#obviously there was a lot more music arin listened to back then too but these are the ones that were Always On Repeat

[little-flame-prince]

POV: This is your third school in as many years. At least you aren't homeless anymore. You haven't slept most of the night because you woke up to find a strange and terrible god staring at you, and besides, you had homework to do. You cover the dark circles around your eyes with cosmetic dark circles - cheap burgundy eyeshadow and thick black eyeliner. You got beat up in the locker room at least once a week, but it's whatever. People also keep touching your hair because it's "so long" or something, and you're starting to be an asshole to them about it. You think you might have some Severe Mental Health Issues, and also you're pretty sure you're a man, but those are things to wait until college to worry about. You subsist entirely on carrot sticks, celery, grapefruit juice, Russian Caravan, and hot sauce. You got into several Ivy-Leagues but you can't afford to go so you've already resigned yourself to community college. You once fell through the kitchen floor and sprained your ankle and had to walk several miles to the doctor on it. You only take cold showers and boil water over the stove to wash dishes because your house hasn't had heat in years. More popular girls in your history class are surprised and impressed to discover you're more sexually experienced than they are, and the boys like that you've got the proportions of Jessica Rabbit. You're either a teachers pet or the teachers cannot stand you, there is no in between. You have a tenuous grip on reality and are starting to suspect you're a changeling, or something else inhuman. You pull out a battered second-hand iPod and listen to these songs on the long walk home from Chess Club. AKA "Songs Arin Was Really Weird About In High School"

[the-kipsabian]

Please do this at your convenience but like. Can you put me together a playlist of what you consider to be Danny's best vocals? Or his best work in general? Nsp, starbomb, skyhill? I just want a good starting place

dude, honestly tho? i would be absolutely honored to do this

k so aaaAAAA lets start with. skyhill i guess since thats the first one on the line? (technically i think northern hues is the first band he was in that published stuff but i havent listened to it myself so i dont knoooow anything about it other than what i just read from a comment on a youtube video and that is that it definitely sounds like the kind of music dan would have made in his stoner days which probably was true lol)

skyhill has a lot of really good chill songs tho? i personally really love ‘the city as you walk’ and ‘black & white’ the most i think - both are like lyrically really nice to listen to and the chorus especially in black & white is just hnggg. its so good tbh. but really any skyhill songs are good! they arents. as advanced vocally as his later stuff obviously, since this band is like. 12 years old at this point at least but its nice chill stuff with honestly really nice but simple lyrics if you want some good stuff to listen to as a break from all the dick jokes and whatnots that nsp and starbomb have to offer tho!

starbomb is honestly a bit more difficult tho cause its like. much more arin-heavy with the raps and such? but! lets not have that fool us cause there are still plenty of quality songs with pretty vocals by dan tho! ..also hahaa i think its needless to say but hey heres a heavy nsfw warning for these songs

‘mega marital problems’ is a personal favorite, mostly cause dan does like. three different voices in this one? and its hilarious. also if you listen in the chorus parts, you can hear the layered singing he does and its honestly just so good mmmm

‘crasher-vania’ i feel like im gonna betray myself if i dont put this on the list for multiple reasons. 1. its EASILY the most popular song on the album. 2. its freaking fantastic, with the story and the lyrics. 3. the chorus, again? (as dan most often did the chorus work on the first album!) it sounds beautiful and especially in the second chorus, you can hear him emoting it out with the lyrics. 4. the background music. if you stop to listen to it, its honestly so good? like, its very simple, yes, but it works and it just sounds awesome. always brings a smile on my face to listen to those tasty keyboard jams ~

im gonna add ‘regretroid’ here too, as its a personal favorite too. but also his voice. goes so high? and it sounds nice?? also this song is just banging with a female feature vocalist! which is real nice!!

as for the second starbomb album! im separating it a little cause woo the boys honestly improve a lot between the albums (which is crazy cause theres only like. a year? year and a half at max? between these two albums so i cant even think how good the third one is gonna sound with five years between albums and how good current nsp sounds lol)

‘smash!’ i gotta mention cause its like. the single song from the album i feel like? also cause mark is in it! and they all sound rad and yeah it doesnt have exactly too much singing but what it has sounds. so freaking good tho mmmmm i lov

‘glass joe’s title fight’ is a must on this tho cause like. this is the one starbomb song thats so much more sing than rap heavy and hngggg its so good

‘god of no more’ okay but. dans vocals in this are gorgeous. and its a super fun song too. so its a win-win

and as a personal favorite, im just gonna throw ‘robots in need of disguise’ here cause i love this song. no other reason really lol

and thennnnn we arrive to the glory that is ninja sex party! i could be a little shit and just say to listen to all lol, but im gonna try to pick things here and there among my favorites! trying to also go by album order with these ~ also nsfw warning for this but idk what you expect with a band called ninja sex party tho

‘nsp theme song’ i mean. come on. you gotta start somewhere so lets go with this lol. and its hilarious (and kinda cute but maybe thats just me lol) and the lyrics are just. well what you’d expect with the name of the song. its very simple vocal-wise, but other than that, grade a stuff tho

‘dinosaur laser fight’ is just a classic, so here you go. its wonderful and weird and animated by arin so aaaaaa!

