#nick cave vibes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

platinumshawnn · 9 months

Text

SINNER [ escapism ii] | jburrow

AN: Hi, back on my shit with a sequel to Escapism and I will be taking a century long break from writing smut because fuck, this shit took so long to write today that I’m pretty sure I preemptively aged 70 years.

The vibe for the sequel is SINNER by Mishaal Tamer gn kids

Warnings(s): Alcohol consumption, implied consent, fem!reader smut (MDNI, 18+); unprotected sex

Word count: 5.8k

LINK TO PT I Escapism:

Lauren had swept in a few minutes afterwards, with Nick in tow at her heels, her hand releasing his once she had reached the bar that had been her friend’s poor attempt at a saving grace; nearly falling over herself at the bottom step to the floor and practically falling into the pair. Lauren had glanced at Joe as she approached, breathless and laughing as her friend tore her gaze away from the blonde who stood upright at her arrival, the pair of women looking at each other. Her gaze had darted towards where Nick had come up on Joe’s right, nudging him with an elbow to get his attention whilst Joe had taken another long drink from his cup and slowly turning his eyes away after a pause, blue eyes scanning up and down his friend as though he had noted it too — a smear of lipstick to the side of his neck, the black t-shirt doing nothing to hide it.

“You looked like you needed some saving.” Lauren breathed out as she leaned into her, still breathless from her running down the floor and steps in a hurry; she slung an arm around her waist, drawing her attention away from the two men who had become engrossed in their own discussion.

“My savior.” She teased, the free hand not currently occupied with her drink lifting to pinch her cheek, grinning wide as Lauren swatted her hand away with playful whine about her makeup as she covered her cheek that pinkened from the light gesture of her friend. YN hummed as she took a drink from the whiskey sour in her hand, swallowing and lowering it to speak, “It was already messed up, I don’t think I could do more damage.” She commented, the buzzed smile on her face as she tilted her head in the direction of the men who were still preoccupied by whatever Nick was mid-explaining as the pair looked at his phone. Her hand rose to tap her bottom lip with a fingertip, a grin on Lauren’s face.

Her head tilted with a laugh, Lauren’s hand grabbing the hand that had reached out to her face and snagging it in her grasp, her fingers lacing with hers. “Dance with me, you’re not just here to look pretty.” Lauren said, leaning into her to ensure she could be heard as she began to tug her along and away from the bar however she was met by resistance.

“Oh, god, Lauren, no—“

“Come on!”

She could give it to her, that Lauren was stubborn and committed to making things happen — there was no denying her. She watched as her friend had turned, walking backwards as she pulled her along for a few steps as she watched YN’s features soften, caving into her demand as she sighed before grinning at her realization that she had won. Her shoulder grazed Joe’s, touching his back with her knuckles to get his attention for a moment as the two men turned momentarily, shoving the drink into his hand as she flashed a smile over her shoulder at him and followed Lauren into the crowd of dancing bodies that filled every corner of the club; the pulsating music moving the crowd. She wasn’t much of a dancer, but something allowed her to move freely, following Lauren’s lead as the pair inched to the outer edge of the crowd and found a rhythm — maybe it was liquor or the feeling of Joe’s eyes on her as she moved, her head turning to find his eyes through the crowd from his place at the bar, intently watching. She held his eyes as he turned slightly, disregarding whatever Nick was pointing at, already engrossed in conversation with a tiny blonde to his right.

Joe didn’t like to be the type to hover—no. Instead, he was a patient, calculated guy who kept his eyes on what he wanted at all times, just observing; watching until he was ready and his time came.

She watched as he took a long drink from her cup, only then did he drop the eye contact to turn and set it down on the bar top as it was emptied behind him. Her attention was only torn away as he seemed to disappear for a moment behind a couple of passing bodies, the sight of his white t-shirt gone in an instant as a trio of drunk girls who were giggling and clinging to each other with red, glossed over eyes mid-laughter passed the spot that he had claimed by the bar as her eyes searched for him to no avail — he was gone, leaving no trace that he had even been there other than his friend who didn’t even seem to notice his disappearance. She turned her body so that her back was to the crowd, leaning onto her toes as her eyes scanned along the heads that were crowded around the tiny countertop against the wall, however the sight was overwhelming, filled with constant movement of men who oozed desperation and girls who wreaked of nativity, with shifting eyes and stiff movements that implied inexperience. A flash of blonde hair over a crowd had caught her eye, prompting her to take a step in the direction of it as she tried to find those familiar eyes — maybe that smug smile that hinted at arrogance.

A hand on her elbow stopped her, halfway through stepping out and closer to the head of hair, stumbling back half a step when the face turned and appeared through a gap in the movement that didn’t match those familiar boy next door features, “Hey, what’s up?”

Her head turned towards the voice, making eye contact with a young guy who barely reached her eyes as he stared at her expectantly, doing his best to swoon her with a smile that was stiff and hinted at immaturity, lopsided as his gaze scanned over her. The feeling of his eyes on her made her want to crawl out of her skin and disappear as her head swayed from side to side, mouth opening to stammer out some response of ‘no, thank you’ but sliding her arm from his grasp, coming up short for words and recoiling from his touch with tense shoulders and pulling her arms into herself; wrapping around herself as her head turned to look again towards where Joe had previously stood — it was aimless, she knew he wouldn’t be there, but it felt like a good enough starting point.

“What? Have you got a man or something?”

Her eyes scanned from left to right, her eyes searching every face she could make out under the poor lighting. A sudden warmth spread across her cheeks, ashamed and embarrassed as she searched for him; where the fuck had he gone? The idea of another girl having caught his attention a sickening thought that made her angry as she sharply inhaled, feeling a hand touch her side and tearing her from the image — the thought of Joe’s lips on another’s throat, hands at their waist and tugging at their shirt—

“Hey, I’m talking to you.”

She glanced over her right shoulder, hair falling behind her as she turned to look back at the boyish stranger who looked like a teenage boy throwing a tantrum and pouting by fault of her rejection as she stepped forward, hands immediately finding her hips as she stepped into the figure that seemed to materialize ahead of her, the sudden contact bringing a yelp of surprise. He wasn’t confrontational but he had a presence about him that could come across as intimidating as he towered over her, his gaze glancing behind her towards the younger man for half a second, a furrow of his brow being flashed in his direction before turning his attention back to her — his touch radiated something soothing deep down to her bones as she seemed to collapse into his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of his cologne, his right hand coming up her back and planting between her ribs to press her into him. She could have stayed just like that, embracing the warmth and comfort he provided but her attention was drawn back to his face as she looked up at him, his hands coming up to her hold her ribs with a careful hands as though he was afraid of crushing her while raising an eyebrow at her as she stilled under his stare, the power of just a look speaking volumes as he silently searched for an answer to check that she was okay. He may not have been hers, but he was caring and kind. He was kind and stunning under the lighting as a flash of blue lighting scanned over them, her eyes lifting towards the moving light fixture that moved over the crowd, looking back to his face as his own eyes searched her expression. She nodded, answering the silent question as she reached up, her hands cradling his face to bring his face close to hers, her chin tilting as she reluctantly hovered her mouth over his as his breath fanned out over his lips. There was a pause between them, just relishing in the closeness before he leaned down to close the gap between them and finally press his mouth to hers in a kiss; lips skilled as they encapsulated hers, his tongue brushing over the delicate skin.

His left hand left her side to come up and find her jaw, his thumb hooked over her cheek as his fingers splayed out to extend against the side of her neck, stumbling forward into her a step. For a moment, she had been caught in a trance as his lips trailed down to press against her jaw, reaching her throat — however, the jostle of shoulders snapped her out of it, tugging on the neck of his shirt before reaching to grab his wrist, “Wait—“ She breathed out, having to tug gain before his face returned to hers, hovering over hers as she eyed him, sucking in a deep breath, “come here— come with me.”

Her mind was racing a million miles an hour as she laced her fingers through his, her gaze darting over his shoulder as her eyes landed on the hallway that lead towards the washrooms; the glowing exit sign a beacon that she followed as she pulled him along, his steps close on her heels and chest just behind her back as they nudged past the distracted crowd that was growing increasingly rowdy the more intoxicated they became — her mind briefly went back to Lauren, glancing over her shoulder as she tried to find her blonde hair in the crowd. Her head was throbbing, overstimulated by the noise and all the lights, the bodies that pushed up against one another as they swayed — she could vaguely make out the song, the bass humming through the walls as she squinted. She blinked a couple of times rapidly, as she caught a glimpse of her, dancing, her back pressed against a guy who struggled to follow her movements.

