#what was it with early 2000s dance songs and saying 'tonight' all the time

[black-and-yellow]

JDNT

[gatorprompts]

𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 .

from  the  2021  album  by  lorde .  drinking  &  drug  references  present .  please  amend  wording  where  required !

THE  PATH .

“ now  i’m  alone  on  a  windswept  island . ” “ if  you’re  looking  for  a  saviour ,  well  that’s  not  me . ” “ you  need  someone  to  take  your  pain  for   you ? ” “ we’re  all  broken  and  sad . ” “ where  are  the  dreams  that  we  had ? ” “ can’t  find  the  dreams  that  we  had . ” “ let’s  hope  the  sun  will  show  us  the  path . ” “ saviour  is  not  me . ” “ i  just  hope  the  sun  will  show  us  the  path . ”

SOLAR  POWER .

“ i  hate  the  winter ,  can’t  stand  the  cold . ” “ i  tend  to  cancel  all  the  plans . ” “ but  when  the  heat  comes ,  something  takes  a  hold . ” “ can  i  kick  it ? ” “ my  boy  behind  me ,  he’s  taking  pictures . ” “ come  one ,  come  all .  i’ll  tell  you  my  secrets . ” “ forget  all  of  the  tears  that  you’ve  cried . ” “ it’s  over . ” “ it’s  a  new  state  of  mind . ” “ are  you  coming ,  my  baby ? ” “ i  throw  my  cellular  device  in  the  water . ” “ can  you  reach  me ? ” “ come  on  and  let  the  bliss  begin . ” “ blink  three  times  when  you  feel  it  kicking  in . ” “ that  solar  power . ”

CALIFORNIA .

“ i  knew  that’s  it ;  i’ll  never  be  the  same . ” “ now  i’ve  spent  thousands  on  you ,  darling . ” “ oh ,  the  hotels  and  jets ,  and  i’d  pay  it  again  to  have  your  golden  body  back  in  my  bed . ” “ i  don’t  miss  the  poison  arrows  aimed  directly  at  my  head . ” “ don’t  want  that  california  love .” “ it  got  hard  to  grow  up  with  your  cool  hand  around  my  neck . ” “ but  every  time  i  smell  tequila ,  god ,  it  goes  up  in  my  mind  again . ” “ it’s  just  a  dream . ” “ i  wanna  wake  up . ”

STONED  AT  THE  NAIL  SALON .

“ i  love  this  life  that  i  have . ” “ i  wonder  sometimes  what  i’m  missing .”  “ ‘cause  all  the  beautiful  girls ,  they  will  fade  like  the  roses . ” “ maybe  i’m  just  stoned  at  the  nail  salon . ” “ got  a  memory  of  waiting  in  your  bed  wearing  only  my  earrings . ” “ we’d  go  dancing  all  over  the  landmines  under  our  town . ” “ but  the  sun  has  to  rise . ” “ i’m  still  crazy  for  you ,  babe . ” “ and  all  the  times  they  will  change ;  it’ll  all  come  around . ” “ oh ,  make  it  good . ” “ spend  all  the  evenings  you  can  with  the  people  who  raised  you . ”

FALLEN  FRUIT .

“ we  had  no  idea  the  dreams  we  had  were  far  too  big . ” “ we  will  walk  together . ” “ you’ll  leave  us  dancing  on  the  fallen  fruit . ” “ we’ll  disappear  in  the  cover  of  the  rain . ” “ took  the  great  minds  and  the  vapers  and  a  pocketful  of  seed . ” “ it’s  time  for  us  to  leave . ” “ how  can  i   love  what  i  know  i  am  gonna  lose ? ” “ don’t  make  me  choose . ”

SECRETS  FROM  A  GIRL  ( WHO’S  SEEN  IT  ALL ) 

“ only  having  two  drinks  then  leaving . ” “ it’s  a  funny  thing . ” “ thought  you’d  never  gain  self  control . ” “ guess  it’s  been  a  while  since  you  last  said  sorry . ” “ crying  in  the  dark  at  your  best  friend’s  party . ” “ growing  up  a  little  at  a  time ,  then  all  at  once . ” “ everyone  wants  the  best  for  you ,  but  you’ve  gotta  want  it  for  yourself . ” “ you  can  take  ‘em  if  you  want  ‘em . ” “ these  are  just  secrets  from  a  girl  who’s  seen  it  all . ” “ remember  all  the  hurt  you  would  feel  when  you  weren’t  desired ? ” “ remember  what  you  thought  was  grief  before  you  god  the  call ? ” “ no  one’s  gonna  feel  the  pain  for  you . ” “ you’re  gonna  love  again ,  so  just  try  staying  open . ” “ and  when  the  time  comes ,  you’ll  fall . ” “ your  dreams  and  inner  visions ,  all  your  mystical  ambitions ;  they  won’t  let  you  down . ” “ do  your  best  to  trust  all  the  rays  of  light . ” “ welcome  to  sadness ;  the  temperature  is  unbearable  until  you  face  it . ” “ your  emotional  baggage  can  be  picked  up  at  carousel  number  two . ” “ please  be  careful ,  so  it  doesn’t  fall  onto  someone  you  love . ” “ you’ll  be  fine . ” “ you  can  stay  as  long  as  you  need  to  get  familiar  with  the  feeling . ”

THE  MAN  WITH  THE  AXE .

“ if  i  had  to  break  it  down ,  i’d  say  it’s  the  way  you  love  to  down . ” “ our  shapes  in  the  dark  are  the  reason  i’ve  stayed . ” “ i  thought  i  was  a  genius . ” “ it’s  starting  to  feel  like  all  i  know  how  to  do  is  put  on  a  suit  and  take  it  away . ” “ they  fill  up  my  nights  and  then  they  float  away . ” “ i  guess  i’ll  always  be  this  way . ” “ swallowed  up  by  the  words  and  halfway  to  space . ” “ but  there ,  by  the  fire ,  you  offered  your  hand .  and  as  i  took  it ,  i  loved  you . ” “ the  man  with  the  axe  and  the  look  in  his  eyes . ” “ we’ve  been  through  so  many  hard  times . ” “ i’m  writing  a  love  song  for  you ,  baby . ”

DOMINOES . 

“ i  heard  that  you  were  doing  yoga . ” “ just  another  phase  you’re  rushing  on  through . ” “ go  all  new  age ,  outrunning  your  blues . ” “ fifty  gleaming  chances  in  a  row ,  then  i  watch  you  flick  them  down  like  dominoes . ” “ must  feel  good  being  mister-start-again . ” “ i  know  a  girl  who  knows  another  girl  who  knows  the  woman  that  you  hurt . ” “ the  whole  world  changes  right  around you . ”

BIG  STAR .

“ everyone  knows  that  you’re  too  good  for  me ,  don’t  they ? ” “ i’m  a  cheater .  i  lie ,  and  i’m  shy . ” “ but  you  like  to  say  hello  to  total  strangers . ” “ i  can’t  believe  i  used  to  stay  inside . ” “ but  every  perfect  summer’s  gotta  say  goodnight . ” “ i  used  to  love  the  party ,  now  i’m  not  alright . ” “ drinking  in  the  dark ,  take  me  home  tonight . ” “ baby  you’re  a  big  star . ” “ wanna  take  your  picture . ” “ i  toss  up  if  it’s  worth  it  now  every  time  i  get  on  a  plane . ” “ i’ve  got  so  much  to  tell  you  and  not  enough  time  to  do  it  in . ” “ i’ll  still  watch  you  run  through  the  winter  light . ”

LEADER  OF  A  NEW  REGIME .

“ wearing  spf  3000  for  the  ultraviolet  rays . ” “ made  it  to  the  island  on  the  last  of  the  outbound  planes . ” “ got  a  trunk  full  of  simone  and  céline ,  and  of  course  my  magazines . ” “ i’m  gonna  live  out  my  days . ” “ won’t  somebody ,  anybody ,  be  the  leader  of  a  new  regime ? ” “ we  need  the  leader  of  a  new  regime . ”

MOOD  RING .

“ can’t  seem  to  fix  my  mood . ” “ today  it’s  as  dark  as  my  roots . ” “ can’t  seem  to  find  what’s  wrong . ”  “ the  whole  world  is  letting  me  down . ” “ don’t  you  think  the  early  2000′s  seem  so  far  away ?”  “ i  can’t  feel  a  thing . ” “ i  keep  looking  at  my  mood  ring . ” “ i’m  tryna  get  well  from  the  inside . ” “ they’ll  have  what  i  need . ” “ we’ll  keep  dancing  till  the  mood  rings  tell  us  how  we’re  feeling . ” “ take  me  to  some  kinda  place ,  anywhere . ” “ watch  the  sun  set ,  look  back  on  my  life . ” “ i  just  wanna  know ,  will  it  be  alright ? ”

OCEANIC  FEELING .

“ it’s  a  blue  day . ” “ when  i  hit  that  water ,  when  it  holds  me ,  i  think  about  my  father  doing  the  same  thing  when  he  was  a  boy . ” “ we  could  go  fishing . ” “ i  think  you’re  an  angel . ” “ you’re  super  cool . ”  “ i  know  you’re  scared . ” “ but  all  will  be  revealed  in  time . ” “ oh ,  look .  the  rays  are  in  the  bay  now . ” “ can  you  hear  the  waves  and  cicadas  all  around ? ” “ i  can  make  anything  real . ” “ brain  so  hot ,  it’s  a  summer  body . ” “ every  day  is  blue  and  never  cloudy . ” “ don’t  look  down . ” “ will  she  split  a  tab  with  her  lover  and  laugh  at  the  stars  like  her  mother ? ” “ i  don’t  need  her  anymore . ” “ i  got  this  power . ” “ i  just  had  to  breathe  out  and  tune  in . ” “ i  know  you’ll  show  me  how . ” “ i’ll  know  when   it’s  time . ”

[starlightblueninja]

Ciao! can I please request headcanons for the bayverse turtles with a gender neutral S/O where they’re hanging out one day and they have music playing on shuffle, but then the reader suddenly starts crying because they used to listen to that song all the time when they were little and it just hit them right in the childhood? Comfort ensues 👉🏽👈🏽 please. and thank you.

Hey!

Thanks for the request! This took a little while because it’s my first one and I wanted it to be nice UwU and I enjoyed playing around with the bois being comforting since I’ve never really done that before. Hope you enjoy 💙♥️🧡💜💚 @sleeplessdreamer14

Leonardo

You’re laying on the couch reading while Leo’s doing katas about ten feet away. Every now and again you’ll look up at him, smiling as his practiced movements resemble a dance. Mikey left some playlist running in the background on his boombox before disappearing to make food, and normally music with lyrics makes it difficult for you to read but you were only really half paying attention to the book. You almost enjoy watching Leo practice more anyway.

The music barely distracts you, at least until you hear that… familiar intro. The rest of the world kind of fades away as the song takes you back years.

Nostalgia clogs your senses, eyes watering before you know it and a lump forming in the back of your throat as you try to hold back from crying. You close the book in your lap and let the music fill your senses. It’s been a while since you’ve heard this one. Memories resurface and you try to simply blink away the tears, but it’s inevitable, they fill your eyes until your vision is watery.

“Hey,” you look up to see Leo sitting down next to you, his eyes filled with concern but voice gentle and comforting as he asks, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s dumb, but… this song just… takes me back,” you respond quietly. “I used to listen to it a lot when I was younger.”

You wipe your eyes with your free hand just as Leo takes your other hand in his. His warm, strong, big hand in yours makes the tears easier to swallow. You squeeze his palm reassuringly and he moves a little closer to you before you continue talking.

“It reminds me of the places I used to go and the friends I used to have, feels like a lifetime ago, when things were less… complicated.”

Leo perfectly understands the wish for things to be easy, and he understands how it feels to not want to carry responsibilities. He knows what it’s like to have a weight on your shoulders. And so, instead of telling you it’s dumb or offering simple platitudes, he presses a kiss to your knuckles and nods in understanding.

“I miss it,” you say simply.

“If it’s any consolation,” he starts. “I’m glad that you���re here now.”

You look up at him with watery eyes but you’re wearing a crooked smile at his remark. The song still plays on in the background but right now you’re more focused on the way the terrapin kisses your forehead and buries his face in your hair. You feel his inhale taking in your scent and you smile against his collarbone, relaxing against him.

Yeah, you still miss your old friends and family, when things were easy and you bore less of the world on your shoulders. But for now you have him, and really, what else do you need?

Raphael

Raph’s got his workout playlist on while you sit next to him, bantering back and forth with him as he does his routine. The music is a surprisingly varied mix, you didn’t expect to hear the couple of 80s pop and early 2000’s girl band songs that you did. You teased him a little about it at first but it was all well meaning.

You don’t really notice what song is playing until about halfway through the first verse. You know this song too well. It’s been a long time since you last heard it, though, and maybe that’s why it affects you the way it does now. Raph had been saying something, but his voice kind of fades away as your focus shifts to the music and the memories it brings back.

Flashes of your childhood flit past your mind’s eye. The good, the bad, the in between, and all the other things you thought you had forgotten about. You don’t even realize there’s tears in your eyes until they’re falling, running hot trails down your cheeks and it’s too late to try and hold them back.

“Hey, hey baby, what’s wrong?” Raph must have noticed you go quiet since now he’s kneeling in front of you with so much concern on his face. “You okay? ‘S it somethin’ I said?”

“No! No no no,” you’re quick to reassure him and he relaxes, but only minutely since it’s clear you’re still upset. “I-It’s stupid, don’t worry about it.”

“‘Ey, don’t say that, whatever it is, it ain’t stupid,” his hand sets itself gently on your knee.

“I just used to listen to this song as a kid a lot, takes me back.”

He’s sat down in front of you now, cross-legged just as you are so your knees are touching his, “That ain’t stupid.”

His hand brushes away the tears from one side of your face, your own hand coming up to dry the other side before you lean into his warm touch. The way his hand cups your cheek comforts you immensely.

“Feels stupid to cry over it.”

But he knows what it’s like to miss the innocence lost with age, so he pinches your cheek lightly and playfully in disagreement, bringing a smile to your face even as you push his hand away.

“I can turn it off if ya want,” he offers gently, and you hesitate before shaking your head no.

“It’s fine, I’ll be fine,” you respond.

“Whatever ya say, shorty.”

And with that you two are right back to your usual lighthearted teasing. He leaves a chaste kiss on your forehead before he goes back to working out, the memories fading away to make room for the new ones you make with him. He makes sure to remember exactly what song it is, though, and you don’t consciously pick up on this fact but you never actually hear it from any of his playlists again after that moment.

Donatello

You two often sit in peaceful quiet. Donnie will work on his projects, you sitting there on your phone or working on your own stuff, occasionally handing him various tools when he needs them. He’s often got something going on in the background, usually podcasts or heavy music when he’s alone, but always soft music when you’re around so he doesn’t miss if you say something to him. Like now, with him under the truck fixing something and you sitting cross-legged a few feet away playing a puzzle game on your phone. You’re waiting patiently for him to be done. Bed time for you two was about an hour ago now but you know how important this fix is for him and that it should really be done tonight. So you don’t press the issue but you are ready to sleep.

You don’t often notice the music he’s got playing unless it’s a song you really like or dislike, it’s just some shuffled Spotify playlist that he thinks fits the vibe of today. But you notice immediately when that song starts playing. It’s so familiar to you, after listening to it so much in the past, that it would be shameful not to recognize it now.

Your vision goes blurry as your focus shifts away from your current self. You’re reminded of the past, the radio in your old house, your parents, the way they always had the same station playing in the house and in the car and at cookouts. You’ve heard this song so much now that it immediately throws you back into the past. It happens so fast you might as well have whiplash, but you just get misty eyed instead.

Your bottom lip trembles, warm lines running down your cheeks soon after and Donnie notices quickly that something is up when you don’t respond to his request for the torx screwdriver. He slides out from under the truck but you don’t even notice at first. The music has all but consumed you now.

“Y/N? Darling, what’s wrong?” He’s immediately at your side, a large hand gently on your bicep pulling you back to reality.

You look up at him but realize that it’s a little hard to see him with the way the tears have pooled. He can’t help but think that, even though he hates hates hates seeing you upset, that those tears make your eyes glisten so beautifully under the lights.

His other hand not on your arm comes up to brush the tears away as he repeats the question now that he’s got your focus.

“I used to listen to this song a lot as a kid,” you supply an answer softly, gaze falling from his. “Just makes me sad… I dunno why, I guess it just kinda hit me. Sorry.”

“No, no, dove, don’t apologize,” he says. “I understand and you’re alright, I’ve got you here, now.”

His sugar sweet words and oh so gentle hands comfort you. You offer a watery smile before moving into his arms, letting him wrap his arms around you. You return the hug the best you can with his shell in the way, face tucked into the crook of his shoulder, and he can feel the way more tears fall from your eyes and onto his skin. He doesn’t mind though, he simply holds you. He enjoys just holding you even if he’s never admitted it out loud before. He likes knowing he can be there for you.