..also i wanna add ‘objects of desire’ here cause this song is like. lyrical genius tbh. its fucking weird but its also like a ballad so theres some nice vocal stuff here too so yay. thingssssss

‘unicorn wizard’ i honestly wouldnt be true to myself if i didnt add my FIRST nsp song to this list, the one that got me listening to these fools cause mmm. this song is ridiculous and but also lyrics? are so good?? idk how that combo works out but it does and its beautiful. also dannys vocals in the chorus are mmmmm. so solid

‘fyi i wanna f your a’ im not even ashamed to say this is one of my faves tbh. its just. the glorious kind of weird and this is like one of my favorite examples of how well these nerds write lyrics tho? also such a hard song to learn the lyrics tho, but its so worth it, trust me lol. aLSO DAN HARMONIES IN THE SECOND PART GIVE ME SO MUCH LIFE HOLY SHIT

‘let’s get this terrible party started’ gets a special mention cause of the badass jams tbh. also the lyric ‘its a ninja sex party party’ gets me every fucking time. even after five years of listening to this song lol

oooof attitude city is so hard to pick just few songs from tho aaaa. but, as ive done about three from every album so far, lets try that with this one too. tho honestly just. listen to the entirety of attitude city its so good mmm. but. lets start with what i personally feel is the most underrated song on the album, ‘peppermint creams’. i dont think i need to say more than holy shit the emotions tho? especially in the chorus cause mmm. my heart

‘attitude city’ gets here too tho cause like. im personally very nostalgic for this song as it was the first real hype i had for the album so yeah. also its honestly just a really good song. also the video. includes dancing. and we all should know how i feel about dan dancing so mmmMMM im biased as shit i admit it

‘cookies!’ i wanna put this here cause it shows the how stupidly versatile these nerds are with their songs, cause this is badass and silly cute at the same time and hngg. also visually? demon!dan is way too much of a guilty pleasure. judge me all you want i donT CARE

..also i just gotta mention ‘samurai abstinence patrol’ cause of the vocal work. and just cause this song was in progress for four years before this final form and its beautiful honestly. also ‘danny french kissed a girl like he was the king of versailles’ will never get old to me gosh

I SWEAR IM DONE WITH ATTITUDE CITY AFTER THIS but also ‘6969′ is a must to mention. its an eight and half minute song but its just. amazing at everything. beautiful jams and awesome vocals. its gorgeous tbh, a masterpiece

‘cool patrol’. first of all cause apparently i “traumatized” one of my friends by making him watch the video to this and yeah. this is vocally one of my absolute favorites from them tho, dan sounds amazing in both styles, and its just. so positive and cute and aaaaa. its just such an uplifting song i love it

‘danny don’t you know’ cause this one made my cry the first few times i listened to it and its just. so relatable. also fucking beautiful vocals tho and yes the lyrics are personal which makes it even more emotional song. hnggg i love this so much tho cause it just. goes from kind of a ballad to a more of a rock song and its amazing. development similar to the story its telling

‘first date’ i mean. i gotta put my current fave song of theirs here, right? RIGHT? personally i love this cause its just a positive song, in a way i guess, but it stays true to the original nsp style and the lyrics are just perfect for their song about dating tbh. especially with how it just keeps getting gradually weirder and weirder. its just perfection hnggg i love this song. so much. god its so good (honestly tho if you give me a lyric like ‘i’ll take you back to your place and we’ll craft the perfect alibi’ idk how you expect me, a thriller writer, not to absolutely love this song to hell and back)

‘courtship of the mermaid’ idk how you expect me to make a list without this. the emotions in the vocals of this song are beautiful and its, again, hilariously absurd. as a mermaid princess i highly approve of this song

‘mansion party’ its so sad there will probably never be a video of this song cause they want to film it in an actual mansion and so far they havent mentioned that they got a chance to do that so mmmm. cause this song is so fucking banging it deserves a video honestly. the chorus is like. one of the few things in this world that makes me wanna dance. and also theres so many genius lyrics in this that its just pure gold all the way through tbh (also how do you smoke champagne? asking for a friend)

one more i swear, but the whole cool patrol album is so good hngg. but! ‘smooth talkin’’! in all of its absurdity is a must to listen to. its just what the title says, about how smooth danny is with talking to ladies. im not gonna explain more just. it goes as well as you’d expect at this point

..this is already super long but hey did you know we are still missing the two cover albums tho??

‘everybody wants to rule the world’ this one makes me wanna cry every single time. its so nice and emotional and just. a+ vocals. its just beautiful

‘subdivisions’ idk what it is really with this song but these lyrics just fit together with dan’s voice so well its just. hnggg so gorgeous? i mean it might be cause its a rush song but also yeah. its so good

‘africa’ i mean i already told you, but his vocals are so nice in this and they fit into the style of the song so well. plus africa is a beautiful song to begin with so its a win-win really

‘pour some sugar on me’ cause oh boy my pal isnt this song just banging mmmmmmMMMMM

and for the finale! ‘heat of the moment’! like. everything about this song is just really good okay? the vocals and especially the music itself is like mmm i love it?? also the cowbell. idk what it is with that in this song, but it just. it sounds so good with dan’s vocals and aaaaa

..have i rambled enough? is this a good list?? literally just mmm anything from any of these bands is a good listen, these are just mostly my personal faves or what i feel like would be the best representations of what they are about!

