#i listened to this album four times yesterday | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

withacapitalp · 1 year

Text

Countdown Pt 2

Follow up to this thing I wrote yesterday

People always acted funny when they saw his timer. They usually reacted in two ways- either they tried to pretend that they didn’t see it, or they said how sorry they were.

That’s not enough time.

Oh I wish you had more time.

Only a few days? I’m sorry honey.

But Steve had never been upset about it. Sure, he only had less than a week with his soulmate, but that only meant that their time was more treasured. They understood that they had to make every second count.

Wasn’t that a good thing?

“You’ll understand someday, Steven,” His mother had said quietly into her wine glass one night when it was just the two of them at home. She was sitting on the couch, flipping through their photo album idly, holding Steve hostage with stories about how good things used to be. How in love his parents were, once upon a time. How happy they used to be before the job, before the promotion, before the big house in Loch Nora.

(They really mean before they had him. Not that either of his parents will ever admit that)

“You’ll understand,” She repeated in a whisper, taking another long sip.

“What will I understand?” Steve replied. Usually he tried to stay as still and silent as possible on nights like these, did his best to pretend like he didn’t exist, waiting for her to finally wave a hand and release him to his room. But this time he didn’t get it.

“You’ll understand that this? This is a curse,” She spat out, holding up her right arm and showing him her timer. All zeroes. His mother’s soulmate had died when he was ten, but her timer had counted down. She had met him at some point in her life though. She knew him, but she hadn’t lived a life with him. Whoever he was, he had died alone.

Steve had always wondered about that, always wanted to ask. If she knew who her soulmate was, why not be with them? If she had found that person, why not make every second count?

“It’s a curse,” His mother had said, continuing when Steve didn’t say anything in response, finishing what was left in her glass, “Especially yours. I remember the first time I saw your timer. It was right after you were born. I was holding you against me, you were so little then, so sweet, and I looked down, and I saw it. Five days. What kind of God would only give my baby five days? Not a good one,”

Steve wasn’t exactly sure what kind of God was out there. If he was being fully honest, he wasn’t sure he believed in God at all.

He believed….in the universe. He believed in something linking them all, something that knew them and wanted them to find the person that completed their lives. The Universe knew that Steve and his soulmate were strong enough to handle five days, four hours, and twenty two minutes. That unnamed unexplained universe knew that they would know what to do with that time.

Steve had plans for his five days, four hours, and twenty two minutes.

When he found that person, the first thing he was going to do was hold them for at least five of those minutes. Steve loved hugs, and his parents hated them, but his soulmate would love them too. He knew that for sure.

So a five minute hug, and then he’d ask where they wanted to go. The two of them would travel to wherever his soulmate wanted. Steve had the money, he’d been saving every single birthday and Christmas check he had gotten since he was nine. By now, it was more than enough for two tickets to anywhere in the world.

They would spend the whole plane ride talking and getting to know each other. They would laugh, probably a little too loudly, and annoy everyone else around them with how infatuated they were with each other.

Maybe they’d go to Paris. Stroll through the city, eat pastries, stuff like that. Maybe they would end up in some remote part of the world where it felt like they were the only two people on the planet.

Maybe they’d just stay in Hawkins. Hole up in his house, listen to records, swim in the pool, or lie in bed all day.

A hug, possibly a trip, and after that it was up to his soulmate. Steve wasn’t going to monopolize their five days with just his ideas. He had a bunch of suggestions if they didn’t know what they wanted, but those were the only two things he really cared about.

He didn’t hug his soulmate when they finally laid eyes on each other. Steve didn’t even realize his timer had started counting down.

He was too busy thinking about the broken bottle being held against his neck.

By the time he and Eddie both realized that their timers had started, they were already in the thick of things. Steve had seen it while Nancy was wrapping her sweater around his waist to try and stem some of the blood coming gushing out of him from the bat bites. He had put both hands in his hair just to try and give himself some other pain to ground with, and his timer caught his eye.

It was already on three days.

He had only met one new person in the last two days. One new person who always hid his timer under a leather cuff around his wrist.

Steve did go through with his plans, but it was a funhouse mirror version of them, twisted and wrong.

They did hug, but it wasn’t something soft or intimate. Eddie had woken Steve up from a nightmare on their second to last day, and Steve had laid in his arms shaking for two of their final forty eight hours.

They did go on a trip of sorts, if stopping the apocalypse in an alternate dimension counted as a trip. They went, but they didn’t stay together.