“Do you want to go back?” Joe asked, his voice close to her ear as he followed her gaze, looking down at her as she paused at the opening of the hallway to watch on for a few seconds — she was okay.

She shook her head, her head turning to look down into the hallway that was only half lit by dim, yellow lights that were buried in the ceiling above them. She knew this hallway like the back of her hand though, from nights spent hiding off in the bathroom or kissing boys she never talked to again — she could navigate it without looking, by touch as her left hand reached out to brush against the wall as they walked. The line to the girls bathroom was shortened, earning only a brief couple of stares as she led past and closer towards the back exit that was only illuminated by the red EXIT sign above it. Her head turned to look behind them as she then pulled Joe to stop against the wall, checking to ensure they were in the clear for security or any other bar staff that might have seen them, her eyes peering past him before she reached out to the opposite wall and blindly found a doorknob that turned with her hand, “Go.” She whispered, yanking Joe forward.

He followed her instructions, moving quickly as his gaze also darted down the hallway to ensure they were safe before he moved, ducking inside. She was close behind, easing the door shut behind her as she stepped inside, his hands once again finding her hips as she stumbled into him in the dark; chest to chest, her head tilting to look up while one hand reached above her to feel, her fingers feeling to find the string to the lightbulb above them. She could feel his eyes on her before the light was even on, the light audibly turning on as she found and pulled the string, her eyes lifting to find his half-lidded stare just watching her as though she was the most fascinating thing in the world. Her hand dropped from the string to his shoulder, watching as his eyes zoned in on the environment — the small, dusty closet seeming to dawn on him as he let out a quiet laugh, “You take a lot of unsuspecting guys back here?” He teased, his eyes returning to her face.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.” She retorted, her tone hinting sarcasm — not that she had ever hooked up back here, but she had discovered the old coat check from a friend who had snuck her own alcohol in once during a birthday the year prior. She had brought one person here — a quick kiss that was cut short by Lauren searching for her, forcing her to dart out and being caught by security as she exited. She had been banned from the bar for a month after but hadn’t seen the inside of this closet since.

He let out a ‘mph’, ducking to catch her mouth with his again, resuming the previous kiss but with an increased fervor and need, her own feet stumbling to find their footing as he pulled her towards him. She was putty in his hands, all teeth and tongue as she bunched the fabric of his shirt in her hands at his sides, her mouth falling agape and eyes shut as his mouth dropped to press a trail of open mouth kisses down the length of her throat, his hands sliding down her sides and reaching for the back of her thighs until his fingers came into contact with the hem of her dress that had ridden up just under her bottom with movement. His fingers pressed into the flesh, squeezing it in his hands as he then stumbled forward, guiding the pair towards the door, her left hand falling to soften the fall against it as he back collided with the wood, a groan of approval reverberating from her chest as his mouth trailed over whatever skin he could reach. Her hand flung up from the door to his nape, sliding into the hair at the scalp for grip, as his shoulders dipped, slouching against her as his hands worked to wiggle up the fabric of her dress until it could be bunched over her hips, snug as he fumbled with the material of her tights.

“What do you want?” He mumbled against her skin, his mouth at the base of her throat as he shifted his stance, his left thigh between her legs and bracing his knee against the door. Her free hand found his, covering his larger hand with hers as she guided his hand to between her thighs as his head lifted so he could look her in the face, awaiting her response, and watching her expression as she chewed her bottom lip between her teeth; heavily breathing as she moved.

Joe followed her lead, his hand reaching between her thighs and cupping her through the sheer thighs and panties that felt like nothing more than a few scrap pieces of fabric — skimpy and thin underneath her clothing as his fingers traced over her. He could practically feel her right through the thin fabric as he skillfully pressed into her, his fingers dragging over her clit as his gaze remained fixated on her face, watching the twitch of her eyebrows and her lips as she sucked in a sharp breath. His unoccupied hand planted against the door above her shoulder as his movements continued, slow and deliberate in drawing a reaction from her; trying to drag out the experience as long as he could — it felt like an entire life ago the last time he had seen the sweet expression of bliss on her face, her head tipping back against the door as her mouth opened to let out a soft moan into the empty space. Joe could have listened to that sound on repeat in his headphones for hours straight if it was possible, the sound sending a warmth through his chest and down his abdomen. Her hips thrusted towards his hand, begging silently for more friction as his fingers continued their movements, sliding up to the waist of her tights and tucking underneath to slide down over her hips and pelvis until he could reach down to push his hand into her underwear, his movements more rushed and eager as he fumbled his hand past the silky waistband that fit snug over her hips. He moved to mimic his previous movements, though his fingers made contact with her bare skin, warm and slick with arousal as his fingers rubbed over her clit again in steady circular movements.

Joe could be meticulous — he cared about making his partners feel good, as long as he could remember, gauging the noises and their reaction to his touch. It was an ego thing maybe, that he had to always be good — he needed to know that he could genuinely make them feel good so there wouldn’t be any need for faking it. He had learned to be attentive to the littlest details, a scrunch of the face, a tremble, a twitch — something.

He could see even in the dim lighting as her chest seemed to rise and fall quicker with more labored breathing as she slid her hand from his hair to his shoulder and gripped the muscle there tightly, a slew of soft, high pitched moans breathed out as her eyebrows rose; her eyes shut. He leaned in, his mouth pressing to her neck and nipping at the skin, trailing down to her clavicle. There was a fumble of movements as she reached down suddenly to awkwardly shove at her tights, shimmying them down her legs as he stepped back half a step and withdrew, his hand pulling away from its place between her legs to assist with shoving them down past her knees. It was then that he knelt, her hand planting on his shoulder for balance as he helped her to kick off her heels and slide the tights off; pulling them from her feet and dropping them beside him on the floor. His hands came back to her legs, his head tilting to look up at her as she stared down at him, watching as he moved with slow hands to crept up her legs and thighs until they reached her hips; pressing a kiss above her right knee and to the inside of her thigh as he moved, leaning up and pressing a kiss just above the fabric of her underwear. His fingers slid up underneath the waistband and hooked around it, dragging them down her legs until they fell down around her feet. Her hand remained at his shoulder for support, wobbling for a second.

He shifted in front of her, flat on both knees in front of her as he brought his hand to his mouth and gathered some saliva with the tips of his fingers; leaning in and using his shoulder to nudge her legs apart as his hand came back from his mouth to find her clit again, rubbing with gentle movements. Her hips ground down into his hand, twitching and squeezing his shoulder as tightly as her hand could muster. Joe was slow and cautious not to cause her any harm as his hand shifted, leaning into press his lips to her inner thigh as he gently prodded her entrance with his fingers for a moment before he carefully pushed his middle and ring fingers into her; the intrusion slow but welcome as he instantly felt her clench around him, feeling as she seemed to slouch against the door with a moan of his name. She readjusted her grip on his shoulders, one hand at his shoulder while the other knit itself into his hair as she attempted to straighten herself out against the door, “Joe…”

He hummed against her skin, his fingers slowly thrusting into her with shallow movements, her hips undulating down into his palm; seeking more friction, “We can’t…“ She sighed, her voice shaking as she quietly spoke down to him, “—we can’t be too long.” She reminded him through clenched teeth. He hummed again, knowing she was correct — as much as they both hated to rush things, he pressed a kiss to her pelvic bone, his fingers working a few more gentle thrusts before he withdrew his fingers and brought them back to his mouth to suck them clean, slowly standing from the floor. He was painfully reminded by their setting as he heard a shout from the hallway, inhaling before sighing out the breath of air. His fingers were released from his mouth, catching her chin between his thumb and forefinger to guide her mouth to his in a kiss while he pressed his chest to hers. The action had backed her flush against the door, receiving a grateful sigh in turn as it supported her unsteady legs.