[kaioumichiru]

extremely personal oh my girl post :)

Very Very Personal!!! And Emotional!!!

tw death suicide disordered eating etc :) 

OMG mean so much to me. It’s hard to think about the past (almost) 4 years with them and not think about everything that’s gone on in my life in that time. I remember so vividly when I first really listened to Cupid, someone very important to me that is no longer in my life shared it with me and of course it was the ONE how could you not hear it and fall in love. I just listened to Oh My Girl (mini) and Gfriend on loop. I remember it so clearly because it was within a week or so of a giant change in my life. I fucked up my legs, was diagnosed as bipolar2 for the first time, and moved out from my parents house. It was the last happy few days for a long time. 

Windy Day was my next like huge moment with them. That same friend was cat sitting nearby and I stayed with her for a lot of it because we were best friends! and life was hard. So many things happened during those few weeks too, I realized a shift in the relationship with the friend and I found out that my dad was going to die. Windy Day inspired me so much as an artist and as a girl (I’m grown but I feel like a girl, u Know? they say 30 is adulthood now), it made me stronger, honestly. Walking from the pet sitting house to my own, going back to the stressful horrible situation there, with dad in a hospital bed in our living room, I had a moment listening to it where it all felt like a dream. Like the way the song moves, the wind moved too, and I felt very strong. Both with Cupid and WD there are so many painful feelings and benchmarks but they still make me so incredibly happy. I’m one of those people who associate things HARD like any other music that reminds me of that friend I’m like GET OUT OF MY FACE! And I basically stopped listening to 1D + E MO TION because after my lovely Cupid week, that’s what I listened to to get me through hell. 

During that time, my 1D Hell Era, I lived away from my family for the first time, in a house with two casual friends who were 5-7 years older than me I think. They had been living there for a couple years and I just felt like a total intruder. I got to the point where I would wait til they left to leave my room to eat or bathe and I tried to be as quiet as possible when they were home. I never fully moved in, leaving some furniture on my old (current) room at home, and it all just felt so awful. I have a lot of substance abuse related trauma and my housemates, while responsible, did a lot of drugs and there was one big party that was just way too much for me to handle. During the Cupid Weeks I had a huge dog walking accident and could barely walk for days and was just starting a new job. I of course could not do much work, got a doctors note and all that, and so work was a huge huge emotional stresser. I was already causing so much trouble being unable to do everythign I was supposed to that I couldn’t do anything wrong and just spent all day fantasizing about killing myself. Some more personal shit I won’t tell a soul too but it was just such a nightmare. I really think I fucked up my body from not eating much then and taking so many painkillers for my leg, now it’s all so much harder than it used to be. In the last month or so of me living there I would spend a lot of time at my family’s home in my old room because I was afraid that I would kill myself. I never really felt that way before and have been feeling that again recently for the first time since. I got fired because I didn’t have an updated doctors note and couldn’t do anything. I was so miserable I couldn’t look for a new job seriously and everything required a car or lifting heavy things. I was totally paralyzed and so I had to go home. I have not had a real job since. I think this was the worst period of my life and I have had some pretty bad periods. 

So All That to say that when Jine had her whole thing I felt, of course awful. She is the most funny, cute, charming person and seeing her live her dream of being an idol was so lovely!! I still love her a lot, I know a lot of keuris want to let her be but she was “JinE” and I will always cherish JinE while supporting Hyejin. ANYWAY!!! Mental illness is bad. Duh. I can’t work, I quit school, I lost friends and don’t do the things that matter to me nearly as much as I want, need, am supposed to do and I hate myself for it. Everyone has problems and they still work and support themselves and their families, why can’t I just get it together? Why am I so weak and lazy and shitty? Obviously I don’t really believe that, because I would never say that about another person, but I can’t help but feel it every day constantly. Jine is like a pillar or beacon or something to me like, I love her and stand by what she had to do for herself and her health. People who said mean things about her or the other members, that they were moving on without her or didn’t care about her or whatever made me so angry because that’s not how it works. But why is it that I can’t feel so strongly about myself as I do about Jine? Though it’s so awful to know she’s gone through this kind of thing, it’s really uplifting? something? to know that she’s living the life that she needs to live, that she quit her job because it wasn’t safe for her, and that’s most important. A bit after dad died our fridge stopped working right around Coloring Book and oh my god everything was so STRESSFUL. It feels like everything just always gets worse! But when we were finally able to replace it and mom and I were cleaning behind the broken one, I found a little toy dolphin in bright pink. I cried a lot after finding her because Duhhhh,,, it became my good luck charm and a reminder to love and support myself as I love Shin Hyejin. To do that 10x more. 