God, if Steve had a chance to do it all over again, he never would have let Eddie out of his sight.

There was no avoiding fate, no changing what The Universe had planned. Steve has always been aware of that. He’s known that as fact his entire life. But still. Maybe things would have gone the way they were supposed to if they had been together.

Because it was supposed to be him that died.

His entire life he had known it was going to be him.

Steve has imagined it a thousand different ways. A random heart attack, or a freak accident, maybe even saving his soulmate’s life somehow. He had never even thought to consider it might be his soulmate saving him instead.

It was perfect. Dustin and Eddie would be far away from the danger, and Robin and Nancy were going to be just fine. Steve had no idea when it was coming, but it was going to happen in this final fight. They would win and he would have to do something stupid to make sure they did. Something off plan that would end up killing him.

Except, he didn’t do anything that wasn’t in the plan.

It went off without a hitch. Well, there was a pretty scary moment where there had been vines around his neck choking him, but the rest had gone exactly as they wanted it too. He and Robin had torched the monster, and then Nancy shot him in the head.

Vecna was dead, burning to ash on the floor in front of them. They did it. They actually fucking did it.

The elation of that was unlike anything Steve had ever experienced. The bone deep relief of knowing everyone he loved was finally safe, that this was finally over. That he had somehow lived to get to see it all.

He had lived.

He…..he was still alive.

Steve hadn’t even thought to look down at his timer. He had been so busy just reacting, being in the moment of the fight. The fight was over. They had won. Everyone was safe now.

Steve was still alive.

He looked at his timer. All zeroes.

How long had it been all zeroes?

Steve took an experimental breath, and then another. Still breathing. Still alive. He looked down at his wrist. Still all zeroes. It was like he was looking at a puzzle with only one piece left, holding that last piece in his hand, but unable to make it fit for some reason. There was just something that was so wrong.

There were two options when it came to Timers. You died, and your timer vanished, or your timer hit zero, and your soulmate died. There were two options.

Steve had just never considered the other one.

And by the time he ran out of the Creel House, it was already too late. Steve knew that. He was running anyway. He wouldn’t believe it until he saw Eddie for himself. His mother’s voice filled his ears the entire time.

“You’ll understand that this? This is a curse,”

Steve had promised himself he would never think about his timer that way. Promised that he would never be like his mother.

But she might have been right about this.

442 notes · View notes

sadhours · 8 months

Text

just the two (okay maybe four) of us - part one.

written by @buckysgrace and i ❤️

read on ao3

billy hargrove x oc + steve harringron x oc

contents: 18+ minors dni, polyamory, voyeurism, p in v, smut, kinda gay stuff between Billy and Steve, it’s gonna get gayer between them, modern au

word count: 5.9 k

“Harrington,” Billy purrs, lounged on the couch with Kim cuddled up tightly to his side.

Steve glances to his girlfriend, trying to convey his annoyance before looking back to the couple, “Hargrove.”

They’re watching some reality show, Billy’s got a beer in the hand he doesn’t have plastered on Kim’s ass and from the label on the bottle, Steve knows it’s from the pack of Stella he left here. For him. Not for Billy. He knows the girls won’t touch the beer. He groans, “Ya know, those beers are mine.”

“Whatever,” Billy scoffs, taking a swig from the bottle.

Gina sets her purse down, “Kim and I have some drinks, don’t worry.”

Steve follows her into the kitchen, though he knows what they have. Truly and Long Drinks. He was really looking forward to a beer but at the rate Billy drinks, he’s sure they’re gone. And as Gina opens the fridge, his suspicions are confirmed. Steve grabs onto Gina’s elbow and mumbles into her ear, “I fucking hate that guy.”

The busty girl rolls her eyes, leaning down and grabbing two blue cans from the pack of the gin cocktails and hands one to Steve, “You’ll live. Steal some of his beers when he brings ‘em.”

“See, Gina,” Steve exhales, “That’s the thing, he doesn’t ever bring any.”

Gina shakes her head, “Come on, I wanna listen to that new record I bought.”

Steve follows her back into the living room, where Gina drops on the couch next to Kim and drapes her arms around her waist and gives her a kiss to the cheek.

“Missed you,” she sings as Kim raises her shoulders and giggles while Steve stands awkwardly to the side.

“Missed you too,” Kim smiles bright, her eyes crinkling.