Joe held her face close to his, lips mirroring his — a mix of tongue and lips as her hands found his waist to work his jeans undone, opening the button and carefully unzipping them, cautious not to snag any fabric or anything underneath in the poor lighting. Suddenly she cursed the poor visibility, unable to clearly see the look on his face or his general appearance as more than a low quality image as she awkwardly fumbled to shove his jeans down enough. He had to release his hold on her to assist in pushing his jeans and boxers down enough to allow his cock to be released from the confines of his clothing, erect and tip flushed pink as he just nudged the pants down comfortably low on his hips. Her left hand came up to lick her palm before reaching down between them to wrap around the circumference of him, her actions tentative as she slowly pumped along the length of him a few times; her head turned to look down as she carried out the task, his forehead resting to the crown of her head.

“Fuck,” He quietly breathed out.

He allowed her to continue her own movements for a few moments, his left hand clenching along with his jaw as he let out a muffled groan. The recoil from her touch was nearly painful as he pulled her hand away from him, grabbing her hip to guide her into turning so her back was to his chest, her right hand planting firm against the door. Joe glanced down as he replaced her hand to grip his cock, shuffling forward and nudging her feet apart as her hips tilted back to make the position easier; guiding himself towards her entrance until he could swipe through her folds with her arousal as a sort of makeshift lubricant for his movements. She jumped for a moment, sharply inhaling and bracing as she felt him begin to push up and into her, the initial push slow and paired with a stretch that earned a short gasp of air, his hand being freed to reach up and move her hair over to her right shoulder so he could see her without any obstruction. Her head turned towards her left, his left arm bracing against the door at her side as he watched her eyebrows furrow, mouth opening as she leaned up on her toes; his right hand at her ribs and holding her in place against him. With a final shift of his feet between hers, he slowly found a steady rhythm of thrusting up into her, his pelvis rolling up against her ass with each roll of his hips; eliciting a high pitched whine from her, her eyes squeezed shut. The hand at her ribs slid forward and up to her chest, holding the front of her dress as if for leverage — she could feel the cool air against her skin as the tug on her dress caused it to ride down, her chest partially exposed and pressed flush against the door as he seemed to notice; his hand moving to cup her breast in his palm, the nipple taut and erect against his palm.

Her hand flung over his at her chest, jolting upwards with a snap of his hips, “Jesus fuck.” She cried out, feeling his breath on the back of her neck.

His breathing was short, shallow pants from parted lips as he felt her clench around him, eliciting a groan that was lost in her hair as she pressed her hips back against Joe. She reached to nudge some space between her and the door so her free hand could reach aimlessly between her legs, hovering stupidly as she was distracted by his thrusts alone — her brain, as foggy as it was, managed to finally process what her intended move was, her fingers finding her clit and sloppily rubbing vigorously as her hips pushed into his. She could live off the memory of his breathy groans for the rest of her life, even when he was away and at a distance — even if she never spoke to him again, he would be ingrained in her skin.

“So fucking good, baby, you’re so good.” He muttered beside her ear, his words further igniting the pool of heat in her belly; a heat that was searing hot as it slowly spread down her thighs and to her toes.

The hand once over his reached out for the wall like it would help her somehow, ground her as she climbed cloud 9; her moans becoming more desperate whines that were buried under the thundering music from just beyond the door she clutched for dear life, “Holy fuck— fuck.” She cried out, her walls suddenly clamping down around him so tight he was almost forced out from her with the pulsating sensation of her around his cock; stripping him of any remaining composure from him as she reached back and found the nape of his neck blindly, forcing his own orgasm to follow with a curse and gasp from the athlete as his fist balled against the door beside her.

“That’s it, shit.” He breathed out, a groan rumbling from his chest as he coaxed her through her orgasm as long as he could, twitching inside her as she unintentionally milked him through his own as much as he physically could give; his skin layered in a sheen of sweat and panting against her shoulder.

He could feel as she slumped, utterly spent and leaning against the door, jolting against him from hypersensitivity once she seemed to bottom out; letting out an audible content, tired sigh. Joe stayed in place for a moment, his forehead to her temple as she relished in the delicate moments after, his hand at her chest smoothing over the skin and gently pulling the front of her dress back over her as if to provide her some modesty considering the circumstances; with his chest to her back, his head ducking to press a kiss to her shoulder that was sweet in nature and light amidst catching his breath. His hand slid down from her chest to her hip, “You good?” He quietly asked after a few moments of silence had passed between them.

She nodded, swallowing thickly.

“You sure?” Joe asked, waiting until she nodded again before he withdrew his already softening cock from her and keeping his arms underneath her arms as she stood upright from the door. His arms wrapped around her waist, her head falling back against his shoulder as she processed the situation — Lauren would be searching for her and would never let her live this one down if she had put the pieces together. Her arms wrapped over his though rather than rushing to straighten herself out and enjoying the last few blissful moments before she would have to return to the booth and make some excuse to go home to shower; enjoy her post-orgasm haze before her hangover inevitably set in, too blissed out by his warmth to even comprehend anything else. She couldn’t even begin to comprehend any shame or embarrassment at the idea of any patrons sneaking off to the washrooms hearing and figuring out what was going on.

“We’ve gotta get back.” He sighed after a moment.

She deflated against him, disappointed the moment had come to an end so soon but she had been gone too long already. She allowed him to withdraw his arms from holding her, hearing the sound of fabric against skin as he pulled his boxers and pants back up; adjusting himself before his zipper was done up along with the button. Her own hands began to reach to pull her dress down, feeling his skim her sides as he stepped forward again to help with the task in smoothing her dress down and straightening it back down over her backside; bending behind her to grab her underwear.

“I can put them on myself.” She mumbled, taking them from him and turning, bending to step back into them; her legs shaky as she wobbled for a second as she yanked them back up and underneath her dress. Joe’s gaze remained on her as she moved, her gaze down and on the floor, makeup smudged slightly from activity; her lipstick nearly gone at that point. He reached forward to smooth out her dress for her again, reaching up to catch her chin and press a kiss to her mouth — much sweeter and gentle than previous, lingering longer as though he mirrored her sentiments of not wanting to leave right away. She sighed against his mouth, though this one was of content nature, relaxing into his touch, “My shoes…”

“Here.” He said, bending down and kneeling on one knee then, using a hand to quickly shove his disheveled hair back from his face as it fell forward into his forehead. He gathered her shoes and guided her heel as she stepped into them, his hands finding hers to help stabilize her as they stood there for a moment longer when he rose to stand, “I can leave first, you come out a few seconds behind me so we don’t draw too much attention.” He suggested.

She nodded, reaching past him to turn off the light again, leaning up and pressing one final kiss to his mouth. As they shuffled to turn, Joe eased open the door and stuck his head out first, watching down the hall for any security or workers before he ducked out, fixing his hair as he stepped back into the hallway. Chewing her lips, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, dreading the return to the world outside the closet and exhausted. She timed it, waiting twenty or so seconds, enjoying the final moments of peace before she eased open the door and scanned the hallway as well, slipping out and shutting the door behind her, her hands immediately reaching to tug down the hem of her dress. The walk back to the booth felt long, touched out for the night as bodies brushed past her, grimacing when hands would skim over her elbow or reach for her in an attempt to get her attention. She was suddenly more grateful than anything for the support from the security who held her hand as she walked up the stairs and made her way back to where she could see Lauren clinging to Nick, her face in his neck as she walked up behind the pair and clearing her throat.

Lauren’s head shot out around Nick to look at her, wide eyed and taking in her appearance — she hadn’t checked how rough she looked, but Lauren noticed it immediately and narrowed her eyes for a moment. She released Nick and reached out to her friend, “Where did you disappear to?” She asked as a hand touched her shoulder, though her words held a knowing tone to them.

She inhaled, reaching to grab her purse from the coat rack attached to the booth, both Nick and Lauren watching as she slung it over her shoulder and began to fish out her coat check ticket, “I was just walking around. I went and got a smoke from some…girl i met in the washroom.” She fibbed, shrugging her shoulders and flicking her hair back as she looked up.

Lauren hummed and nodded. Her gaze darted towards the booth where Joe was only just situating himself into a seat, catching her eye for a split second before they both looked away, “I’m going to head home though I think. I’m done for the night.”

“Did you want me to come with you?” Lauren asked, earning a shake of her head.