Though I’m struggling a lot, there haven’t really been any huge changes or impactful moments as there were in the first half of Oh My Girl and Shoutout The Universe. But I got to see them this year, finally, and that was its own pivotal moment. A lot of firsts, a lot of feelings, a lot of me being a grown ass person sobbing to the point where the members noticed lol. Seeing them was one of the happiest moments of my life. Maybe next year I’ll share about one of the important aspects of that! But those are the big moments that OMG have intertwined with my own life. 

I’m so tired now after this oh my god I just saw hyejin’s instagram translation... hrggghhhhh 

BUT!!! AS IDOLS!!! AS AN IDOL FAN!!!! I love them so much for who they are, what OMG is. They’re so talented and impressive. In their first year so many people were like THE RAPPER IS GOOD ?????? and loved the song and now I see so many people love them in the way I love them and it warms my heart so much.. Seunghee is in my opinion, and i am a genius anel from heaven, the best idol singer out there. Her range and power and emotion are so stunning and I’m so excited for her to get the love she’s always deserved. Their performances are so good, they put so much into it always. Ok one concert anecdote. At the aformentioned weeping like an idiot I was doing at the concert, Yooa noticed and did a lil (cry cry) move and obvs it’s just a little thing but immediately after that portion of the show she left because she wasn’t feeling well. She had to skip out on most of the goodbye part and didn’t do the fanmeet but she still put everything into her performance and everything into the fans. I just love her and all of them so much!!!!! It’s been such a nice journey with them, to see them grow so much and to grow alongside them. I thought that my time having that kind of relationship with idols was over, it just belonged to shinee and IU, but looking back at all this horrible shit, I see that OMG is that for me now! Arin’s so grown up and stunning elegant talented and Hyojung graduated college!! I was just going to gush about how good they are as idols but I’m kind of still stuck on the past 4 years and what they’ve done for me.. I’m excited for the next 4. 

If you read this, thank you very much. It lost me but its 7am and I haven’t slept so wvr. If you’ve known me in the past 4 years thank you and if you’ve felt something good for oh my girl thank you!!!! 

[idontneednofuckinhug]

Music drought recommendations I – Soulful rap and Neo-soul

So, the past few weeks I’ve had a fair share of acquaintances and friends share with me, that they’ve been in a bit of a musical drought recently, especially with the whole lockdown scenario, where a lot of musicians postponed their upcoming projects. I’ve been asked things like “Do you have any song or album recommendations like x”, “What should I listen to that sounds like x” and “I’ve not heard anything new lately, can you help out with some music recommendations?”. Truth be told, I’ve been on somewhat of a drought by my standards as well, as I’ve been rediscovering projects from the early 2010s I forgot I had listened to and found a few really underground artists. I’m talking less than 5k listens on a lot of their music.

I’ve helped out all of my friends who asked me about it and I figured since there’s a fair chance a lot of people are going through a similar drought, I might as well write a few posts with which I can help out anyone who’s looking for some new shit to listen to.

The first post I’m writing will be about albums or artists than have a laid-back, soulful sound – if you like new Tyler, Anderson. Paak or even some of Brockhampton’s music, then this will be a piece with music recommendations which you might enjoy. I’ll be looking at some more commercial albums and also some more low-key projects, so that you can have music to share with your friends, as well as songs to jam to on the low-low. Obviously I recommend the artists I’m sharing’s whole discographies, but these albums in particular might be the right vibe for your tastes.

Mac Miller – The Divine Feminine You can’t talk about Anderson. Paak and not mention his feature in Mac Miller’s Dang! In general the Divine Feminine in its majority is an incredibly soulful and groovy album, combining lyrical ability with romantic and sexy production. The project puts you through the whole array of love-related emotions and leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia of all of your previous romantic encounters.

Arin Ray – Platinum Fire Arin Ray’s debut album combines modern R&B with elements of funk and deep sexy saxophones with which the artist paints a setting of a 60s blues piano bar, in which everyone can’t help themselves to not dance. The record at some points builds up and explodes with soulful energy before again fading out to a more lax, vintage-feeling blues sound.

Knxwledge – 1988 Knxlwedge has been one of the best producers in the past decade when it comes to using and twisting soulful samples to paint a picture of nostalgia. The tape has a very warm energy surrounding it with the producer’s signature smoothness defining it as a typical “Knxwledge project”. What differs this record from a lot of similarly produced ones is Knxwledge’s approach to the human voice – the way he twists and pitches it to create emotions with it.

Childish Major – Dirt Road Diamond Not a debut record, but another debut studio album, Childish Major’s music combines hip-hop with jazz in a very somber manner. Exploring the topics of lost love, falling for the wrong people and intimate downfalls from the outwardly appearance of a very posh-looking guy, Childish crafts a very honest and self-reflective record, painting a vivid picture of falling down and getting up again.

BJ The Chicago Kid - 1123 BJ has turned into a bit of a virtuoso of mixing modern neo-soul and R&B with vintage soul and funk. Creating a very relaxed and unbothered vibe for all of his projects, what makes him so different is the way he uses his voice to create a feeling: nonchalant, but emotionally engaged; zoned out, but in his feelings; humble and welcoming, but demanding attention. In 1123 the singer shows that you need not do anything else than be yourself.

