. (Also you couldve both laid on that fucking door, Rose)"

The Last Polka submitted by @bluseum

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 2 BRING IT ON vs. AFTER PAIN

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for BRING IT ON:

"Reasons why Bring it On should win:

- Just by starting the song, the instrumentals are BANGER. Like his more rock style is very cool, even better than After Pain’s more mellow style - Arthur’s voice (Futa’s va) had bills due because have you HEARD his singing?? His raspier voice fits Futa so well - It feels so explosive and like a call to action in a sense, which very much matches Futa’s mentality during trial 1. He also wasn’t playing victim like a CERTAIN girl… (jk, love you mu!) - SAA HAJIMEYOU USOTSUKI KARIDA - UNDEAD HEROOOI YES SLAY KING HIS HIGH NOTE HERE IS HEAVENLY - His scream at the end. Oh my god. HE LITERALLY ATE THIS NOTE. AFTER PAIN COULD NEVER. BRING IT ON FTW 🔥🔥🔥" - His range goes WAAAAAY higher than Mu. She would end up like PHG if she even tried hitting any of his high notes in the last chorus /j

---

- The vocals are amazing, those growls are so well done - You’re able to get Fuuta’s crime and motive pretty succinctly, only based on the visuals - But it still leaves a lot up to interpretation, like how he only attacked once in the final fight scene. It lead to some cool theories. - On that note, the game aspects are so cool!! Especially when paired with him going after people online, just good synergy with awesome style! - Fuuta’s scared face after he realizes what he did. The great contrast of other foes simply being knocked out then being met with blood splatter. - The tempo of the song changing with his mood is a really good touch as well. Make the song more chaotic which highlights his character traits well

---

"propaganda for bring it on: the music FUCKS it genuinely slaps so hard listening to it. song style is incredible its perfect for fuutas personality and gamer vibes. also the way the mv frames everything as a game? the only time real blood and real gore happens being when killcheroy dies? the little details of all the usernames, the different monster designs, the generally distorted feel of everything being too lighthearted?

okay i could go on about the mv for hours but lets not. aside from that: the FEEL of the song!!! the vocals!!!! it really feels like fuuta putting his whole heart into it, into this point of view that both blows problems out of proportion and minimises them, and DEEPLY fucking up. my darling little hypocrite gamer boy twitter user. he makes his witch hunt genuinely sound like something that could sweep people up into it. also the instruments goddddd. the guitar and synth the bass and the drums the DRUMS. im relistening to it to write this propaganda and it keeps making me headbang when i should be writing. if you arent headbanging to bring it on you are LYING.

the way the lyrics are written is wonderful too!!!! they feel so brash and brave and powerful and like. cocky about it. and it fits PERFECTLY. its gets someone swept up into it and it FUCKS. vote bring it on im serious. lets go!! a victory march!! dan da dan!!"

Propaganda for AFTER PAIN:

"so here is why people should vote for AFTER PAIN !!"

Muu's vocals. Need I say more?

The bridge to it is absolutely wonderfully done, the way she softens her vocals to an almost creepy point is incredible

during the final chorus you can hear the desperation in her voice and it’s very well portrayed

The coloring in this music video were phenomenal

The overlapping vocals at the end of the song just have a really really nice effect

Its just a pure banger

In some parts of the song there’s the sound of a clock ticking in the background used as a sort of beatline… GENIUS??

Its just a banger

even with what we found out about Muu in her second trial, After Pain on its own portrayed bullying in a very realisitc and artistic way (from someone who deals with it regularly)

---

"After pain propoganda: She just girlbossed too close to the sun and happened to be holding a knife at the time"

---

"Gosh everything about After Pain... How can you NOT like it? It's literally such a good song and is very singable. The instrumentation is absolutely amazing and I've listened to it on loop so much."

[sanjoongie]

Ateez as Rockstar's~ Pt. 1

ღPairing: Jung Wooyoung x Reader(f), Park Seonghwa x Reader(f), Choi San x Reader(f), Jeong Yunho x Reader(f) ღGenre: Rock Band! Au ღWord Count: 1,734 ღWarnings: mentions of drugs, alcohol, public sex, exhibitionism, fingering, vaginal sex, dick piercing!, degradation kink, begging, oral (f receiving) ღRated: 18+ mdni, smut with no plot

ღSummary: in which ateez are in a band and you just joined and… it’s a little bit more convenient to have a girl member than find a groupie…

ღDedication: @mejuii​​  @downtoamagicalland​​ because what’s a thirsty stan without her thirsty stan sisters :’(

Part Two ↭ Yeosang, Mingi, Jongho and Hongjoong

Yunho as Lead Guitarist 

It probably wasn’t a good idea to fuck your bandmates, and yet here you are, moaning without holding back as the lead guitarist’s fingers were down the front of your pants. The VIP room was small, littered with beer cans and half-smoked joints, but more importantly, enough room for Yunho to spread his legs and place your body between them. Those skilled fingers that played out a solo like it was easy, played you just as well. Two fingers deep in your cunt and one thumb rubbing your clit, you were in seventh heaven, and you had no regrets.

“That was a pretty good first show,” Yunho says casually, air puffing on the shell of your ear.

“Mmm,” is all you can manage, lifting your hips to meet his fingers thrusting into you. 

“The double drums sounded good,” Yunho continued, “But I think you need to watch your beat as we come back into the second chorus when we play Utopia.”

“Fuck, Yunho,” You cry out. You’re not sure if it’s his long fingers reaching your g-spot or the circles he’s rubbing into your throbbing nub, “Can you give me notes later?”

“What?” You can hear the smirk in Yunho’s voice, “Can’t fuck and talk music at the same time?”

“I’d rather focus on--oh my god--yes, that angle--your fingers--fuuuuuuuck, Yunho, that’s so good!” He’s got you in a blathering mess and it’s only his fingers in you.

Yunho, cool as a cucumber, fucks his fingers into you, helping you coast through your orgasm and then pushes you towards a second. There’s tears pulling at your lashes, and probably making your eyeliner run, but you already feel the build of another orgasm and Yunho hasn’t even pulled your pants, or his, off yet. 

“Such a greedy cunt, are you going to come again?” Yunho says lowly, lips pressed into your hair.

“We gotta--catch up--unfff--to the others!” You cry out, even though you have no intention of asking Yunho to stop. But it was going to look suspicious if you didn’t join the rest of the band at the pub soon.

“Is that a no?” He teases, slowing the pace of his fingers.

Your nails dig into his jeans, “Don’t you dare stop.”

“That’s what I thought.” And cruelly so, Yunho removes his index finger, only to fuck you with his middle and ring finger, just so he can pinch your clit. And you’ve never come harder as a result.

Seonghwa as Keyboardist

Was the keyboardist member of your band fucking you during sound check at this current moment? Yes. It wasn’t entirely your fault that you had worn a short skirt to sound check and Seonghwa had gotten ideas. It wasn’t your fault that one of the speaker’s happened to be the perfect height for you to be bent over on as Seonghwa fucked you from behind. It certainly wasn’t your fault that Wooyoung was so focused on sound check that he hadn't noticed you two fucking in the wings and the strum of his bass only added to your pleasure.