“You stay,” She said, “I just need some sleep. I will talk to you tomorrow, though, okay? You get her home safe.” She said, looking at Nick who nodded once, a small smile on his face as an arm slung around Lauren’s waist. She nudged the pair to bend over the table and lean towards Joe, squeezing his shoulder in a friendly way, her eyes turning to look towards a few of his other friends who she had noticed earlier — Ja’Marr sitting to his right, she waved to him.

“You guys get home safe.” She simply said, Joe’s eyes on her as she straightened up again and fixed her bag on her shoulder.

“Will we see you again soon?” Joe asked, eyebrows raising, his friend agreeing.

“Yeah, we don’t see you much these days. You comin’ down to Cincinnati anytime soon?” Ja’Marr asked, sitting forward to look at her as she shrugged.

“I’ll see if I have some time soon, we’ll see I guess.” She replied, slowly starting to back away as Ja’Marr let out a laugh that sounded more like a scoff as Joe looked on.

“Try harder.”

She smiled, waving once more as she turned to leave, reaching out and touching Lauren’s arm as she began to walk towards the bouncer again, “Okay, I’m going now.”

“Alright, I will talk to you in the morning— I love you.” Lauren said, blowing her a kiss before she pointed to her bare legs, “you forgot your leggings by the way.” Lauren stated with a wink, her arm wrapping around Nick’s neck.

#joe burrow #joe burrow gifs #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow smut

231 notes · View notes

belovedblixa · 3 months

Text

"From Her To Eternity sessions were fairly chaotic; I remember what seemed like a period of days while Nick mastered the piano part for 'Black Paul'. There was this idea in the air that nothing could be valid if it sounded like anything previously done, which was certainly Blixa's point of view. The vibe was toward the avant garde - nothing acceptable that might be construed as 'rock' music. Blixa's influence pushed this idea, and the first two Seeds records are really marked by him. I seem to recall singing vocals for 'Cabin Fever' inside a large metal box, and at another session working on a guitar part with a damaged jack input that kept giving off very high frequency noise shocks, which everyone thought was great but wasn't what I'd intended. There was a feeling of attempting to visit new and uncharted territory. It couldn't sound like the Birthday Party. We had to discover a whole new thing."

Hugo Race

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Blixa Bargeld, Nick Cave, Hugo Race, Barry Adamson, Mick Harvey

I Beam, San Francisco, California, US

18 June 1984

Photo by Stanley Greene

Content sourced from my friend Danijella’s page on Facebook, Nick Cave, The wanted Man. <3 she has the best content on Facebook concerning the bad seeds.

#blixa bargeld #blixa #nick cave and the bad seeds #nick cave #the bad seeds #einsturzende neubauten #neubauten #einstürzende neubauten #avante garde #hugo race

30 notes · View notes

thehollywoodnecromancer · 3 months

Text

STOP WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING EVERYBODY AND GO LISTEN TO PICTURE PARLOUR

Seriously they’re some of the best new music around and it’s a TRAGEDY they only have six songs out on Spotify

Their stuff is rich, sharp, soulful, with a sweeping cinematic grandeur and DAMN BANGER electric guitars

Same vibe as the English seaside in winter; pebble beaches, loud ocean, freezing cold and terrifying but also desperately nostalgic

Also amazing fashion, 70s glam rock meets the Big Bad Wolf

Any fans of Florence + the Machine, Nick Cave, the Last Dinner Party, Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks, PJ Harvey, the Arctic Monkeys, the Doors, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Pixies, LP, Bowie — they’re definitely for you

Genuinely I cannot overstate how much they have become my new musical obsession

So yeah PICTURE PARLOUR !!!!! THEY’RE SO GOOD I PROMISE AHHH

22 notes · View notes

bleedingichorhearts · 4 months

Text

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐌𝐚𝐲: 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐢’𝐬

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: I don’t have an official group name for the golden bananas, but suggestions are welcome!

“𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙄𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙘” will be used as translation language for high gothic and others.

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖉: @kit-williams, @egrets-not-regrets, @bispecsual, @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan, @sleepyfan-blog.

TW // Near Death, Blood.

|°𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬°| |°ᴛᴀɢ ʟɪꜱᴛ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ°| • {𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧} • {𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐬} • {𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐤}

Cold, stone walls pressed against my clothing as I made a tight fit sideways through a small opening in the abandoned structure. Water splashing up onto my boots every time I take a step through the narrow and withering corridor. It was almost claustrophobic to be in such a narrow space with rocks threatening to dig into your skin at each move, water dripping from the more pointed edges.

This… rocky place was something that looks like it held some monumental significance to it. A temple perhaps? Though, no one was absolutely sure of it. Too scared to go past the couple mile long, dark vibes it gave off until some travelers thought it was a good idea to explore it ourselves, me included.

I wasn’t up for it at first; being the more level headed one out of the stranger group. Why would you want to explore something that has been avoid by its people for centuries? That right there had to be a big red flag. There was a reason why the people didn’t go and figure out what was beyond the bad vibes. Even had some elderly and young natives wish us well in their languages! How much more warnings do we need to stop the group from going in?

Apparently, a lot of warnings.

The bad vibes and the fair-welling natives was not enough for the overzealous group. Neither was the cracked and broken statues of armored beings at the entrance of the flora ridden building; vines, mushrooms and ferns growing all around it, camouflaging the whole thing. It was almost impossible to even catch a glimpse of the monument. There were even deep caverns filled with dark blue, almost black waters that could send a shiver down anyone’s spine if you think of what could be lurking down there; a whirlpool or a really big python perhaps?

I shiver at the both possible outcomes of that watery situation, accidentally nicking my shoulder plate on some rock as I grunt at the numbness vibrating through my nerves there. Briefly stoping to bite my tongue in the process. If all this subtle bruising is not a red flag or a curse of just being inside of this monument, I really don’t know what is. I normally wasn’t clumsy in situations like this.

“Hurry up, I want to see what’s pass this corridor.” The man behind me nudges me forward. My teeth pressing more into my tongue to stop myself from lashing out at the man. Forcing myself to continue on through for my sanity’s sake.

This man was the most annoying, cockiest one in the group. Always ordering other people around when he could clearly do it himself. He was like that rich person in movies that never gets their hands dirty, like they were afraid of it while his pawns do all the work for them. It was driving me crazy. I didn’t come into the monument with them to be a pawn for him, let alone anyone.

“Can’t you go a little quicker?” The man grumbles, his hands pushing up against my shoulder in an anxiety inducing effort to hurry up the exploration. “I’ve seen how fast you walked here. Why can’t you do the same in here?”

‘Because we are in a cave?’ I wanted to hiss out at the man. Chew his ass out, but I didn’t want to get into a fight with him in these mysterious caverns that push a lot of weight down onto your shoulders the deeper you go. That deep, lingering, unknown feeling is just enough to keep me in my place.

“Calm down, Mr. Wilson.” I speak back at the man, brushing off my shoulders when the corridor opens up just enough for me to do so. “What we are exploring for is not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“Yeah, well, I want to get to it first.” He snarks back, pushing himself up to the front, shoving me out of the way, an annoyed huff coming out of me. “I want to be the first person to see these artifacts.”

Artifacts? How does he even know there was artifacts down here? He didn’t mention anything about him being an Archaeologist. He just seemed like a snob.

Perhaps, that was his ruse? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. Humanity can be a very selfish bunch. Not only that, but seeing a lot of movies like Indiana Jones can make it easy to sense who is your foe or friend in these types of situations.

“You didn’t mention anything about artifacts.” I question the man, carefully watching how he hesitates a step of his as I follow behind him.

“I didn’t? Hmmm, well, it was said on some stone slab founded in the sea that where we walk holds some type of significance to it.” He informs me, his body crouching to get through another corridor of chopped rock. “It said who ever finds it has the protection of a thousands of seas, and based on evidence of Astartes. I conclude that it really means thousands of seas, thousands of planets.”

“Astartes? Those are real?” I can’t help but ask the suspicious male. Having only heard about those creatures in myths, childhood stories and nursery rhymes.

“Yes, very much so!” He saids almost enthusiastically, stopping in the middle of a… chamber? “The myths and stories you hear about them are quite real.”

“Why do they choose to become myth then?” I question yet again. Wondering of their… secrecy. My eyes looking around the abandoned chamber while I shuffle my boots through the small layer of water. Spotting what were suppose to be legends. “Why hide?”