Noname – Room 25 I’ve talked about this album in the past, but I think it’s always deserving of being talked about to be fair. Noname’s a poet first and a rapper second and you can hear that on Room 25 – surrounded and often overwhelmed by jazz and neo-soul samples, Noname talks about the challenges and experiences of being a modern woman, as well as being a modern black woman. Very heavily focusing on telling the story of her life, sometimes it feels like she’s rambling to a friend, bordering on the annoying, but never actually annoying you, rather making herself more human and relatable.

Klassik – QUIET The most unknown record from these recommendations Klassik created a very retrospective neo-soul record in which he reflects on all of his previous actions in his life so far. The record’s general vibe is that of a person trying to find inner peace and accept himself for who he is, he just wants it all to be QUIET for a moment. The album is reminiscent of those late nights, where you’re by yourself at home, listening to music and wondering why you are where you are.

Duckwrth – IM UUGLY Always a bit of an oddball in LA’s contemporary hip-hop scene, Duckwrth created an album which was a very creative twist on conscious rap. The record seemingly feels very incohesive, but at the same time fitting together well. The concept of the album being looking at all your flaws and accepting them with a smile or even, fittingly, with humor, the production on IM UUGLY is a mixed bag of jazzy, poppy, soulful, funky and even more typical hip-hop beats. Duckwrth has a lot of fun on the record, whilst still telling a relatable story and never appearing as too preachy, although there is a noticeable lack of polish in some songs.

If you find yourself liking some of the recommended projects, I’d also give a listen to records such as Ari Lennox’s Shea Butter Baby, Kota the Friends’s FOTO, Smino’s Blkswn and Overdoz’s 2008. Hopefully with all of this in mind, you won’t be feeling the need to ask your friends for any music recommendations any time soon!

[musicalravencreates]

Never Felt More Alive

So this is actually a full-fledged AU I’ve created where ghosts are attached to certain spaces via thier body. Because of Arin’s suicide and complete indifference to his previous body, he’s able to roam the public transit system without hindrance, while Dan is a Seer who desperately wishes he wasn’t. This is the only shit I’ve written on it, a very beginning.

The dead were drawn to Dan. He wasn't sure why. He wasn't exactly the most spiritual person he knew. He probably wouldn't have even given much thought to ghosts if he wasn't constantly trailed by them. It wasn't at all obvious why he was a magnet, and it frustrated him to no end.

Most times, he didn't even let them know he could see them. He'd perfected the ability to cross over them with his eyes and walk through them without shivering. And yet, somehow, it was like they knew. Eyes would search him out, immediately floating closer and trying to get his attention. Usually by yelling at him.

He'd tried to indulge them at first. As a young teenager, he thought it polite to at least try to talk to them. Make them feel less lonely. But when they realized he could see them, almost all of them wanted more. Wanted him to go to their loved ones, to find their killer, or even try to resurrect them. By this point in his life, he ignored them all. He still had to deal with angry yelling and a few scraps when he was unlucky enough to cross paths with a poltergeist, but he was used to it. As much as he could be, anyway.

Still, days like today were torture. He had been forced to ride the bus home, his car having broken down the night before. He'd been able to secure a ride to work this morning, but no one had been available this evening, leaving him with the worst possible option.

There were always ghosts on public transit. For those either murdered on board, those without a strong connection to their bodies or death spot, or just those without a body or death spot to claim anymore, public transit was the holy grail of entertainment.

Which is how Dan found himself at the mercy of a pissed off hulk of a man with a decent sized hole in his chest. From what, Dan had no idea. He was intent on turning up his music as loud as possible to drown out the man's ranting. Most of the other passengers were giving him annoyed looks as his music was likely loud enough to be blasting on a fucking club, but he just ignored them. They had no idea what he was dealing with here.

"Yo!" He heard someone shout. He kept his eyes locked firmly on his feet. He attempted to turn his music up automatically, but the volume was already maxed out. He grimaced at his phone. Piece of junk, he thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a form approach him, near the hulking guy. However, he stopped just short of the guy, as if aware of his presence. Dan didn't glance up now. Either the person was incredibly lucky to stop just shy of walking through the angry ghost, or, the more likely option, they were also a ghost. Which meant Dan was fucked. He gripped the phone tight in his hands. Ten more stops. Only ten more stops.

Suddenly, the music cut off with a burst of static and a loud whine. Dan cursed and tore the earbuds from his ears. A shock burst through his fingers, making him drop them completely.

"There!" The angry ghost boomed, sounding pleased with himself. "Now you can't ignore me, you little punk!"

"Dude, seriously, that's not cool." Another quieter, but firm voice said. "Just leave the guy alone."

Dan stared holes into his phone, watching the little marker inch forward. Only nine more stops. But without the music, it might as well be thirty. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could do this. Home was so damn close.

"Are you fucking serious?" The angry ghost shouted, turning. Dan snuck a quick peek at the new guy, a bit curious now that he was defending Dan for whatever reason. He was a decently built guy, with long brown hair and a beard. His arms were crossed and he had an annoyed look on his face. The small hole in the side of his head confirmed the ghost theory. Dan guessed some sort of small projectile. A bullet, or an arrow, or something.

