#this is also the funniest possible time for me to see coldplay though

[pentanguine]

I GOT COLDPLAY TICKETS

[chamaleonsoul]

Now that the tour is over I feel like I can say I think you totally won this tour. Your show was the best. Biggest show on the tour. Calum in that suit with the mesh shirt. Ashton quite literally glowing like he had been blessed by some rock entity. Michael on his knees with that pink shirt. Luke with the mm&i suit. First live performance of mm&i. You got talk fast, beside you AND lover of mine. Calum calling everyone hot in Spanish. Also that clip of him throwing the bear. Amazing. I have a live stream of that show saved that i catch myself watching sometimes cuz it was just that good. That's all I wanted to say.

Anna, ,,,,,

dude, I,

are you trying to make me cry. i'm about to.

and now i'm about to go on a ramble so bear with me.

*loud sigh* yeah, okay. Yes. I, of course, agree with you. and you bringing up this after just a couple of days ago i got terribly sentimental about it.... yeah. I think it was during the weekend while I was making breakfast when my brain went HEY *SLAP* remember this? And it was when the vocalist of the opening act (Bruses) was telling us how they got to the show, how 5sos were interested in having someone local, and how she was living in some small appartment just a few months ago, trying to make the music thing work, and now (so, the day of the show) they were playing to 18k people, and she couldn't believe it. And then everyone started chanting "sí se pudo" (there's no direct translation with the same meaning, but that would be smth like "you made it"), and it got pretty emotional, even when, i'm sure, many of us heard of them for the first time that same day. They gave a very good show, with an ode to the chorus of Helena by MCR at the end, which my emo ass appreciated a lot, thanked us for being a supportive crowd and then left us ready for 5sos.

Naturally, that got me thinking of the whole show and going through my ig post and all the shaky videos i took. And honestly u mentioning all these pivotal points of the show has me very

because, yeah, Ash was glowing that night and i still can hear his voice crystal clear in my head, just like Luke's angelic vocals and Calum's accent while talking in spanish [insert multiple smiley crying emojis here]. And Talk Fast 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍 it sounds so dramatic but if i had died without listening to talk fast live and in person at least once, i'd have haunted the earth forever. (But i won't have to!! bc i got to hear it🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰) And the bear you mention, the funniest part is that it wasn't a bear, it's actually a Dr. Simi jsdjjssjsjhd Farmacias Similares is a pharmacy chain that has it's own 'pet', which is our dear Mr. Dr. Simi here:

and it's become sort of a tradition over the last few years to bring these little guys to concerts, with different styles and costumes and throw them to bands during shows (it's happened with MCR, Gorillaz, Coldplay, etc). and i'm sure several got thrown at 5sos<3 jsjs

anyways, the show was incredible, the boys kill it in every way possible and even though we were all squished together in pit during the first half of the show, i'm sure everyone had the time of their lives. And when we were leaving the venue, someone started singing the chorus of yb and we all started singing along and honestly dude🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 i fucking love human connection over music. I can't wait to see them live again.

I'll go cry a bit now, if you excuse me

[nctseren]

❝ For a long time, love was unattainable for her. She wrote, sang and dreamed about it, but she had never been truly in love.

The truth is that, and although she denies it, Kang Sohee is a hopeless romantic and she always has been. She often dreamed of meeting the right person and doing everything right so that love would last... and not fade like her parents' love.

However, love is strange and it does not come easy. She has learned that you can meet thousands of people and yet none of them will make you feel the things that you are supposed to feel.

She has also learned that you can mistake love. And as much as it hurts and breaks your soul, there are people you were born to love, and there are others you were not.

So, Seren doesn't have much experience in romance. And she's slowly learning that love and infatuation are two different things, that it doesn't have to hurt, that it should make you feel happy, and that you don't go looking for the right person, because eventually fate brings you together. ❞

⟶crush list

—WANG YONG

❝ I'm too shy to tell you how I feel.

So I'll hide behind timid smiles and soft hellos.

I'm afraid if I ask you: "what do you think of me? " your reply will be "I don't" ❞

duration of crush: 2014 — 2015

relationship: close friends, one side crush

current status: they haven't spoken in a long time but she still cares for him

their things: practicing together, sharing chocolates, him giving her books and then the next week sharing opinions about them, eating together all the time

playlist: kid in love by shawn mendes & u smile by justin bieber

Wang Yong came to SM Entertainment in late 2012 and Lee Taeyong quickly took care of him under his wing. He was quite a popular trainee, not only because of his looks, but also because of his great talent for dancing, despite his young age. He was to the younger ones what Kang Seulgi was to Sohee.

Wang Yong was a sweet guy, it was inevitable for girls not to have a crush on him, and anyone in his place would take advantage of it, but not him. He was focused on doing what he had to do: training hard. That's the reason why his only friends for a long time were only Taeyong and Hansol.

Kang Sohee (long before she was known as Seren) officially met him in late 2013, after watching him practice. They did not become friends right away, since it was not easy for him to open up to other people. However, when she became close to Taeyong, they inevitably had to become friends. And then they connected thanks to dancing, something they were both passionate about. They went from being acquaintances to partners who practiced together to friends. Then it was not only Wong Yong, Lee Taeyong and Ji Hansol, now it was also Kang Sohee.

2014 was a rough year for her, starting from the loss of her grandparents to learning that she was not going to debut with Red Velvet. It was the most difficult year for her in all that time locked up, but her friends were with her. And he didn't go unnoticed, no matter how hard he tried. He always carried an extra portion of food for her, left her books that he thought she would like and always pretended not to learn the choreography so that she could teach him and in that way distract her mind by doing what she likes the most.

It really wasn't difficult to like Wang Yong, he was sweet and a good boy. Soon she found herself thinking that she really liked the way he wrinkled his nose when he laughed, or how his eyes sparkled when someone complimented him and, most of all, the way he tilted his head when he was confused. And then every time he looked at her she felt something in her stomach (and no, she had thought the first time she felt it, it can't be diarrhea), her cheeks would blush and it was difficult for her to keep look at him.

He was her crush for a few months and suddenly their interactions were shy smiles and sharing chocolates. Until he was no longer making her feel like she was flying. He meant a lot to her because not only he was her first butterflies in her stomach, he was also one of her close friends and one of the most supportive.

Sometimes she still thinks about him, what is he doing? how is he doing? what it would have been like if he had debuted in NCT instead of her? SM Entertainment did not treat him well, apparently his voice was not good enough, in the future they had told him. All she knows is that he returned to his home in China, and all she hopes is that he's truly happy.

—MARK LEE

❝ There's a boy I like.

He smiles so bright and my heart can't take it.

There's a boy I like.

We both love the same things.

There's a boy I like.

I think about him all the time.

There's a boy I like.