5 tall and bulky statues were carved perfectly into the rocky wall around the chamber. Their scale-like tails being used to decorate the rest of the wall between the statues, being a pleasing filler rather than having a blank wall. They also had different colors on them, old, ancient paint chipping off of them. Each one even had a different design to them, but their main shape stayed the same. Where these a species of Astartes?

“From us! We are simply too overbearing for them. Too strong.” The man says a bit too proudly for my liking, his hands digging into the tan fanny pack of his around his waist.

I hum at his response. Not really believing his words that a creature like this could be afraid of humanity. They looked way too powerful themselves to even be swayed by humanity itself. Maybe… they have found a distaste with humanity? Found them to be below them?

“Anyways, you are standing right where I want you.” The man suddenly speaks fast, a small shink coming from behind me. “Right on the sacrificial stones.”

Alarmed, I quickly turned around, gasping with no noise. My eyebrows scrunching up in confusion as I lift my hand up to my neck. Slick making my fingers skim across my neck.

“I really meant it when I was going to be the first.” The man spoke clearly at first, but then his words start to mumble, blending into a layer of voices. My knees giving out from underneath me as I kneel into the cold water with a seemingly echoing splash, my other arm keeping me up from drowning myself in a layer of water. My pants soaking up the water up to my thighs.

D-Did the man just really slash my throat? For just an artifact? An artifact that might not even be here nor exist anymore? That was probably useless to him? That he was just going to sell for “The Big Money?”

“…𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚.” A small, echoing whisper comes to my mind when I gasp for air that I can’t have anymore. My hands struggling to keep my own sticky blood inside of me as I look up at the man who slashed my throat. His mouth mumbling nonsense at me. His glob of a hand flipping his… weapon through his fingers.

“𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚.” I nearly cry out at this voice that suddenly becomes all to loud. A migraine forming as I lean tiredly, back down into the cold water. Trying to decipher if I was loosing too much of my blood and I was going crazy, or there actually was somebody actually talking to me.

“𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙪𝙥… 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚.” A few more voices join in, coaxing me to look up with a weakening body. My limbs shaking at the effort to see a blinding yellow enrapturing my blurry vision.

“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙… 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚.” The voices whisper, echo inside of my mind. Strong hands taking a hold of my jaw, thumbing at my cheeks. A bloody whine bubbling from my throat as I cough red upon rich gold.

“𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨… 𝙮𝙞𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣.” This… entity offers. Cooing and purring when I gradually grow more and more weak in its hold. Scumming to its unrequited offer.

“𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.” The voices become one of their own; warm yet barren. A soft, but rough warmth pressing up against my lips before my own senses slowly fade to fail me. More warmth pressing up against my neck and shoulder plate, easing my wounds as I fall into the icy dark.

20 notes · View notes

pebblysand · 7 months

Text

hello! you may find the entire playlist on spotify here. below is some more information on my song choices.

Castle by Eminem: if you have finished the fic, you will understand. if you haven't, i don't want to spoil you :).

Things We Lost In The Fire by Bastille: it's funny, i'm a massive bastille fan but it didn't really hit me how castles that song is until i went to see them live last summer. i remember being in the crowd and thinking to myself: god this is so on point. i think the lyric that gets me most is: the future's in our hands and we will never be the same again. there's such a dichotomy to that and it's so representative of what is happening in this chapter, which is harry and the trio sort of reconning with the concept of time and the post-war state of things and: now what? the excitement of: we survived and the future's in our hands, but also we'll never be the same again because we lost all these things (people) in the fire (war). i just find it very apt.

O Children by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: firstly, i love that song, i thing it's beautiful and it just nails that post-war tone of the early chapters. the cleaners are coming one by one, they measure the room, they know the score, etc. secondly, this is obviously the harry& hermione song, which is a massive vibe and plot point of this chapter. i will defend the dance to my dying day, i think it's one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole film and those who don't like it because of the harmony vibes are wrong. that's it 😅.

UNHEALTHY by Anne-Marie: this is a more recent addition, but doesn't this song kind of have early harry/ginny vibes? i'll let you listen and be the judge.

Wonderwall by Oasis: harry mentions oasis in this chapter, so of course i had to add this. i have listened to this song so much in the past 20 years, i can't even tell if i like it or not. anyway, here's wonderwall 😅.

Pompeii by Bastille: ah. the infamous break down of everything. as i've already said, absolutely love bastille, and this one is a classic.

Shadow Preachers by Zella Day: i added this one more recently but i feel like it also had very strong early harry/ginny vibes. i also like that it sounds a bit similar-ish to pompeii in that sort of break down of everything vibe. there's a sort of desperation to that song that i feel really fits well.

Place de la République by Coeur de Pirate: firstly, if you think of coeur de pirate as comme des enfants and don't know anything else from her, i am begging you to open to your heart to her other songs/albums, she's incredible. secondly, i've always loved this song. it so well captures this sort of regretful break up situation where she is breaking up with someone because of distance and giving them one last chance to show up and they don't. i feel like it's very much a ginny song in chapter 3, this way she doesn't really want to break up with harry but has to. it's just 😫.

Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi: i've gone back and forth a lot on this song, whether to include it or not. it's almost Too Much. but, also, harry is a bit Too Much in this, so it just fits.

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths: this is... very literal, i don't think i need to explain. i will say, for a very long time, i didn't know where the french bits were from. it sounded like some sort of documentary about suicide, which i thought was odd, but it's actually a reading of the myth of sisyphus by albert camus. i've never read it because i've only ever read camus's fiction, but he is one of my favourite french authors, so i was happy to find that out. it works with the song incredibly well, obviously.

Hell or Highwater by Passenger: we're back with the break up songs. i love this one because it very much is about the confusion and the not knowing what caused the break up, which i think is very fitting for harry, here. i also just love the writing in this song, the way he uses the "hell or highwater" saying in a different way - it's a song i very much love, even outside of castles.

Six Degrees of Separation by The Script: idk, this song has such strong 2000s vibes, and it's so break-up-y dramatic - it just fits, you know? 😅.

Giants by Dermot Kennedy: this playlist supports irish artists! ✊🏻 jokes aside, i kind of see this song as having a bit of a double-meaning here. like, of course, it's hinny break up song and plays - again - to that lack of understanding (we used to be giants, when did we stop?) but i also see it as reflective of harry's broader state of mind. it's this post-war confusion of: we used to do these great, important things, and what is our purpose, now? obviously, this first arc is very much about finding a reason to live after the war, so i feel like this song works for both plotlines.

As It Was by Harry Styles: i'm not a massive harry styles fan so the first time i ever heard this song was when he was on tour and the 'LEAVE AMERICA' trend was all over tiktok. and, i don't know, the moment i heard the song as a whole i was like, 'fuck, this is such a castles song!' especially of that early, post-war, confused era of: 'harry what are you doing sitting at home on the floor, what kind of pills are you on?' it just had to be in this playlist.

Fear of Fear by Passenger: this song is just a mood. i feel like it could play over a montage of the weeks passing in chapter four, and harry just going to work, trying to sleep, and going running in the night.

Le vent nous portera by Noir Désir: there's two reasons why this song is here. firstly, i feel like it signifies healing and the passage of time, which works very well with this chapter. it's a gorgeous song and has this idea of the wind just blowing the hardships away, an "it'll be alright" motto that i love. but also, what my international audience might not know is that this song is highly controversial - bertrand cantat, the lead singer of the band, beat his girlfriend - french actress marie trintignant - to death in 2003. he was arrested, went to jail - if you are french, just know that i'm not going to get into the Debate of whether he should still played/be listened to, etc. we all have our opinions and whichever way you're leaning i'm not going to change yours but i just wanted to note that i wouldn't have put this song in the playlist for any other chapter. but with the added theme of DV in the case giulia and harry work on here, i felt it was fitting.

Brave by Sara Bareilles: this is obviously giulia's pep-talk song haha! harry, get out of your rut, and be brave. i love it.

You're Not Special, Babe by Orla Gartland: i love this song. and, again, it's very giulia. i feel like both of these last songs for this chapter have this vibe of her telling harry to just get off his arse and do something, which is what he needed at that point. quit moping around, quit blaming yourself, you're not that special. it's really the kick off, onto chapter five.