"Did you think I was joking, dickhead?" He said, sounding strangely calm. "Attacking him is going to get you nowhere fast. He obviously doesn't want your attention and frankly, I don't blame him."

The angry ghost clenched his fists and glared hard at the new guy. Dan could feel the air prickle around him as his hair beginning to stand on end. His eyes widened. Oh shit. Shit shit shit. He was getting off the bus right fucking now.

He quickly yanked the cord to signal the driver, heart dropping when he saw the bus stop whizz past. Okay, don't panic. It won't take long for the next stop. He just had to keep this guy calm.

"H-hey." Dan squeaked, clearing his throat. The angry ghost turned back towards him, the energy around him still crackling. Dan swallowed hard.

"What?" He snapped, fingers flexing menacingly. The new guy glanced at Dan quizzically, as if he didn't notice the disaster waiting to happen here. Dan would ask him what the hell was wrong with him if he wasn't, well, preoccupied.

"I'm listening. What is it you needed?" Dan's voice shook more than he would have liked, but the word seemed to have the desired effect. He relaxed a bit, the energy becoming a lot less intense than a moment ago. Dan let out a small sigh of relief.

"Well, you can see me right?" The ghost asked, and he actually looked like he wanted an answer. Oh boy. Power and dumb is not a good combination, dammit. Although, if he could just get him to move...

Dan glimpsed the next bus stop coming closer and glanced quickly at the bus doors. The new guy followed his gaze and Dan could practically see the light bulb appear above his head. He didn't have time to acknowledge this, however, as the Hulk was expecting an answer.

"Yes, I can." He said, quickly, eyes flickering back to the doors as the bus began to slow. "But, you know," He glanced back at him and tried to sound as serious as he could. "I can only kind of see you. I'd see you better if you took a few steps back."

The Hulk blinked, eyes narrowing slightly. "Why?"

"Because!" The new guy interjected. "Seers are far-sighted. You're too close, so you're blurry. Step back so he can see you fully and then he can answer your questions so much easier."

Dan tried not to gape at him as if that wasn't the most ridiculous bullshit he'd ever heard. But, to his surprise, it worked. The hulk nodded and took a big step back, leaving a nice sized path to the door just as the bus stopped.

"Does this work?" The Hulk asked.

"Perfect," Dan said and bolted off the bus.

[musicalravencreates]

EgoBang Prompt: Arin and Dan used to be a couple in high school. They broke up sometime before graduation and never saw each other again. Many years later, at a high school reunion, they spot each other from across the room. (I'm so sorry I just love stuff like this *wheeze*)

This quickly spiraled into something much longer than intended. Oopsies. Also, a lot more angsty than expected. Thank you for sending in the prompt! A note: Arin and Dan graduated the same year and are both in their late twenties here.

Dan had a lot of regrets in his life. He regrets not pursuing his music like he really wanted growing up, listening to his parents’ advice instead and getting a job at a firm. He regrets drifting apart from them, only connecting with them during the holidays anymore. He regrets all the stupid shit he did while doing pot, mostly losing his job with said big firm, which stuck him in a dead-end, low-paying office job he hated. But his biggest regret, the one that has caused him the most pain throughout his lifetime, was standing just across the gymnasium, holding a cup of fruit punch.

Dan’s mouth was dry, and he quickly downed his own punch as he attempted to get past the sick feeling in his stomach. He didn’t want to talk to Arin. Hell, he didn’t even want to look at him. He tossed his cup into the nearest trash can and quickly searched for an exit. Since the refreshments table was right near the doors, it figured he had to be blocking the main exit. His only other choices were the fire exit or the bathroom window. Neither were the greatest of options, but he figured the bathroom window would be the quieter, and less douche-y, option.

Having made up his mind, Dan started making his way through the crowd of his former classmates. He gave a few nods to the ones he had already spoken to and some he hadn’t. He was so close, feet away from the restroom, when he heard a voice call out his name.

“Danny!” Ross called and Dan stopped, instinctively glancing towards Arin. His head had perked up, eyes searching the room. Dan quickly ducked behind a large inflatable palm tree, actually grateful at the moment for the stupid tropical theme. He leaned against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Dude, what’re you doing?” Dan turned his head to see Ross standing off to the side, staring at him with an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed. Dan shrugged.

“Enjoying the festivities?” He offered, gesturing vaguely in front of him. Ross scoffed.

“Sure. Did Jenny Fillmore get hands-y with you again? Is that why you’re trying to hide by the men’s room?” He asked, peering around the palm tree. “Cause she’s pretty distracted right now. No worries.”

“No, I-” He shook his head. "I just… I saw someone I didn’t want to talk to, is all.”

Ross blinked. “Wait, who? I mean, I know Jenny’s a handful, but I thought you got along with everyone in our year. That was literally your thing.”

Dan bit his lip, fingers automatically reaching up to toy with the ends of his hair. “I guess. Look, it’s no big deal. I don’t feel well, anyways. I’ll just go home and-”

“What?” Ross took a step forward, shaking his head. “No, you can’t leave. You just got here.” He narrowed his eyes, looking Dan up and down. “You were fine a minute ago. Who was it? Did they just get here?” Ross started to peer around the palm tree again and Dan grabbed at him.