He's my best friend. ❞

duration of crush: 2017 — early 2018

relationship: bandmates, best friends, crush

current status: bandmates, best friends, partners in crime

their things: holding hands, sharing songs, singing, rapping, dancing together, telling jokes, listening to music, trying to teach her basketball, teaching him to play futboll soccer, doing karaoke

playlist: the one that got away by katy perry & walk you home by nct dream & everything has changed by taylor swift & catching feelings by justin bieber & whenever you are by 5sos

For a long time, Mark was the closest thing to a best friend that she had. They practically grew up together (and are still growing). They wouldn't exactly tell each other everything, but they did trust each other. And every day, especially when they missed home, they would get together to tell their funniest childhood stories, and then listen to music for the rest of the time, enjoying each other's company.

Maybe that's what made her have feelings for him. Maybe it was the inside jokes, the laughs, the songs, maybe it was all together.

It was different, of course. It didn't feel at all like her first crush. No, it was definitely stronger, because they were Mark and Seren — everyone was talking about Mark and Seren: NCT's 99 line, best friends.

Liking Mark was a fresh feeling, no discomfort, no obvious blushes, no big butterflies either. No, liking Mark was being at peace. Being comfortable in his presence, hearing him sing, sharing smiles, doing mischief together, it all felt too good... almost like she was born for it.

And maybe she was born to love Mark, but in another life. Because on this one Mark Lee and Kang Sohee were just best friends. And although at nights she sometimes dreamed of his eyes, the same ones that hold thousands of stars, in the morning she reminded herself that nothing could change the friendship they had.

That's one of the reasons why she didn't do anything about it, that and because she didn't want to ruin all their efforts just for a crush.

It was difficult for her, because months passed and she kept thinking about him. Until eventually she stopped seeing him in a romantic way, his hugs stopped making her feel things (things you're not supposed to feel for a friend) and at night his eyes and laughter stopped appearing.

Now that time has passed, she realizes that staying best friends with him is a hundred times better than a possible relationship with him. And she prays, Oh, she prays that Mark Lee's future partner can love and appreciate him as much as he deserves... As much as she could have.

⟶dating list

—MOONBIN

❝ I enjoy our time together. And your laugh, your voice, your kisses. I enjoy you.

We may not be in love and that's okay for us.

Because what matters right now is that we're both having fun. ❞

public knowledge: private (only friends)

duration of relationship: march 2018 — april 2018

relationship: fling

current status: friends

their things: hanging out with friends, kisses, supporting each other, hugs

playlist: we are young by fun feat janelle monaé & locked out of heaven by bruno mars

They met at some awards and immediately they knew there was attraction, so they exchanged phone numbers and soon found themselves talking every single day.

They both knew what it was and what they wanted, to be young and have fun.

Those two months sometimes felt like an eternity, because they genuinely had a good time together. There was always fun, affection and, most importantly, sincerity.

They both knew it was meant to be over, so they enjoyed it.

Having fun with Moonbin felt like riding the drop tower: they weren't afraid of it, they just felt the adrenaline and fun you feel being up there in the air. But just as fast it goes up, it also goes down. And even though in the end you seem to want more, you know enough was enough.

—WOOSEOK

❝ I loved you as Icarus loved the sun — too close, too much. ❞

public knowledge: private for three months until their members found out

duration of relationship: july 2018 — january 2019

relationship: kind of dated, never really had a "tittle"

current status: acquaintances, they don't really talk anymore

their things: secret dates, midnight calls, back hugs, kisses

playlist: sweet creature by harry styles & the scientist by coldplay & the end of love by florence + the machine & it will rain by bruno mars

Kang Sohee and Jung Wooseok were never in love, but they might as well have been.

They met in mid-2018 thanks to a close friend, and the physical attraction was so immense that without thinking they both decided to give it a try. It was all very fast, but the result had been good. They were something, no tittle, yet they didn't care because they were okay with that.

Their relationship was like trying a new dish, they didn't know what to expect: they didn't know if it would be sweet or salty, everything was so different. But they had liked it. They spent a good time together, sometimes hiding from their members, it was a little secret that only the two of them knew.

They loved what they had. Midnight calls, secret dates, just sneaking around their members backs like that. It was exciting and fun. They were young people enjoying themselves.

Until it became real. Too real.

Suddenly they weren't just missing each other's presence, but they craved for their touch and kisses.

It was almost like an obsession. Every time they were together they felt intoxicated. They needed more, they wanted more.

And that wasn't healthy nor they where ready for that.

So, because they cared about each other, they put a stop to it. God knows that if they had stayed together, they would have burned.

—THE8

❝ The Ego asked:

'What is Love? It's too big of a word for me. I don't understand it at times.'

The Soul replied:

'If you understand Kindness

If you understand Respect

If you understand Acceptance

Then you will understand Love.' ❞

public knowledge: private (only members and close friends)

duration of relationship: december 2019 — present

relationship: acquaintances to friends to lovers

current status: in love, best friends

their things: nose, forehead and cheek kisses, showing her his art, painting together, taking pictures, listening to music, dedicating songs, slow dancing, hype man! hype woman!, writing songs about each other, domestic dates

playlist: love someone by lukas graham & ily by the rose & common by zayn & have you ever been in love? by the ivy & love somebody like you by joan & sunday morning by maroon 5 & natural by zayn

Falling for Xu Minghao was like breathing, so natural, so effortless, without realizing it.

They met in 2018 and for a year they were just acquaintances: their bandmate's friend. There were few interactions, maybe greetings and a few smiles. But when she has a very persistent Boo Seungkwan as her best friend, it was only a matter of time before she eventually became friends with the rest of them.

Being friends with Minghao is yellow, like observing the sunset. It's relaxing, enthusiastic, supportive, positivity, happiness...

It was an unexpected friendship but suddenly they were sharing songs, painting together and hanging out a lot more than with their original friends. Soft laughs, little jokes, looks full of adoration — it was so obvious that there was something there, they could feel it and everyone could see it. And still it took almost a year for them to take the risk. Was it really mutual or were they just imagining it?

He was the first to take the step, because even if it was all in his head at least he would be at peace knowing that he tried and didn't just let her go.

It was silly, really, how much they wanted to be together and how much they doubted.

Loving Minghao is comforting, honest, understanding, compassion, teamwork, sometimes overwhelming, and a new feeling that completely scares her because she has never been in love or in a serious relationship, yet she is sure of one thing: discovering those feelings with him was her best decision.