Insomnia by Ren: ah, ren. if you've been following the playlist for a while, you will have noticed that i had a major ren moment between the end of 2023 and the start of 2024 and added, like, fifteen millions of his songs to the playlist. i feel like castles generally has such a ren "vibe" to it, which is wild because i didn't find him until well into writing the story. this song has this incredible line: i used to use drinking as a way to stop thinking and my problems with drinking made me feel like i was sinking, so i dried up my drinking and then i couldn't sleep a wink, and now i'm thinking, now i'm thinking, now i'm thinking, now i'm thinking about nothing. fucking nothing. and everything and nothing - i hate not sleeping. this is so on point for this chapter, which has harry's insomnia stalking those post-war months, and i absolutely love it.

The Last Unicorn by Passenger: ah, the first mia song 😫. my child. this is so scarily on point.

J'écoute du Miles Davis by Navii: this is really one of the core, OG castles songs as far as i'm concerned. i remember listening to it on loop very early on, writing the early chapters. i love the chorus of 'Et le temps passe' (and time passes) - it's this factual statement that i feel is very castles. "Time just - passes."

The Way I Am by Eminem: i was so mad to find out i couldn't use this song in text because it came out in 2001. obviously, very related to the press, fame, etc. which are topical for this chapter.

Dominoes by Ren: i added this one fairly recently. it's one of those songs that isn't precisely topical to the chapter itself, but i really liked the riff of "we fall like dominoes, dominoes, falling". it echoes that thing harry says about how he's afraid to fold because if the "leader" falls, then everyone comes cascading down. i felt like there's an interconnection in that song that resonates, here. and also, i think the thing about public perception and body shaming is also somewhat related to the treatment of girls in harry's life in the press.

Read All About It, Part III by Emili Sandé: i thought most people would already know this song because it was featured so prominently in the 2012 London Olympics, but i suppose it still didn't make it to america, 'cause i've had quite a few comments from people saying the playlist was the first time they'd heard it. anyway, it's obviously about harry using his voice and finally talking to the press, and it's amazing :).

Babylon by Barns Courtney: the vibes of this song feel like the fall of a civilisation and "the walls are caving in, you're paying for your sins" and... yeah. idk, i see this as the theme song to the whole battle scene at the lace mill.

What He Wrote by Laura Marling: this was always Giulia's "song" in my head, i'm not even sure why. it's got nothing to do with her but just based on vibes. i listened to this on loop writing her death. and, also, the connection with Peaky Blinders, which heavily inspired the first act of castles.

Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens: this is just... a beautiful song about death lol. how cheerful 😅.

All My Tears by Ane Brun: and... another one, lol. also, another connection to PB.

Jimmy by Moriarty: i only have two songs for this chapter, probably because it used to be paired with chapter six so i initially didn't think of it as an independent item. anyway, this is one of my favourite songs in the world, and it's recently come to my attention that it fit quite well in here, with this idea of "coming home" (to the burrow, in harry's case. i feel like it works well with the general mood of the chapter.

CORALINE by Måneskin: ah. coraline, coraline, di me la tua verita... this is the beginning of harry, and ginny, and the letters, really.

Zombie by The Cranberries: canonically, Mia is a fan and while two cranberries songs are mentioned in this chapter, i always felt like this one fit better. first, because it's about a civil war that, in many ways, resembled the wizarding war. second, because i've always sort of thought as amycus as a bit of a zombie. like, he's dead but he still plagues ginny (and later harry) with the things he's done and their ramifications.

Rather Die by Barns Courtney: obviously, i'm a massive fan of barns courtney and i've always felt this song is very ginny during the war. basically, 'i'd rather die than give in.'

Repeat After Me by KONGOS: this song is obviously about the absolutist christian faith and someone trying to escape it, but i think there's something so rhythmic about it. in my head, i could see it playing over a montage of the DA pulling off stunts, getting attacked, getting back up again, fighting again, losing again, etc. there's also the 'repeat after me' of indoctrination that could very much apply to the ministry's propaganda. i remember listening to this song so much as i was writing this chapter, just to remind myself of the relentless sort of pacing i wanted to achieve.

Dopamine by Barns Courtney: okay so. this is the song of this chapter. i know it feels like it's not really about this chapter (it's clearly about drug addiction) but you cannot possibly imagine the number of times i listened to it as i was writing. i don't know. i love everything about it. the loud rock and instrumentals, the production, the lyrics. if we end it all, at least you're by my side. we could never die. and this: it's always the same. see the drink couldn't wash out the taste of your name. i literally think it's one of my favourite songs ever, and one of my favourite sentences ever written. i think in my head it's a bit about ginny sinking, about amycus, about harry. about everything. i would say dopamine is probably one of the most important songs in this playlist. i am so attached to it.

Thirteen Thirtyfive by Dillon: and... the last song. i will say this: i have since learnt that this song is about a woman who has lost a child (either through miscarriage, abortion or death after birth, it's not clear) and is reminiscing about what her life could have been. that is... not how i initially interpreted it. you may listen and come to your own conclusions. if you interpret it like the above, maybe it fits with pansy's story. if you don't... well. you'd be thirteen, i'd be thirty-five, gone to find a place for us to hide. be together but alone, as the need for it has grown. make of that what you will.

Formidable by La Bronze (Stromae cover): god, do i love this song. and god do i love this cover almost more than the original. i love how she made it less sad and more angry with the more rock-like music, as well as the sound of arabic. it works So Fucking Well. the chorus of this song sort of says it: we were incredible.

The Kid I Used to Know by Arrested Youth: just one of those songs i used to listen to on loop while writing/planning that arc of castles. i do think of this time in this fic as the formal end of harry's childhood, when he finds out about ginny and realises that all their innocence has gone. so long to the kid i used to know.

Hold On by Ren: i feel like there's such a restlessness in this chapter that you also find in this song. this sort of endless torrent of stuff coming harry's way, and him trying to... get through it and hold on.

Blind Leading The Blind by Mumford & Sons: i had originally put this one in for chapter nine, but i actually think it's more of a chapter ten song. welcome to the trials, aka the epitome of the blind leading the blind.

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? by Arctic Monkeys: ah. were you also a teen in the early 2010s? welcome to the song. obviously - very harry & ginny in this chapter.

Falling Is Like This by Ani DiFranco: i've always adored this song ever since i discovered it referenced in another fic. it's where i got the idea of the car running off a cliff in last chapter - it's also very heavily referenced in this chapter. think of it like a transition song lol. just such a Mia mood. falling is like this.

Je suis un homme by Zazie: i was looking for a song this morning to operate the transition between falling is like this and the kids are all rebels, and i settled on this one. judge me all you want but i love zazie, and i think this works quite well with the beginning section of this chapter that is a little bit like the song: humans and their institutions going round in circles.

The Kids Are All Rebels by Lenii: i loooove lenii. she's irish (🇮🇪🥳) and this song is such a DA song. there's this dimension of youthful idealism hitting the brick wall of adulthood, and the things they see the government do which they're not happy with. the song itself was written about trump's covid policies, but it fits so well here too!

Anthem by YOKANA & Barns Courtney: i think this is self-explanatory. harry is starting to doubt his "no comment" strategy...

Statues by Alexandre Desplat: we're... starting a new war in courtrooms, aren't we? jokes aside, it's probably my favourite music from the films, very war-coded, it makes me want to rise up to battle, so.

Remember the Name by Fort Minor & Styles of Beyond: there's something about the relentless rhythm of this song that i just love for the end of this chapter. like: LET'S GOOO!

Legendary by Welshly Arms: i see this as the DA's song, too, you know? not just harry. they're all doing something legendary.

Till I Collapse by Eminem: this is one of my favourite eminem songs, and i think it fits really well with the beginning of this chapter. the onslaught of press coverage regarding harry's and the DA's actions, and their common desire to push through no matter what.

Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas) by Daft Punk: i actually wanted to put da funk in this playlist (which is the song mentioned in the fic) but i chose not to subject you all to five minutes of lyric-less late-naughties techno music 🤣. i also feel like putting this right after Till I Collapse is a bit of an insult to eminem ("you don't know me, you're too old, let go - it's over, nobody listens to techno" 😅), which is a bit funny lol.