And he may not fully understand how your memories attached to this song make you upset, but he understands the pain and will do anything to make you feel better.

His hands run over your back, soothing trails on your shoulder blades over your shirt. Then he’s reaching for a remote he set nearby to turn the radio off. He doesn’t even need to ask you anything to know when you want his hands back on you.

“You’re the best,” you say when your gaze has fully refocused and the tears have calmed.

“No, actually, I think that’s you,” he responds, before pressing a kiss to your hair and deciding to bring you to bed, putting off the truck repairs for grumpy morning-Donnie in favor of treating you like a queen now.

Michelangelo

You and Mikey will play a video game together quietly with music on in the background. Sometimes you’ll lay on his chest and watch him play, but in times like this, when the week has been rough and you both need some quiet down time, you lay on opposite ends of the couch with your legs tangled together playing a multi-player game that relaxes both of you. Tonight it’s Minecraft, and though you both like the music of the game, you’d both agreed on having a playlist on too.

You’re mining out a coal deposit in the game when you hear that song come on the background. Mikey notices faster than any of his other brothers would that something is off. He can practically smell how the air around you sours.

Childhood memories flood back to you as you recognize every line of the song as it plays, pulling you back and away from the now. Good memories give you life vests in the flood, bad memories tie weights to your ankles. You’ve paused in the game, your character just staring at the block wall. People, places, events, all of it suddenly overwhelms you as the music plays.

Mikey is on you in seconds though, throwing himself into your arms as soon as he notices that there’s an issue. You’ve got a lap-full of buff turtle man pulling you back into the present.

“Babycakes, you smell grump, what’s wrong?” He says while littering chaste kisses across your face.

He doesn’t even give you the time to get truly upset, let alone start crying, as he’s so in-tune to your emotions that he’s always right there to comfort you.

“I’m okay, baby,” you responds, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. “Just… thinking about childhood stuff. This song reminded me of it.”

“This song?” He says, suddenly jumping up.

You don’t know where he’s going but can see the humor practically dripping off of him. He storms up to the boombox, blatantly glaring at it. While watching him poke the speaker a few times like he’s threatening one of the many criminals he often fights, you can’t help but smile. He’s so lovely, and always knows how to make you laugh.

“You!” He snaps at the machine like it’s sentient, the same song still playing. “What’d you say to my girl, huh? Punk? Wanna act like a tough guy now? Too late, fella.”

You laugh as he jabs his finger at the skip song button and it changes to something different. You like this song, Hopeless by Khalid, Mikey likes it too. His attention is recaptured when you laugh at his antics. He smiles at you before making his way back over to the couch, crawling easily back into your arms as you continue giggling.

He kisses you before booping your nose, “Don’t be sad about the past, cherry tomato, we got the whole future ahead of us.”

“Cherry tomato?”

“Yeah,” he says, offering no further explanation as he relaxes on top of you with his controller, easily shifting back into the game.

He’s quick to go from one thing to another, but you can tell he’s truly there for you when he continues to lay his head on you, announcing that he’s coming to find you in-game. Every now and again he presses a little kiss to your stomach or chest, wherever his lips meet in that moment. Your confusing and bittersweet past is left buried under your love for your beautiful, caring, protective terrapin.

[disneyanddisneyships]

Alright. This song was practically written for jelsa I swear, so, I decided to write more fanfic.

If I had to break it down I'd say it's the way you love to dance

Elsa was in the bookstore one evening. It was her and Jack's hundredth anniversary since they had been dating. Elsa was happy she got to share so many days with him. It was the early 2000s. Since Elsa was the fifth spirit, along with her sister, she was able to live as long as Jack, as well as her sister. Elsa and Jack's anniversary was something the two looked forward to a lot. As a gift, elsa decided she would do some reading on Jack's own folklore. That's why she was at the bookstore. She was thinking she would find a book written on Jack Frost, cross out the negative, or untrue things about him, and write in her own words.

Elsa made it back to the North pole. Jack and north were out at the moment, dealing with something Bunnymund needed help with. Elsa began reading the book. In it were some facts about him. The book had called him sinister, and a mischief maker. And while the mischief part was true, he was nowhere near sinister. So, instead, elsa crossed it out and put "silly" instead. Another sentence depicted him as a villain. Elsa crossed it out and instead put, "loves to dance". His dancing was one of her favorite things about him. Especially considering he helped her to dance again after her father had passed when she was young.

Moving the furniture when my back is turned A flick of the lights and the world falls away

Elsa had gotten up and walked into their shared room, only to find all the furniture had been moved around. It wasn't chaotic, but now Elsa had no idea where any of her things were. From the hallway Elsa could hear North and Jack, back from Bunny's. Elsa panicked and slid the book under the bed. "Oh, hey Snowflake," Jack stated as he walked through the door. "Uh hey. What happened to the-" Elsa trailed off. "Oh. Well some of bunny's eggs came through the portal the other day and I had to move everything around to get them. That's why we were up there, we were returning them. But before we did, I thought I should probably organize it, so, now we have a new room style," Jack explained. Elsa smiled and giggled. "Okay but you have to give me a tour, cause now I dont know where everything is," she stated. Jack laughed and smiled, before moving to give her a hug, kissing her cheek.

The two started swaying back and fourth in silence. That's when the lights flickered and eventually shut off, but the two didnt move. They stayed like that and enjoyed their moment together until the backup lights came back on.

"What happened?" Jack asked as he and Elsa made their way to North, the two of them holding hands. "I'm not sure, the wind seems to be picking up, it may have knocked down the solar panel," North replied in his Russian accent. Elsa and Jack shrugged before heading back to their room.

And your office job, and your silver hair But our shapes in the dark are the reason I've stayed for all these years

When Jack wasn't bringing snow to people, which was every day when it was summer time, it was like he worked in an office job, and North was his boss. Jack would often give North ideas for toys that he heard the kids ask for or talk about. The morning of he and Elsa's anniversary, Elsa was walking around the workshop and she spotted Jack's silver hair from behind a counter, well, more specifically, under the counter. He was looking for something. "Uh, Jack?" Elsa asked, Jack sat up right away, bumping his head on the desk and turning around quickly, hiding something behind his back. "Oh! Hey Els! What uh, what brings you here today on this lovely morning?" He asked. He seemed jumpy. "Uh, just looking for you to make sure you have tonight off so we can go stargazing for our anniversary," she stated, Jack smiled awkwardly and nodded, "are you... up to something?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Jack laughed nervously. "Pffft! Me? Up to something?! No of course not!" "What's in your hands?" Elsa asked as she leaned to try to get a better look. "Nothing! Nothing at all! I'll see you tonight! Bye!" He exclaimed before taking off, giving her a small peck on the cheek. Elsa stood there confused for a moment before shrugging it off and walking outside to find Nokk to go visit Anna before tonight. Elsa didn't mind Jack's weird. For a time they had both made mischief together. Their shapes in the dark as they caused anarchy amongst their friends. Jack brought Elsa a sense of childhood. One that she didn't get when she was little because of her powers. Her love for him and what he helped her be was why she stayed all these years. That and she couldn't bare to leave him for more than a second.

I thought I was a genius But now I'm twenty two And it's starting to feel like all I know how to do is Put on a suit and take it away With my fistful of tunes that it's painful to play

Elsa had thought she was a genius her whole life. She was book smart, and knew every secret passageway in the castle she grew up in. When she turned twenty two that's when she realized that she still had a lot to learn.

Jack loved Elsa, more than he ever loved anything prior. Sometimes when he was around her, especially during parties, he felt like all he could do was wear a suit and stand next to the queen. Elsa was a master at negotiating, and connecting on a mature level with people. Jack however, was more of a street smart person. He knew how to handle himself in the world on his own. But sometimes it made him feel bad, especially when Elsa was so fond of something, and he didn't really understand what the fuss was about.

Elsa had taught Jack how to play piano, he was surprisingly good at it. While he played she'd sing. That was one of their favorite activities together.

Fingernail worlds, like favorite seashells They fill up my nights and then they float away

Jack had a plan for their anniversary. The two had lost exact count, but they knew it was around their hundredth.

Elsa had wanted to go stargazing, and Jack agreed. However he didn't tell her the other things he had planned. They were lots of small mini dates, before one big moment. The two hadn't married yet because of the lack of people that could see Jack, not to mention, the two had lots of ups and downs within their hundred years together.

First Jack would take Elsa to the beach and they'd watch the sunset, then throw seashells into the ocean, symbolizing their years together. There was around 100 seashells that he had gotten. Nokk helped him out.

Then, the two would watch the stars for an hour or two, sitting on the beach. Then, Jack would take Elsa flying, and they would go back to Norths workshop, where a piano was placed so they could renew that memory. Jack would play for a while, but then one of the yetis would take over and Jack would dance with elsa. After that, Jack would take Elsa to a quiet secluded area in the forest, and he would propose, finally, after 100 years. He was so incredibly scared.

I've got hundreds of gowns, I've got paintings in frames

Elsa was in their shared room, it was almost the time that Jack said he wanted her to be ready, and Elsa still hadn't picked out a dress. She didn't know if she wanted to go with one of her old Arendellian dresses, or something more modern. She finally opted for an icemade dress. It was an off the shoulder pencil dress. The icicles on it faded from white to a light blue, and its sleeves were the same, however they were poofy near the bottom and very lightweight. You could almost see through them. Elsa let her hair down, and did a half up half down style before putting on her snowflake necklace that Jack had made for her around Christmas, back when Arendelle was still a Kingdom. Elsa smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around. The picture of her and Jack on the windowsill made her smile. That's when she heard a knock on the door.

And a throat that fills with panic every festival day

Years ago, whenever there was a festival, or an outing Elsa needed to attend, her throat would fill with panic. Nowadays however, whenever she had to go out with Anna or Jack, she felt such an overwhelming sense of joy in her life.

Dutifully falling apart for the princess of Norway

Elsa opened the shared bedroom door, on the other side was Jack, dressed slightly formal, but still not enough to warrant unwanted stares. He caught one glimpse of her and he could have fallen apart right there, for the princess of Norway. "Should I tone it down a bit?" Elsa asked him. "What why?" "Well, you're not dressed too fancy," she replied. "You look amazing, although I'm gonna reccomend that you bring sandals for a small part in our date," he stated. Elsa smiled. "As you wish," she replied as she went to go get her blue sandals. They weren't very sparkly, but they were the same blue as her dress and they were comfortable. "Are you gonna be cold?" Jack asked. "The cold never bothered me anyway," she replied as she grabbed her small white handbag as the two made their way out of the workshop.

But you with your doll's lashes, your infinite T-shirts

Jack held out his hand for Elsa to take so the two could get to the beach destination a little faster. When they landed, elsa took off her sandals and the two walked along the shoreline, the sun was close to setting. As they walked Elsa looked at him. His eyelashes were long, how had she never really noticed that before? She got lost in thought, thinking about how when they get home she needs to do her laundry, and reteach Jack how to do his. It was like he had an infinite amount of the same color of white or dark blue t-shirts.

The two stopped walking and turned to face the setting sun. The couple sat down onto the sand and watched as the purples, yellows, and oranges got more pronounced and then died down as the sun dissapeared. The stars were finally out and the two layed down, the sides if their heads touching, their hands held in between them.

Two hours passed and the two finally got up from where they were laying, elsa wiped off the sand from her dress as best she could. Jack wiped the sand off of himself as well as the two started to walk again. Jack handed Elsa 50 shells and the two began throwing them back into the ocean, symbolizing the hundred years they had been together. When the shells were gone, Jack held out his hand to Elsa and she took it, before the two started to fly through the air, elsa was being carried bridal style. The couple made their way back to the workshop. Elsa made a move to go back to the room, but Jack pulled her to a halt.

I should've known when your favorite record Was the same as my father's, you'd take me down

Elsa gasped. Jack had taken her into the main room of the workshop, and right there in the middle of the room was elsas piano. The one she had in Arrendale before she had to leave. It looked almost exact. "Jack! How did you manage this?" She asked, astounded as she ran her hand over the keys of the instrument. "I found it at an old store and asked North to fix it up for you," Jack explained as he stood to the side. Elsa smiled and walked up to hug him. Jack sat at the piano and began to play a song that she had told him her father would play her when she was little. There were words to it as well, so naturally, elsa began singing. The songs was called "a red red rose", it was an old Irish folk song that elsas father learned from his grandfather, who was Irish as well.

Jack got up from the piano in the middle of the song as one of the yetis began playing the music. Jack took elsas hand in his as the two began to sway back and fourth to the piano. "This is so magical. Thank you for planning this for me," Elsa stated as she closed her eyes and rested her head onto Jack's shoulder as the two swayed. "Its not over yet, snowflake," he replied as the song finished.

I guess I'll always be this way Swallowed up by the words and halfway to space But there by the fire, you offered your hand And as I took it, I loved you, the boy with the plan

Jack and Elsa had flown into the former known Arendellian forest. Jack was trying so hard to come up with something to say, to start his proposal. His mind was halfway to space trying to figure out what to say.

Jack was having trouble before he saw a ledge with an opening, showing the moon. He offered his hand and Elsa took it. He ran with her to the area, being careful not to get too close to the edge.

You felled me clean as a pine The man with the axe And the light in his eyes

Elsa could smell the pine trees as the two stood there, looking out at the moon together. Jack had set down his staff, his hands became incredibly fidgety and he kept licking his lips. He was nervous. He turned to look at Elsa, she looked straight into his eyes. They were glowing in the moonlight. The bright blue of them almost blinding her. As she looked closer she could see the design of a snowflake inside of them. He was so beautiful, and perfect to her.

We've been through so many hard times I'm writing a love song For you, baby

Jack gulped, his mouth was dry and he felt incredibly vulnerable. "E-elsa," he stuttered "we have been through so many hard times with one another. We were separated for most of our relationship due to us breaking up. But then we got back together as if nothing had happened and I uh," Jack trailed off. He was panicking, he had rehearsed this so many times to himself and yet his nerves were getting the best of him. "Are you okay, love?" Elsa asked. "Yeah, yeah, I uh..." Jack trailed off again. He sighed, deciding to ditch the proposal he wrote. "Elsa, the small things we did today were all based on my favorite memories of us. We walked along the beach, that was our first date when we were younger. I snuck you out of your room and we went to walk along the beach in Arendelle," he started. "Oh I remember! Oh I loved that day! I think that was the first time I showed you my powers!" Elsa exclaimed, "you remembered that?" She asked. Jack nodded. "Of course I do," he stated, "the second thing we did was your idea, but it was also what we did for another one of our dates," "I remember that one as well! We were sitting on the roof of the castle after you had gotten back from bringing snow days to kids!" Elsa exclaimed again. Jack chuckled. "And the third thing we did was a combination of two memories," he stated as he took her hands. "You taught me how to play piano as you would sing the songs, and-" "And you taught me how to enjoy dancing again," Elsa finished. Jack smiled and nodded as he kissed elsas knuckles. "So then what is this part based on?" She asked. "Well, this part isn't necessarily based on anything," he replied. Elsa looked at him with confusion. Jack reached into his pocket and brought out a dark blue velvet box. "Elsa, I can't offer you riches, a throne, or money. But I can offer my heart. I've known since the first day I met you that you were someone special to me. You support me, you love me, and you trust me and thats all I ask for," "Jack, what-" elsas eyes were brimming with happy tears. "One hundred years isn't enough time for us to be together," Jack stated as he got down on one knee. "Elsa of Arendelle, would you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?" He asked as he opened the box. Elsa was smiling now, tears running down her face. "Yes," she muttered "Yes yes yes!" She shouted before kneeling down and pulling him in for a kiss. When the two pulled apart, Jack put the ring onto elsas finger. It wasn't extravagant or over the top. It was a simple ring with small blue diamonds embedded into it all around the band, and it fit Elsa perfectly.

When the two made it back to the workshop, everyone was there waiting, all the Guardians and Anna and Olaf. The small get together went on with everyone mingling. Elsa was able to pull Jack to the side to give him his anniversary present. He unwrapped it. "A book about me?" He asked. "Its the lore that was placed around you. But every single thing that was negative or wasn't true, I replaced with things I love about you." She explained. Jack smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you," "I love you, too,"

[tuney-dreemur]

Some more m.a.p/ animation ideas

So I had some more ideas, however, these are supposed to be a little more lighthearted/ happy/ spoofy. One again some are more thought out than others. 

To the Sky by Owl City: Everyone having fun, vibing and flying around on the Empires server

Bad Boy by Cascada: Joey x Xornoth. Kind of spoofy maybe. Like a 50/50 between spoofy and not. It can be spoofy if you go with those early 2000’s amv vibes. 

I won’t say I’m in love: Flower Husbands ft. Lizzie and Joel in the background as the muses. I think the Caleb Hyles cover would be perfect for it.

For the Dancing and the Dreaming Peter Hollens cover: Joel and Lizzie playful and extravagantly proposing to each other.

Marry You by Bruno Mars: Flower Husbands with Scott singing to Jimmy.