[emotionally-imbruised]

Mutuals as fave bands? 🤔

Alright, so you sent this to a gal who has a BIG appreciation for classic rock bands (mainly because my parents were huge stoners when they were younger and it was all they ever played as I was growing up) so not only am I gonna struggle with choosing any bands that aren’t classic rock... ok or pop punk, but MAKING ME NARROW THEM DOWN AND CHOOSE A MUTUAL I LOVE V MUCH FOR IT TO GO WITH AND WHY IS JUST PLAIN MEAN. I absolutely adore all of my mutuals, but here are some I was easily able to choose a band for, and in no particular order. (I tried ok and I'll attempt to spice it up with the bands)

Eagles; A band I can listen to and be completely unfazed by just how much I listen to them (which is a lot). There is a certain easygoing vibe that surrounds their music that you can easily get lost in, and it’s honestly the best feeling. So I’m giving them to my bug @smokeinherperfume. As someone I've very often freaked out with over music (we still gotta make our Spotify playlist of songs we think Harry should cover), Nora just get’s it. She has a similar easy going, laid back vibe about her in the best possible way, and is one of the best people to talk to about literally anything. She’s very mellow and calming, just like Eagles sound and she’s just pretty freaking great in all aspects. A song for her would be Hotel California.

Fleetwood Mac; One of my all time favourites ever. Some of my fondest memories include my dad blaring them when I was a kid at the most random of times and that’s always just stuck with me. Whether it be during a car ride, or in the kitchen as he attempted to get me and my brother ready for the day when all we wanted to do was dance around to the music, I’ve always associated Fleetwood Mac’s music as this source of happiness and positiveness even in the darkest of times, and for that I'm gonna have to say they’re my love, @always-jackedup. Sarah is that feeling of happiness and positiveness combined into a person. The warmth and genuineness that radiates from her is contagious and just makes this world a better place as she continuously rooting for you and cheering you on, and I know my life would be so much duller without her in it as it would be without this band. Her song would be Go Your Own Way.

Coldplay; For any of you that know me really well, you know how I hold Coldplay very near and dear to my heart. You're lying if you say Chris Martin isn't a man who can work literal magic, ok? Don’t fight me on this. There’s just something I feel when listening to this band that is so inexplicably amazing, and I know Coldplay isn’t a band for everyone... but they’re a band that’s always been there. I can be in any mood and there’s always a Coldplay song I can connect with that in some way makes me feel better. I mean, there’s a reason I have one of their song titles tattooed onto my arm, alright. So this one is going to my bby @theasstour. One of the most easy going people I know, but also one who has that fun and calming vibe to them that isn't meant to be taken seriously. For that, I think Nora fits Coldplay perfectly. She’s someone who can effortlessly brighten up anyones day and is just all around amazing. Her song is Charlie Brown.

Blink-182; Woo boy, where do I even start with them. Legen freaking dary that’s for damn sure. Blink is fun, upbeat and just one of those bands I always want to be able to listen to despite them reminding me greatly of my awkward teenage angst faze even though they were popular when I was definitely not a teenager. If I'm able to DJ during a car ride or a party, you best believe I'm throwing on some Blink because I forever get an amped up mood from them and it’s just the best. They’re timeless and for that, I'm gonna say the amazing @writingsfromlee​ is a good choice from them. Lee is one of the funnest, sweetest, hilarious people I have met with her amazing clap-backs, genuine excitement, and just all around greatness. She get’s excited with me over the little things, but a lot of the time those small things seem to have huge impacts and she helps me realize that and just how significant they are. Her song is First Date.

Portugal. The Man; A very underrated band in my opinion. They’re different, unique and have this distinctive sound that is so appealing and so easy to listen to. I can listen to Portugal. The Man for hours on end because it doesn't sound like I'm listening to the same thing over and over again. They spice things up and do it so well, I can only see them to fit my babe @foreverhlessed​. Heli is someone who's picture will show up under the definition of unique. She's always doing her own thing, and always looks fantastic while doing it. Someone who definitely stands out of the crowd in the best way. Her song is Modern Jesus.

Led Zeppelin; Hands down, another all time favourite. Another band that I also hold very near and dear to my heart, and just so happen to be getting a tattoo for as well (lmaoooo). This band was my parents band and just happened to get passed down to me. One of Zeppelin’s songs was their wedding song, and lyrics from that same song are engraved onto my mom’s grave. (THIS ISN’T MEANT TO MAKE ANYONE SAD PLS BARE WITH ME) It’s easy to say this band was very significant to them, and it has also become the same for me. I listen to Zeppelin when I need to mellow out. I don't know why but listening to them calms me down, and just allows me to chill tf out (yes I'm usually baked when I listen to them on repeat but whatever, leave me alone). But for them, I’m gonna say the lovely @harryonstage​. AJ is literally one of the coolest people I have ever met. An extraordinary being she is and just so happens to give off the same chill vibe I get by listening to this band. Also being the woman who wrote my soulmate Plugrry, how could I not give her my favourite band to listen to when I'm stoned as hell? Her song is D’yer Mak’er.

Queen; I can pretty well guarantee you already know who’s getting this one. It’s nearly impossible to listen to Queen and not want to belt out every freaking word. Queen is fun, upbeat, timeless, and just so amazingly iconic there are just no words. The person who embodies Queen perfectly to me is @isitstraightvodka​. Liv gives off the same positive feeling, light and fun that Freddie, Brian, Roger and John put into every song. I’m always put in a good when I’m listening to them, and it’s the exact same thing that happens whenever I talk to Liv. Her song is Somebody To Love.

One Direction; I couldn’t not put them ok. We all know and love One Direction in this house, there’s no doubt about that. I love the boys solo more than anything, but I'd be lying if One Direction’s music wasn't something I used to and still listen to on pretty well a daily basis. One Direction was my favourite band all through high school (aka the worst years of my life) and although I wasn’t entirely invested in the fandom then, I'd be lying if I said they didn't mean a lot to me. The lucky person getting them is none other than @trulymadlysydney​. Syd is truly someone who lights up my world like nobody else (hehe) and no I’m not just saying that. One of the nicest, and funniest people I’ve ever met and one of my favourite Scorpio’s ever (it’s literally her and one other). My day always gets better whenever I’m talking to her about literally anything, and it’s just so similar to the happiness I feel whenever I listen to 1D. Her song is Drag Me Down.

Hi ILY all very much, god this took me forever and I'm stopping here because it’s 3am and although I have many other bands and mutuals I could go OFF about... I work in the morning so here she is

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 10th November 2019

I think I should give an update on what I’m listening to as I don’t often do that on this show. Hold on, let’s check my last.fm... oh, yeah, 300 scrobbles for Weezer – in the past week. I really have hit rock bottom.

Top 10

For what should be the sixth consecutive week now, “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I is at #1, and somehow that’s the only thing staying stable amongst all the chaos as while I’d like to think this was a relaxed week where it cleared out everything from the JESUS IS KING album bomb and left only the remnants of that busy week, it really wasn’t, and instead was a full-on avalanche by its own accord.

The first most obvious example of that is “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa, debuting at #2, and that’s pretty much the only example of this week’s generally manic appearance in the top 10, as the huge comeback single becomes Dua Lipa’s 12th UK Top 40 hit and her seventh top 10 hit, her first top 10 since “Electricity” with Silk City peaked at #4 in 2018. I’ll be speaking more in depth about that song later.