“Fuck, this cunt is everything,” Seonghwa moans from behind you.

“Shut up, Seonghwa,” You hiss, the lull in Wooyoung’s strums being dangerous.

“Can’t,” He groans again, fingers digging into your hips, “So. Fucking. Good.”

“How pussy-drunk are you?” You say through gritted teeth. 

“Soooooo drunk,” Seonghwa groans.

The rest of your conversation is lost as Seonghwa picks up his pace, fucking you harder and you have to hold on tight to the speaker. Wooyoung finishes sound check and begins to play Wonderland on his bass. The continuous sound plays through the speaker under you, sound waves pulsating against your clit that’s pushed up against the speaker and it makes you moan. You clench down on Seonghwa and that in return makes him draw out another ‘fuuuuuuck’. 

That’s when Seonghwa’s pace slows down, the gentle clinking of his chains tapping against his collarbones the only thing you can hear while Wooyoung converses with Mingi about when he comes in. “I don’t--”Seonghwa pants behind you, unsure how to say this nicely, “I’m gonna cum.”

You feel a smirk pulling at your lips. “Are you asking permission?”

“Can I?” Seonghwa’s voice cracks and he clears his throat. You both freeze as it echoes through the wings of the stage. When no one calls out, you feel the rings on Seonghwa’s fingers dig into your flesh as he starts to thrust into you again.

“Wanna come inside my pussy, Seonghwa? Wanna blow your load and I have no choice but to keep it inside of me as we do sound check, hmm? What if your cum starts dripping down my thighs as I drum, huh?”

Seonghwa has no chance, he comes after only a few more strokes. You send one more flirty smile his way, adjust your panties and go sit on the seat in front of your drum set, Seonghwa’s cum inside of you with only your panties holding it back. Sound check went pretty well, if you did say so yourself.

Wooyoung as Bassist

Wooyoung had approached you, eyes peeking up at you through his eyelashes every once in a while where he had cornered you after Hongjoong had called a band meeting in his garage. He confessed having seen you with Seonghwa during soundcheck. He even guessed about Yunho, based on the late appearance at the pub. So when he offered to be the next dick you bounced on, you had no problem with that. Especially when he said he’d smooth things over with Jongho, who was having a hard time sharing the spotlight as the original drummer of the band.

Wooyoung whined about being pushed to the empty garage floor but he wasn't whining once you took him between your thighs, grinding downwards on his pierced cockhead. The pleasure against your nub was unparalleled. But it did feel exponentially better sheathed inside of you, rubbing against the rough patch inside of you.

You wiggled your index finger through the loop on the collar on Wooyoung’s neck and crooked your finger to pull him forward. He sat up, licking his lips nervously. “Your whines are pretty, Wooyoung. Be louder for me.”

Wooyoung’s eyes went quickly to the door connecting the garage to Hongjoong’s house. “Aren’t you worried that Hongjoong will catch us?”

You grinned. “So either another band member catches me fucking someone and they get the same idea you did or,” Your grin widened, “Hongjoong can’t hear us anyways because he’s deep in his soundproof studio combing through our practice vids.”

Wooyoung moaned as you ran your hand through his hair on the back of his head and tightened your grip there. His adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed. That was your subtle way of enforcing your demand for a more vocal Wooyoung. “Please,” he begged.

“You like it rough, pretty boy?” You teased him.

“Call me pathetic,” Wooyoung whispered.

You made a pleased noise. “Don’t tell me you like it when someone degrades you? You’re that sad that you need that to get off?” Wooyoung whined again, eyes rolling into the back of his head. 

You bounced a little harder and faster on Wooyoung’s dick. “Poor Wooyoung needs someone to tell him his pathetic dick will never compare to Yunho’s or Seonghwa’s. I’m not sure you’ll even make me cum! Is that why you have your dick pierced? So you can have an advantage. It is pretty though,” You said. Wooyoung came, gasping hard on the rough garage floor. 

You chuckled darkly. “Told you you wouldn’t make me come. I guess we’ll have to fuck through your orgasm for mine. But you’ll like that, won’t you?” Wooyoung’s whine was answer enough.

San as Second Vocals (high)

You weren’t a morning person, per say, but San definitely wasn’t. The other vocalist of your band, the one who’s falsetto tempted angels from the heavens downwards, was currently snoring on your couch. He had crashed after you invited the band to your place last night. San had drunk too much and couldn't be swayed to leave after he lied down.

You nurse a coffee yourself, contemplating how to get him out of your apartment. “San.” You shake his shoulder but he simply makes a noise of displeasure and keeps his eyes firmly shut. You put your coffee down with a sigh and shake him with both hands. “Choi San, get up!”

The man, instead of getting up, wraps an arm around your waist and almost brings you down upon him. You manage to halt the progress by firmly planting your knees by his side on the couch cushions. “Give me a few more minutes and then I can give you the best head you’ve ever had.”

You shake your head and blink profusely. Since when did this go from sleepover to slip in you? “Uh, San, you know I’m not expecting anything in return for letting you stay the night, right?”

A slow sultry smile pulls his lips and accentuates his lip piercing. “I wanna repay the favor.”

Mister Generous does indeed do so. With both your hands bracing on the arm rest as you straddle the vocalist, San’s lips and tongue and teeth make fast work of your pussy. Having only slept in an oversized shirt and no panties, it made it extremely easy to just let him go to town. He splays his hand on your abdomen while he lazily sucks on your clit. You shiver at the sensation of his hoop against your sensitive nub. When your legs start to shake as your climax begins to crescendo, San lies his head back.

You pant as you say, “...the fuck?...San?”

“You wanna come, Baby?” San croons from under you.

You whine at having a denied climax. “Feels so good.”

“Beg for it,” San insists.

Looking down at the brunette, with his face a mess with your wetness, his dark eyes sparkling mischievously, you honestly can’t say no. “Please, San, please make me come on your tongue.”  

"Your wish is my command," San says, tongue poking into his cheek.

His hand on your abdomen moves so that his thumb can half spread your outer lips so that he can get easier access to your clit. His other hand gratuitously gropes your ass. His eyes grew small in glee as he heard you chant his name as his tongue sought out your high.

Turns out, you can sing high notes as well.

Part Two ↭ Yeosang, Mingi, Jongho and Hongjoong

[envyadams-vs-me]

Maybe a stupid idea but Coups et blessures by BB Brunes except it's Lead singer Steve Harrington and his buddies Robin, Nancy, Argyle, and Johnathan (don't ask me why but they have cooky band family vibes).

So Steve's out here singing in fucking perfect French (rich parents I headcanon they def made him learn French for parties), at a random bar with his group. The gang is vibing and these people in Indiana, who have no clue what is being said, are loving it! (They also might be a bit drunk but that lends to their hype).

Cue Dustin Henderson dragging Eddie Munson to see his brother's band because, "They're really cool! And you've gotta see it!" And Eddie's not the least bit impressed by the vibes the stage setup is giving off, but he figures he'll give it a shot for the kid.