“No, Ross, just-”

“Oh,” Ross said and Dan slumped back. Dammit. He glanced back at Dan, smirking slightly now. Fucking dammit. “It’s Hanson, isn’t it?”

“No,” Dan snapped, face heating up. Ross’ smirk only widened.

“Oh really? So you won’t mind if I called him over here, then?” Ross made a move to step towards the crowd and Dan’s hand shot out, grabbing onto his arm.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Dan growled.

“Yeesh, calm down.” Ross peeled his hand off his arm, fixing his jacket. “I wasn’t actually going to do it. I’m not that much of a dick.”

Dan frowned, slumping back against the wall and closing his eyes. “Yeah, sorry. I just-” He sighed and rubbed his face. “It’s been ten years since we last spoke. And the last time we spoke…” He trailed off, nausea back to clawing at his insides. He swallowed hard, shaking his head. “I just wanna go home, man.”

“You can’t avoid him forever, Dan,” Ross said, voice soft. Dan opened his eyes to find Ross’ smirk gone, replaced with a look of pity. Dan looked away, fingers tugging at a curl by his ear.

“I can’t talk to him, Ross. He won’t want me too, anyway,” Dan said, giving a half-hearted shrug. “It’s not worth it.”

“You were in love with the guy. Sounds pretty worth it to me.”

“Yeah well, things change.” Dan stood up and gave Ross a hard look. “Excuse me. I need to use the bathroom.”

“Dan,” Ross started but he shoved past him, pushing the door to the men’s room open and letting it slam behind him with a satisfying boom.

The only other man in there, some long-haired dude with a crop top on he’d never seen before, gave him a frightened look before hurrying out the door. Dan glanced after him, unsure if he had just frightened someone into running away.

Shrugging it off, he walked over to the sink. He leaned against the white marble, leather jacket crackling as he leaned forward. His eyes looked tired. Frankly, that’s all he felt these days. Tired of his job. Tired of the same dates with the same kinds of people. Tired of the dismal mess his life has become. He’s so fucking tired.

He rubbed his face again, his forehead pressed against the glass. He really could just leave. Slip out the bathroom window and make up with Ross later. He would forgive him. He knew he would. Their friendship had survived worse. But, he knew/ if he left now, he’d regret it. And as tired as he was of his life, he was more tired of having regrets.

With strength he didn’t think he had, Dan stood up straight and stepped back up to the door. He closed his hand around the door handle, fingers digging painfully into the metal as he took a deep breath. He could do this. He had to. He went to pull the handle, when the door was suddenly pushed open from the other side, smacking him in the face.

He stumbled back, hand flying up to grab at his nose. He screwed his eyes shut, the pain flaring through his whole face as he felt blood start dripping on his hands. Shit, he really hoped it wasn’t broken.

“Oh fuck!” A voice said, obviously startled. “Oh shit, dude, are you okay?” He managed to force his eyes open slightly, squinting at the slightly blurry form in front of him. When he finally managed to grasp who it was, however, his eyes shot open fully, a curse ready on his lips.

Arin didn’t seem to catch on as fast. He stepped forward, making an aborted moment to reach for Dan’s face, before turning to the paper towel dispenser. “I’m so, so sorry. Is your nose alright? It’s bleeding pretty badly.” He snatched up a paper towel and held it out towards Dan, eyes scanning over his face for any other wounds. Dan swallowed hard, carefully taking the paper towel from Arin’s hand so as not to touch him, before switching it with his hand.

“I- Yeah, I’m alright,” Dan said, grimacing when a bit of blood fell on his bottom lip. “Could I get another?”

“Oh! Yeah, I got it.” He quickly swiped his hand back in front of the paper towel dispenser, grabbing at the towel impatiently. “Here. Really, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize someone was right there.” He shifted his weight, wringing his hands nervously as Dan awkwardly attempted to wipe his other hand off.

“It’s fine. No worries.” Dan was honestly impressed that he managed to keep his voice even, even as he felt the sudden need to throw up. He swallowed again, refusing to up end his lunch over this.

“So,” Arin said, watching Dan toss the bloodied paper towel in the trash. “I don’t remember you. Were you in the senior class? Or are you someone’s date?” He smiled warmly at Dan, which only made him feel worse. He glanced down, pressing the other paper towel tighter against his nose. More pain shot like a wave through his face and he grimaced.

“Yeah, I was in your year.” He said slowly. If he could drop dead now, it would be awesome. Anything to avoid talking to the boy who broke his heart so many years ago. Who didn’t even remember/ him? Boy, was that an indicator.

“Oh, you must have looked way different,” Arin said, chuckling as he gestured at him. “I don’t remember anyone as hot as you in my year.”

Dan yelped as his grip inadvertently tightened around his nose. His eyes watered from the pain, and he forced his hand to relax. Arin was flirting with him. Why the fuck was the universe so cruel.

He cleared his throat, waving away the obvious concern on Arin’s face. “I’m alright. Just touch the wrong part.”

“Should you go to the hospital?” Arin asked, stepping closer. “It looks pretty bad.”