Otherwise, we don’t have much interest in this first ten songs. “Ride It” by Regard featuring Jay Sean (By technicality) is down one spot to number-three.

Unfortunately, this has opened up possibilities for Ed Sheeran and “South of the Border” featuring Camila Cabello and Cardi B up a space to number-four.

Also down one space is “Circles” by Post Malone, surprisingly, at number-five, as I saw this as possibly making a run for #1 but that doesn’t seem as likely with the monster that “Dance Monkey” is.

“Lose You to Love Me” by Selena Gomez is down three spaces off of the debut to number-six, as I expected.

Staying steady at number-seven is “Good as Hell” by Lizzo featuring Ariana Grande.

Also still at number-eight is “Memories” by Maroon 5.

Now we have two one-space fallers at the tail-end of the top 10, first of all “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi at number-nine. I don’t even know how this is still here.

Secondly, and finally to round off the top 10, “Outnumbered” by Dermot Kennedy at #10.

Climbers

There aren’t many climbers here at all but the only two notable climbers are in the top 20 and look like foreshadowing of hits to come, so that’s notable in itself, although very unfortunate as despite me being relatively ambivalent on the pretty decent “This is Real” by Jax Jones featuring Ella Henderson moving up 11 spaces to #19, I am immensely displeased about “hot girl bummer” by blackbear peaking higher than the original “Hot Girl Summer” as it reaches the top 20 at #18 after a seven-space boost, as if this hack needed any more attention put on him.

Edit: I forgot about Niall Horan’s “Nice to Meet Ya” up eight spots to #26 this week, which I’m happy about since it’s a great song and I’d love to see it find its way into the top 10.

Fallers

There aren’t actually as many fallers this week, or at least less than I expected, but there’s still a couple notable fallers to talk about here, such as “Follow God” by Kanye West down nine spaces to #15 off of the debut at #6 last week, as well as other losses for most of the debuts from last week (Well, those that are still on the chart), those being “Floss” by AJ Tracey featuring MoStack and Not3s down five to #27, “Orphans” by Coldplay down five to #32 and “Look at Her Now” by Selena Gomez down 13 to #39. Also losing out on five spaces this week at #33 is “Take Me Back to London”, a former #1, by Ed Sheeran and Stormzy, and remixed by Sir Spyro featuring Aitch and Jaykae.

Dropouts & Returning Entries

We actually do have a re-entry this week and it’s “Graveyard” by Halsey back at #40, meaning we have eight drop-outs, most of those being established smash hits finishing up their run, those being “Sorry” by Joel Corry featuring uncredited vocals from Hayley May from #32, “Ladbroke Grove” by AJ Tracey out from #35, “Senorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello out from #36, “Taste (Make it Shake)” by Aitch from #37, “3 Nights” by Dominic Fike from #38 and “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angels)” by Ariana Grande featuring Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey from #39, as well as, of course, Kanye West’s two hits from JESUS IS KING that debuted last week, “Selah” featuring uncredited vocals from Sunday Service, Ant Clemons and Bongo ByTheWay out from #19 and “Closed on Sunday” with A$AP Bari out from #20.

ALBUM BOMB: Krept & Konan – Revenge is Sweet

On the 1st of November this year, British trap duo Krept & Konan released their sophomore album Revenge is Sweet and it peaked at #5 on the albums chart. I haven’t listened to it because I personally don’t care much for the two rappers, but they are big enough to land two hits in the top 40, one of which was released as a single prior to the album but both bearing high-profile features, so I’ll have to talk about them.

#28 – “G Love” – Krept & Konan featuring Wizkid

Produced by P2J

First of all, I obviously do not have as much to say about Krept & Konan than I do about Kanye, so this will be a shorter episode in comparison to last week with JESUS IS KING since there’s a lot less to unpack and I have a lot less passionate opinions about the duo (Which, considering how disappointed I was with that album, is probably not a bad thing). This is pre-release single, “G Love”, Krept & Konan’s fourth UK Top 40 hit, and it features Nigerian singer Wizkid, who makes his second ever appearance on the chart. For what it’s worth, I actually very much enjoy Wizkid whenever he appears, usually bubbling under the top 40 with songs featuring Drake and Skepta, as he has a lot of charisma; honestly, I’m surprised this is his only his second appearance on the chart, and his first since “One Dance”, a Drake song featuring him and Kyla hit a record peak of #1 in 2016. It’s a pretty odd collaboration for Krept & Konan, but then again, Wizkid did a song with Skepta as well, so this could be good – and is it? Well, it isn’t a good first impression when the otherwise nice synths are clipping pretty badly but it doesn’t exactly create a bad vibe or atmosphere, and while Konan sounds half-dead on the hook, Wizkid’s high-pitched Auto-Tuned croon is pretty vibrant. Konan is equally dull on the verse, although admittedly both he and Krept have pretty funny opening lines, even if Krept is mostly talking about emojis for half of his verse (Not even kidding, apparently if you cross him, you’ll get emoji knives). I don’t really have an opinion about this song, to be honest, it’s a pretty generic Afroswing beat with some squeaky vocal samples, and Krept and Konan both sound like they did a one-take whilst high and left. There’s a weird empty space between the verses and chorus as well, it genuinely feels a bit janky at times (God, I haven’t used that word in ages). Wizkid doesn’t even have a verse, so this is pretty boring. Let’s hope the next song can redeem the duo...

#23 – “Tell Me” – Krept & Konan featuring D-Block Europe and Ling Hussle

Produced by Dabeatfreakz

Okay, so this is more in Krept & Konan’s wheelhouse and has honestly got me pretty excited because D-Block Europe are the funniest men in UK trap right now, and I don’t think they even realise it. Anyway, this is Krept & Konan’s fifth UK Top 40 hit, D-Block Europe’s sixth, and it’s actually also a pre-release single (Hell, this one’s got a video). If you’re wondering who Ling Hussle is, well, she’s actually an upcoming rapper and singer who hangs around these guys, seemingly, and hasn’t actually been able to crack a million views yet from what I can gather, so this really is kind of her breakout single and obviously her first to hit the UK Top 40. Can these five rappers make a cohesive posse cut? Well, of course not, it’s D-Block Europe, but they try, bless them. First of all, this really isn’t a Krept & Konan song, Konan is definitely there even if he’s drowned in Auto-Tune that makes him unrecognisable, but Krept has a really short verse, and Ling Hussle straight-up doesn’t, instead providing an admittedly pretty sultry hook with Young Adz, who somehow cannot handle the simple melody that Ling Hussle lays down and kills, having a stroke on the pretty bland piano-trap beat as he tends to do. Krept is also pretty pathetic here, with a hilarious falsetto that genuinely made me chuckle – although that was probably unintentional. The end of Krept’s janky verse is hilarious, with the beat just barely there, and it mostly being breathing sounds and one-syllable ad-libs while Krept barely gets words out, and it’s all drowned in Auto-Tune with so much weird empty space. It’s so bizarre, to the point where Young Adz’s obnoxious singing about wanting the woman to open her legs so he can “watch her pee” sounds pretty for-the-course. Genius annotators just gave up on Konan’s verse, and he and Dirtbike LB are easily the least interesting here, although Konan does spend much of his time making some strange, misguided metaphor for guns using Maggie Simpson. He probably has the best verse here, as it’s the only one that doesn’t completely collapse midway through. I can’t help but like this, though, because everything goes wrong at some point and no-one even attempts to fix it, much like all of D-Block Europe, who I’m starting to think are my favourite UK rap artists because they are so unashamedly awful that whilst most of their music is unlistenable, any deeper analysis forms a new genre I like to call Post-Cubist era trap-rap.