Then the lights dim and the group comes out, each in their own (seemingly random) outfits that shouldn't go together but somehow work. Steve's in a semi cropped tshirt (purely for comfort he says) and jeans, maybe a little glittery makeup as he fidgets with his guitar strap. Robin's in a 3 piece suit, with her hair up in pigtails and sunglasses as she holds onto her bass. Nancy's in heels, a business blazer with a pink Tshirt underneath, and a very lovely midi skirt that matches her blazer, she's securing her guitar and talking to Robin. Argyles got a lot going on while he stands behind his keyboard, lots of neons and a surfer boy (?) hat, as well as a big smile as he catches Dustin in the crowd and waves. Johnathan uses his drum set to hide from the crowd and is thankful to Steve who promises to try and block him every show due to his raging anxiety. He's got headphones so he can focus on the music a just his regular jeans and t-shirt, maybe Argyle convinced him to add a butterfly clip to his hair.

Anyway!

Eddie's starting wide eyed at, well he's not sure, and gives Dustin his best, 'Dude are you serious!?', look, but the kid's buzzing with excitement and not even paying attention to him. So, he shakes it off and decides to focus on the music.

The second this pop like stuff starts playing he's ready to hightail it out of there and tell the kid he gave it a good try, but then the singer opens his mouth and Eddie's ready to die on the spot. The lights catch his makeup and beautiful eyes and his voice is the stuff on Eddie's dreams. Once he realizes he's not singing in English his brain fully shuts off.

By now Dustin's decided to notice him again and laughs at his response then quickly resumes his dancing to the music. Eddie's spends his time in a daze staring at the man singing in front of him.

When his brain finally decides to catch up he notices that he's probably looked like the creepiest dude on the planet and embarrassment floods over him. That is until he notices that he's not the only one that was staring as the singer's face is flushed to have seemingly been caught staring at the metalhead.

Eddie's not sure how he makes it through the performance or even if he did (for all he knows he could've passed out and this is a fever dream). Eventually the group leaves after bowing and dragging Argyle away from blowing kisses to everybody in the crowd. Dustin grabs Eddie and immediately pulls him to the back where their both let in without much fuss, and Eddie's left to stand awkwardly as the little shrimp runs off to hug the man of his dreams.

"That was awesome, oh my god, you guys are cool!" Dustin's got Steve in a death grip and he's trying to bit back his grin while pushing his off and smacking the bill of his thinking cap.

"Yeah, yeah. You say that everytime, man." He's flushed at the flattery and swipes a hand through his hair to compose himself.

"I mean you guys are seriously the best band I've ever listened to!"

That snaps Eddie out of his stunned dazed as he pokes at Dustin's backside, "Uh, excuse me?"

The kid jumps (he totally hadn't forgotten about Eddie) and ignores his previous insinuation, "Oh, Eddie! This is my brother Steve. Wasn't the band awesome, dude?"

There's silence for a moment as the two boys subtly (obviously) look the other one up and down. Steve recovers first and holds out his hand, "Nice to meet you, Eddie."

Eddie's starstruck and as he grabs the others hand he can feel lightning come to shock him and buzz up the rest of his arm. "H-Hey, you were great, Steve."

Dustin's standing to the side of the two grinning like a mad man, while Robin (unnoticed this whole time) watches on confused and invested.

Steve's sure his whole body is flushed at this point as he registers the way his name sounds around Eddie's voice, "Thanks."

More (stunned) silence. Then.

"Wait- you're Dustin's brother?" Dustin laughs again, leaning on Robin who's sipping water trying not to choke.

"Huh?" Steve's caught off guard, still feeling the warmth of Eddie's hand that he hasn't let go off burn through his entire body. Luckily he's able to shake himself out of it, "Oh, uh, yeah. Well, Half brother, sorta, kinda. I-I guess it's more like an adoption kind of thing, maybe? But uh yeah."

Eddie's never thought another human has ever been so pretty and his natural cool response, is "Nice."

"Well this is embarrassing to watch."

"Nancy, god!"

Nancy's standing behind Steve openly laughing at the awkwardness that is their (admittedly cute) interaction. Steve's come back down from jumping a few feet in the air and is glaring at her, hands on his hips out of habit.

"We've talked about the creeping sneaking stuff-!"

"Oh, whatever."

"I'm not kidding-"

Nancy holds up her palm, "I don't have time for one of your lectures, I was just coming to let you know I'm heading out with John and Argyle, so I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, Nancy!" Eddie suppresses a scream as he sees Robin's been next to him the whole time.

Dustin checks his watch, "Shit, we gotta get home soon or Mom's gonna be mad."

Steve narrows his eyes, "Does she even know that you're here?"

Dustin waves him off, "She said it was okay as long as I was out with an adult." He gestures to Eddie who's heart rate has rescinded to normal and is busy staring at the glitter that's on Steve's pink cheeks.

"I gotta go too! Vickie's outside so, bye!" Robin's gone like the poof of a cartoon character after kissing Steve goodbye and discreetly whispering into his ear about, "Details."

Dustin waves, "Bye, Birdie!" And then it's the three of them alone.

"Hey, Steve?" Dustin's wiggling his eyebrows at his brother and Eddie's definitely not going to laugh at how ridiculous he looks.

"Yes, Dustin, Robin was my ride here, so I guess I have to either walk home or ask your friend for a ride." His voice sounds irritated, like he would rather have his foot run over than get into a car with Eddie , but with the way Dustin's smirking at his brother he figures he's just missing something.

"So, Eddie-"

"Sure, I'll give you a ride!" To quick of an answer, but Steve's flushing again and his heart is fluttering in his chest, so whatever scheme he's been wrapped into by Dustin is worth it.

[crimson-calligraphyx]

A/N: this chapter is a bit of a filler. sorry 😬

As I stood against the barricade, surrounded by hundreds of other people, my body was buzzing with anticipation of seeing the guys perform—or maybe it was the bass of the speakers playing music during intermission, I don't know. Either way, I was excited for this moment.

It dawned on me that after three-plus years of knowing the guys, this is the first time that I would be seeing them play somewhere other than when they practiced at home, which was just ludicrous. Noah didn't seem bothered by it, though, having never asked why I hadn't gone to any of their shows.

The lights suddenly go out and the crowd erupts as Folio makes his way across the back of the stage. He stands behind his drum set, waving his sticks and shouting, trying his best to hype up the crowd. He sits as Jolly saunters out to the right of the stage, stopping short and scanning the sea of people. He holds his hands out at waist height, palms up, folding his fingers to his palms, beckoning the crowd to cheer. And they do.

Everyone was already riled up as Nicholas took the left side of the stage, and yet the room still got louder the second Noah stepped onto the stage, front and center. He grips the mic on the stand with both hands, his eyes shut as the opening beat to their recently dropped single “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND” vibrates through the building.

I was entranced by him more so than usual, feeling his words, feeling their music encase me as it filled the room. He sang so angelically and moved with such grace as the glow of the stage lights danced off his toned arms, drawing me in. The man in front of me was perfect in every way, shape, and form—at this very moment, I almost couldn’t believe that he was my husband.

We locked eyes as he crouched on the risers and leaned towards the crowd, the words coming out of his mouth causing heat to rise to my cheeks.