Dan immediately took a step back, shaking his head. “No, it’s fine, Arin. I’m fine. It just feels bruised is all.”

Arin frowned, the worry in his eyes not abating. “Well, I still think you should get checked out. You could just not be able to tell.”

“Why don’t you let me decide that?” Dan snapped, instantly regretting it when Arin’s face dropped.

“I- you’re right, I’m sorry.” He swallowed, eyes flickering towards a stall before glancing back at Dan. “I’ll just-” He gestured back at the door instead, taking a step back. Dan quickly held up a hand, unable to stop himself.

“Arin, wait.” He licked his lips, trying to ignore the copper on his tongue as he spoke again. “You- You really don’t remember me?”

“Should I?” Arin asked, looking Dan up and down again. Dan felt his face start to heat up again. “What’s your name, again?”

Dan stared at him a moment, hand dropping to his side. He could barely form the words. Barely wanted to. “Dan. Dan Avidan.”

The moment Arin realized, Dan wanted to fall to his knees in relief. His eyes went wide, mouth dropping open just a little as his gaze swept over him yet again. This time, however, his gaze lingered on his face, tracing over his features with such careful precision it was if Arin was comparing them side by side. The giggly, carefree teenager versus the haggard, depressed young adult. He must look so different now, he realized. Not just his appearance, but his personality seemed to have done a complete 180. No wonder Arin hadn’t recognized him.

“Dan,” Arin said, voice full of this disbelieving wonder Dan wasn’t sure what to make of. He made a step back towards him, but Dan stepped back again. Arin’s frown came back quickly.

“Long time, no see,” Dan said, giving Arin a hesitant smile. Arin just stared at him again, as if he’d appeared out of nowhere. Dan cleared his throat, unable to hold Arin’s gaze for long. “So, you remember me now, I see?”

“You’re not someone I could forget,” Arin said, and Dan closed his eyes. This was exactly what he wanted, and that’s what made it so painful. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to open his eyes again and meet Arin’s.

“It sure seemed that way before.” He said like he knew he needed to. The wound of that night had left had never really properly healed. Even ten years couldn’t erase the look on Arin’s face as he told him they needed to break up. That they needed to focus on their own lives and not try to make this work.

“It’s not worth it.” Arin had said, eyes cold. “We need to live our lives. We can’t pretend this’ll still work while we’re off at college.”

“I don’t care!” Dan had yelled, voice breaking as the tears started to fall. “I love you, you idiot! It doesn’t matter to me if we were on opposite sides of the world! I want you.”

Dan could still feel the way his heart shattered in his chest when Arin had walked away from him. He half expected him to just turn around now. Abandon him like he had all those years ago. But Arin didn’t budge, his body seeming to sag with the weight of what he’d done to them. He swallowed, staring at Dan as if the words wouldn’t come to him. He swallowed again, fists clenching at his sides.

“I never forgot you,” Arin said, his voice rough. He shook his head. “I never could. You know how many times I wanted to call you? How desperately I wanted to ask you to take me back? My heart broke the day I left you.”

Dan dropped his hand from his nose, tossing the soaked paper towel in the trash. He turned back to Arin, fingers itching to hold onto him in some way. He shoved them in his pants pockets instead. “Then why did you?” His voice sounded small, even to him. He wasn’t bothering to hide his feelings anymore. The hurt and the pain was just falling out of him now. He was pretty sure he was going to start crying soon if this kept up.

“I thought,” Arin gestured absently at him. “You wouldn’t want to deal with it all. The pain of long distance. I thought it was better for us not to have to.” He took another step forward, but this time, Dan didn’t move. “I was wrong, Daniel.” Arin breathed, eyes wide and pleading. “I was so, so wrong. You can’t imagine how sorry I am I did this to us.”

“You’re not the only one who let it go, Arin,” Dan said with a sigh. “I ignored your calls. Pushed you away. I didn’t even give you the time of day after.”

“And I don’t blame you,” Arin said. “You didn’t deserve to have my stupid ass begging for your hand. It was pathetic.”

“A little bit, yeah,” Dan said, smiling slightly. Arin smiled back and Dan felt his stomach relax a little. “I- I missed you, you know.”

“I missed you too,” Arin said, pausing before gesturing at Dan’s face. “Well, I didn’t miss you earlier.”

Dan blinked, taking a moment for him to catch on. He snorted a laugh, grimacing when the pain hit again. “Shit, ow. Yeah, you hit me pretty good.”

“You sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” Arin asked, and Dan sighed.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve had worse.” He leaned back against the wall. “If you were attempting to knock me out, you suck at door fu, though.”

Arin’s smile widened. He held a hand over his heart. “You wound me, Avidan.”

“You started it, Hanson,” Dan shot back, giggling.

“Touché.” Arin bit his lip, glancing away for a moment. “Would you… I know you’re probably with someone and I don’t really want to try to immediately jump back into things with you cause that’d be really stupid and-”

“Arin,” Dan interrupted, catching Arin’s eye again. “I’d love to get to know you again. If you’d let me.”

Arin relaxed instantly, nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d love that.”

Dan smiled, something nicer filling his chest this time. “Me too.”