NEW ARRIVALS

#37 – “Opp Thot” – Poundz

Produced by HARGO

“I could never wife your opp-thot. Give me that neck, come bop-bop. I just want to jeet and skeet, don’t use no teeth, girl, give me that slop-top.” How poetic. It’s a viral song from Poundz, and hence his first UK Top 40 hit, and I have such little expectations that this could be Nostalgia Critic’s version of The Wall and I’d praise it to hell and back as if it were by Floyd. Seriously though, this isn’t actually that bad. Lyrical density isn’t there but I didn’t expect it to be, and the mixing on the version that is used for Spotify adverts might actually be better as the hi-hat is too centred with Poundz’s multi-tracked and kind of hurts my ears actually. There are actually some cool lines here, and punchlines that make me understand the viral success, like when he kicks someone “out like Brexit”, the loveable way in how he says he’ll shoot you (“Man get hit with the ostrich bird”), how he makes people run away from him “like Scooby”, and a couple of other funny pop culture references about Tetris, Snapchat and... getting your enemy sprayed like Fireman Sam. Yeah, that line won me over, because the beat is just a menacing piano line with some skittering trap beat behind it and honestly nothing all too special. It isn’t that bad though, there is some talent here.

#35 – “Break Up (Bye Bye)” – Cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

Produced by Leland and Frederick William Scott

Features uncredited vocals from Jade Thirlwall

...Huh? Okay, so I knew of the new British edition of RuPaul’s Drag Race (Graham Norton’s a legend) but I actually have no idea how the “drag race” works. I know what drag queens are and do (If “drag queens” is the right term), but I don’t know the format of the show at all – although I know the American edition has probably been around for decades at this point. The people on the American show do release promo singles but they don’t ever get close to charting anywhere so I usually don’t have to worry about any of this, but I am a complete outsider to whatever fanbase this has, and that seems to be a sizeable portion of people since this did chart. So, I did some vague research and found out that this was written by MNEK, who you should know from “Never Forget You” and several other hit singles, for the fifth episode of the show, and is credited under the name “Frock Destroyers”. Classy. Listen, this is the cast’s first UK Top 40 hit, and I do not understand the show, I’m just going to make this clear because I won’t understand the song either (In fact, there are two songs and they have the same name but one of them is by “Filth Harmony” so I’m even more confused). Anyway, about the song: the horns sound really cheap and gross, as do the hi-hats and the awfully-mixed instrumentation in general, so much so that I’m actually distracted by the very questionable lyrics, mostly because of the awful bass mastering that isn’t only clipping but it just doesn’t have any impact in the drop. It’s not like the chorus is anthemic as it’s supposed to be either, because it just feels so rushed and random. The female lead vocal is delivered by Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix so it’s not like it isn’t a good performance, but it is so inconsistently mixed in comparison to what I’m assuming are the drag contestants, who are so much louder than everything, especially the second verse. It’s pretty catchy, admittedly, but this really is a bit of a trainwreck production-wise. I guess I’ve officially been frock-destroyed. Whatever that means.

Edit: I listened to the other version and it might actually be worse lol

#31 – “Kiss and Tell” – AJ Tracey and Skepta

Produced by Skepta

More UK trap? Okay, well, it was actually a pretty big week for the genre as AJ Tracey and Skepta are also here with their eighth and 15th UK Top 40 hit respectively, “Kiss and Tell”. AJ Tracey had a song debut last week which was okay and I’m generally indifferent towards the guy although his debut album was pretty lacklustre, and I’ve always been a Skepta fan, so in a way I’m excited to hear but I am worried that it could be pretty dull as well, considering AJ Tracey’s got top billing... but it is Skepta-produced and I haven’t heard many bad beats from the man, and this one is definitely very cute, with the twinkling synth melody and otherwise typical trap beat and 808s, as well as a haunting vocal loop. Honestly, everyone kills it here. Sure, “kiss and tell” doesn’t rhyme with “Astroworld”, but AJ Tracey’s flow in the first verse is insane, with some really great lines, especially the hilarious closing line about... something falling off a chair, let’s just say that. Seriously, this is probably AJ Tracey’s best ever verse, it’s rapid and slick, and works especially with his voice. Skepta also delivers a slightly slower verse here, but his flow is janky at times, and takes awkward pauses despite moments where he really kills it – in fact this verse parallels most of his discography. Skepta can be awkward and inconsistent but when he really kills it, I’m amazed, and he does impress me with his flow here sometimes, but AJ really shines on this song. I didn’t have much to say about that one, but it’s actually pretty great. I hope this isn’t a fluke, because if this is how AJ is coming in on his second album, it could be one of my favourite hip-hop albums of next year. We’ll see, but for now this is great.

#30 – “Thumb” – M Huncho and Nafe Smallz

Produced by Quincy

While these names may seem alien to you, they’ve actually charted before. Nafe Smallz and M Huncho both appeared with Gunna on the Plug’s “Broken Homes”, a song I wish I enjoyed more than I did, and Nafe also appeared on a pretty awful Skepta single called “Greaze Mode” (Probably a candidate for, if not, his worst song), so this is their second and third UK Top 40 hit respectively. The BBC refused to give it any cover art on their page, so I guess that could mean anything... but it most likely means that this is garbage, because this really is some awful, unforgivable dreck. First of all, let’s talk about the lyrics and structure for a bit. There are two renditions of the chorus, they’re both exactly the same, over-long two-part hooks delivered by M Huncho. There is one verse in the middle and it is entirely a trade-off between the two rappers, with Nafe Smallz being considerably more sexist and disgusting in his verse where he delivers a frankly terrible Young Thug impression. I understand that rap music has a lot of misogyny and disrespect towards women, hell, I have to acknowledge that as someone who just praised a song called “Opp Thot”, but at least have some attempt in hiding your lack of respect or sympathy for women, or being somewhat respectful in how you say everything, or at least funny in how over-the-top you’re being, perhaps. What Nafe Smallz says about the “slut” and “thot” that he doesn’t actually make effort to have sex with and just watches whilst smoking is frankly really revolting and upsetting, especially because it got into the UK Top 40 which really should say something about us as a music-listening public, that we let this get so high. Nafe Smallz’s meek, high-pitched, nasal voice is aggravating, so much so that M Huncho’s unintelligible murmuring in the intro might actually sound better. The beat has some infuriating bass mastering as most cheap UK rap does, and overall it sounds pretty type beat. M Huncho doesn’t necessarily sound bad here, but his Auto-Tuned flow does very little to change and makes the three-minute runtime feel exhausting. Admittedly, some of Nafe Smallz’s inflections sound pretty, and M Huncho’s stammering is lazy, evening the awfulness out between the two rappers out pretty well. Also, was there really any need for the whole theme of the song being about putting thumbs in... female posteriors? The outro is literally just “put my thumb up in her butt” repeated on loop. Yeah, no, I don’t like this. Next.