I miss the way you say my name The way you bend, the way you break Your makeup running down your face The way you fuck, the way you taste

He smirks as he says them and flashes me a wink, then crosses to the other side of the stage to carry on with his performance. I’m left with a tingle settling low in my stomach, being reminded of the way he held me against those tiled walls and fucked me senseless not even two hours ago. I’m left with the burning desire of doing it again, and again, and again—fuck, the way this man had this type of effect on me by simply looking at me was absurd.

“Oh my God, did you see that?! He winked at me!” The girl next to me started gushing to her friend, and I couldn’t help the snort that came out of me, paired with a shake of my head—if only she knew. I let her have her moment of screaming her head off, knowing that I'm the one who gets to go home to him. I'm his, and he made that abundantly clear with not only his actions but the ring on my finger.

I soaked in the performance as it went on, completely blown away by how he was able to manipulate the crowd. He was comfortable and confident in every move he made, and it was very evident by the smile he had on his face, just enjoying the moment for what it was. I loved seeing him like this; he's come a long way, and I was so very proud of him.

And I made that clear when I went back to the green room after the show, practically throwing myself on Noah. He was drenched in sweat, but it didn't stop me from wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. I felt his lips curl into a smile, hearing the chuckle emanate from his throat as he embraced me.

"I take it you enjoyed the show?" he asks, his chocolate eyes glimmering as he gazed at me. "I loved it. You guys were amazing—I'm so proud of you, so proud of the guys." I grinned at him, "Y'all worked so hard to be where you are now, and it's paid off. Did you hear the way the crowd screamed over you guys?" He chuckles bashfully, rubbing my back with gratitude. "Thank you, love. Couldn't have done it without all your support," he presses a kiss to my forehead, releasing his hold on me as the guys funneled into the room.

I congratulated them all, hugging them one by one and telling them how great they were. They all waved it off as nothing spectacular, except for Folio who flaunted about 'crushing it' with a flex of his arms. I rolled my eyes and pushed him on the shoulder playfully, laughing at him lightly.

When the guys decided to hit the showers, I took the time to order us pizza, knowing they were most likely starving. I grabbed a bottle of water and sunk into one of the couches with a huff, relieved I was able to sit. Even though I didn't do much, I still found myself exhausted, and my feet were killing me. I definitely should have worn something other than Vans, but it is what it is.

"Hey," Bryan plopped down next to me, holding his camera screen out towards me. "Look at this picture I got." I sat up, carefully taking his camera from him to get a better view of what he was showing me. At first, my eyes zeroed in on Noah, holding the mic with his gloved hand as he beamed down at the crowd. I grinned at how overjoyed he looked, just happy to see him happy, but as I scrutinized the photo further, I saw what he was smiling down at.

It was me.

Bryan had captured this picture at just the right angle where you could not only see Noah's smile but mine as well. It made my heart swell seeing that the expression of pure joy on his face was because of me. There was a whole sea of people before him, but he still had his attention on me. And even though I've seen that same look from him in person a million times before, it was such a surreal moment to see it captured on film. The look we gave each other was that of adoration, anyone could see that—even the blind.

"This is a great photo Bryan, thank you for showing me," I tell him, turning my attention to him with a smile plastered on my face. "It's what I do," he chuckles and bumps his shoulder into mine playfully, then brings his camera back into his possession. "I'll send you a digital copy when I can." I grinned at him in thanks.

Bryan and I later took the time to pack away whatever was left here in the green room, and by the time the guys got back from showering, the pizza had arrived. And just like I had assumed, they flocked right over to it and chowed down with appreciative smiles on their faces and beers in hand. When everyone's bellies were full, including my own, we headed to the bus where the guys took their time interacting with the fans. I went right onto the bus and sprawled out on the couch to relax until they came back onboard.

I had dozed off; the next thing that I knew, there was about 150 pounds of muscle and stupidity on top of me. "Folio, what the fuck?" I wheezed as he pushed the air straight out of my lungs, sitting on my torso. He leaned against the back of the couch, arms folded behind his head and legs up on the coffee table as he let out an exaggerated sigh. "Get off of me," I groaned, trying to lift my hips to shove him off. "Man, this couch is lumpy as fuck," he jokes, finally looking over at me. "Oh, hey Liv. Didn't see you there."

I huffed and stopped fighting his weight, accepting that this was what I had to deal with now. I heard the rest of the boys step onto the bus and turned my head towards them, silently begging them to get Folio off of me. Nicholas laughed with a shake of his head and kept walking towards the bunks. "Thanks for the help, dick!" I called out to him, and he replied with a sarcastic 'you're welcome'. I rolled my eyes, annoyed.

I thought for sure Jolly would have helped as he walked by, but he only stopped briefly with a smirk on his face. He then heads to the mini fridge and returns with a beer for Folio, making him settle even further on top of me as he leisurely sipped at his drink. "You guys suck," I grumbled. Jolly snorted, "I'm sorry, Oliv. I had to." He then holds his hand out towards Folio, which took me by surprise when he accepted it and stood up.

I sat up quickly when I saw Noah make his way over to me with a smirk on his face. "Oh, no, not happening," I chuckled. I just knew he was thinking about doing the same thing. He laughs, sitting down next to me and threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his chest. "I'll be on top of you later," he murmurs, amusement heavy in his tone, and kisses the top of my head. I smacked his chest lightly and chuckled, "That's enough out of you." "Yes, ma'am." He rubs my shoulder as I leaned further into him.

The night continued with them nearly getting into fistfights over Mario Kart, which resulted in me stepping in occasionally when one of them would throw a hissy fit and stomp away.

Of course, with me being sober while they were all tipsy, I smoked their asses with a proud smile on my face, laughing when they'd whine and tell me I was cheating. Eventually, they walked away one by one, grabbing yet another drink and a slice of cold pizza to eat in defeat. I teased them, calling them sore losers before grabbing a slice of my own to eat with them. I debated on snagging a beer for myself, but thought better of it.

What started as us having a second dinner quickly turned into the guys making bets on who could eat a slice and chug a beer the fastest. I shook my head at them and laughed when they literally threw money down, and took a seat on the couch, watching the madness unfold. These guys could turn anything into a competition.

Noah, Nicholas, and Jolly were all $100 poorer, and Folio was $300 richer having beaten the rest of them in their silly contest. I was enjoying the entertainment they were providing until Folio made his way over to me and pulled me off the couch, handing me a beer. I froze, staring at the Modelo in my hand. I could feel the apprehension creep in with each second that passed, my mind flip-flopping between whether or not I should ruin the few weeks of sobriety that I had. I wanted so badly to crack it open and join in on the fun, but I couldn't—I had to do better for Noah, for myself.

With a shake of my head, I politely gave it back to him. "Thanks, but I'm good," I tell him, tacking on a fake smile. "Oh, come on Liv. Have some fun with us!" He opens the beer practically in my face, once again shoving it into my hands. "Seriously, Nick, I'm good," I barked.

Apprehension was slowly turning into anger. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down by telling myself it was just a drunken stupor; he wouldn't do this if he wasn't drinking as much as he had been.