Teenage Culture by SKYLAR: it's funny, i listened to this song on loop the summer of 2023 but didn't really find an excuse to add the song to the castles playlist until it finally hit me now that it was per-fect for this chapter. i love skylar and i love this song, it's so tongue-in-cheek and yet lyrically incredibly clever. i think this is such a teenage anthem and fits so well for this chapter, both in the "partying" side of it, but also in a the-kids-are-all-rebels sort of way. i just absolutely love it.

Everyone's at It by Lily Allen: i've just realised this is the first lily allen song in this entire playlist which, if you know me and how much of a lily allen stan i am, is wild. i stole some of the lyrics of this song for the chapter; it's about the double-standards that exist in dealing with drug addiction, which ginny talks about a bit. it's a song that was very important in opening my young eyes on this topic, when i was a teenager. i feel like it also goes so well with the SKYLAR song, it's like the millenial-advocate-y song to SKYLAR's gen z, more apathetic/don't-care take.

all the good girls go to hell by Billie Eilish: i have a very strange relationship with Billie Eilish's music where i listen to her only for very specific occasions and moods, but i do love that song. and, idk, i kind of see it as a symptom of ginny's slight "descent" in this chapter, where under the surface, partying and sleeping around begins to be less "fun" than it used to be. there's something weirdly haunting about Billie Eilish's music (esp the first album, that i feel fits here).

Any Other World by Mika: i added this song to the playlist rather recently but if you are a the good wife fan, it will of course sound familiar. i think i was looking for a song to finish off this chapter and recently was lucky enough to see Mika play live in dublin, and thought it just fit. it's neither really a love song nor a political song, it's a third thing, and i think it's really symbolic of the conclusion you reach at the end of this chapter of "say goodbye to the world you live in". i think this chapter is really the point of no return, this sort of deep realisation that nothing will be the same anymore. it's also the halfway point of the fic (in terms of chapters), so i reckon it works.

Un peu d'espoir by Joyce Jonathan: i relistened to this song recently and i think it really suits the beginning of the chapter. there's a growing up vibe to it and, nostalgia, sadness and hope at the same time. i really see it playing in that time where harry reflects on the upcoming anniversary of the war and where he and ginny talk about the aftermath.

Dance Monkey by Tones and I (Stripped Back): okay. i know this is a bold choice but let me explain. basically: i was working on completing the playlist and was looking for a song for the end of the trials, draco's hearing and all the politics in this chapter. i looked up my top songs of 2022 (which is when this chapter was written) and found out i actually listened to this song quite a lot that year (the original version of it). and yes, this is a dance song, but when you look at the lyrics, there's a vibe of, like, the establishment and the wider world forcing you to do something you don't really want to do? like, sure, here, this is a woman who's being told, basically "why don't you dance/smile more" but i think this is also applicable to harry and his relationship with the press and the wizarding world in general. there is a dimension in it of "dance monkey! dance!" where he's just like - not feeling it. this is the chapter where he rebels, too, and actually doesn't stick to the script, and pushes the wizarding world to change, and we love that for him. i chose the stripped back version for the playlist, because i feel it just fits the mood more than the dance version of this song.

bad guy by Billie Eilish: ugh. do i need to explain? i mean, harry, come on. stop toying with two girls at the same time.

Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran: a bit the same as the above. my bad habits lead to you - you can't quite let ginny go, can't you?

Arcade by Duncan Laurence: if you were on tiktok in the golden age of dracotok, this song will need no introduction. i don't even think the lyrics fit but i now have such a strong association between draco malfoy and this song, it needed to be there in this chapter.

This Is What Makes Us Girls by Lana Del Rey: i feel like this is a lesser-known Lana song, but it's haunted me for years. i think there's a vibe of "for us girls, it's just the way wars are fought" in that song. and, with this chapter being the one where we find out about pansy, i couldn't not include it.

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons: i've always felt like this was such a castles song overall, but struggled to find a good spot for it in the playlist. and then, i don't know. i feel like this moment after malfoy tells harry the truth and when he's having his tirade about systems just... works. this is a song that to me, represent the both of them, actually. i'll never wear your broken crown, i'll never be your chosen one. for malfoy, it's realising just that - he's not the chosen one. for harry, it foreshadows what's to come with alecto.

Mr. Sandman by SYML: okay, i cannot possibly explain this but i very strongly associate this song with the vibe of draco in prison, and that last scene. it's bizarrely haunting, and i think fits the mood perfectly.

Wrecked by Imagine Dragons: this song is one of those songs about grief that are maybe a bit one the nose but idk, i like it. i listened to it loads the summer it came out, and it inspired me to bring giulia back in this chapter. so there you go haha.

In Your Heart by The Franklin Electric: this is a song i love and i've listened a lot, but again, one that i couldn't really find a good place for in the playlist. but i was looking for a song to cover sort of the alecto/kingsley era of this chapter and i think it's perfect. it's vague enough that it could be about anything, and generally it's very much about guilt and substance abuse, and feeling lost, and very "in your head" which fits the bill. the beginning in particular really speaks to me: it's your fault, when your pride grows thicker than your skin, it's burning up like oxygen. and also this: the teachers never told you about reasonable doubt. i think it very much resonates with harry making that awful decision in that moment, and the guilt/unease that flows from it.

Foundations by Kate Nash: ah, do i even need to explain this one? this article was making the rounds a while back and it's So On Point. this song is an anthem to the breakdown of that first adult relationship you have with a boy that's a dickhead and this is mia's anthem. she deserves it. my fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundations and i know that i should let go, but i can't. i feel like this is so representative of that moment where everything points towards mia leaving him, but instead she asks him to come with her. darling, you deserve so much better!

People Help The People by Birdy: i was looking for a song to cover the memorial and i think this one (this version in particular) is just so beautiful. there's something very breathy and airy and the lyrics really resonate. the ups and downs of the verses v. the chorus of people helping people. give me your hand and i'll hold it is also building towards the hinny moment later. i really love this here.

Tobacco In My Sheets by Lauren Aquilina: god, i've loved and listened to this song so much. to me, it's the ginny&molly song. i've also hesitated on placement, it could have been earlier when molly and ginny were fighting, or later in 22, but ultimately, that scene with the hug is what i'm choosing. this song breaks my heart into a million pieces every time i hear it.

Higher by Lily Allen: ugh. this is probably one of my old time favourite lily songs. it took me a long time to understand it, listen to an interview when she was explaining this was written from the POV of her ex-husband. there's something so tragic about it, but i also really like the conflictual-ness of it, the one-upping each other which is a little bit what harry and ginny are doing for part of their conversation. there's also harry's unrelenting, unyielding attitude towards ginny's fuck ups, both tolerating them, but also making it clear that it needs to stop. it's your life, i said i'd never let you waste my time, i said you'd never hear me say that twice. you crossed that line. i just fucking adore this song.

Delilah by Florence + The Machine: there's a complexity in that song of i'm gonna be free, i'm gonna be fine, but also holding on for your call, i can never let go that i feel is very much the dichotomy of ginny in this chapter. the certainty and confidence but also the vulnerability of her conversation with harry at times.

Supernatural by Barns Courtney: i kind of see this song also as a transition into next chapter. one last time, let you back into my head - to me, it's harry and ginny sort of dancing around each other like they do in the of that conversation. want-me-want-me-not. they both do it at times, and especially harry in the next chapter, and i think it's a good song to launch the next part.

I'm Not A Saint by Billy Raffoul: this song has strong castles!harry vibes - at least for that era of his life lol. i kind of both see it as the opening song for the whole alecto mess, but also as an anthem for the whole chapter. i've one too many cigarettes, burning off my tongue, and the chorus of i'm not a saint but i could be if i tried is very harry/mia.

Lap Dance by Ycare: i fucking love this song. literally, i see it as the harry&hermione dancing scene song. more figuratively, it's harry dancing around with mia and ginny hot-and-cold-ing harry.

Trigger Bang (feat. Giggs) by Lily Allen: another of my favourite lily songs ever - i remember it came out as one of the early releases on no shame and i fucking gasped when i first heard it, i think it's my favourite song on the album. i actually listened to that album a lot while writing act 2 of castles; it's an album that deals a lot with addiction and messing up, which obviously is very much ginny's arc at that point. particularly, this song inspired the party thing where ginny says she'll avoid the party because (in other words), it's triggering to her. i was trying to find an excuse for the "one time they didn't meet" to fit with the theme of the chapter, and that song is what inspired me to write the whole party subplot, actually. that's why i can't hang with the cool gang, everyone's a trigger bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.