#2 – “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa

Produced by Ian Kirkpatrick – Peaked at #30 in the US

This is the massive debut this week from pop singer Dua Lipa, one of my favourites voices in pop music right now actually, and someone who has grown on me immensely in the past year, although some of the songwriting still isn’t as strong as it should be and she still has a tendency to slip into the background of her own production. I’m hoping for that to change with her sophomore album, and this is (Probably – “Swan Song” still exists) the lead single off of that record. The cover art is going for a vaguely late-90s early 2000s look, and I’ve heard this is a more straight-forward dance-pop tune, so I’m hyped to listen to this... and yeah, as I expected, this is pretty great. Initially, I wasn’t actually impressed with the flavourless piano intro, but as soon as it kicked into full gear I knew the hype around this was worth it, because that bassline is INCREDIBLE. As someone who has recently found a lot of love for house music, this bassline is one of the best I’ve heard from the genre, and this is very much house, almost like French house to some extent, but also very nu-disco, meaning the cover art is very fitting for the era that both it and the song are attempting to replicate. Dua Lipa sounds great as she always does, going into her higher register with rhythmic, multi-tracked, almost-rapping cadences in the verse, but taking a sudden shift to a sweet diva vocal in the pre-chorus, which is beautiful, as the pianos sound good on their own, but the squealing synth comes in at the perfect time along with the hi-hats, the song is just so intricately structured... then we get the drop, which is just great, as well go back to the minimalist house beat where Dua Lipa aggressively tells off this ex who has just started putting any effort into the relationship after it ended, with sassy inflections and... random sound effects, which I’m not complaining about. The slick, disco guitar and groove in the second verse accentuates Dua’s lyrics detailing how he tried to break up with her, almost implying a manipulative or toxic relationship. The second drop is somehow more impressive than the first, with a stuttering “Don’t” hinting at the drop prior and some sampled cheering that, much like the cowbell, is a random sound effect, but adds more punch to the chorus. Once the post-chorus hit, I had to take a break from writing and genuinely calm down, I was really overwhelmed with everything happening, yet it doesn’t feel cluttered because everything comes in at the right time, sometimes when you don’t even expect it to, and the mixing is great, far from over-produced even as while it’s pure pop with a lot of manufacturing, it feels a lot more organic especially with the post-chorus, which is just gorgeous. I don’t want to even spoil it for you or myself anymore, so I think I’ll actually leave it at that. My commentary will just cheapen how brilliant this song’s climax, is, really. This is an amazing record and one of, if not my favourite song from Dua Lipa. I hope this has as much success in the US because if this doesn’t get on one of my year-end best lists for 2019 or 2020, I will be severely disappointed.

Conclusion

Well, it should be obvious, right? The Best and Worst of the Week go out pretty easily, Dua Lipa getting the Best of the Week for “Don’t Start Now”, and M Huncho and Nafe Smallz getting Worst of the Week for “Thumb” which is just gross. Honourable Mention is obviously going to AJ Tracey and Skepta for “Kiss and Tell” although Dishonourable Mention is a bit harder. I think I can’t go with the Drag Race because that would be unfair – it’s a bad song, sure, but if I understood the show more, maybe I’d see the appeal. I don’t want to step on too many toes, either. “G Love” is unremarkable, as is “Opp Thot”, so I’ll probably go with “Tell Me” by Krept & Konan featuring D-Block Europe and Ling Hussle. I hope you enjoyed reading, I’m off to listen to Pinkerton again probably, and I’ll see you next week, hopefully it’s not as busy.

[gabbalot]

Another ask meme 👀

So I was tagged by the one and only @merriemelodie who has a knack for making me feel valid on the worst of days, and also who I NEED TO COME UP WITH A SWEET NICKNAME FOR???❤️

The rules are: Post the rules, answer 11 questions, make up 11 new questions, and tag 11 people.

(Or just break the rules like I do. I tag the same people every time I do these so I’ll give everyone a break. If you want to, but don’t feel obligated: @plsetski, @zestyfiretruck, @stregina, @dednout, @vityanikiforova. For everyone else, I’m just being shy but if you see this and want to do it, CONSIDER YOURSELF TAGGED BY ME! And @ me in your response.)

My questions for people are:

If you could, would you choose to download your consciousness into an artificial simulation of life, where nothing really bad ever happens, and all the good things that you want from life happen in a believable way? Or would you rather live your life as it is now? Why?

If you could pick anything to do for your career, without having to worry about money, what would you do?

If you had to describe yourself with a Wikipedia article, or an article from The Onion, what would it be? 

What is your favorite gif/meme??

If you could say anything to your younger self, what would you say? Would you say anything at all?

If humanoid androids became normalized and easily-accessible in the future, would you choose one as a companion? If no, why not? If yes, who would you like them to be based on?

What is the weirdest thing someone has every told you they like about you?

Which would you choose, and why: Bring your favorite character(s) to life? Or transport yourself into their world?

If you had to become immortal, what age would you choose to “die” and remain forever, and why?

What are your thoughts on Pluto? Is it a planet? or just a rock?

What is one thing you wouldn’t trade for $1,000,000 (or equivalent in your currency)?

And here are my long-ass answers for Melodieee:

Q1. Have any unpopular opinions? Now’s the time to say them. It doesn’t matter what they’re about; whether or not you think people will care about them, or if it’ll change people’s perceptions of you. Just let ‘em fly.

a:- Okay so…I don’t…really like Autumn…and it might…MAYBE..be my least favorite season…?? ? (I’m sorry, I know). I feel like this is particularly offensive coming from me, since I’m currently living in New England, which is well-known for having the most beautiful foliage during Autumn. But there’s only so much pumpkin spice and scarves I can indulge in before I have to face the reality that The Darkness™ is coming. Funny enough, I don’t have much of an aversion to Winter. (That’s a lie.) (I can’t manage during late February - March). (I barely make it to the end of Winter every year). All in all, this article pretty much summarizes my exacts feelings towards Autumn. Beware though, ~* 🚫 Autumn-lovers DON’T Interact! 🚫 *~, you will be enraged. ☕️🐸

Q2. Do you cling to summer, or are you typically more than excited for autumn? (Or do you not have a strong opinion either way?)

a:- Wellll I guess I sorta addressed this in the first answer? Hahaha. Aha. H a. (I still feel bad about it). But I suppose I don’t really cling to summer, because I have this icky tendency to…spoil good things before they are ready to be ruined??? Like “Ahhh, well am I going to feel bad eventually? Might as well get started on that right now!!”. Feeling Bad is the only thing I don’t procrastinate, lmao. But yeah, I don’t cling to summer (I mourn its death prematurely), and I don’t get excited for Autumn, I just do my best not to feel Too bad overall. I definitely don’t cry, because I Am A Big Kid Now.