"Don't be such a party pooper, Liv—" "Fuck off, Folio," I snapped, aggressively shoving the can against his chest, sending its contents all over him. "I told you I'm good." With that, I stormed off the bus to head back to the hotel that Noah booked for us earlier.

I didn't make it very far; Noah ran after me, grabbing my shoulder gently to stop me. I huffed and turned around, burying my face into his chest while he wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry Folio did that," he says quietly, rubbing my back. "That was completely uncalled for. Are you okay?" Trying my best to calm myself, I took a deep breath and nodded against his chest, tears of frustration burning my eyes. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears from the anger still coursing through my veins.

"Can we go back to the hotel?" I muttered into his shirt after a few minutes of silence. "Of course, love." He kisses me on the top of my head, "Let's go." I picked my head up and kissed him on his chin, a soft smile curling on his lips. He takes my hand in his and gives it a reassuring squeeze, guiding me back to the hotel.

When we got back to our room, I immediately stripped out of my clothes, leaving just the shirt on to sleep in. He chuckles when I burrow into the blankets and stood by the bed, extending his hand. "What?" I furrowed my brows. "You didn't take your makeup off or brush your teeth." I rolled my eyes, "I don't care. I just wanna go to sleep, Noah." He sighs, taking my hands in his and pulling me into a sitting position. "Come on, I'll do it for you." I whined as he stood me up, but giggled shortly after when he spun me around and wrapped his arms around me, waddling us to the bathroom.

He effortlessly hoists me up by my hips, setting me on the counter before grabbing a makeup wipe. He gripped my chin gently to hold my head still as he began wiping my face clean, and I couldn't help but grin at the foolishness of the situation. When he was finished, he pressed his lips to my forehead and put me back down on the floor.

"You're too much," I chuckled, making my way back to the bed. He followed suit, immediately pulling me against him when we got under the covers. "Nothing is ever too much for you, Liv. Remember that." I sighed, throwing my leg over his side to get as close as I could. "Sometimes I just feel like I'm too much for you. Wouldn't it just... be so much easier to not have an alcoholic as a wife?" My voice quivers. "Olivia, why would you say something like that?" He says sternly, sounding offended.

The tears started to prickle in my eyes again, and I felt ashamed for who I was. I shoved my face into the crook of his neck, hiding so he wouldn't see the emotion on my face. "You wouldn't have to deal with my outbursts or any of the other shit I've done to you over the years." My throat was burning, trying not to cry. "I'm sorry for throwing the beer at Nick," I whimpered. "Look at me." I shake my head 'no', only for him to bring my face into his view. "You do not have to apologize for that, okay? He stepped out of line, and I'm going to have a conversation with him about it." I sniffled. "Does he...understand?" He sighed, "He does, he just got carried away."

I didn't know what else to say, but the shame I felt only continued to build. It was embarrassing knowing that everyone on that bus was aware of my addiction. How I reacted tonight was embarrassing. I can only imagine how embarrassing it must be for Noah to be married to me.

I didn't even realize I was crying until Noah brushed his thumbs under my eyes, hushing me, telling me there was no reason for me to be crying. I couldn't stop though, and kept apologizing about nothing specific—I kept spewing the words 'I'm sorry' over and over and over again.

"Olivia, stop. What are you so sorry about?" His voice was riddled with concern. "For being me," I whispered through my hysterics. I watched his face fall, his eyes darkening with sorrow. "Stop that," he shakes his head in bewilderment. "That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard you say. Why would be sorry for that, Olivia?" "I-I could be so much better than this, Noah. I could still be 3 years sober or even better than that. I could just, I don't know, not be an alcoholic," I scoffed at myself.

"Enough," he says sternly, repositioning so he could look down at me. He takes my face in his hands, his dark eyes staring intently into mine. "You don't understand just how incredible you are. You went through emotional abuse, you went through losing your father, you went through dropping everything and moving across the country with me, and you even started your own business. And on top of all that, you stayed sober." "But then I fucked it all up—" "Shh," he runs his thumbs delicately across the apples of my cheeks, soothing me. "Recovery isn’t linear, Liv. We've been through this. You. Are. Incredible," he reiterates, kissing me between each word. "And I am so fucking proud of you."

"I love you so much," I sputtered through a sob, tears spilling from my eyes as his words sunk in. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." "You were you," he smiles down at me and brushes my bangs back, kissing my forehead. "And I love you for being you."

|Chapter 10|

[gubbles-owo]

y'all it is hyperfocus scream time

Alright so sporadic Arknights posting is cool and all, but tumble here is THE website for info dumping your weird fascinations unto the world. I worry enough about being annoying or overbearing all the damn time, so fuck it, it's time to scream about something I love. I've always loved music, and I'm fascinated by splitting it apart and studying it, figuring out what makes things tick. One of my favorite ways to do this is via stems-- that is, when a fully mastered track is broken down into audio files for separate instruments or parts: vocals, drums, bass, guitar, synths, all that. This way you get to hear all the lil intricacies you might've otherwise missed! Unfortunately most music out there doesn't have stems just lying around, but sometimes we're graced with the next best thing: instrumentals. There's a lot to it but TL;DR, we can pull some fancy phase shenanigans between a full and instrumental version of a track to isolate the vocals! It's not perfect, there'll be bits of the full mix poking through, but it's enough to catch some cool things you might not have otherwise heard. Buckle up bitches, cause I'm gonna take you for a ride. Today I'm gonna take you through some of the intricacies of one stellar vocal performance: Suisei's TEMPLATE.

Let's get started!

In fear of the boundless wrath of the copyright gods, I don't wanna post any bits of the og or instrumental raw, so I'll reference parts in the original with timestamps like this (0:00)! I highly recommend you first listen to the song in full, then reference the noted segments in the og as we go through the audio examples. I really want you to appreciate how cool this all is xD To give you an idea of what our instrumental phase cancelling sounds like, here's a short bit from verse one (0:15 - 0:25)

Neat, huh? Already we're hearing the slightest touch of reverb that mostly gets buried in the full mix. It's subtle, but it gives a sense of depth and space that'd be noticeable if missing. As far as performance goes, I love the tension of power in this, the swell of intensity followed by reeling it back in. It's subtle at first but it really evolves as the song progresses. Let's dive a bit further. Here's the vocals for the first chorus (0:34 - 0:59)

Alright now we've got some interesting stuff going on. I wanna stress here that Suisei is a phenomenal vocalist, and the sense of careful control over power and projection she's got starts to show here. Specific syllables are thrown out like a gut punch, and just as quickly retract in this delicate weaving of intensity, and it is so goddamn cool. We also get to hear some harmonies that accompany the lead vocals, but they're still a bit buried under that lead. What if I told you there's a way we could further isolate those? Another technical TL;DR but in addition to left and right, we can also split stereo audio into mid and sides. Most modern mixed music will have lead vocals straight up the center, while backing harmonies are either doubled or effected to trickle out to the sides, to give that lead room to breathe. So what does this same chorus sound like if we listen to just the sides?