Wavin’ Flags by K’naan: A lighthearted version of what happened at Pearl’s and Mythic’s arena with all the empires there having fun and showing off. No evil killing spree happened

Not Evil from The LEGO Movie 2: Mythic in the first stage of his corruption trying to convince other empires that he’s not evil and is fully aware.

I Lived Glee Cover: After everything that happened everyone is alright. Xornoth, Joey and Mythic are uncorrupted and hanging out with the other empires, the land is back to normal, and peace is restored. Everyone looks back on how throughout all their struggles, they overcame them and got stronger.

From Now On from the Greatest Showman: Uncorrupted!Mythic promises the people of Mythland that he’ll be a much better king after coming back to life. The people are just glad to have their king back once more.

The Story of Tonight Reprise: The after party of Lizzie’s and Joel’s wedding. Almost all the guys congratulating (teasing) the groom. Ends with Joel talking to Joey about asking out his little “crush” that couldn’t make it to the wedding.

One Last Time/ Ride from Hamilton: One Last Time is Mythic talking to Bubbles about how he’s gonna die soon and that he needs help writing his will before he passes while he’s still in his right state of mind. One Last Ride is more spoofy with Mythic and the General dealing with some rowdy mythlanders.

Carnaval del Barrio from In the Heights (Musical version): Everyone decides that for just one day they forget about the demon and corruption and allies and enemies and just have fun and party like the good old days before all of this started. Essentially a day of truce for everyone.

In the Heights from In the Heights (Musical version): This one is more open to personal ideas. The bare basic concept is a look into an average day of a kingdom, any kingdom, whether it’s a ruler’s or citizen’s perspective of the day.

Hieroglyphs by The Oh Hellos: Another one more open to personal ideas.  The basic concept is Pixlriffs holding a celebration in Pixandria in honor of Death

98,000 from In the Heights (Musical version): Taking place when Xornoth first appeared. All of the kingdoms talking/ bragging about how they’ll deal with the corruption and Xornoth trying to one up each other.

Paciencia Y Fe from In the Heights (Musical version): Shubble speaking to one of her ancestors from her old world. She talks about how the demon followed her to empires but she also met so many new people who are nice to her and how she’s in charge of her very own kingdom. She also has flashbacks to her old world with her family and friends. Reflecting that while it’s hard in empires she has many things to be grateful for in this new world and how she’ll do anything to protect it.

Piragua/ Reprise from In the Heights (Musical version): This is an entirely spoofy idea because I just like this song and it’s reprise. Jimmy talking about how his kingdom has all these different types of cod and other people are trying to get rid of them. The reprise is that everyone failed and all the cods remain.

This is Halloween: Empires but everyone is dressed up and it’s Halloween/ spooky themed.

This December by Ricky Montgomery: Winter themed empires. Everyone joining in on some fun winter activities or staying inside during it. 

[random-imagines-blog]

Shine {Tom Cruise x Reader One Shot}

Requested by: @beatlebabe1996​ Wordcount: 2236 Summary: Great food, great dancing, and a bit of jealousy - what more could a date need?

As early 2000s as this was about the sound - the club was popping. It wasn’t the usual sort of club filled with twenty years grinding on one another with barely distinguishable beats playing in the background. It was a Latin club, with food and dancing and drink. The spice of the food was rivaled by the spice of the band that was playing tonight. This was where you felt the most in your element, this was your place. And that was why you had brought your date here tonight. It was also relatively low-key, where most of the people were focused on the band and the chef rather than the patrons. Something that your date for the night, a Mr. Tom Cruise, appreciated. You recommended a dish for him and that was what he had ordered - a definitely win in your books. You liked a man who was adventurous and yet trusting. He knew that you knew what you were doing.

“So you come here often then?” Tom asked, leaning back in his chair. He had shed his leather jacket to show the red button up shirt that he was wearing. It was tight on the arms, showing off the muscles that his constant work-out routine had produced. The color was great too, it added a little Latin flair to him. Your own outfit matched almost perfectly.

“I’m a regular,” You admitted, leaning in, playing with the straw of your drink. “The staff all know me by name here. It’s how I knew that we would be safe. They don’t care about celebrities so they won’t be posting anything on social media about your visit.”

“Our visit,” Tom laughed, taking a drink of his beer. “You seem more like the celebrity here. Even the band has been looking at you.”

“It’s rare that I  sit down this long,” You admitted. Your eyes caught that of the waitress coming around, your food on her platter. You straightened up and licked your lips, more than ready for the meal.

“What do you mean?” Tom asked, straightening himself up as well. There was a smile, and then thank yous to the waitress, and forks were picked up.

“Oh, I hit the dance floor,” You grinned, a sparkle in your eye. “That’s one of the best reasons to come here. The music, the dancing, the atmosphere. You get a good coupe of people on that floor, the whole place will be moving. Are you up for the challenge after we eat?”

“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to stand after all of this,” Tom laughed, digging into the food on his plate. You chuckled along with him, but remained hopeful. Dancing was one of your absolute favorite things to do, and not to toot your own horn, but you were good at it. No matter how handsome or famous this man was, he wasn’t going to be able to get into your heart without taking a few steps.

“Is that so?” He asked. You nodded, and watched as he took his first bite. You were waiting with bated breath to find out if he enjoyed it as much as you hoped that he would. He chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, then took a sip of water. “Spicy,” He explained. You nodded again, and continued to look, waiting for an opinion and not a fact. “It’s really good.”

“I knew you would think so!” You stabbed your fork into your own food, cutting off a piece for your consumption. “The food here is the best too. It’s the most underrated restaurant in the city, but it’s kind of great that way. No lines to get in. Plenty of room for dancing. And the food never takes too long to get to the table.”

“My kinda place,” Tom said with a grin. You two ate in relative silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just two people enjoying a meal, and each others company. Every time that his foot bumped against yours under the table, though, you felt like you were going to start blushing. You thought about saying something about it but decided to just let the moment be that - a moment, without you ruining it. “Should we get dessert?” He asked after you two finished eating, picking up the small dessert menu that was on the table. You were about to recommend one of the items when you were interrupted.

“Y/N!” One of the waiters, Antonio said, coming up to your table. “I just noticed you were here. I got assigned to the left section tonight. How are you doing? You look amazing tonight.”

“Oh hey, thank you. I tried my best. Date and all,” You said with a grin, looking over at Tom. He chuckled, and looked back at the dessert menu. “How are you doing, Antonio?”

“Same old, same old. Just got on my break.” He said, looking between you and Tom with a grin. He raised his eyebrow at you as if to say, ‘Really? You bagged Tom Cruise?’ To which you just replied with a confident nod and a smirk in return. “I was going to ask if you wanted to dance, but since you’re busy, I’ll go and find Gabriella-”

“And get your toes trod on?” You asked in horror. You loved the bartender, she was a complete sweetheart and always full of laughs, but she was a horrible dancer. “Do you mind, Tom? At the very least, let me help save this guys feet.”

“Not at all,” Tom said, still perusing the menu, though it was rather short. He must be reading through the ingredients or something. “I’m excited to see your moves.”

“Better watch then,” You winked daringly at him, before allowing yourself to be lead to the dance floor. Normally you wouldn’t let even wild horses drag you from a date, especially from someone as good looking, kind and charming as Tom. But this was also a chance to show off for him.

Dancing had been an outlet for you all of your life. It gave you a sense of control over your body that you could feel good about, especially when you had been a teenager and it felt like you didn’t have control over anything. It brought on a confidence that you needed to get to where you were in life. And that confidence landed you a date with one of the best men that the city, perhaps even the world, had to offer. The fame wasn’t a bonus to you, the attention wasn’t something that you craved. It was just him as a person, and you felt so completely lucky that he even looked at you twice. You didn’t even know that he felt the same way about you.

The band started up a beat with a strong rhythm and a quick tempo. It was perfect for Salsa dancing, which was exactly what you wanted. You and Antonio both knew the moves like the back of your hand, which meant you didn’t have to waste time worrying about getting everything right. You could just relax and have some fun.

Your heels clicked against the hardwood floors of the restaurant as you danced with Antonio. You started apart, and then slowly came together, a familiarity between the two of you because you had been friends for so long. You had been dancing together since you started coming here as a teenager, when he had just been a bus boy. You shimmied your hips as you two spun around one another, under each other’s arms, him dipping you, back and forth. It was a very sexy way of dancing. A very sensual and fiery dance. But you kept things under control, making sure not to get too close. You did have your date watching after all.

Your eyes kept flickering over to him to see that he was watching very intently. In fact, there was a look on his face that was almost jealousy. He couldn’t stop looking at you. Even as you and Antonio separated for a small part of the song, he was following you, and not Antoni, who was probably a better dancer than even you. You shot him a smile, then got right back into it, ending it with a couple more twirls and then the song came to a finish. You were a little breathless but also exhilarated, a high that only exercise could bring.

“Always a pleasure,” Antonio said with a little bow. “And my toes thank you.”

“You’ve really got to get yourself a girlfriend,” You chuckled. You turned to go back to your table, only to find that it was empty because Tom was approaching you on the dance floor.

“Mind if I cut in?” He asked to Antonio, though his voice wasn’t nearly as pleasant as it was when you had been taking earlier. “Considering we’re on a date and all, I would think not.”

Ouch.

“All yours,” Antonio said, bowing his head towards Tom as well. He raised his eyebrows at you as he walked away backwards, holding his hands up in surrender. You just shook your head subtly then looked at Tom. He had his hand out to you, and you took it, feeling the warmth of his body heat against yours. You haven’t been this close to him before. You had to admit, it was pretty nice. He looked even more handsome up close than he did from across the table.

“Were you a little jealous?” You asked, as the next song started. “If you were, that’s actually kind of cute.”

“Maybe a little,” Tom admitted. The song was a slower one, so you tended to stay close. He spun you beneath his arm and you twirled expertly, then ended right back against his chest. “Was it that obvious?”

“Perhaps you’re not the amazing actor that you think you are,” You challenged.

“I don’t think that matters much to you, does it?” He asked. He had a point there, and you lightly shook your head. His arm dropped a little lower below your waist, going towards dangerous territory. He had a bit of a smug face, which was pretty adorable.

You did a quick spin out of his arms on that one, to make his face change. He had to know now that you had the upper hand - and that you had a sense of humor. And that you could throw in a little bit of spice into everything. When you went back into him, his arm was a little higher this time.

“A little handsy for a first date, Mr Cruise,” You said, amused.

“What can I say,” He grinned. “I perform my own stunts.”

You laughed at that, and swayed along with him to the music - up until the band started to heat it up, bringing back in the fun. You stayed on the dance floor, waiting to see what Tom was going to do. He went along with it, rather than drag you off. Slow dancing was easy, but many men were intimidated by the faster steps. Tom wasn’t the same way. He actually managed to keep up with you, his steps quick, his eyes on you, his smile on his face nonstop. Those hips didn’t lie.

“What a daredevil,” You teased. “What other stunts do you intend to do tonight?”

“Well, it all depends,” Tom said, looking into your eyes as you spun side by side.

“On?”

“Where this night is leading. I might dare to kiss you on your doorstep...”

“How bold,” You smirked, dancing around him, looking over your shoulder to keep up the eye contact.

“Or I can show you a couple of moves if you’re feeling this as much as I am.”

“Ballsy,” You laughed. The song came to a close and you and Tom clapped for the band. You leaned against him, back to his chest, and his arms went around you, holding you close. You liked that feeling. You liked him a lot. And you usually weren’t this sort of person but ... but you were interested in what sort of moves that Tom had off of the dance floor. “I like it. I suppose I could let you take me home - if you really think that your moves are that good.”

He seemed a little off-guard that you had agreed with the idea so quickly. But he covered it up by bringing you back to the table and quickly throwing down some money and putting his jacket back on. The dancing, the food - all of this was an amazing aphrodisiac, and you were feeling the mood with Tom right now. You hurried with your own jacket, and finished off your drink which you had left behind when you had gotten up to dance. You left together hand in hand, and he showed off his gentlemanly he could be by opening the passenger door for you, and waiting until you were settled in with your seatbelt on to close it.

If  he kept up this perfect combination of sweet and spicy, you were very excited to see what moves he was going to show you in the bedroom tonight.

[fandomdancer]

The Dance

In the year 2169, you are a senior in high school. You've been best friends with the same two young men since grade school. One of them is your date to the senior dance. The other is the class loner: Eobard Thawne. When your date make a suddenly unexpected move, you find yourself feeling like the perfect night is ruined. But then Eobard shows up...

Word Count: 3,754 words

Rating: T, but may be M

Pairings: OC/Reader, Eobard/Reader

A/N: First attempt at a reader-insert fic. Special thanks to @darlingpetao3 @yetanotherwells @wellsaddict and @hawk-lee for listening to me freak out about this, inspiring me, and giving me the courage to actually post it. I hope it's interesting and fun for you to read.

This is Mattobard's version of Thawne, since it takes place during his teenage years.

This fic was inspired by this song (which is the featured waltz in the story). 'Pride and Penance', from World of Warcraft: Shadowlands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZtBflZHIcQ

_________________________________________________________

The moment you step into the darkened dance hall, you feel as though you have been transported back in time. In fact, you can’t help but wonder if the organizers of this year’s spring formal are utilizing some of Rip Hunter’s famous Time Couriers to literally open a door to the past. Everything around is, at minimum, dated back a hundred years ago, from the DJ setting up digital playlists to the black-light-illuminated chairs seated around tables littered with drinks, plates of food, and what looks like games. The music right now is from the early 2000s, but you expect the songs to range through decades, possibly even centuries over the course of the night. Multicolored lights hang from the ceiling, giving the place an overall ‘club’ look, accentuated by the powerful underlighting at the bar.

The temperature increases as you enter on your date’s arm, the exertion from the dancing and milling bodies heating up the air in the room. The dance started only thirty minutes ago, but the excitement in the room is palpable, and kids are wasting no time yelling ‘hellos’ and ‘how are yous’ as they toss back nonalcoholic drinks. One table is already full of kids engaged in what looks like an intense card game with multicolored discs sprayed across the table in front of them.

Catching the fever of the room, you cast a huge grin up at your date, a handsome young man you’ve known since grade school. The two of you are dressed perhaps a little fancy for the event, with him in a fine, high-collared suit befitting a 20th century aristocrat and you in a deep red 1940s princess ballgown. Overdressing is okay: the two of you were expecting a slightly more ‘ballroom’ shindig, not this ‘21st century club’ event, and upon looking around you can see that other members of your class had similar ideas, wearing everything from 1800s Victorian gowns to military uniforms.

“They did a good job,” your date says. “Though one would think they could have come up with a more original theme name than ‘Blast to the Past’.”

“Don’t cheesy titles comprise part of the charm of last century?” you ask as the two of you move towards the obligatory picture arena. “Wasn’t stating the obvious considered not only funny, but…what was the word…a meemee?”

“Meme. One word, one syllable. And yes. Memes were a rather popular form of communication in the early 21st century, though I guess they started well before that.” Your date eyes the line and the picture-taking arena before them. “Is that….a phone booth?”

You are both intrigued as you watch a couple go into the booth, pulling a curtain shut and separating them from the outside world. Their feet are obvious as they scrabble into various positions, each one punctuated by a bright flash ands lots of giggling. The couple emerges, looking flushed and full of smiles, and watch as two thin strips of plastic emerged from the wall of the booth. The two grab the plastic strips and look at them, giggling as they walk away.

“It’s a photo booth.”

The voice right beside you and your date startles you, and you quickly look over to see one of the chaperones for the event, Ms. Steinway, a few feet away. The young teacher looks stunning in a green floor-length gown, her blonde hair floating ethereally around her shoulders. She gestures. “You go in, and you have five pictures taken of you in quick succession. There’s usually only three to four seconds between each photo so people often planned ahead what they would do ahead of time. You can make faces, or be serious…whatever you would like!”

“Thank you, Ms. Steinway,” you say before looking back to your date. “Well. I guess we have about a minute to come up with five different poses.”

“Why don’t we improvise? We’re both good thinkers on our feet.”

The tension and pressure of racing to beat a timed photo session is appealing to you, probably a side effect of all the time you've been spending lately with your other friend, Eobard Thawne. He has a strong taste for competition and it’s been rubbing off on you in the years you’ve known him.

The sudden thought of Thawne makes you skim the room, wondering if the class loner has actually shown up to tonight’s dance. You’re pretty sure he’s not here; this isn’t his type of thing at all. It’s certainly why you didn’t ask him to be your date. It’s also the only reason why you didn’t ask him to be your date. Eobard Thawne’s proud, handsome figure and strikingly keen intellect has drawn many a girl’s attention over the years, including yours, and you’ve made a concentrated effort to ignore it. But lately, you’ve noticed that he seems to be hovering near you much more often. And he got into a fistfight with your date a few weeks ago…you never did quite figure out what had caused that argument…

Seeing him here tonight would definitely open a lot of doors, however. Perhaps you would be brave enough to ask him for a single dance. He can be a truly arrogant ass but he has always been at least civil to you…probably because the two of you have also known each other since grade school.