Q3. What’s something that you’ve been wanting to tell somebody, but haven’t been able/felt ready to? (Of course, if you’re still not comfortable saying it in a public post, then you definitely shouldn’t feel obligated to do it. This is just for fun. ♥)

a:- The funniest thing is that a lot of the things that leave my mouth nowadays are things that I haven’t been ready to say. But I’ve been lucky enough not to word-vomit anything that’s been truly detrimental to my mental well-being. I’m also lucky to have a few amazing people in my life that I’m able to be quite vulnerable with. 

Q4. What would the soundtrack for the film of your life look like? (FOR THOSE WILLING TO TAKE IT UP A NOTCH: if you were to write a Broadway musical about your life, what would some of the songs be titled/be about?)

a:- Let’s see if I can be as dramatic as possible. In terms of a movie soundtrack, I definitely think that the opening scene would be to Tame Impala’s Let It Happen. Once things calm down and fall back into the natural rhythym of grey, expect to enjoy tunes from Radiohead, in particular their track Daydreaming, which plays on repeat in my dissociative head on a regular. When things get desolate, we enjoy The Postal Service’s This Place Is a Prison. When they’re comedic (see: manic), we’re jamming to some Manfred Mann’s Earth Band!! If I could be selfish, I would find my Big Love and/or purpose, and the soundtrack would lighten up with sounds from Coldplay and Active Child. Also, because I am quietly just as dramatic as our favorite witch Georgi Popovich, a few of my Broadway musical song titles include “Sometimes Fireworks Are Silent”, “I’m Sorry For A LOT Of Things, But This Isn’t One Of Them”, “Some Of Us Taste Colors”, “Tequila (TEQUILA)”, and of course “2D Drawings Are As Strong A Medicine As Any”, which has a b-track “Music Is Morphine (Which is Also a Poison)”.

Q5. What’s a poem, story, or song lyric that you think about often? What about it captivates you?

a:- I’ll give you an entire song full of lyrics: The song Bloodstream, which is so aptly named for how deeply I feel it whenever I listen to it. It epitomizes the concept of soulmates for me, which I don’t believe is always a “happy-go-lucky” scenario, sometimes soulmates are just that - a split of your soul, a piece of you in another body, no sparkles and lovehearts, just another self in another form whose destiny is entwined with your own. As someone who isn’t sure they believe in soulmates irl, here’s why the song strikes me - The vocals are a bit eerie, and ever-so-slightly tired. It must be exhausting searching for a missing half. The recurring piano chords in the verses of the song make it feel a little bit like a memory. I imagine that’s what Deja Vu sounds like, which I find to be fitting when you think about all the subtle instances that have connected your life with someone else’s without you even noticing, but sometimes you just feel it. Then comes the chorus, more profound in its intensity, and all of a sudden it’s the realization hitting you like “Ahh, yes. This is the one I can’t live without. I see it now”. And then there’s the bridge, the melody changing again, acting as a flashlight as you wade through the murkiness of Doubt and Uncertainty, and leading you finally to the door of Acceptance. And once you’ve accepted it, and really digested the fact that you aren’t alone, you just float along - adrift but comfortable, because you realize that you aren’t drowning like you thought you would, or like you’ve been all this time. (That was cryptic AF, what does All That even mean??). Idk. I just feel the song deeply and I’m not really sure how to express why. 🎭

Q6. If you had to epitomize yourself with a Wikipedia article title, what would it be?

a:-I think may be Learned Helplessness.

Q7. What do you daydream about?

a:- I have two persistent daydreams lately. One is to lay in a meadow and just rest in a shady spot with the sun’s warmth peeking through the foliage, probably for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t mind being stuck in a time loop if it meant existing somewhere like this or this. I actually have this one saved as my desktop wallpaper at work. I stare at it throughout the day and it brings me peace. The second daydream is imagining what it would be like to go out and get roaring drunk with Yuuri and Pichit. Like…can you imagine the shenanigans??

Q8. What’s your go-to character/kart/track in Mario Kart? (ANY ITERATION)

a:-Toad…..and raiNBOW ROAD BINCH!!! FIGHT ME. #ChaoticEvil

Q9. What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?

a:- IRL? People would be shocked that I’m pan/bi. Literally no one knows. Friends and family respect that I consider myself asexual, or at least non-sexual, but no one actually knows that I’m not straight. I have hinted on occasion, but growing up in one of the most homophobic and heteronormative societies means that if people haven’t seen you date anything but cis-gendered men (even if it was only for 6 months when you were 14 years old??) then it means you’re straight. Straight until proven otherwise (and simultaneously shunned by extended family for being The Gay Cousin™ ).

Q10. If you could name a crayon/nail polish color, what would it be, and what would the color be?

a:- Tbh, I’m the least creative when it comes to these things, so most likely it would be some sort of holographic sparkly fluorescent pink color, and the name would be “Trophy Husband” (because it reminds me of Victor).

Q11. What’s a question you wish I would’ve asked? ASK/ANSWER IT HERE.

a:- AHHHH THE PRESSURE idk IDK. Ummmmm how about “What do you like most about following me?”. And the answer would be that your tags and writing in general just hit me right in the feels, every. damn. time. Your sense of humor is also A+, it’s never mean-spirited, and you just generally provide a safe space for me to exist comfortably at the end of each day. You’re also incredibly observant, and I feel like I’m a slightly bigger and more important speck in this universe because of you. Thank you for being here ❤️.

THE END.

[jungksbih]

First Dates II

here’s part 2!! it’s mostly filler the good stuff will come later i promise, the story just has to develop some more!

genre: fluff, comedy, smut, angst, etc.

pairing: Johnny x reader

word count: 1785

Parts: I II III IV V

“You’re Troian, right? I’m Johnny.”

It took a moment for you to register what he said as you furrowed your eyebrows thinking about what caused him to call you Troian, forgetting that you were supposed to be pretending that you were her. After a momentary pause it dawned on you that you should probably take a seat instead of staring at him oddly.