Okay so right off the bat we hear this harmony that has a graceful snap upwards to its last note. To my extremely limited jp knowledge it's something like: Boku wa zutto kurushi kattan da That kattan da harmony is beautiful in its own right, and it's not something you get to hear on its own. (also if u know better than me plz correct me if i'm wrong on that jp for the love of god) And after that? It turns out the whole chorus has a layer underneath that's sung an octave below the lead. Like. Holy shit. To my limited knowledge I don't know if we ever get to hear Suisei sing this low in isolation, so this is wild to hear on its own. Her tone and inflection is way different here. Notice the power and projection isn't really there, how it's a bit more lowkey? It doesn't get in the way of the powerful lead, and helps round out the bottom end into a wall of sound when combined. You don't notice it much in the full track, but you'd definitely notice its absence. See, often with music I do this hyperfixation thing where I latch onto the tiniest details imaginable and listen to them over and over again, just to appreciate how enormously fucking cool they are. This low octave chorus is no exception. I heard it when first listening to the full track, but it was awesome to finally hear it in (relative) isolation. ...when excitedly showing this all to some friends, one of them said "gubs you are so fucking down bad." And you know what? She was goddamned right.

Moving onto something a lil smaller, there's an additional higher octave for a moment in verse two (1:11 - 1:15)

And the same thing with the sides isolated:

Simple things like this really help add texture and dynamics to a performance. A harmony that persists for an entire song is often more boring than having it weave in and out! It's especially effective in helping to emphasize certain lyrical bits. The 2nd chorus has different lyrics, but from an arrangement standpoint it's mostly the same as the first. Let's fast forward to the start of the bridge (1:42 - 2:01):

This part isn't particularly buried underneath the mix, but I thought it was worth isolating anyway. I really want to point out how beautiful the additional higher melody is in the second half.

Alright, it's time for one of my favorite parts of this track. Let's take a listen to the latter part of the bridge (2:10 - 2:20):

...do you hear that? Do you fucking hear that?? There is something incredible in here. Let's isolate it.

That last line, with the lead taken out of the mix, has not only a harmony sung an octave above, but also an octave below. Holy fuck. Okay. I need you to understand. Being able to sing the same line in 3!! THREE!!! Different octaves! IS FUCKING WILD. For fuck's sake the melody line itself nearly spans an octave in range!? God. My fucking god. I'm sorry for losing my shit over this (not sorry at all) but this demonstrates an incredibly flexible range, and that is not something you'll hear flexed quite as hard as it is here. I've only heard a handful of examples of this sort of thing before. I adore this shit so much. I am such a gay fucking loser oh my g od *ahem* alright let's wrap this up by listening to this fantastic outro segment (2:42 - 3:01):

Personally I tend to dislike when a slowed, half-tempo chorus is replaced by/followed with a full-speed section in an effort to ramp up intensity. Speed doesn't equate to power, and if anything, I feel that a slower feel is often more methodical and powerful. But here? The chorus to this song is sublime, and it feels like all three have been building up this boiling tension that finally explodes in this segment. It's so fucking good. And while she still demonstrates a more than competent grasp on how to project and emphasize, Suisei gets to let lose and go all out here. And for funsies, here's the backing harmony behind that whole segment:

I love shit like this. I cannot sing to save my life (god i wish i could) but over the years I've picked up a lot on how different vocalists construct their backing harmonies. It's not something most people think about, but carefully crafted layered vocals can really enhance, emphasize, and expand on a performance. They add so so much color and personality to an artist's style. Fuck y'all this shit is so cool.

_____________________________ Welp, that wraps it up for this one!! I hope you got to hear and learn something new, maybe pique or cultivate an appreciation for the intricacies that often bury themselves in the mixes you listen to. Or maybe you just thought it was neat, that's fine too xD I'd love to scream more and do similar breakdowns of other songs and vocalists, so I dunno, I may or may not already be plotting another one of these :3c

[yakool-foolio]

Ranking (Most) Monster Hunter World/Iceborne Battle Themes

This tier list will be mainly based on how much I personally enjoy it, so themes' accuracies to the monsters' personalities n such take less of a priority over simply sounding pleasing to the ears (but other factors may additionally pop up depending on the track). Monster Hunter's music sounds as unique as it does because each song tends to have one or two instruments that steal the spotlight for each theme, so in my commentary under the cut, I'll be giving these instruments a small highlight as well! Here's the full tier list! For the large monster area themes, I choose a representative monster for each: Rathalos for Ancient Forest, Diablos for Wildspire Waste, Legiana for Coral Highlands, Odogaron for Rotten Vale, Lavasioth for Elder's Recess, Barioth for Hoarfrost Reach, and Pink Rathian for Guiding Lands.

Commentary goes in order of the tier list from top to bottom n left to right. There's a lot.

(@junko-jinko since you were interested heh)

Red Glare In The Darkness (Nargacuga) - Nargacuga’s theme takes the top spot! The instrumentation is so unique and upbeat, it’s a blast every time I listen to it. The bass guitar section slays, and the chorus is mind-blowingly perfect. It could bring tears to my eyes. Instrument highlight: bass guitar and piano

Brutish Indigo (Brachydios) - Piledriving its way into second place is Brachydios’ theme! This song grew on me exponentially recently thanks to really listening in and appreciating the mallet instruments that pop up in the intro and bridge. Whatever that mallet instrument is, it fuckin’ ROCKS! This whole track carries the ‘harumph’ of a big monster ready to have the most intense boxing match of its life. Instrument highlight: mallet percussion

Spark Of Blue (Zinogre) - ROCK N ROLL TAKES THIRD PLACE BABY! That electric guitar is a godsend, I just wish it was emphasized more! This theme is insanely catchy, too. A hype battle theme through and through. Instrument highlight: electric guitar

Safi’jiiva (Not released on Spotify) - Holy fuck this medley takes me to a higher plane of existence. Honestly you could just ignore everything else and focus on the target theme (LIKE JEEBUS CHRISTMAS THAT BASS HAUNTS ME) and that’s enough to warrant its spot among the greats. But I won’t just focus on that cause this whole theme is awesome! Exceptionally fitting for an elder dragon that could evaporate you with a tiny droplet of its fire. Menacing, but turns around into a heroic masterpiece. Instrument highlight: choir and bass

Congregation Of The Fearless - The composer really took all of the themes of the other areas and combined them into one flawlessly. My jaw is on the floor as we speak. Coral Highlands’ instrumentation really shines the best here, harnessing the handpan/steel tongue drum to its fullest potential. And I hear that electric guitar and bass guitar in there! Such slick implementation! Instrument highlight: handpan/steel tongue drum and bass guitar

Keeper Of Hades (Vaal Hazak) - The back-and-forth between piano and harpsichord throughout this theme is so god damn good AUGH. Perfect mix of regality and lethality. Instrument highlight: harpsichord and piano

The Brilliance That Rules The Everstream (Kulve Taroth)  - I’ve always adored Kulve’s medley. Each phase shimmers like gold. The organ in the second phase is always an attention-getter and the choir in the third phase is godly. It’s just solid (gold heh) all around, from beginning to end. Also I swear there’s a moment in the third phase’s verse that has a motif used in How To Train Your Dragon, which adds to the nostalgia for me. Instrument highlight: choir and organ