Your date pushes you forward and you realize that, as usual, thoughts of Eobard have distracted you for several seconds. It is your turn in the photo booth.

The booth is small and simple, with a little touch screen that simply says ‘go’. A quick glance over the screen shows that presets are in place, with no way to change them. It is a little aggravating to not be able to customize the photos but you suppose that’s to get the line of kids moving quickly. With a quick glance at your date, the two of you reach out and tap the ‘go’ button together.

The very first thing he does is kiss you. It’s so fast and so intense that you don’t even have time to react. Suddenly his mouth is open and wet and moving on yours and his hand is in your carefully-crafted hairstyle and you are shocked beyond words because of all the poses you had considered in this run of pictures, your longtime friend kissing you was not one of them. You’ve suspected he felt this way about you and there was no doubt in your mind that he would be an excellent romantic partner, but you hadn’t really…thought about him like that. In fact, the only person you really thought about like that was…Eobard.

He finally pulls back and looks quickly at the camera, grinning widely. Your brain is fuzzed and rolling with several unfinished sentences and questions, but some little part of you keeps control and turns to smile bright and beautiful at the screen. The two of you make silly faces next, and as you are setting up for what you think is the next picture, the screen goes dark. You realize in shock that he used three of the five pictures to kiss you. Feeling frustrated and cheated, you get out of the booth, pasting a smile on your face so as not to appear angry to the line of kids waiting outside. You’ll have plenty of time to discuss his choices later.

The pictures print out and they’re definitely difficult to look at. The first one shows your obvious surprise, but the second two are worse, showcasing your desperate attempt to keep control of what is happening by grabbing at his face and responding to his kiss. It was not your best decision, but you feel like it was your only choice at the moment – and that realization makes you furious.

The two of you head to an unoccupied table, and the moment you set down the photos you whirl on your date, your insides twisted in knots and your throat almost sealed shut from the force of your anger. “What the hell?”

“What?”

It’s even hotter in this room with your anger charging you up. You are pretty sure your face is the color of your dress. “You kissed me.”

He smiles. “Of course I did. What did you think we were going to do in there?”

Your mouth drops open. “Make faces and smile! When did kissing appear on the list of things to do tonight?”

His brow furrows. “When you agreed to be my date. Come now, you can’t possibly miss all the signs I’ve given you. You know me better than that.”

His self-entitled arrogance sets your teeth on edge and you clutch the table so hard you’re amazed it doesn’t bend. “I’ve known you for almost all of my life and you have never been so rude as to just kiss someone without making sure it’s all right with them! You wait for that kind of invitation! You don’t blindside her during a timed picture taking session!”

“Spontaneity has never been your thing, and I respect that,” he begins to say.

You cut him off. “Clearly not or these wouldn’t exist!” You wave the pictures at him before slamming them down onto the table. You don’t know what you’re angrier about now; being forced into this situation before you felt ready, his seeming blindness to how the whole situation played out, or the fact that you feel like what should have been a beautiful moment is ruined and you are never going to get it back.

A waltz begins to play, the very song the two of you were hoping would be the focus of the evening, and he reaches a hand out to you. “You’re right. I made a terrible mistake. I thought it would be fun and I assumed you would be all right with it. I am sorry. I truly am. We will go have the pictures retaken. But will you dance with me? This sounds like a beautiful waltz and I don’t want to have ruined the night by making a terrible decision right at the beginning.”

He sounds sincere but you don’t answer him at first. Your mind is still awash with anger and betrayal and a sudden desire to be anywhere but in this room right now. You don’t want to just forgive him for doing this to you. But you also don’t want the night to be ruined, and right now the song playing sounds like it could be a wonderful dance and you aren’t sure how many more will be played with the selection of music likely being offered. Reluctantly, you slip your hand into his.

“We aren’t done with this conversation,” you state firmly.

“Of course not.” He twirls you gently. “But this song fits you and I want to see you dancing to it.”

You don’t know the name of the song, but it has a haunting melody to it, almost ghostlike with sliding violins. Waltzes always have a kind of built-in grace to them, a slippery seduction meant to make it easy to move to. But this piece has an additionally dramatic vocalist that elevates the rhythm to something royal and aristocratic. You can almost imagine the two of you (and the couples that are joining you on the floor) dancing in the hall of an ancient, grand mansion while a dark storm swirls outside the floor-to-ceiling windows and the dry fingers of tree branches curl menacingly in shadows on the floor, trapping the dancers’ feet in their grip.

“Pardon me.”

The familiar voice snaps you out of the daydream you are drifting into, and you rock slowly back and forth in your date’s arms as you realize Eobard is standing in front of you two. Your breath catches and your heart rate picks up instantly as you look at him. He looks as though he has stepped straight out of your daydream: a young lord trapped in a dying manor, cloaked in high-collared black and red with the light shimmering blindingly on his short blond hair. Even more shocking is the dramatic flair he has added to the outfit: a full-length black cape fastened at his neck with a ruby. He is too beautiful to touch and yet your hands…and other, sweeter, deeper parts of you…ache as you stare at him.

His eyes sweep over you and you think you see his jaw clench slightly before he speaks again. “May I cut in?”

“You’re in our way, Bardo,” your date growls, all softness and politeness gone from his voice.

“I wasn’t addressing you,” Eobard responds to him but doesn’t take his eyes off of you. Your throat is growing dry from the simple intensity of his gaze. “I was addressing your partner." He nods to you. "May I cut in?”

You finally register what he is asking, and the thrill that races through you makes you shiver. You had thought you might have the courage to ask him to dance if you had seen him here, but him asking you is completely unexpected. Saying no to him might prevent him from asking again, but saying yes would probably send the wrong message to your date.

Then again, your date certainly sent you the wrong message when he forced you to kiss him in the photo booth.

It’s a very simple question with a very simple answer.

“I would be honored,” you reply, trying to sound as cool and proper as possible. As you pull away from your date, you feel his hands clench briefly on you. You quickly look up at him, seeing the betrayal in his eyes. At first you feel smug, but then you remind yourself that he did apologize. You give him your best comforting smile. “We’ll continue this later,” you say to him, making his expression soften just a little. But the look he gives Eobard is poisonous.

Eobard’s expression doesn’t change. Instead, he unfastens the cape from around his neck and whips it dramatically off, draping it unceremoniously on your date’s still-outstretched arms. “Would you be so kind as to place this on a nearby chair?”

Redness floods your date’s face, and you start to open your mouth to scold Eobard for his rudeness, but his hands grip you firmly and he spins you away into the dancing crowd before you can say a word. Your feet scrabble as you try to keep up, and you have a feeling he’s trying to get you as far away from your date as fast as possible. Focusing on your movements, you catch his rhythm and begin to move in time with him, gaining control over yourself while still permitting him to lead. You’re angry enough now that you’re tempted to just walk out the door after this dance. When did your two best friends turn into such boys? They’re acting like you’re a prize in a competition and while that might be flattering, it’s making you feel a bit like an object and not like the lady you want to be tonight.

“You dance well,” Eobard compliments.

You roll your eyes. “You dragged me out here and I just got my balance back. Don’t patronize me.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” he answers. “I mean what I say. I saw you trying to dance with your date over there. He was trying. You were succeeding.”

You snort and sigh. “I wish the two of you would tell me why you both seem to have lost your minds lately.”

Eobard tilts his head. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Your heart pounds and you know what you hope the answer is, but coming right out and saying it feels like a such a terrible risk. Eobard’s emotional difficulties make him dangerous sometimes, the wrong word or look pushing him away for days at a time. You are not going to ruin this night, this dance, this moment that has been playing in your dreams.

“Obviously not, or I wouldn’t have brought it up,” you say, trying to put an innocent look on your face. You aren’t sure if it works or not, but the hard look in Eobard’s eyes softens somewhat, and he guides you around the floor. Looking up at him, you surrender your mind to the daydream, milking this moment for all it is worth. The seductive waltz paints the image of a great hall, decadent in its decay, the memory of opulence just as romantic as the opulence itself. And Eobard, cold and proud and throat-achingly beautiful, spins you around it, commanding your body with his touch, and commanding your mind with his eyes.

“Your friend and I,” he says in a low voice, “are both seeking your approval.”

Dear God, he actually said it. You’re almost dizzy with excitement as you frantically think of how to navigate the next few sentences. Honesty is going to be key. “You have a funny way of showing it. First that fistfight a few weeks ago and now tonight he just kisses me out of the blue and then you drag me off like I belong to you or something…”

“He did what?” Eobard stops the two of you cold, and you blink, looking up at his grey eyes, watching in surprise as they turn stormy and dark. His pale face begins to flush as he gazes down at you. You can’t tell if what you’re seeing is anger or not, but as his eyebrows draw together you feel your insides flutter. It’s more than just anger. It’s jealousy.

Eobard is jealous.

The realization makes your throat close and you swallow several times as adrenaline floods your veins. The possibilities open up in your mind, and you suddenly realize that while both men are, in fact, treating you like a prize, you are still the one in control.

“He kissed me for our photo,” you say carefully, letting the frustration and hurt show on your face. “I didn’t know he was going to.”

Eobard looks at you, his jaw clenching and unclenching, and his face continuing to grow red. His hands tighten on your waist and hand, and a strange excitement blooms in your chest. Eobard Thawne, so aloof and elitist, suffering from the simple emotion of jealousy. And jealousy related to you, because he’s seeking your approval. Despite the heat of the moment, you find yourself fighting a smile.

“Did you enjoy it?” he asks tightly.

You know the truth and you know what saying it will mean. But right now, you are unable to lie to him, captivated by the thrill of his reaction and the intoxicating crescendo building around you.

“No.”

Eobard’s chin lifts and a smug satisfaction fills his eyes as the music crescendos loudly. With a climactic crash of drums, he decisively pushes you out into a firm spin, and then brings you back in, his hand slipping to the small of your back and holding you flush against his body. And for one fiery, fierce moment, you realize that you can feel him, dear God, all of him, pressed possessively against you, and a weakness makes your knees wobble and your mouth go dry as you stare into his eyes, only inches away, and realize what he is silently saying to you.

Then the two of you are moving again as he takes everything up another notch, whirling you both within the crowd as though you have all the space in the world. The music pounds with your steps, pulsing inside of you, the melody a full-throated cry from the whole orchestra, igniting adrenaline and fire within you. Your mouth falls open to gasp for air as your eyes drift closed. You don’t need to see, only to feel the clutch of his hands and the heat of his body and the light pressure on your waist as he leads you.

And then, in one powerful beat, the music stops. Eobard pushes you backwards into a dramatic dip, holding you up while your hands claw at him. You can’t see the ecstasy on your face but a few gasps from the people around you suggest that the two of you may be in a very compromising position. You don’t care. Your body is shaking and tingling. You feel sweat dampening your skin, and the heat…you’re drowning in it. But you don’t want to move. You don’t want it to be over. Most of all, you don’t want his hands leaving you. Ever.

Your breath comes in heavy gasps as he draws you up to your feet. He steadies you, and your eyes finally drift open. The sight before you makes you shiver again. Eobard is breathing just as hard as you are, and has the same slightly dazed expression on his face that you are feeling. You vaguely realize that while you were trying to keep your balance you gripped his hair and shirt because both of them are bunched and mussed. But neither of you can look away from the other for several seconds.

Finally, he is the first one to move. He gently straightens his shirt and runs a hand through his hair. He brings his heels together and reaches for your hand. He bows, lifting your hand to his lips and placing a chaste kiss on the back of it.

“Thank you,” he says, “for the lovely dance. If you’ll excuse me, I believe I need some air.”

You nod slowly. “I…think I do too.”

Something sparks in his eyes, and he offers you his arm. You consider taking it, but the sensation that sweeps through you as you realize what the implications are stop you. You are awash in powerful emotions now, enough to know that if you go with him, you’re going to do something you want…

….oh do you want….

….but on impulse, caught up in the moment.

You know you need to gather yourself. The night has only just begun.

“I will see you back in here,” you reply, offering a polite curtsey. It isn’t a blatant rejection, just more of a ‘not now’. Eobard seems to understand and his withdraws his hand before turning and striding for the door.

You head for a different exit, catching a glimpse of your date just as you leave the room. His face is a thunderstorm, and you feel a slight chill that cuts through the hazy fog of your mind.

The night has only just begun, and you have a feeling it’s going to be a long one.

[anyways-wonderwall]

Album of the Week #26

Franz Ferdinand

(2004)

by Franz Ferdinand

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

TL;DR: Includes the greatest tempo change in pop history and 10 other bangers.

(I really like this cover, it's simple, it's dynamic, it's got a great font. 9/10)

Overall Thoughts

I have found a genre that is tried and true and that I love, which according to Spotify is called “garage rock revival”, which is such a Spotify name. Nevertheless, given the amount of Strokes reviews I’ve done on here it’s clear to me that this is one of my favorite genres out there. And you know what fits into that? Franz Ferdinand.

Sure I may be biased because I love this kind of music but this album is fantastic. First off they are Scottish, which is always a good thing. Second of all, every song on this album is good. Sure there are some filler songs (“Michael”, “Come On Home”) but even those were fantastic.

All of these songs feel very different too, with “Cheating On You” being a “slice of punchy power pop” and “Tell Her Tonight” having Beatlesque harmonies. I also love that they commit to the bit of being the former Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand with a song called “Auf Achse” and “Darts of Pleasure” featuring random German. Well okay it may not be committing to the bit well but they still do it!

There are three songs in this album that stood out to me as masterpieces, the first being “The Dark of the Matinée”, which was actually a single before the song that made this album famous (we’ll talk about that one later). The chorus is incredibly catchy and an added keyboard part makes the chorus sound like its in double time which makes you want to dance even more. And he does the “aaaahhhhh” thing after the chorus! That’s one of my favorite things in music! Next is “40’” which feels a lot darker and experimental than the other ones on the album, with an absolutely killer opening riff. It is super atmospheric and feels almost like you’re in a circus after hours (but not in a creepy way, just in a subdued way).

And now the song you’ve all been waiting for, “Take Me Out”. Oh where to start with this masterpiece that led me to review this great album. I have a million and one great things to say about this song but I’ll just focus on what makes this song so unique: the greatest tempo change in all of pop music. It isn’t sudden, it continues the song, and it does a great job of shifting the song without making it a completely different song in the process. The beginning and end of the song sound like two different songs but the joining bit in between is so good it never feels like they are separate. Doing that is an art.

Final Verdict

Fun fact, I already own this album, and it was worth every cent. This is an amazing eponymous debut, and I now really want to listen to more from them. If you like early 2000s rock then you will love this just like I do.

[borkthemork]

okay then... a playlist about Anne? :)

Anne Boonchuy Vibe Playlist

Genre: Early 2000-2010s Pop/Rock Songs (ofc).

1. Underdog by Imagine Dragons

What I always loved about Anne's Season One and Pre-Amphibia character is that her bratty nature was hidden well due to the comedy beats. So I wanted to do the same thing by having a chipper song talk about how Anne just sees her life as life, not really living up to her full potential because she doesn't expect much from it.

Early evening settle down Father, father, father Who am I to blame? Early evening hush me over Father, father, father Are we just the same? Hey, that sounds like my luck I get the short end of it Oh I love to be I love to be the underdog, hey! Hey, that sounds like my luck I get the short end of it Oh I love to be

2. Turn It All Around by The GGGG's

To continue on the underachiever aspect, I also wanted to hone in on that rebellious and self-centered nature Anne had before she started growing in Wartwood. So with this rock song, one gets a lot of 'Just live your life, take shit' mindset in the lyrics.

And of course, I wanted to camouflage this message in a song mainly with positive vibes, so the lyrics are about dancing first and foremost.

It's your life So take what you want and Just say go Go and live it right Rock and roll Come on, you know wanna leave it all behind

3. How Do I Go From There from Here by China Anne McClain

Here this song describes Anne's character development and growth when she finally plopped into Amphibia. Lyrics involve the question of whether the singer is right or not, if her past transgressions were justified, and just an overall confusion on where to go from here.

I took a step into a new direction Following my heart this time and not my head But everything I'm feeling now I question If I'm wrong... What's next... Is there another road that's left Tell me where it is cuz I can't see it Every bit of faith that I believed in Every single smile has disappeared Now it feels like someone hid the sun where I can't find it There has to be a world with life is clear But How do I get there from here

4. Gold by Britt Nicole

Gold by Britt Nicole is all about Anne's trying to be confident regarding her own identity and who she is as a person. There's a lot of encouragement to shed the shame that past influence has done to one's person, and becoming the one they always wanted to be.

So don't be ashamed to wear your crown You're a king you're a queen inside and out You glow like the moon, you shine like the stars This is for you, wherever you are

5. Ready or Not by Bridgit Mendler

Ready or Not doesn't really fit with the timeline I made for the line-up, but it's an internal look into how much slang and energy this girl has in her body goddang. She's the epitome of a media-loving dork, and I love how there's a lot of fire to this song when it comes to being confident and going for the gold.