“Uh, yeah…” you smiled awkwardly and sat down in front of him. The awkwardness was filling the entire cafe by the second, and it got to the point where he was practically staring into his glass of water as if there was something in there. You cleared your throat slightly and took a sip of the water beside you and thought of what you could say to start conversation. Before you could open your mouth to say something though he ran both of his hands through his hair and down his face before flashing a bright smile at you as if he understood how uncomfortable you were.

“So, are you familiar with this cafe? Or should i say this area?” He asked. You hummed while thinking about the answer for a moment and you shrugged, coming up with your answer.

“Yeah, actually I’m slightly familiar, i was born and raised in New York but i came here for college so it’s been like a year or so but i’ve gotten comfortable quickly.”  You answered confidently. You hoped that you weren’t too much of a bore since he wasn’t as bad at you expected. Yes he wasn’t very talkative, but it could have been much worse than just that. You remembered the different potential types of men you thought you’d meet tonight and the thought caused you to let out a small laugh, shaking your head and you found yourself distracted again. You looked at Johnny who was confused at your sudden burst of laughter which caused you to laugh even harder before taking a sip of your water and starting to explain the cause of your laughter.

“When i was getting ready tonight, i honestly thought you were going to be some 80 year old, sweaty, perverted bald guy i was terrified. But now, i looked at you and just thought about what it would be like if you were actually like that and i found the idea to be quite...comedic.” Johnny found himself smiling at your explanation, in fact he even allowed himself to let out a small chuckle of amusement.

“Well how do you know? Am i even Johnny? Or am i someone that the real Johnny sent to lure you in? Maybe i really am an 80 year old sweaty perverted bald guy, what if your sight is bad? The possibilities are endless.”

“Well isn’t that intriguing. Johnny, the man of many mysteries.”

“That’s me.” He watched you take another sip of your water and he stood up a bit after. “Do you want something substantial to drink? Or a pastry?” Before you could think up an answer there was a loud growling sound followed by the instant reddening of his face. You smiled widely and shook your head at his offer knowing that there was a much better solution to the situation at hand. All they had at the cafe was small pastries and coffee which wasn’t exactly the best option for a late night date, but you couldn’t blame the guy for trying.

“Maybe we should go get something more filling? How does ramen sound?”

“Yes that sounds way better than my idea, it’s almost like you read my mind...or my stomach.” You both laughed at his comment, and you stood up carefully. “I know this really good restaurant but its like 20 minutes to half an hour away, i have a car though...if you’re okay with riding with me of course.”  

“Yeah of course i dont have an issue with it at all.” The two of you made your way out of the cafe and you began making small talk about irrelevant things but the feeling of comfortability made you feel better than you have in a while. The majority of the warmth came from the idea of actually going on a functional date with someone that wasn’t half bad. He made dry jokes- a ton of them, one after the other yet you still found yourself laughing along to them without a second thought as if they were the funniest thing you heard.

The walk to his car was a generous walk away and he frequently paused the conversation to apologize for the distance, claiming that he was “too nervous and needed some fresh air so he could calm down before showing up like an idiot” to which you laughed off but silently grimaced to yourself. If anything you were the one that showed up looking like an idiot but the thought didn’t bother you too much since he was so welcoming.

“Im also sorry about not being able to talk to you immediately like i am now, im just very shy when it comes to meeting new people. I’m bad at socializing so im glad that this is now going well.” You nodded at his comment, noticing the slowness of the walk as the both of you approached his car. He picked up his pace and walked in front of you, opening the passenger door before moving to the other side.

You sat in the passenger seat and looked around, taking in the cleanliness yet slight disorganization of the car. You could tell that this was how he normally kept his car, considering the idea of him taking you anywhere in his car most likely wasn’t one of his plans or so you hoped.  He started the car after you closed the door and put on your seat belt so you could look like you took precautions even though you didn’t.

“Was there something specific you wanted to listen to? Any specific taste?” He offered. He glanced over at you and you shook your head in response. You would have answered with a definite answer but you didn’t know what kind of music Troi listened to, and the last thing you wanted was to say a genre only for it to be the one that she hated.

“I listen to all types, plus it’s your car so id rather hear what stuff you like.” You smiled at yourself, hoping that was a suffice answer. He hummed in response before turning on the radio and switching it to one of his playlists that he already had.

Coldplay. You didn’t expect him to be the coldplay type of person- whatever that looked like, but if anything in your opinion he looked more of the type of person that liked alternative music? Maybe indie? And yes, you were fully aware that the group was considered to be alternative, but it still surprised you. You began laughing to yourself at the thought of how far off you were in your assumption.

“What? Not your cup of tea? I’ll have you know that you were the one that offered to listen to my type of music…”he trailed off while giving you another glance from the side of his eye. Although he was faced at the road you could still clearly see the smug look on his face, the kind of look that made you want to both laugh and wipe it off of him at the same time.

“I’m not laughing at that you idiot.” You paused. “Although, it is pretty interesting… i was laughing more at how completely wrong i was about your music taste.”

“That sounds pretty comedic to me.”

“I love your sarcasm it speaks to me perfectly.” Before you could say more you remembered the assignment that you had to do for the next day, and if it was late you wouldn’t be able to turn it in at all. A part of you really didn’t want to  but you knew that your grade would suffer incredibly if you didn't go to do it which left you at an uncomfortable position.

“I know this is really inconvenient and all but, i remembered that i have a really important assignment to do tonight and it’s most of my grade and i know how stupid i sound it sounds like a lame excuse to leave but trust me that’s not the case i just-”

“It’s fine i get it grades come first.” He cut you off and pulled over to the side of the road. He leaned back in his seat and looked over at you while you were still trying to find words to say to help the situation a bit more even though it wasn’t a terrible situation in the first you couldn’t help but feel guilty for it. “Would you like for me to bring you back to your place? Or do you want me to drop you off here? It would be faster for you if i just drove you but it’s up to you.”

Without thinking about the idea that he might have known details about where Troian lived you nodded in agreement. “Yeah that’d be great, thanks for understanding.”

During the entirety of the car ride the two of you continued to make jokes after telling him the address that you lived at. A quick moment of silence came  in between the jokes frequently  that made the mood more comfortable. For a brief moment you cursed yourself because you knew that this would most likely be the last time that you’d see him, especially since he was under the impression that you were your friend and the likelihood of finding a way to explain the situation to him without either sounding weird or making Troi look like a bitch was almost slim to none. The car slowed down a bit and your apartment complex was to the right of you. You were home, you survived. You opened the door after unbuckling and stuck one foot out before turning back to him with an apologetic smile.

“Thank you for bringing me home.” You paused and thought about whether or not you should tell him the truth while you were still given the opportunity. “I’m really sorry that it was cut so short i was really looking forward to eating with you, you’re a really great guy Johnny.”

You got out of the car and waved goodbye after closing the door behind you. Before even waiting another second to allow yourself the possibility of telling him the full length truth you walked towards the front door, only looking back once more to see if he already left- which he hadn’t.