Ancient Leshen (not released on Spotify) - A theme I haven’t paid much attention to until now (but I have beaten this mofo), and once again I am floored by how excellent this sounds. Every single instrument gets its time to shine and sounds absolutely lovely! Instrument highlight: vocals and flute

Splendiferous Silver Sovereign (Velkhana) - The piano is the star of the show and it owns it! I love the staccato rhythm of the drums and brass crescendoing into the piano solos. Fit for the elder dragon of ice! Instrument highlight: piano

Morning Star Of The Dark Tide (Namielle) - An underrated theme for an underrated elder dragon! While it's on the slower side, it maintains a very entertaining rhythm with interesting use of marimba and piano. I’ll ride these waves any day. Instrument highlight: marimba and piano

Alatreon (not released on Spotify) - I haven’t really given Alatreon’s theme much of a listen before since I have admittedly never beat him. BUT now that I am listening to the full thing I can say with certainty this hits hard. This track really just says ‘oh you’re SO fucked’ and I love it. Instrument highlight: percussion and guitar

From The Rumblings Come A Song/A Single Bloom In An Eternity (Shara Ishvalda) - The perfect example of how to make battle music terrifying as fuck. The first phase is nothing to scoff at, but the second is when all hell breaks loose. THE GOD DAMN LAUGHING SNUCK IN AT ONE MOMENT??? HELLO??? Can’t believe this track can manage to be both creepy and really fun to listen to at the same time. Instrument highlight: mallet percussion and what sounds like a pungi flute??? Not quite but its very similar

The Invading Tyrant (Bazelguese) - Bazelguese’s theme is the One-Winged Angel of Monster Hunter. It’s incredibly iconic and instantly fills you with fear in and outside of the game. And once the intro subsides, it builds up to a banger chorus that shines with heroism. Instrument highlight: assorted strings

Murmurs From The Land Forbidden - One of the best area themes in the game. The chorus kicks major ass and that flute can fuckin’ get it. Instrument highlight: flute and whatever that introduction instrument is… synths???

Empress Of The Flame (Lunastra) - Teo’s wife improves his theme in every aspect. Not only harp, but also piano and harpsichord?! What a treat to the ears! Instrument highlight: harp and harpsichord

Ruler Of The Flame (Teostra) - Man I feel bad for sleepin’ on this theme. Those drums are absolutely fantastic and the whole song grooves really well. Instrument highlight: drums

The Howling Of The Lone Wolf (Yian Garuga) - This theme feels like orderly chaos in a way. It’s bombastic, but doesn’t go into overdrive. Those bongos are groovy, and it definitely snatched up some of Brachydios’ amazing mallet percussion. Instrument highlight: bongos

Roars Across The Hinterlands - That introduction woodwind hits real hard. Doesn’t waste its time to get right into the action. It’s a really fun take on a theme for a snowy area. Instrument highlight: percussion

World’s End (Arch-Tempered Nergigante) - Spiky boy 2 electric boogaloo! This version is one I feel like I can listen to more often and really enjoy. Nothing too special, but that chorus sure can be a banger. Instrument highlight: drums

Dancer In the Coral Highlands - Instantly hooked with the handpan and/or steel tongue drum introduction. A pleasant mix of hard-hitting ferocity with moments of elegance slipped in-between. Instrument highlight: handpan and/or steel tongue drum

Guiding Lamp To The Otherworld/How Life Springs Anew (Xeno’jiiva) - First phase takes its sweet time to establish the otherworldly nature of Xeno, but the second phase is where it’s really at. The headstrong march of the brass and drums leads the charge until the chorus unleashes a pretty string symphony. Not something I’d replay often, but gosh darn it I’ll revel in the beauty while I can. Instrument highlight: assorted strings

Even Elder Dragons Tremble (Nergigante) - The chaos radiates off this spikey boy in waves and the music reflects that perfectly. A rambunctious romp with an angry overgrown hedgehog accompanied by this song makes it all the more entertaining. But it’s not really a song I’d listen to on loop or come back to often. Instrument highlight: assorted brass

The Shadow Upon The Tempest (Kushala Daora) - I’m surprised at how much I find this song to be decently enjoyable when I find Kushala hunts in World to be really annoying. Really does sound like what someone would hear in the middle of a tornado and being windblown to hell and back. Instrument highlight: orchestral chimes

Savage Of The Ancient Forest - Standard fare, let's ya know what you're in for and it serves its purpose well. Instrument highlight: trumpet

Rulers Of The Wildspire - On the milder side, has a lotta fun instrumentation though. But unfortunately it’s not something I’d prefer to listen to over other tracks. Instrument highlight: assorted percussion and guitar

Forces Of Land And Life - The bells are what make it interesting, otherwise it just kinda feels blander than the others on the ‘alright’ tier. The chorus really only lasts about ten seconds. Instrument highlight: bells

Beast With Fire Upon Its Back (Zorah Magdaros) - As slow and surprisingly tame as this track is, it does feel like the embodiment of scaling up a mountain-sized volcanic monster. Is that organ I hear in the chorus aftermath? Instrument highlight: assorted brass

The Beast Bares Its Fangs (Tigrex) - Another instance where it's very fitting for the monster, but doesn’t have much replayability. For some unknown reason the added harp riffs sprinkled in make me laugh. Ah yes, let's give the aggressive feral creature that can damage you with its roars alone some nice lil’ harp riffs :) Instrument highlight: harp (for the funny)

The Voracious Devil (Deviljho) - I will live and die a Deviljho hater (not even him throwing other monsters around like toys can save him from my burning frustration hunting him), and his music definitely reflects how much of a prickly bastard he is. Definitely not replayable for me, but it sure does get the point across that you do not wanna cross paths with this giant pickle. Instrument highlight: assorted strings

[howtotrainyourrei]

anywho here are maneskins albums ranked according to which ones i like best, if you're also into them i would love to hear your thoughts (this is also LONG AS FUCK)

1. TEATRO D'IRA

this was the first one i listened to, i dont even remember why, i vaguely remember thinking of beggin' and being like,, omg i remember that song, i wonder if they have any good albums. so i googled which maneskin album was best and MY LIFE WAS TRANSFORMED. every single song on this album is such a banger there are no skips, like usually on albums i like there are at least a couple songs where i'm like,, ehhh could be better. NOT HERE. idk which song is my favourite i think it's a tie between IWBYS, coraline, zitti e buoni, and vent'anni (literally that is half of the album, that's how good it is).

anyway i love love love the hard rock sound, but it's also not just that, like there is so much variation but it's all very cohesive. maneskin is known for their unique sound so that makes sense but my mind is still sort of boggled. it has like some harder songs but they all feel emotional?? i dont even speak italian but without even looking up the translation i almost cried from coraline because it was so beautiful. and vent'anni is ON ANOTHER LEVEL. IT IS THE PERFECT SONG TO END AN ALBUM WITH. it like combines all the ideas of the album into one song, it has hard rock elements but it still almost feels like a ballad.? GOD I LOVE THIS ALBUM. i think it might be my second fabourite album of all time now,,, it's just actually perfect. i think it's the best album i've heard in 2024. FUCK ITS SO GOOD.