Actually, now that I think about it, this pretty much is a song about Anne revealing who she is in all her goofy but strong qualities, so I guess it does fit in the timeline in a sense.

I'm the kinda girl who doesn't say a word, Who sits at the curb and waits for the world But I'm about to break out, about to break out I'm like a crook tonight I caught you staring at me and I was thinking clearly And now I'm like a bee and I'm huntin' for the honey And I'm kinda shy but you're super fly yeah I could be your kryptonite

[1-800-crystalball]

19 Seventy Sumthin’

(A/N) Song fic!! Inspired by the song '19 Seventy Sumthin'' by Neck Deep!! Plus human au because I say so :)

"On to the final song of the show! We've got two verrrrry special guests tonight!" The spiky haired boy yelled, grinning. The crowd let out loud noises of varying amount of joy.

"Introducing the Palmisano brothers! Tumblebrutus and Pouncival!" Tugger Deuteronomy called as the boys walked onstage amidst cheers and claps from the audience. The elder boy looked to be in his early twenties while the younger seemed to be around eighteen.  Wide grins were spread across both their faces.

Tugger stepped back and stood next to the drumkit. The drummer himself, a ginger boy who's curls fell in front of his eyes, was pulling a spare microphone and stand onstage.

"Hey, oi, Pounci boy," Mungojerrie MacDougall nudged the younger boy as he grabbed the mic since his elder brother had claimed the one already there.

"So everyone!" Tumble started, causing the crowd to let out another loud cheer before falling silent. Or, as silent as 2000 people could be.

"This final song was supposed to be performed by our father, Asparagus Palmisano," Tumble gesturned to him and Pouncival while the audience let out murmers of recognition. "He and Tugger-" He pointed behind him to the tall, lanky boy leaning on his electric guitar. "-Were working together to make this song, with Dad on the lyrics and Tugger plus his band on the music. But sadly, he passed away before he could complete it,".

Sympathic noises came from the crowd in the open-roofed stadium.

"So, we took it upon ourselves to finish what our father started!" Pouncival grinned. "So here it is! Hope you enjoy!"

The two brothers smiled and nodded at each other before Tumble opened his mouth, and began to sing.

"Let's start it here, back in 19 seventy sumthin'! I can't pin down the year, when the romance wasn't dead! And love still stood for something!"

As the song continued, Tugger joined in with the guitar. A tall girl with scarlet braids trailing down her back, massive silver hoops dangling from her ears and a spiked choker identical to Tugger's added on with the bass as Mungo rocked out on the drums.

"There was a girl who had lost her way! She blushed red when he came over, and they danced the night away!" Pouncival took over singing, his left hand gripping the stand as he sang the lyrics carefully written by his father.

The two boys continued to sing, alternating the singer with each line.

"And he sung as he drove her home, and it was there that she would say-"

"-If I could then I would save you, and he smiled and turned away-"

"-In six weeks they're saying 'I do'-"

"-Oh, love just don't go that way no more!"

The band members all glanced at each other as they went into the chorus.

  "In life the seed becomes the tree, would take shape of a family!" Tumble sang. The elder boy was smiling and it was evident that both the boys enjoyed being on stage, whatever they were performing.

"We grow, and we change, and face the rain like you wouldn't believe!" Pouncival continued the song, the vitiligo patch over his left eye and slashed across the bridge of his nose was hardly visible because of the red lights flashing.

"And through it all-"

"-We're standing tall-"

"And we just don't say it enough!" The boys sang together. "If not for you, no we wouldn't be standing at all!"

The boys paused their singing as the band continued with their instruments, Bombalurina smirking as she played her black bass which she had covered with various stickers.

"And now it's nineteen-ninety-sumthin! How the hell did we end up here? Four kids and a few jobs later, and the pictures fill the pages! It's been hard, oh it's been hard, but you'd be a fool to give it up! Cause you know that what we've got is bigger than the two of us!"

Pouncival laughed shortly as Tumble sang, his brown eyes glinting before singing the next few lines.

"It's been hard, oh it's been hard! But it's bigger than the two of us, and I will hold you in my arms when you feel like giving up!"

"Oh, love just don't go that way no more!" The two brothers grinned as they stood at the front of the stage together, Tugger's band having the time of their lives behind them.

  "In life the seed becomes the tree, would take shape of a family!"

"We grow, and we change, and face the rain like you wouldn't believe!"

"And through it all-"

"-We're standing tall-"

"And we just don't say it enough!" The boys sang together. "If not for you, no we wouldn't be standing at all!"

"And now its two thousand and sumthin! We made it here my dear! Grandkids and the mortgage paid off! Is this what dreams are made of? Cause baby we made it!" Tumble slung his arm around his younger brother's shoulders.

"Yeah baby you saved me! But nothing could save him from... the ambulance that day, when he went away-" Pouncival slowed down, his smile fading.

"The heart attack was sharp. He didn't feel no pain," Tumble's voice was quieter and calmer, almost sombre.

"If you saw him now, then what would you say? I love you and I miss you. I owe you everything..."

"And I hope you know you saved me!!" Tumble belted out, the music picking up again. Mungo's mop of hair was bouncing all over the place. How that boy managed to see anything was a mystery to all.

The Palmisano brothers then looked at each other before putting all their energy into the final verse.

"Oh mother! Mother please don't cry! Cause you know we miss him too! We didn't even say goodbye! And though he's gone, We know he's gone! He lives on in all of us, and we will hold you when you cry, because that's what he would have done! Yeah, that's what he would have done! Yeah, that's what he would have done! It's been hard, oh it's been hard! But he's a part of all of us! And we will hold you when you cry, because that's what family does!"

[ilovefandoms102]

Part 3-Shape of My Heart

Pairing: Rudy Pankow x Plus Size Reader

Summary: Falling in love with someone you can never have is the worst feeling in the world...

Taglist:

@jeyramarie @drewswannabegirl @teamnick @jiaraendgame @agirlwholovescoffee @outerbongs @jaxandcomet @velyssaraptor @baby-pogue @they-write-once-in-a-blue-moon @must-be-a-weasley-92 @kaitieskidmore1 @ma10427 @ifilwtmfc @lasnaro @justcallmesams @judayyyw @lonely-kermit @gviosca @iamaunicorn4704 @jellyfishbeansontoast @fernweh-fangirl​ @runway-to-my-aid​ @eb15​ @hurricane-abigail​ @tangledinsparkles​ @fandom-phaser​ @sunwardsss​ @http-cherries​

Part 2 Part 4

Note: We’re almost at 400 new friends!!!! I just want to say THANK YOU to each and every one who has taken time to read even just one of my stories. I truly from the bottom of my heart appreciate it. I love seeing the comments, messages, and reblogs from everyone who has taken the time to do so! It inspires me to put out even more for you guys, and I have so many ideas I want to share with you all! Hope you guys enjoy and don’t forget to let me know what you think!

===============================

LAX’s airport was bigger than I could have ever imagined...

I rolled my suitcases along to where Rudy had told me they would be waiting, a duffel bag slung over my shoulder. Hey, I was staying for almost a month in California, I had necessities to bring. I heard my name being called, whipping my head in the direction it came from. I beamed when I saw everyone, making my way towards them. 

Both Maddie’s made it to me first, taking me into a group hug. They squealed and jumped around, saying how excited they were to see me. Chase ruffled my hair, taking me into a side hug. I spotted Rudy last, a sly smirk on his face. He was more handsome than I remembered, despite seeing his face almost everyday. It was different now that I saw him standing before me, the slight beard he was growing made him look older. He pulled me into a bear hug, inhaling my scent. I did the same, loving the feeling of his arms around me. 

“I missed you guys so much.” I admitted, pulling away from Rudy.

“We can’t wait to show you around!” Maddie C exclaimed.

Rudy took my duffel bag while Chase got one of my suitcases, leading the way to the car. He grunted when I handed him my bag, slinging it over his shoulder. 

“Jesus woman, what’s in here?” Rudy asked, using both hands to haul my bag.

“Makeup, shoes, ya know...girl stuff.” I shrugged, turning to wink at him over my shoulder. 

“There’s gotta be some cement blocks in here or something.” he grumbled, slinging into the back of the car. 

“Careful! There’s some expensive shit in there!” I gasped, earning an eye roll from the blonde. 

The girls and Chase piled into the back, leaving me to sit up front with Rudy driving. I glared at the three devils in the back, knowing what they were up to. Once we got out of the airport, we jammed out to some 80′s rock. Although, Chase, Rudy, and I were the only ones that knew any of the songs. 

I was an old soul, I loved old music. I listened mostly to anything from the 80′s to the early 2000′s, from pop to rock n roll. My mom always liked to tell me that I was born in the wrong era, and I guarantee she’s right. I think that’s also why Rudy and I got along so well, both of us having the taste for old music. The Maddie’s sat back and enjoyed our concert, videoing us at points when Rudy would go crazy. 

I loved that I could be myself around them, not feeling the need to hide. Scream singing in the car while dancing with my best friends, this is what I needed after a stressful 4 months. I breathed in the Los Angeles air, feeling the sun beating down on my arm that hung out the window. I watched as the palm trees passed, the salty air feeling inviting. 

====================================

Once we arrived at Chase’s house, everyone pitched in to lug my shit up the stairs. It was a real struggle since Chase had to pick a house with millions of steep steps. We were all huffing and puffing by the time we made it to my room I’d be living in for the next month, all of us crashing to the bed. Rudy crashed on top of me, a giggle erupting from my lips. 

“You’re comfy,” he sighed, squeezing his arms around me.

It was odd feeling small in his arms despite being bigger than most girls, he was a lot more buff than I remember him being. We didn’t move for a while, just shifting so that Rudy was laying with his head on my stomach so he wouldn’t be crushing me. I spotted Maddie C pulling her phone out.

“Don’t you dare Madelyn,” I chuckled, knowing she was doing it anyways.

“You guys look pretty comfy.” she giggled, moving her finger to zoom.

“That makes one of us,” I commented, playing along for wherever she was about to post. Rudy looked at me offended, his lips pouting out. 

Hysterical laughter came from all of us except Rudy who was still pouting, getting up to lay beside of me instead. I poked his lip, my stomach hurting from laughing so hard. He shoved my hand away, turning his back to me. 

“Oh come on Ru, it was for the video.” I scoffed, tugging his huge bicep.

“I’m mad at you.” he huffed, but I could see the slight smirk on his face. 

“Who decided to have a sleepover and not invite me?” a girl asked, walking in the room. 

From Instagram I could tell this was Elaine, her beauty even more striking in person. She made me feel intimidated, her eyes lingered on where Rudy and I sat. I could see the jealousy in her eyes, making me scoot away from him. 

“Hey El, this is y/n. Y/n, this is Elaine.” Maddie C introduced, gesturing to both of us. 

“So this is the famous y/n...” she said, raising her brows. I felt her gaze burning over me, making me even more self conscious. 

“That’s me, um I’ve heard all about your amazing photography.” I laughed nervously. 

“Yeah, Rudy and I just had a shoot actually.” she revealed.

Maddie B seemed to be the only one to notice the tension in the room, Rudy hadn’t even looked up from his phone yet. I looked at her and she arched her brow at me, clearly not used to Elaine being so passive aggressive.

“Are we going to eat guys? I’m starving.” Chase groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. 

“I haven’t ate at all today, what’s good around here?” I asked excitedly.

“Why haven’t you ate today?” Rudy inquired, his eyes full of worry.

“I’ve been on a plane for hours, I didn’t exactly want airport food.” I informed, rolling my eyes. 

“You shouldn’t do that babe, how are you not sick?” he questioned. Everyone’s eyes widened when he said ‘babe’, my cheeks flushed. 

“Stop lecturing me Ru,” I huffed.

==================================

“I’ve never seen her act like that before...” Maddie B confessed. We were sat in my room as everyone else departed to get ready for dinner. 

“I thought you said she had a thing for Drew?” I said confusedly. 

“The past few times we have all hung out together, they seemed more than friendly.” Maddie B declared, shrugging her shoulders.

“No matter, it’s not like there’s any competition.” I sighed, finishing up my makeup.

“You right because that boy is GONE for you!” she cheered.

“No Mads, because she is the Instagram photographer and I’m the DUFF of our friend group.” I rolled my eyes.

“Excuse you, but if anyone is the DUFF it’s Chase. Look at his hair y/n.” she scoffed. A knock on the door startled the both of us, Rudy poked his head in.

“Sorry to interrupt ladies, but we are all starving to death.” he stated, his eyes looking between us. 

===================================

Dinner was super awkward, starting with when we went to sit down. I stayed behind to let everyone else pick their seats first, leaving Elaine to rush to sit beside Rudy. He quirked a brow at her, obviously confused why she wanted to sit by him so bad. Rudy patted the spot across from him, my cheeks blushing again as I sat down. 

The conversations were hit and miss...anytime one of us tried to tell a story about the time we spent together, Elaine would interject about something her and Rudy did. She would subtly eye me, engaging my reaction. I felt so uncomfortable, that was until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Drew, my brother from another mother. 

“Long time no see buddy!” he beamed. I rose up from my spot to hug him, ruffling his hair.

“I figured it was time to see what LA is all about, and as I’ve been told, my presence was long missed.” I teased, everyone laughed except Elaine. 

Drew said hello to everyone, leaning to kiss Elaine’s cheek. I looked at Maddie B who was beside me, furrowing my brows in confusion. She shrugged her shoulders, waving as Austin joined our table. He leaned down to hug me, patting my head as he passed to take his seat. Rudy reached across the table to tap my hand, he smiled when I turned my attention to him. 

“What are you getting? Do you want to share an appetizer with me?” he questioned.

“I’m really thinking of just getting chicken fingers, they look yummy.” I grinned. He gave me a ‘really’ look.

“Get whatever you want, you aren’t paying anyways.” he smirked, knowing this would rile me up.

“Rudy, no.” I groaned.

“No arguing, pick something that you really want babe.” he demanded.

“Wait are they dating?”  I heard Drew whisper to Maddie C and Chase, not doing a very good job of not wanting me to hear.

“No, I wish they would though.” Maddie C replied.

The night got better, laughter filling the restaurant. It felt so good to be with my people again, my heart was full of joy. Rudy and Drew spent half our time shooting paper spit balls at each other, one even accidentally hitting Austin square in the face. 

“Who’s up for clubbing tonight?!” Drew asked, earning cheers from a few of us.

“I don’t know if I’ll make it, I’m seriously jet lagged.” I yawned.

“Come on y/n, once you get a few shots in you’ll be good to go!” he insisted.

“I’ll take you back to the house if you really don’t want to go.” Rudy offered.

 “Please y/n!” Maddie C begged, Maddie B joining in as well.

I looked at Rudy who just smiled at me, waiting for my response. I made a split second decision without really thinking about it. 

“Ok, I’ll go.” I sighed.

What am I getting myself into?

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Solar Power Prompt List

a collection of prompts set to Lorde’s newest album, Solar Power — if you reblog this, please consider sending a prompt to whoever you reblog it from!

Now if you're looking for a savior, well that's not me

You need someone to take your pain for you? Well, that's not me

We're all broken and sad, where are the dreams that we had?

I just hope the sun will show us the path

My boy behind me, he's taking pictures

Come one, come all, I'll tell you my secrets, I’m kinda like a prettier Jesus

Forget all of the tears that you've cried, it’s over

It's a new state of mind, are you coming, my baby?

I don't miss the poison arrows aimed directly at my head

It got hard to grow up with your cool hand around my neck

It's all just a dream, I wanna wake up

I love this life that I have, but I wonder sometimes what I'm missing

Well, my hot blood's been burning for so many summers now, it’s time to cool it down wherever that leads

Cause all the beautiful girls, they will fade like the roses

All the times, they will change, it'll all come around

But the sun has to rise

Cause all the music you loved at sixteen, you'll grow out of

Spend all the evenings you can with the people who raised you, cause all the times they will change, it'll all come around

To the ones who came before us, all the golden ones who were lifted on a wing

We had no idea the dreams we had were far too big

But how can I love what I know I am gonna lose?

Dancing with my girls, only having two drinks then leaving

It's a funny thing, thought you'd never gain self control

Guess it's been a while since you last said sorry

Crying in the dark at your best friends' parties

You've had enough, gotta turn the lights up, go home

Couldn't wait to turn fifteen, then you blink and it's been ten years

Growing up a little at a time then all at once

Everybody wants the best for you, but you gotta want it for yourself

You can take 'em if you want 'em, these are just secrets from a girl, who's seen it all

Remember all the hurt you would feel when you weren't desired?

Remember what you thought was grief before you got the call?