The List by Maisie Peters: i love the successions of these two songs because they kind of build off on each other. it's new resolutions and turning a page, which is very much what ginny does here.

July by Noah Cyrus: ugh. self-explanatory. this is the most mia song ever. leave him. just leave him (spoiler alert, she can't).

Double Denim - the one to cry to at 3am by SKYLAR: another massive ugh. mia, stop falling for the bad boys. and harry, you are this song in this chapter. this song also have some of my favourite lyrics by SKYLAR ever, which apply so well in this context: mister, mister, if she's like a sister, why did you kiss her? what? to be polite? but aphrodite don't go kiss athena so why d'you kiss her? just, out of spite?

Back To Black by Amy Winehouse: ah, amy, my love. another victim of the tabloid press. i've always seen this song as mia's break-up song, and the title of the paris fic is taken from back to black. he left no time to regret, kept his dick wet, with his same old safe bet. baby, mia, my dear, i'm so sorry.

BLIZZARD by Fauve: there's this meme on french tiktok right now that's like: "the kids who used to passionately listen to Fauve in the summer on 2015, how are you all doing??" 😅 not well is the answer to that question lmao. jokes aside, for anyone not familiar, Fauve were a bit of a musical concept back in the day, and they have a lot of slam/rap songs about love and mental health and stuff that were very #deep but sure look, i still fucking love them. and, this song is so castles!hinny, it's very much about taking a leap and believing in the future, which is the sort of trajectory they're choosing for each other at the end of this chapter. tu nous entends l'amour, tu nous entends? Si tu nous entends, il faut qu'tu reviennes parce qu'on est prêts maintenant, ca y est. on a déconné c'est vrai mais depuis on a compris, et là, on a les paumes ouvertes avec notre coeur dedans, il faut qu'tu l'prennes et qu'tu l'emmènes 🥹

Que tout s'danse by Noé Preszow: this song is another of those songs that are incredibly important to castles and have really shaped the narrative of the fic. it basically says "you tell me anyone can dance through everything". it's a song about love and resilience and fucking up, and really was essential to the whole hinny arc in part 2. it has these lyrics about "i know it doesn't seem like it but i need to be laughed at, i need anonymous letters accusing me of all crimes" - to me it speaks to the very thesis of why harry chooses ginny: because she challenges him and makes him a better person. but, in my head, this song is also a war song, and a castles song. it's very linked to the trials arc of part 2, which also concludes in this chapter. in the song, the lyrics state: tu me dis que tout s'danse, même la gêne, même la haine, même l'errance. Que tout s'danse, la solitude, l'état de siège, l'état d'urgence. that last part, basically translating to "you can dance through anything, a siege or a state of emergency" is a direct reference to the state of emergency that was declared after the bataclan attacks in paris in 2016. as i've said before, i drew a lot of inspiration from the bataclan trials for castles, which were ongoing as i was writing, and from the bataclan attacks in general, which had a massive impact on my life and in part, motivated me to write castles. it's a gorgeous song, and one that has been in the playlist from the very start of this journey.

Friends (The Way I Wrote It) by Ian McConnell: i don't think i need to explain this one. it's the very last of the harry/mia song. it's cute and sad and weirdly perfect.

Paris by The Chainsmokers: i listened to this song a lot whilst writing chapter 15/16 and i couldn't help but feel like i had to include it somewhere. at first i was like "this has got to be mia related because it's paris," but ultimately, i think it's a very hinny-in-chapter-16 song. you'll see anyway that this whole chapter is pretty much one travel-related song after the other (lol), so here's the first one of many haha. i love the "let's show them we are better" and "if we go down, let's go down together" - it's very them and is also a good transition between 15 and 16.

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls: i really struggled with this chapter regarding whether or not to include the muggle songs that are referenced in the text into the playlist. in the end, i decided not to, apart from this one and the Manu Chao one (see below). i don't think stuff like the real slim shady or wannabe or Dido are particularly relevant to this story, but this one is just so perfectly cliché and great for Ron & Hermione - i just had to include it.

Caravane by Raphaël: i know, i know. if you're french, you can't stand this song anymore cause it's been so overplayed, think: james blunt's you're beautiful. BUT it is a beautiful song. and, it's: harry and ginny leaving. being free. just the two of them. 🥹

Young as the Morning Old as the Sea by Passenger: i just love this song, it's gorge. but yeah, just another travel song in fairness ^^.

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman: so, funnily enough, this song was supposed to be a song harry and ginny danced to at the wedding. i took it out because all things considered, it's not a super hopeful song. but just now, i was looking for song to cover their first fight in misty village and like, idk. i love the metaphor in this, the way the first few pages of the trip (and the first few songs) are very happy-go-lucky and "yaay! we're going on an adventure" but then this one is like: is the adventure really a happy ending? it follows the hopeful beginning of this song and the more tragic end, almost. also this one and the previous one are very guitar-based, so they go well together.

Renegades by X Ambassadors: aaaaaand, they're back on the road lol.

The Seer's Tower by Jamie Cullum: this is a cover of a Sufjan Stevens song but Jamie Cullum's version fucking haunts me. i think it fits so well the low-key tension that exists between harry and ginny in that part of the chapter, around chicago and the midwest, where they're actually talking and making progress but also, everything's a bit complicated. i just adore this. and, obviously, the title of the song is a reference to Sear's Tower in chicago, which harry and ginny visit.

Bongo Bong by Manu Chao: aaaaaand, we're back on the road lol. with this quintessential european 90s song lol.

Sword from the Stone by Passenger: this is probably one of my top three passenger songs and the only "covid" song i can tolerate lol. i was sort of looking for a place for it in castles and then it hit me while making the playlist for this chapter. it's got that sort of desperation to it and that "i can't do it alone" and the ups and downs that are. very symptomatic of harry and ginny in this chapter. to me, this is really representative of the lead up to their final fight and of the fight itself.

It's Called: Freefall by Paris Paloma: this is a cover version which you probably already heard if you're on tiktok - it really inspired this chapter, and particularly the grand canyon moment.

What Is Love? by The Red Pill & Alan Watts: a bit the same as the above, i just love the text and it really symbolises that idea of taking a leap and believing in love for the two of them.

LETTRE A ZOÉ by Fauve: this is probably my favourite Fauve song and to me it so symbolises the vibe of the grand canyon aftermath, the very early, exciting stages of a reconciliation. it's such a beautiful song and i think it transitions wonderfully into the new "stage" of castles.

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa by FINNEAS: this is the era/chapter of love songs, lol. i love this one, it's so happy and symbolic of the first half of this chapter - harry and ginny enjoying the honeymoon phase haha.

Room Service by Holly Humberstone: i can't recall how i first heard this song but i always thought it had such hinny undertones of that era in castles, covering both this chapter but also the one before - this quietness of a refuge found in bedrooms and hotel rooms just the two of them. the love that transpires. i am burying the things that hurt you. i'm digging holes in the garden, babe, i made a tomb to put them in - everything. i also love the part that goes 'cause you've lost too much sleep for one lifetime - that really speaks to the two of them and their nightmares.

Rosie by Passenger: another cosy song for this cosy chapter. funny story but passenger said he wrote that song as a lullaby for his cat who was scared of the storm. it's a beautiful ballad about not worrying and being protected. i adore this song, it always gives me hope and feels whenever i hear it.

Party Tattoos by dodie: continuing with the cosy feeling, but this song is also about social anxiety and taking leaps of faith to actually do things, which i think speaks to harry and ginny finally enjoying themselves in this chapter. that being said, i mostly picked this song for this iconic line: they're not bruises, they're just party tattoos. that really spoke to me in this chapter, not in the context of the song specifically, but more in the context of the "bruises" and "wounds" that harry and ginny are working to heal together, and this concept that they're not bruises, they're just party (or maybe life) tattoos. i love that idea and the metaphor, which is why i included the song here.

Petite Marie by Francis Cabrel: and, again, we finish with a love song. probably one of the most beautiful of all. sorry for those who don't speak french, you're missing something. je viens du ciel et les étoiles entre elles ne parlent que de toi. (i come from the sky and amongst themselves, the stars only speak of you.)

#castles

26 notes · View notes