2. RUSH! (ARE U COMING?)

GOD GOD GODDDDD THIS ALBUM. this is a totally different sound to any of their other albums. it's also LITERALLY DOUBLE THE LENGTH OF THEIR PREVIOUS LONGEST ALBUM (il ballo della vita, which is 34 minutes) WHICH MEANS THIS ALBUM HAS ONE HOUR AND EIGHT MINUTES OF MUSIC. TEATRO D'IRA ONLY HAS 30 MINUTES!!!! YOU DONT UNDERSTAND THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY. okay so this album was at first released just as RUSH! with five less songs, but apparently as they continued touring and stuff they felt they had more to say so they added more songs (correct me if i'm wrong but i think this is what happened). I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS ALBUM, IT IS ONCE AGAIN VERY GENIUS. the songs are almosr completely english. i really love their italian songs, but they have always wanted to write in english so i understand why they're moving back to english.

SO!! this album is so good, it has a lot of extra depth that none of their previous albums had (musically),, except for maybe il ballo della vita. like in teatro d'ira it's basically just bass, guitar, drums, vocals, and tambourine. there might be a couple other instruments but the reason that album is so strong is because of the foundation and stuff. but with rush! there is not only a strong foundation but they also had so many types of songs!!!! there were ballads, there were harder songs, but there were also weird songs like bla bla bla and kool kids. i really LOVE kool kids, i love the punk sound. i think my favourite songs are HONEY (ARE U COMING), off my face, gossip, timezone, baby said, feel, and mammamia but EVERY SONG IS SO GOOD. just like the prev albums THERE ARE NO SKIPS!! that is so crazy for me because even with my one love (david bowie's ziggy stardust and the whatever lol) there is one skip, and måneskin has THREE ALBUMS WITH NO SONGS I WANT TO SKIP. THIS IS SO RARE FOR ME YOU DONT UNDERSTAND. i got off track there back to rush. this album is, also, SO COHESIVE. despite all the different styles they try it all fits together so well, it's such a magical experience to listen to this album. okay so this album was going to be number three on this list but i'm going to switch it now bc im currently listening to it and writing this is sort of changing my mind lol, ITS SO GODDAMN GOOD. tbh i would say this album is equally aa good as teatro d'ira but i have a sentimental attachment to teatro already lol and it's also more my usual style of music.

3. Chosen (this is an ep but whatever)

so this was their first album thing they ever released, it's mostly covers but there are two originals which are the first two songs. the originals are SO GOOD expecially for being some of the first music they ever released????? im obsessed with chosen (the song), i really REALLY love the line "this is not music, this is my life, this is what i live for." IT FEELS SO TRUE BC THATS HOW I FEEL ABOUT MUSIC (i literally do not make music i just like it lol but its like an important part of my life idfk but this line just hits hard) anyway i think the reason i like this album sm is because it's a lot more lighthearted?? i really like the style of their music, how it all feels connected even though it's mostly covers. also i think i like this album so much too because i found this english translation where they competed on x factor and most of these songs were there (if anyone wants the link lmk).

my favourite song by far tho is SOMEBODY TOLD ME. GOD FUCKING DAMN THEY EXECUTED THAT SONG SO WELL. and their FUCKING PERFORMANCE on x factor that went with it was SO GODDAMN GOOD. i love watching choreography and stuff, its my fucking jam, but i dont usually feel actual emotions about it?? like obviously it was very attractive, damiano is stunning, but also it was just so gorgeous..?? i felt real emotions watching that one performance, it was so good. im going to put the link at the bottom of the post bc GOOD LORD. god that was a brilliant performance. anyway i just love the sound of this ep, it's very raw and i really love that it was when they were first starting out,,

also the goofy little intros on both of the original songs on these albums are SO FUNNY why did he do that

4. Il ballo della vita

we've reached the final album :(((( i honestly feel bad for putting it at the end, but the reason it's all the way down here is because there's actually a couple songs i don't love, so i'll say those first. the first one is immortale. i cant tell if its a bad song or not, but i think its good, i just personally dont love it lol. but the other one is "are you ready?" this song is not even that bad it's just kind of goofy, but once again, it's not my usual style of music and it's not something i think i would listen to if it wasn't maneskin.

okay now we can get into WHAT I LIKE!!!! WHICH IS LITERALLY THE REST OF THE ALBUM. this album's style is very similar actually to the chosen ep, except it's all originals, and it's also VERY EXPERIMENTAL. i love love LOVEEEE that. like you can tell this is their first lp by how many different things they try. they're finding their style BUT IT STILL REMAINS EXTREMELY IDENTIFIABLE. on x factor their little music coach guy kept emphasising that when the other judges commented on how maneskin should try different styles and saying that its more important to be recognisable, but MANESKIN DID BOTH!! they tried so many tyoes of songs with different structures and stuff, but they also remained maneskin. obviously damiano's vocals are a huge part in that, he has a distinct af voice, but it's also the other instruments, i particularly noticed vic's bass, and i love LOVE thomas's riffs OMG. this isn't even just on this album. i dont play guitar so i have no idea if he's technically skilled (i think he is???) but i LOVE HIS STYLE AND THE CLASSIC MANESKIN RIFFS OMGGGGG. anyway tho the reason this album is so good bc it has so much variation, although i would say it's not as cohesive as the other albums, even chosen. my favourite songs tho are definitely torna a casa, fear for nobody, and close to the top. torna a case is a BEAUTIFUL ballad. it's brilliant and amazing,, i LOVE that song.

also, they made a documentary about the making of this album which was so so interesting. it was very real, and you kind of get an insight into their dynamic as a band, which was just so SHAJAISISI. but it definitely made me appreciate this album more when i could actually get a look into its production. anyway listen to torna a casa it's gorgeous.

OKAY!!! this was so fun to write actually, i doubt anyone is going to read it because it's so goddamn long but if you did i am kissing you on the lips. here is the promised link to their performance of somebody told me by the killers covered by måneskin https://youtu.be/ADcTUnUJnGs?si=3Iht9sLZn2ZRbuAW

seriously, this band is so good. i'm obsessed with them yeah but they're honestly revolutionary. not only are they basically the only world famous italian band (that i know of at least?? lmk if there are any), but they do so many INTERESTING THINGS. i have been SEARCHING for a modern band who takes old music, particularly 70s bc that's what i'm into, and takes inspiration from it but still makes something original. they are doing so much for music nowadays, obviously there are lots of amazing modern rock bands, but the fact that maneskin is SO popular is crazy to me, it makes me so so happy. and not only that, it's also so amazing that there are two queer band members (vic and ethan) who (especially victoria) talk about being queer. they also act very modest in interviews and stuff, which i really appreciate, and they're all very well-spoken and good at communicating their thoughts even though it's in a second language, which can be SO FRUSTRATING sometimes bc you know what you want to say but it can be so hard in a second language. they are just very eloquent and they act very wonderful (i say "act" and "seem" bc i understand it's a parasocial relationship lol, they could all be assholes, but they seem very, VERY genuine). they all impress me a lot and i am so excited to see what they do next.

damn this is so long im sorry but i had to say this I AM OBSESSED WITH THESE GUYS, maybe if you're also into maneskin or want to get into them you could dm me to talk about them........??..?🥺🥺