Baby girl, no one's gonna feel the pain for you

You're gonna love again, so just try staying open, and when the time comes, you'll fall

Your dreams and inner visions, all your mystical ambitions, they won't let you down

Your emotional baggage can be picked up at Carousel Number 2, please be careful so that it doesn't fall onto someone you love

If I had to break it down, I'd say it's the way you love to dance

I thought I was a genius, but now I'm twenty two

It's starting to feel like all I know how to do is put on a suit and take it away

I've got hundreds of gowns, I've got paintings in frames, and a throat that fills with panic every festival day

I should've known when your favourite record was the same as my father's you'd take me down

I guess I'll always be this way, swallowed up by the words and halfway to space

There by the fire, you offered your hand, and as I took it, I loved you, the boy with the plan

You felled me clean as a pine, the man with the axe, and the light in his eyes

We've been through so many hard times, I'm writing a love song for you, baby

Just another phase you're rushing on through

Go all New Age, outrunning your blues

Fifty gleaming chances in a row, and I watch you flick them down like dominoes

I know a girl who knows another girl who knows the woman that you hurt

Just another phase you're shooting on through, the whole world changes right around you

Must feel good being Mr. Start Again

Everyone knows that you're too good for me, don't they?

I'm a cheater, I lie and I'm shy, b ut you like to say hello to total strangers

But every perfect summer's got to say goodnight

I used to love the party, now I'm not alright, drinking in the dark, take me home tonight

I've got so much to tell you and not enough time to do it in

But every perfect summer's gotta take its flight, I’ll still watch you run through the winter light

Won't somebody, anybody be the leader of a new regime?

Can't seem to find what's wrong

The whole world is letting me down

Don't you think the early 2000s seem so far away?

I can't feel a thing, I keep looking at my mood ring

Tell me how I'm feeling, floating away

Take me to some kinda place

Watch the sun set, look back on my life

I just wanna know, will it be alright?

I know you're scared, so was I, but all will be revealed in time

I can make anything real

In the future, if I have a daughter, will she have my waist or my widow's peak?  My dreamer's disposition or my wicked streak?

Like her mother when she was a girl

Was enlightenment found? No, but I'm trying

Taking it one year at a time

[goodluckchenle]

your love would be too much

pairing: haechan x gender neutral!reader genre: ANGST vibes: enemies to lovers, trainee!au, tw for body shaming , anxiety attack , yelling , swearing , NO HAPPY ENDING word count: 6k

author’s note: aaaaaaaaa this took so l o n g. i spent forever and a day writing it but i’m kinda proud of it! definitely didn’t proof read the last couple of paragraphs but it’s Fine

you and haechan should've been friends, or at least that’s what everyone else thought. you were the same age, you’d auditioned for sm at the same time, and you were widely regarded as two of the most talented 2000 line trainees. the two of you had a lot in common, but one thing stood out beyond the rest of your shared qualities: you’d both never hated anyone more in your entire life.

if opposites attract then you and haechan were practically the same person. all you did was get on each other’s nerves. you liked to think that you were a mature person, someone who chose to take the high road, but when it came to haechan all bets were off. the two of you were petty in every way imaginable; you took every chance to get under each other’s skin. you would go out of your way to make haechan’s day worse, and he did the same. your relationship wasn’t hard to understand; it was sneers in the hallway and cruel insults under your breath. it was looking him in the eye as you took his favorite sandwich in the cafeteria or him clicking his tongue just because it drove you insane. it was simple, it was immature, and it was petty. and you still did it anyway.

the funny thing was that no one could’ve told you how it started. everyone’d just kinda assumed something went down one day, but the truth was you didn’t really have a reason to hate haechan except that he hated you. if you thought at least a little bit about your relationship you could probably figure out that there was no fair reason for you two to hate each other, you just rubbed each other wrong and neither of you were humble enough to back down. but we don’t talk about that. the point is, lee donghyuck was your least favorite person in the world, and it was always going to be that way.

but no matter how much you hated him, the trainee grind went on. which meant that you could never truly avoid each other. today was your monthly performance evaluation and as fate would have it, you and haechan went one after another. you were first up. you’d prepared for this performance like it was your last, practicing the choreography for weeks and memorizing every run and adlib until you could sing them in your sleep. you had chosen this song even though it was a challenge and you were proud of how far you’d come to be able to pull it off. after you finished you bowed deeply to the trainers and bit back a smile when you saw the awe on your fellow trainee’s faces. but as you returned to your spot in line, you heard haechan scoff under his breath. you raised an eyebrow.

“got something you’d like to say, donghyuck?” you said quietly, emphasising his name. the moment lee sooman had changed his name haechan let it go straight to his head and you refused to feed his ravenous ego. 

“not really,” haechan quipped back. “just that maybe you should try not to do something so...above you. watching you butcher that was painful and the fake smile didn’t help.” you scowled as his name was called and haechan stepped forward, bowing with a charming smile as he introduced himself to the coaches. right before he started his performance he looked you in the eye, and you swore you could feel rage bubbling up within you.

haechan was infuriatingly impressive. he’d picked a song that played to his strengths and his facial expressions were on point, two areas that were still stinging after his comments earlier. you kept a straight face as he performed, imagining all the things you’d say as soon as you walked out of this room. unsurprisingly the other trainees were enthralled with haechan’s performance but when he made his way back his eyes were only on you, one eyebrow cocked in a confident smirk. now it was your turn to scoff.

“you know, that was actually a smart choice,” you muttered so only he could hear. “play it safe and you won’t disappoint anyone. but maybe turn down the facial expressions a smidge? felt like i was watching a third-rate comedy sketch.” you relished the look on his face as he struggled to remain nonchalant. you shrugged and turned towards the trainee about to perform, leaving haechan to stew in the silence between you two. you were sure this wasn’t over, but did you really want it to be? you were almost looking forward to the fight you knew was coming.

the moment you left the room all eyes were on you and haechan. you wouldn’t say that the two of you made your hatred public, but you definitely didn’t try to keep it private. you were sure haechan felt the same way; you both felt fully justified in your distaste for the other and you kinda expected everyone else to take your side. to be honest haechan's friends thought the whole thing was kind of ridiculous and as for you, well you didn't have anyone close enough to care. you were a little annoyed by the audience you'd amassed but you would never let that stop you. however you needn’t worry; the moment you'd cleared the doorway haechan was already on you. "you always have something to say, don't you?" he said, glaring. you couldn't help but chuckle.  

"and you don't?" you shot back. "you literally started this conversation."

“i wouldn’t have, but i just couldn’t bear the thought of you actually thinking whatever you did back there was ‘art’.” more infuriating than his words was his tone, one that dripped with condescension and mockery. unfortunately, you were never one to back down.

“ah yes. because you’re clearly the expert here,” you spat, arms folded.

haechan looked you up and down in a way that made your skin crawl and your blood boil. “between the two of us? that’s not even a question.” you were starting to get pissed.

you scowled, saying, “you really think you’re the shit, don’t you?”

“no,” he admitted with a cocky grin, “i know i am.” it was taking everything within you not to strangle him at this point.

“you know what’s funny about you? no matter what you do, you always end up thinking you’re the best.”

“are you saying i’m not?”

            “you’re a lot of things, donghyuck, but you’re sure as hell not perfect.”

“what am i then?”

            maybe you weren’t thinking very clearly anymore.

“well the first word that comes to mind is stupid, but clueless and obnoxious work pretty well too. try-hard’s a little informal but it fits the bill, and- oh, duh! you’re replaceable.”

you’d never seen haechan look more serious than when that word came out of your mouth. the shift in mood was immediate. “excuse me?”

            you raised an eyebrow, a little shocked that he didn’t have more to say. “you heard me.”

haechan’s voice was calm, but something about it seemed deadly. the onlookers watched with bated breath as they anticipated haechan’s response. “no, please, elaborate. i want to hear more. how am i replaceable?”

there was a pit forming in your stomach but you didn’t stop. “there’s nothing special about you. you’re not unique, you’re not remarkable, you’re not even bad enough to leave an impression. you’re completely average. and therefore, you’re replaceable.”

haechan barked out a dry laugh, hollow and numb and absolutely terrifying. suddenly he walked forward, brushing past as he muttered, "that's rich, coming from you." his friends rushed after him, the youngest ones looking at you with wide eyes before darting after them. you shrugged, trying to bury the panic growing within you. how did you get here? if anyone had looked closely, they’d see that your hands wouldn't stop shaking.

you went about the rest of your day, pushing your latest episode with haechan to the corner of your mind. you went over the notes you got earlier, practiced for a few hours and headed back to your dorm early, something you rarely allowed yourself. you cleaned your room, ate a sparse dinner, and studied for your exams, but even though you were highly productive something still felt wrong. you did everything you knew to do, but you couldn’t shake the restless feeling in your stomach. did it have something to do with you and haechan today? absolutely. but what good was dwelling on it? then you’d have to address the complex and slightly concerning nature of your relationship. and we don’t want to do that.

it’s well past midnight and you’ve accepted that sleep is out of the question. you decide to start your day early, maybe get a jump on your next assessment. so that’s why you walk out of your dorm at quarter to three in the morning, fully dressed and prepared to dance like your life depended on it. you wander down the corridors of practice rooms, but just as you find an empty one (you clearly weren’t the only one who couldn’t sleep tonight,) you hear a familiar voice. is that,,,donghyuck? your rational brain would’ve said to mind your own business. unfortunately, your rational brain was probably the only part of you asleep right now.

you walked into haechan’s practice room, waiting for him to notice you. from what you could tell he’d been singing (which begs the question, why is he in the dance hall?) and taking notes. he was hunched over on the floor, legs crossed and scribbling away on a notebook page. you cleared your throat and he sat up, annoyed by the interruption and now you. “late night, hyuckie?” you ask, feigning concern.

“leave me alone,” haechan muttered, returning to his work.

you stepped further into the room. “you sure? you don’t look too good.” and as much as you were mocking him it was true. his hair was a mess and under the light his cheeks seemed hollow, his skin mottled.

“i said,” haechan asserted, a growl in his voice, “leave me alone.”

“jeez, touchy much?” you quipped. your tone was playful and there was a gleam in your eye, one that said to haechan that he was nothing more than a toy. he didn’t feel like playing.

haechan stood up and walked towards you, so that you were standing maybe 3 feet away from each other. his voice was quiet, and you finally realized that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. “do you not know when to stop, y/n? get out. now.”

you don’t know why you kept going. everything in your body was screaming at you to go, to leave, to shut your damn mouth for once in your life. maybe you were tired. maybe you wanted to see how far you could push him. maybe you’re an idiot. whatever it was, there was no excuse for what you said next. and once you said it, you couldn’t take it back.

“make me.”

and all hell broke loose.

“what the hell is wrong with you?!” haechan shouted, voice breaking. “what did i do to deserve this? is this some sort of game to you? you win, y/n! you broke me!” you stood there, frozen. you watched your worst enemy shatter in front of you, watched as tears fell down his face. one by one they came as you stood in shock, until they poured like rain. did you do this? choked-back sobs fell from haechan’s lips, chest heaving with the weight of them. was this really happening? “you broke me,” he whispered. you could’ve sworn you heard him shaking. “just leave me alone. please.” you stayed paralyzed only a few moments longer, then turned around and walked out the door, down the hallway and back to your bed. it was safe to say your early start was over.

if sleep wasn't out of the question before it certainly was now. all the thoughts you'd been avoiding flew to the forefront of your mind and you could practically see them swirling in front of your eyes. obviously haechan was upset, and it was because of you. but how? you didn't think you'd said anything out of the ordinary; the two of you were always coming at each other. your conversations ran on repeat in your mind as the discomfort you'd suppressed all day rose to the surface. haechan insulted you first, so you were good right? and yeah, maybe you’d been a little harsh, but he deserved it, or at least that’s what you tried to tell yourself. but something else was nagging at you too. why did you care? haechan was a nuisance; you hated his guts. he was always treating you trash. so why did his tears prompt those of your own? you didn’t care about haechan, not in the least. you couldn’t. you were enemies, and that was how it was supposed to be.

the next day was odd to say the least. you couldn’t help but look at haechan just a little bit differently, and you figured he knew, because he seemed like he was trying to compensate for your behavior with his own. if he was petty before, he was downright cruel now, but for some reason you didn’t have it in you to come at him. every time he scowled at you all you saw were the tears streaming down his face, the whispers that’d fallen past his lips and lodged themselves in your conscience. when haechan took your food you’d simply get something else, when he brushed past you with a little too much force you stepped to the side and kept going. you were sure people picked up on it, but as usual you took little notice. even haechan’s friends had noticed the difference and though you rarely spoke to them, you noticed their lingering glances whenever you encountered each other. you could’ve figured that they too were wondering what had changed between the two of you (something they’d tried to pull out of haechan before) but the chances of them figuring it out were slim to none. secrecy was yet another of you and haechan’s shared qualities.

but there’s only so long you can go without falling back into old habits. after all, donghyuck still is your greatest enemy. you’re walking down the hallway and you turn a corner to see none other but haechan and his crew heading your direction. their excited chatter grinds to a halt as haechan turns to sneer at you, expecting a quip or a snarky face in return. the only thing you give him is a look of poorly disguised pity, and that’s what does it. haechan’s scowl deepens as he grabs you wrist and pulls you back the way you came, around the corner and away from his friends. “what the- get off me!” you hiss, yanking your arm away from him. “what’s wrong with you???”

haechan completely ignores you. “you need to stop,” he snaps, and the fire in his eyes ignites your own.

“the hell d’you mean ‘stop’?” you snap back, angered and a little bit confused. was this because of that night? you were being nice to him. was it just because you felt guilty for making him have a breakdown? sure. but it was still something. he could be a little grateful at least.

“whatever this is,” haechan gestured between the two of you violently, “needs to go back to the way it was” he was far too close to you and you took a step back, a scowl settling over your features and matching with his. you don’t- you can’t- think about what he means by that. but you can be angry.

“i’m sorry, i didn’t know i was taking orders from you,” you spat. “but next time i’ll be sure to. God forbid i’m actually kind to someone for once.”

hyuck took a step towards you, and now you were even closer than before. “i don’t want your pity. i want you to stop. understand?” you hate how intimidated you feel right now.

you looked haechan in the eye with a face of pure contempt before stepping around him and walking down the hall, making brief eye contact with his posse and quickly making your way past them. unbeknownst to you, hyuck deflates as he leans against the wall, eyes closed and breathing out a sigh of relief, that is until you pass and his friends rush to his side.

“yah, what was that?” a pastel-haired boy said, eyes wide with an incredulous grin. all of a sudden haechan noticed the floor was real interesting.

“it was nothing,” he replied, trying to remain nonchalant. “i just had to say something.”

another one nodded, his eye smile betraying his mock seriousness. “you just had to tell y/n something?” the boy raised an eyebrow, his implication crystal clear. the two youngest friends looked at each other, surprised that jeno had said what they’d both been thinking.

haechan scoffed but still refused to make eye contact. “shut up. you know that’s not what i meant.”

the last one chimed in. “what do you mean then? that you don’t have any feelings for them? at all?” renjun looked doubtful, which only frustrated hyuck even more.

“no, i don’t,” he asserted, “do i look like i like them?”

from the way the rest of his friends looked at him, the answer was probably yes.

“all i’m saying,” jaemin insisted, “is that you can’t hate someone that much without caring about them, at least a little bit.” the others nodded in agreement.

haechan finally looked up, and jaemin took a step back, hands in the air. “i hate y/n. i wouldn’t go out with them if they were the last person on earth. they mean nothing to me. okay?” with that he began to walk to their intended destination, and the boys went to follow him. the others made eye-contact, a look that said they didn’t totally buy it but it wasn’t worth fighting now. they’ve got better things to do than play matchmaker.

so now things are back to how they used to be, and you’re okay with that. in fact, you’re glad about it. your last encounter with haechan renewed your distaste for him, and now more than ever you felt justified in your hatred. he had some nerve to come at you like that when you were trying to be nice to him. thinking about it made your face heat up and your fists clench and somewhere deep down maybe it hurt your heart a little more than you’d like to admit, but there’s no reason to address that. now you didn’t have to worry about that night anymore, or how it made you feel. all that mattered was making haechan feel worse.

monthly evaluations roll around once again and maybe you weren’t on your a-game. maybe you got settled a little. maybe you were spending more time in your head than the studio, and maybe it showed. you tried, you really did, but when you got in front of those coaches you knew it wasn’t gonna be a good day. the actual performance was foggy, but what came after was clear as day. the coaches ripped into you, critiquing your technique, style, even your appearance all in front of the other trainees.

“did you even practice at all?”

“i expected more from you,”

“is this the l/n y/n i’ve been hearing about, or should i be looking for someone else?”

“fixing your face is easy, but when everything needs work? do you think you’ll ever debut like this?”

“you’re a disappointment to this company,”

every word felt like a jab to your stomach, but if you had anything it was a high pain tolerance. you did your best to disguise your hurt, and most of the people in the room didn’t notice. you bowed and apologized after the cutting remarks ended, and walked back to your favorite spot on the wall. you blinked rapidly, refusing to tear up, or at least not in public. you knew how to regulate, deep breaths and muscle control, and everyone brushed it off as you relaxing from your performance. 

that is, everyone except haechan.

as much as he hated to admit it, haechan knew you. when you were happy he knew wrinkles on your nose, when you were angry he knew the flush on your cheeks. when you were triumphant he knew the look in your eyes and when you were hurt? he knew that one best of all. haechan wouldn’t call himself a sadist, but he’d be lying if he never got a sort of sick satisfaction every time he got under your skin. that’s what enemies are for, right? but this, this was different. at first he watched with a cocky grin, excited to have something to rib you about later, but when the comments kept coming it started being a lot less funny. when your face began to harden his face fell because he knew how much you were hurting. and even worse, he wanted to make it go away. every word hit him as they did you, and that’s when he realized.

holy shit. i caught feelings.

of course haechan’s performance went off without a hitch, which was somehow worse to him than doing as poorly as you did. he barely registered the comments he received and he had to pin his eyes to the wall in order to keep them from darting over to you. he pushed through the motions until his time in the spotlight was over, and when he returned to his spot in line he too was tense, struggling not to let his concern show. while you and haechan were both passionate people, one of you was far better at hiding it. it clearly wasn’t lee donghyuck. 

you were out the door almost immediately after you were dismissed, and haechan almost went after you. but before he even had the chance to move he remembered the last thing he said to you, the way he made it clear how much he hated you, and he froze. everything in him wanted to chase you down, ask if you were okay, say he was an idiot and he was sorry for every time he tried to make your life hell because he never knew how much you mattered until you meant everything to him. but he couldn’t. he told himself there were a million reasons but in reality there was only one: he was scared, terrified of upsetting whatever the two of you had. so he spent the rest of his day avoiding you. it wasn’t hugely noticeable but to him it was glaringly obvious. were you that ingrained in his life? or was it that you were just always on his mind? apparently jaemin was right. you can’t hate someone without loving them, at least a little bit.

haechan wasn’t usually an early riser, but for some reason (read: you), he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep. so at four a.m. he found himself wandering the halls of sm entertainment. he'd figured the building would be empty, and for the most part he was right; only one room was taken. his growing curiosity led him to the door, but the sight before him replaced it with dread. it was you. and you looked bad.

the irony wasn't lost on him as he opened the door, and the memory of his night in the studio only filled him with concern. he didn't want to break you the way you broke him, but at this point he couldn't even be sure if you already had. you were dancing, or at least trying to, running your monthly performance over and over again. you would stumble practically every other move and you looked absolutely exhausted. you'd stop for a moment, leaning against a wall with your eyes closed and chest heaving, then force yourself up and start all over again. it was a sickening cycle of abuse, and it didn’t look like you’d stop it if you could.

he didn’t mean to startle you. you were so out of it you didn’t even notice haechan until he was looking you in the eye. you tried to turn away from him but your balance betrayed you, landing you on the floor. a rough growl of frustration what all you could muster as you tried to get donghyuck away from you. it wasn’t clear whether he didn’t hear you, or chose not to listen.

haechan slowly suck to your level, crouched on his knees. “y/n, y/n are you alright? can you hear me?” he asked quietly.

“of course i can hear you,” you slurred, “now leave me alone.”

“i can’t do that,” he replied, “you can’t even stand by yourself. you need to rest.”

you scoffed, but even that seemed weak. “why should i listen to you? you’re tricking me, hyuck. you want me to fail.”

it hurt because you were right. up until today, that was something haechan would have thought. he would have pounced at the chance to set you up for failure. how could he prove to you that he didn’t feel that way anymore? “please y/n. you’re not thinking straight-”

“stop!” you cried, voice trembling. “i-i need to keep working. i’m not good enough. not yet,” your breathing sped up, your body seized with each gasp. “they-they said i wasn’t good enough-i have to be good enough,”

haechan knew that feeling. he’d felt it a million times. the one that sat in the pit of your stomach, the one that chanted over and over again every harsh word said against you. after all,  you were the one who’d given it to him that night. he could have laughed at the irony if he wasn’t so close to tears. hyuck clutched your shoulders, voice shaking with urgency as he said “y/n, i need you to listen to me. you’re not okay. we need to leave. we can come back after you’ve slept,” (he had no such intentions.) “okay? just come with me for now. can you do that for me?” he attempted to pull you to your feet. key word: attempted.

you writhed your way out of his arms, landing violently and curling into yourself on impact. “no!” you shouted. you began rocking back and forth on the ground, muttering to yourself over and over again, “i have to be good enough, i have to be good enough, i have to be good enough,” your chest heaved with broken sobs, a sound almost as heart wrenching as the sight. if haechan’s heart was already broken, the damage was irreparable now. hyuck dropped to his knees in front of you, tears welling up in his own eyes and threatening to spill. you were beyond reason. panicking, he did the only thing he could think to do. he held you.

he pulled your shaking form towards him, flinching at the cold of your skin. rocking with you he clutched you tighter, as if by surrounding your body with his he could shield you from all the horrors in the world. he took deep breaths and tried to steady you, a slow process that only proved effective after several minutes. you felt him gather you into his arms, felt every one of his inhales and exhales, and though you weren’t in a place to speak- to think clearly, really- a thought pushed past the fog in your mind and out through your lips.

“i thought you wanted to go back to the way it was,” you whispered.

“i did,” he whispered back.

and neither of you knew what to say.

if you thought things changed after hyuck’s episode, you had no idea what was coming after yours. it started with conversations, cautious approaches on haechan’s part to get you to crack a smile. then it was surprises. he’d come up to you with food you liked or something that “just reminded him of you.” he started sitting with you during meals, ditching his usual friends for your company instead. he said hi in the hallway, he popped in when he knew you were practicing, he told jokes and played nice and did all the kinds of things that friends do. and as odd as that was, it wasn’t the oddest of it all. the weirdest thing was that you didn’t stop him.

you wanted to, God did you want to, but for some reason you just never told him. part of you appreciated it, craved it really, it wasn’t often you got this much attention. a smaller part of you wanted it more because it was donghyuck who gave it to you, because even when you fought with him you always had something. an even smaller part tried to hide what you really felt, and the smallest part said maybe, just maybe, you didn’t want hyuck to be your enemy anymore. but all of that was drowned out by the discomfort that consumed you every time he got close to you. it wasn’t the actions, though that did feel...odd, it was more like...it was more like you didn’t know what it meant. well, you did, but you weren’t ready for that yet. this isn’t how you two were. it was different. you didn’t like different.

and on top of that there was the attention. haechan figured it was bound to happen. the two of you clearly had a dynamic relationship and among trainees you both were some of the best; there’s no wonder word had gotten around. hyuck continued to deny his feelings for you but by now his friends had figured out at least part of the story, and they teased him almost constantly for it. no one asked you about it, the main reason being that they’re kinda sorta maybe definitely terrified of you, and that was probably the only reason you made it as long as you did. but still, you didn’t try to stop him. or at least you never planned to.

you were eating lunch one day, almost relaxed in the solace you so much cherished; in between classes and practices you hardly had time to think anymore. per usual you refused to think of one thing, (we all know what it is at this point) which would have been fine if that thing wasn't heading this way. you didn't look at haechan coming even though you knew he was; you were tired and glowingly stressed by his actions. plus, you figured, it wasn't like you could stop him. he made his way over and hopped on top of your table, grinning. hyuck ruffled your hair, chuckled and asked, "you miss me?" you ducked downwards, not really up to dealing with haechan's antics, and tried to continue to eat. he huffed (and pouted if you had to guess,) as he continued the conversation with himself, saying, "I guess not," he slipped off the table and sat next to you, still painfully cheerful, and continued to talk to himself, filling your once comfortable silence with somewhat unnerving chatter. you zoned out and apparently your discomfort became more and more obvious because it wasn't long before donghyuck asked you, "hey y/n, are you listening?"

you didn't know why you were getting so upset, and you didn't like it either. you weren't sure if you could do this anymore. you shook your head, trying to stay calm, and haechan leaned towards you, clearly concerned. "are you okay?"

"why are you doing this?" you asked him, your voice shaking just a little bit. you hadn't looked up yet, but your food also seemed last appetizing by the second.

"what do you mean?" he replied, oblivious.

"why are you doing this?" you repeat, gesturing between you two. "is this some kind of joke? or a dare?" internally you begged for his answer to be yes. at least then you wouldn't have to deal with what you knew it was.

hyuck's face scrunched up in confusion, before sinking into realization. "what? no! am i not allowed to care about you?"

you raised your head, finally making eye contact. frustration bubbled up inside you. why did he have to make this so difficult? "no, haechan, you're not."

"y/n, are you alright?" his voice was infuriatingly kind. it almost made you feel bad, well actually it did, but you were too upset for that to stop you.

"why does it matter?" your anger mounted with every word. “we’re not friends. we don’t get along, we never have.” you were getting tense. this was escalating. haechan was getting nervous.

“i know, and i’m sorry, but i’m trying to change that-” haechan’s voice was rising, even though he didn’t mean it to. you could hear- feel even- the sincerity in his voice.

your voice was rising too. you knew people would hear you. you could sense the whispers about to come. you couldn’t stop now. “why, haechan? so you can feel better about yourself? you think this can erase everything else?” you were angry, so angry, so desperate for  his pain. but this wasn’t like before. this wasn’t petty. this was terrifying. and maybe if you were scary enough, mean enough, strong enough, you could make it go away.

he tried to get a word out, but you wouldn’t let him. you were yelling now, saying, “this doesn’t work! whatever this is, whatever we wish this was, could never happen!”

he backed away, standing up as he tried to reply, “why can’t we? y/n, i lik-”

“we can’t do this!” you shouted, “look around, donghyuck! don’t you see where we are? who we are? we’re trainees, and even if we weren’t this wouldn’t work!”

“y/n, listen to me! you know how i feel about you!” haechan yelled, finally cutting you off and catching you off guard. his tone lowered, and you could see the emotion welling up inside him. “and i’d like to think that you care about me at least half as much as i care about you.”

you couldn’t say he was wrong.

“i get that it’s scary, i get that it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but i want this. i want you. isn’t it worth trying? even if it hurts?” there were tears in his eyes. there were tears in yours.

you were quiet now, barely above a whisper. “we can’t do this haechan. i can’t do this.”

and neither of you knew what to say.

so now you and haechan don’t talk. you don’t make eye contact in the hallways, you don’t stand next to each other during evaluations. you don’t take each other’s favorite food or click your tongues or make cruel jokes. you don’t even think about each other. or at least you try not to.

people don’t talk about you either. they used to; right after it happened everyone had something to say. they all had questions, comments, concerns, but they also had the decency not to ask while both of you had tears streaming down your face. you never explained what happened. haechan never did either, not even to his friends, the ones he eventually debuted with. 

secrecy was one of your many shared qualities.

but it's not like you died or anything. you went on with life, went on with the trainee grind until you left, switching companies to make your debut in a smaller company years after you’ve seen donghyuck’s face plastered on every tv screen.

and part of you wondered, what if you’d tried? what if you waited, what if you didn’t fight him that day and let things go until haechan either got over you or confessed to you himself? would you still be together? would it have worked? would it have hurt as much as that last fight? would you have gone back to the way it used to be? you tried not to ask those questions, after all you made the right choice. you got your dream. to get that and have haechan? that would be too much.

[susiephone]

my big gay folklore narrative

This is my best construction of the folklore narrative, specifically the Teenage Love Triangle. While some of these connections are obvious, some are just me going full Pepe Silvia and interpreting the characters in ways you may disagree with. And, again, this is super-duper gay. (Yes, James is female in my mind. I know a lot of people point out it can be a girl’s name -- which it can, so valid -- but I personally like to imagine she’s one of like 20 Jessicas or Ashleys at their school and goes by her last name. Either way, it works.)

Our story is set in a small town in Pennsylvania in the late 90s/early 2000s, and it concerns four girls: James, Betty, Inez, and August. I will do this story roughly chronological order, but due to the nature of the album there will be some jumping.

seven

When Betty is young, things at home aren’t easy. Her father is abusive and she doesn’t feel safe there, but she does have solace in a childhood friend of hers. Her friend does her best to protect her (“I think you should come live with me, and we can be pirates, and you won’t have to cry, or hide in the closet”), and they love each other very much.

Sadly, her friend moves out of Pennsylvania with her family when they’re young, and because this is pre-internet, they lose track of each other, and years later, Betty’s friend only half-remembers her -- but she still holds a fond place in her heart. (“And even though I can’t recall your face, I still got love for you.”)

cardigan / exile / august / betty

I’m lumping these four together because I think they all happen in the same year or so, constantly overlapping each other.

Flash forward to high school. By now, Betty’s father has left her and her mother, which is for the best, but the whole ordeal was pretty traumatic. (“I knew you, leaving like a father, running like water.”) She’s bisexual but closeted, and James is one of her classmates. James is a rebellious tomboy and it’s basically an open secret among the adults (and most of their classmates) that she’s probably a lesbian, but she’s still closeted. (“I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything.”)

The two girls become close friends, and eventually begin kissing and holding hands in private, but both are too scared to go further, or to come out and say that they really care for each other. Betty tries to broach the topic multiple times, but James brushes her off.

Finally, Betty plucks up the courage to suggest she and James go to the spring dance together, as a couple, and let the chips fall where the may.

James, in true disaster lesbian fashion, freaks the fuck out and says “no,” even claiming it was only a fling to her. Which is total crap, and deep down they both know it, but Betty’s really hurt. The night of the dance, James has a change of heart, realizes she needs to take a stand and show Betty how much she loves her (“Tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy”), so gets all dolled up and she goes to the dance... and sees Betty dancing with a guy. (“I can see you starin', honey, like he's just your understudy. Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me. Second, third, and hundredth chances, balancin' on breaking branches. Those eyes add insult to injury.” / “I hate the crowds, you know that. Plus, I saw you dance with him.”)

Hurt and angry, James leaves. Betty follows, and they have a massive fight; James accuses Betty of using her, while Betty calls her a coward. (“You never gave me a sign.” “I gave so many signs!”) They call things off and it’s miserable.

While James is walking home from the dance, August, a classmate of theirs who’s out and proud, offers her a ride home. (“High heels on cobblestones” / “I was walking home on broken cobblestones, just thinking of you when she pulled up like a figment of my worst intentions. She said "James, get in, let's drive.”) Soon, this turns into a fling. Being with August is a nice distraction, and helps James fully come to terms with the fact that she’s gay, but she desperately misses Betty. However, when Inez finds out August and James are a thing, she mentions it to Betty, who responds by avoiding James altogether.

Unbeknownst to James, August is really falling for her. August, meanwhile, is aware that she’s a runner-up to who James really wants, but she hopes that eventually James will see her the same way she sees her. (“For me, it was enough to live for the hope of it all. Canceled plans just in case you'd call and say, ‘Meet me behind the mall.’ So much for summer love and saying ‘us,’ ‘cause you weren't mine to lose.”)

But summer ends, and James breaks things off with August, determined to get Betty back. She works up the courage to go to Betty’s party, ask forgiveness, and rekindle their relationship; for real this time. (“Will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends? If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings? I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything, but I know I miss you. Standing in your cardigan, kissing in my car again. Stopped at a streetlight, you know I missed you.”)

mirrorball

I like to imagine “mirrorball” is told from the perspective of Inez, the school gossip. James claims “you can’t believe a word she says most times,” which I take to mean that she has a bit of rep, and is known to exaggerate. I think Inez is one of those girls who became the girl who’s up in everyone’s business because she wants people to like and pay attention to her, but doesn’t think she’s impressive enough on her own. (“I can change everything about me to fit in.”) And, to an extent, it works. When something happens, people look to her to get the dirt. Whether the story she circulates is true is an entirely different matter. (“I can show you every version of yourself tonight.”)

The result is, well into adulthood, Inez has a reputation for being a “people person,” but deep down, she feels like she’s faking it. (“I’ve never been a natural; all I do is try, try, try.”)

the 1

This song is from August’s perspective years later, when she’s all grown up and looking back at her fling with James. She’s doing good these days, dating people and living her life, but she does think back on what could’ve been. She’s not bitter, but she does wonder how life might’ve turned out if James picked her instead of Betty. (“It would’ve been fun if you would’ve been the one...”)

hoax / peace

These two also take place at roughly the same time, as Betty and James finish high school as a couple and finally truly grow up. (“Our coming-of-age has come and gone. Suddenly this summer, it's clear, I never had the courage of my convictions as long as danger is near.”)

Between the reactions of people around them, both of their insecurities, Betty’s history of people hurting her, and James’ impulsiveness, things aren’t easy. (“I could never give you peace.” / “Stood at the cliffside, screaming, ‘Give me a reason.’”) However, neither are willing to call it quits. (“Don’t want no other shade of blue but you.”)

So, things aren’t all rosy right away. But they resolve to make it work. (“All these people think love’s for show, but I would die for you in secret.”) It takes a long time, but I like to think that eventually, they do.

invisible string

This could be seen as being from either Betty or James’ perspective, years later - once they’ve both fully grown up and their relationship has matured. It talks about how past bad relationships led them to each other. As we’ve seen, both were with people who weren’t right for them - but it all eventually led to them being able to be together. (“Were there clues I didn't see? And isn't it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?”)

the last great american dynasty

This is totally irrelevant to the love triangle, but how fun is it to imagine this song as one of Inez’s many wild stories? As an adult, she’s making bank, and still drawing controversy everywhere--and loving it. (“I had a marvelous time ruining everything.”)

[stuonsongs]

My Top 10 Favorite Songs of All Time - 2006 Edition

2021 Editor’s Note: I was looking through some old files and found this thing that I wrote sometime in the summer of 2006 at age 22. For all I know, it could’ve been 15 years to the day! Looking back, I’m not sure how many of these songs would still make my top 10. Don’t get me wrong, I still love all of these tunes, but I’m sure you know how it goes - You get older, you get exposed to more things, and your idea of good music expands. Anyway, I thought it might be nice to share with anyone who still uses this site. I present it in its original format without edits to my writing. I ended up writing full posts in this blog about some of these songs if you go through the archive. 

Stu’s Top 10 Favorite Songs…Ever

Let’s start with some honorable mentions. These were so close, and I thought about it for so long, but they had to be left off.

Honorable Mentions

All Summer Long – The Beach Boys

All Summer Long. 1964. Capitol

This song has been described so many times as being “the perfect summer song.” When you listen to it, you can’t help but smile from the opening marimba intro, all the way through. It just screams “summer” and it hurt me to leave The Beach Boys off my top 10.

Bleed American – Jimmy Eat World

Bleed American. 2001. Grand Royal

So full of energy, so rocking, and so what would’ve been the most recent song on my list. I wanted to keep it in the top 10 just so I could have a song from the ‘00s, but it wasn’t meant to be. When the chorus kicks in, I can’t help but headbang.

Marie – Randy Newman

Good Old Boys. 1974. Reprise

Randy has said that a lot of young composers pick “Marie” as their favorite Newman song, and I can see why. The idea of a guy having to be drunk to tell his wife that he loves her is pretty funny, and throughout the whole song it’s just the beautiful melody with tons of strings, all to a tune about a guy ripping on himself as he comes home drunk to his wife.

Does He Love You? – Rilo Kiley

More Adventurous. 2004. Brute/Beaute

I guess this is newer than Bleed American, so it would’ve worked too. This is another more recent song that it killed me to leave off the list. The outro is an arrangement of the main tune with a different chord progression performed by a string quartet. Very beautiful. Also when Jenny Lewis screams “Your husband will never leave you, he will never leave you for me,” I get chills every time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So here it is. After a long day’s work, I’m finally finished. It actually turned out much different than I was thinking when I first started. The number one wasn’t really even in my top five when I started, but I slowly realized I loved it so much. I also left Ben Folds (Five) off this list completely, and I don’t know, I just feel the whole catalogue of Ben is so solid, none of the songs stick out to me that much. But anyways, here it is! After the break of course…

Stu’s Top 10

10.

(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave – Martha and the Vandellas

Heat Wave. 1963. Motown.

This one beat out “Bleed American” just barely. The reason being that somehow, despite being nearly 40 years older than Bleed American, it still has so much energy that it kills. Dan Bukvich once told our Jazz Arranging class that you can boil all the oldies you hear on the radio down to three categories: 1) Great Song. 2) Great Performance. 3) Great Arrangement. This song is one of the great performances. The handclaps throughout, combined with the driving baritone sax behind everything and constant snare drum action will keep anybody with blood running through their veins dancing all night long.

9.

Bodhisattva – Steely Dan

Countdown to Ecstasy. 1973. MCA

This song is my Freebird. It’s just a basic blues progression song at its core with some minor changes at the end of the form. The real kicker that drives this song home is the three minute guitar solo in the middle that isn’t nearly as rocking as Freebird, but it is highly proficient and takes me to places that just make me want to play the song over and over again. I have no idea what this song is about, probably Buddhism, but hey, this once again proves that lyrics rarely matter and the music itself is the core.

8.

Zanzibar – Billy Joel

52nd Street. 1978. Columbia

This song reminds me of long car rides on vacations down the west coast with my parents growing up. They used to play a tape of 52nd Street, or at least their favorite selections, constantly on these trips. I didn’t hear this song again until early in my senior year in college and remembered why I loved it so much. The song has a heavy jazz influence, displayed in the breakdown where Jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard does a solo. The best part of this song though is at the end of the 4th line of each verse, Billy does this “Woah oh oh!” thing that just makes me want to sing every time. It was between this and “Miami 2017 (Lights Go Out On Broadway)” which is also a great song, but the “Woah oh oh!” is too much for ol’ Stu boy.

7.

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) – Bruce Springsteen

The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle. 1973. Columbia

Early Bruce Springsteen records have something that very few other artists can ever pull off without sounding cheesy or forced. It has this undeniable sense of urgency, like the world will fall apart and life will crumble through your fingers if this one moment in time doesn’t work out the way Bruce describes it. There are so many early Springsteen songs that just set a scene of “We have to get out of this town right now girl before it kills us, no matter what any of our parents, friends, anybody has to say.” There’s a line that kinda sums it up: “Well hold on tight, stay up all night ‘cause Rosie I’m comin’ on strong. By the time we meet the morning light, I will hold you in my arms. I know a pretty little place in southern California down San Diego way. There’s a little café where they play guitars all night and all day. You can hear ‘em in the back room strummin’, so hold tight baby ‘cause don’t you know daddy’s comin’.”

6.

I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Frank Sinatra

Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! 1956. Capitol

This song falls into the category of great arrangement. This Cole Porter classic tune was arranged for Sinatra by Nelson Riddle. The story goes that he was still copying down parts for the players while riding in the cab to the recording studio on the day of recording. After the players ran through it once with Frank, they stood up and applauded. The Baritone sax takes control here, outlining a Db6/9 chord throughout the intro. Of course, Frank’s vocal delivery is spot on and goes up and down in all the right places for the biggest emotion impact. It’s amazing how a song with no real chorus can be so good.

5.

A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

Ain’t That Good News. 1964. RCA Victor

This song was not even going to be on this list, but then I ran across it while scouring my collection of music and remembered how good it was. Then I listened to it and was blown away by the level of detail that went into this arrangement. Sam’s vocals soar above the mind blowingly beautiful arrangement. The lyrics to this one actually add to the tune itself, speaking of wrongdoings in the world around him, and how social change is on its way in the form of the civil rights movement. The song flows with such ease out of Cooke that one might forget the weightiness of the content, but the song’s content is just so heavy that it’s impossible to deny it.

4.

Whatever – Oasis

Whatever EP. 1994. Creation

This song was released as a Christmas present to the U.K. from the Gallagher brothers and company. It never appeared on any full album, only being released as a single, and amazingly, it blows away anything else they’ve ever done. Think “All You Need Is Love,” but with tons of rocking energy and a snide, nonchalant attitude. The chorus speaks, “I’m free to be whatever I, whatever I choose and I’ll sing the blues if I want. I’m free to be whatever I, whatever I like, if it’s wrong or right, it’s alright.” Not exactly poetry, and the song isn’t exactly breaking any new ground either, but the song is absolutely perfect in every way, and it was going to be my #1, but perhaps the only reason it’s not at number one is because I’ve played this song so many times that at the moment, these next three are beating it, but who knows how I’ll feel in a few months. This song also pulls the same “outro performed by a string quartet” thing as “Does He Love You?” but even better. It’s so simple, but I can’t get enough of it.

3.

Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra

Out of the Blue. 1977. Jet

This is obviously the best Beatles song that the Beatles never wrote. The staccato guitar during the verse combined with the strings present in just about every ELO song combine to make a force that is undeniably catchy and musically challenging at the same time. This is really what makes ELO so good. I didn’t discover this song till probably Nov. 2005, and it was one of the best days of my life. I didn’t want to include two songs by the same artist in my top 10, but if I did, I probably would’ve added “Turn To Stone” on this list too because it is almost as awesome as this one. It’s a shame that just like Billy Joel, most critics at the time hated ELO for being overly creative musically (they called it pretentiousness). These days we have acts that really are pretentious (see Radiohead), but everyone loves them, even critics. I’m not knocking all Radiohead, just most everything post OK Computer. Sorry, got a little sidetracked there.

2.

Only In Dreams – Weezer

Weezer. 1994. Geffen

This has been my favorite Weezer song since about a month into me picking up Weezer’s debut album back around early 2000. It has this ostinato (a repeated motif over and over again) in the bass throughout most of the whole song, never even really resolving to the Gb major chord (excluding chorus, which never really resolves) that it wants to until the end of a 3 minute contrapuntal guitar duet when everything dies out except the bass which just retards on its own until it finally plays the single Gb we’ve all been waiting for. The song on the whole up until the guitar duet is pretty tame, but once those contrapuntal guitar lines start intertwining, my ears perk up every time. I can sing both lines at separate times upon request and when the drums finally kick back in fully at the climax of the song, I let out a sigh of relief or bang on my car wheel in exultant joy, whichever is more of an option at the time.

1.

All Is Forgiven – Jellyfish

Spilt Milk. 1993. Charisma

I always loved this song from the first time I heard it, but I didn’t realize how much I loved it until maybe April 2006. I found out about Jellyfish first semester of college in the Fall of ’02 and heard this song, and knew it was great. The constant tom-tom driven drums, the fuzzy, almost white noise distorted guitar, and the half time bass throughout. It was great. Then in April I put it on my mp3 player for the walk to school, and then I listened to it for about two weeks straight. Seriously. It runs into the next song entitled “Russian Hill” which is almost as good, but because it’s a separate song, I couldn’t include it on the list, but in my mind, they always run together and are basically one long 9 minute song. The ending just gets more and more white noise filled until you can barely take it anymore and then it just cuts off completely into the slow acoustic intro for Russian Hill. It’s perfect in every way. I think this would fall into the category of great song. And the way the song builds up right to the middle of the song and then cuts out completely except for some very VERY faint xylophone noodling, and then busts back in with some feedback directly into guitar solo. Man I love this song.

[photolover82]

The Masked Singer Season 4 Episode 2: Group B kicking it off... with a twist!! Guesses and Commentary

Hello my fellow Masked Singer guys and gals! It's that time of the week again (albeit I am a bit late, but let's go with it), time for Ana's Masked Singer recap woohoo! *insert fanfare here* This episode was such an insane one not gonna lie, Group B came in with a bang like wow... let's just get into it because it's a crazy episode in it of itself.

Firstly, I gotta point out the contestants of Group B, which this time were 6 unlike A and C which only have 5 contestants total.. and those 6 are (order from left to right, top row first then bottom row in the image below) Crocedile, Gremlin (the purple fluffy guy), Seahorse, Whatchamacallit (the blue and red hair cousin It thing), Baby Alien, and Serpent.

Alrighty so this elimination is gonna be a bit different than usual because it isn't the norm of what usually happens with these sorts of things (I'll tell you what I mean in a sec)...

So the first contestant unmasked for Group B actually wasn't eliminated (I know what you are thinking... "whaaatttt Anaaaaa that makes no sense")... but actually he unmasked himself (whatttt?! yeah you read that right, he legit was hot and suffocating and he seemed super over it and just took it off by himself... yup, that happened like what mind blown!

Anyways the mask who did this was...

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

THE GREMLIN

Performance: He sang Stand by Me by Ben E. King and honestly it was meh, it was really breathy as if he forgot some of the words, I don’t know if he was overcome with emotion (because he dedicated it to his friend who passed away) or what, I felt kind of bad but I low key feel like he was going to go home regardless, but on the bright side I love the costume and it was a great song choice for his range. He has a very raspy voice... like almost like a smoker’s voice and I can kind of tell that he’s an older man, but I couldn’t recognize the singer. 

So the Gremlin ended up being revealed to be.... 

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

MICKEY ROURKE 

Ugh this upsets me because I don’t know who he is so I really couldn’t guess him correctly. I searched it up and apparently he’s an actor and director and was in Iron Man 2, which I’ve never seen like ever. But yeah, he did good, he looked kinda drunk not gonna lie and I guess he was suffocated and got over it. 

Alright now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to my favorite part, the remaining 5 contestants: 

1. THE SEAHORSE

Performance: I really love Seahorse, she’s one of my favorites of the night and so far in the season in general. Her performance of Rihanna’s Only Girl in the World was amazing and I definitely knew who that voice is...

My guess and I am so sure about this guys is singer, songwriter, American Idol alum... 

TORI KELLY 

Dude like that voice is so recognizable... but also because of the clues: 

Emotion Ocean= she’s super emotional when it comes to songwriting, like she legit said in an interview that she cries a lot

Tea Party= she hosted tea parties with her fans in 2019 (well before all this ofc) 

Rainbow Frog= sang Rainbow Connection with Kermit the Frog 

Judges’ Guesses: 

Jenny: Halsey (say what now? This doesn’t sound like her... is Jenny ok? This episode she’s been messing up with guesses more than Ken... you’ll see what I mean) 

Nicole: Hailee Steinfeld (meh, that’s ok I guess, but not quite) 

Robin: Bebe Rexha (he was onto something when he said country but then he said this, but this is the closest guess of the 3)  

2. THE SERPENT 

Performance: This one is my other favorite of this group. His performance of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers was absolutely stunning, I got chills! If it is who I think it is, I love him (partially because I think I know who it can be) 

I think the Serpent can be actor of the iconic Broadway sensation Hamilton aka Aaron Burr, Sir:

LESLIE ODOM JR. 

Dude like I feel pretty good about this guess because of the voice and the clues:

Map of the Caribbean= reference to the beginning of Hamilton where Alexander Hamilton is from

Jr. References= he’s a jr. 

Between medicine & music= he played a doctor on Murder on the Orient Express in 2017

Number 31118 (this was from the Sunday before the premiere but still worth noting)= 3 albums, 11 stage productions, 18 years on Broadway OR bible verse Romans 3:11-18 which was written by Paul, a character he played on Rent

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: John Legend (See what I’m saying? Jenny, what are you doing man? That is not John Legend, like they don’t sound alike at all) 

Ken: Daveed Diggs (Wow! Ken got it kinda close, I’m proud, that’s an achievement for him we gotta give it to him) 

Nicole: Leslie Odom Jr. (WOOOO!! Yesss Nicole!!) 👏🏼

3. THE CROCODILE 

Performance: I also really liked Crocodile and his performance of It’s My Life by Bon Jovi was great! I feel like I know who this is, and I am pretty familiar (well, more or less) with 90s and early 2000s boybands and this one is someone in that realm I am so sure of it... 

Ok so being more specific, I think it’s boybander from The Backstreet Boys: 

NICK CARTER 

The voice and the clues were a dead giveaway:

The Vegas vibes in the clue package= he performed in Vegas with Backstreet Boys 

Water clues (the water slide and happiest in water)= he was born in Orlando, FL home of the theme parks and FL is also some of the Gators so it would makes sense with the costume

Grew up in Hollywood= moved there when really young

Judges’ Guesses:

Ken: John Hamm (and he’s back, that was a terrible guess)

Nicole: Nick Lachey (so close, but not quite)

Robin: Donnie Wahlberg (um, Jenny agreed, how does she not know that this ain’t your husband?!) 

4. THE WHATCHAMACALLIT

Performance:  His performance of “I Wish” by Skee-Lo was good, not my favorite, but I didn’t hate it. I am kind of feeling that it’s an athlete due to the height and also how he speaks. 

So this guess is an idea I got from the Internet (subject to change because I have no clue about sports players): 

Rashad Jennings?

The only thing I got from the clues was:

Dancing with Stars= he won DWTS 

Clues IDK

Orange Jelly= ?

The clock with the Bear Mask on the 5= ? 

Swinging Keys= ?

Judges’ Guesses:

Nicole= Swiss Beats (meh idk) 

Ken: Damon Lillard (I like this guess, tbh.. I kinda agree with it being a sports player)

Robin: Tyler the Creator (that would be cool but I don’t think so) 

5. THE BABY ALIEN

Performance: His performance of Faith by George Micheals was good too, better than I expected for the costume ngl. I had pretty low expectations but I am pleasantly surprised. He isn’t my favorite by any means and I am also a bit stumped by him especially because of that fake Russian accent, but I am in between 2 people at the moment....

The 2 people I am in between are either Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham or actor 

JASON SEGEL 

It kinda sounds like him and the clues are a bit confusing but there’s one I understand too:

Tony Awards Reference= he’s been on Broadway 

The mask’s a puppet and Segel is a big fan of puppets (He was also in the Muppets movie) 

CLUES IDK 

Space clues= ?

Friends Reference (2nd Gear)= ?

Ferris Beuller references= ?

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: Ralph Macchio (meh I guess that’s good) 

Nicole: David Schwimmer (not bad, but idk it doesn’t really sound like it)

Ken: Freddie Prinze Jr. (ya, no) 

Alright so that’s it! I am so sorry for it being late, but better late than never... I’ve been pretty busy so hopefully this weekend I will have tonight’s episode recap up... THANK YOU FOR READING AND I WILL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT ONE *blows kiss* byeeee!