Steve’s been suspicious of them, wonders (with his dick in his hand) if they ever messed around before they got boyfriends, or if they still do. They’re weirdly close. Steve’s actually seen them kiss on the mouth a handful of times. He’d been too shy to ask Gina about it. Figures she’ll claim they’re just best friends anyways.

Gina gives Kim’s cheek another kiss before standing up, lacing her fingers with Steve’s and drags him into her bedroom. She closes the door behind her and Steve sits on her pink bedspread, kicking his shoes off. Gina walks over to her record player, opening the lid before grabbing the cellophane wrapped vinyl she bought yesterday while they were out shopping. It’s a Tame Impala album, an artist they bonded over when they first met this year. Gina slices the cellophane open with her manicured nail and sets it on the player, starting it up and turning the volume up. She kicks her shoes off and sets her drink on her nightstand before doing the same to Steve’s. She straddles his lap and wraps her arms around his neck, leaning down and kissing him slowly.

God, he’s obsessed with her. Her lips are so soft and plush, his mind goes blank when they kiss. Gina’s a goddamn vision. Huge tits, covered in freckles and pretty, dark eyelashes. Steve feels giddy at the thought of her so it’s kind of intense when she’s on top of him. They kiss for the entirety of the album, Gina getting up briefly to flip the record before climbing back on top of her boyfriend. Gina tastes sweet, mostly like the grapefruit from the drink but it’s also something particular. Tastes it whenever they kiss. While they’re making out, the room starts to darken as the sun goes down. And their session is interrupted with a knock at the door.

Kim opens it, walking in on the pair mid-kiss which embarrasses Steve. Mostly because Gina’s been grinding on him and his cock is hard. But Gina sits up and turns slightly, “Hi, Kimmy.”

“Hi,” Kim says, smiling at her friend, “Billy made dinner.”

“He cooks?” Steve says under his breath, Gina tugs on his hair as punishment.

“We’ll be right out,” Gina assures the redhead, who luckily closes the door behind her.

Gina climbs off of Steve’s lap and starts adjusting her clothes. She’s at the door and looks expectantly at Steve. He sits slowly but doesn’t stand, eyes at the ceiling.

“Let’s go, Stevie,” she giggles.

“Give me a second,” he mumbles, willing his fucking boner to go away.

“Whatcha looking at?” Gina wonders, a teasing tone to her voice.

Steve laughs softly, “If I look at you, it’s not gonna go away.”

Gina laughs, “Well… meet me out there, yeah?”

“Sure,” Steve nods, still staring at the ceiling. Thinks of homework and his grandparents and every trick in the book. But he’s embarrassed because Kim walked in on them and he’s sure they’re all sitting at the table talking about how Steve’s got to get rid of his wood before he can come out.

And they definitely were because he hears Billy say, “Well I’d be walking out here anyways. Shameless.”

Steve groans, walking into the dining area, “Don’t exactly want the two of you seeing that.”

Billy shrugs, “Nothing to be embarrassed about, King Steve.”

The brunette rolls his eyes before taking his seat next to Gina, looking out at the dinner Billy prepared and shit, he’s impressed. Tri-tip, garlic mashed potatoes and broccolini. There’s some type of gravy poured over the meat and potatoes.

“Looks good, Billy,” Gina beams, “Thanks for cooking.”

Steve’s jealous suddenly and wants to knock Billy’s lights out. He could cook. He’s never really tried. He makes a mean frozen pizza. Gina’s never complained before. She kicks his ankle and he looks at her with confusion, she mouths something to him that he can’t read and nods towards Billy. Oh. Well he doesn’t want to compliment this fucking asshole but he wants to make Gina happy.

“Yeah, man, looks awesome,” he says, “Uh, thanks.”

Billy shrugs his shoulders, smirking as he meets Steve’s eyes, “It’s nothing. Pretty simple and easy. Huh, Kim?”

Kim blushes, looking to her boyfriend with fucking stars in her eyes and Steve really fucking hates this guy. He popped a pizza in the oven for the girls one time and they seemed grateful. Gina sucked his dick that night so Steve still thinks he did good.

“Stop being humble,” Kim scolds him, “You're such a good cook.”

Billy waves her off, “I like to eat good.” He places his hand on Kim’s thigh and leans forward, licking his lips before saying, “And I eat good often, don’t I, babe?”

Steve rolls his eyes, turning to see Gina grinning wide and blushing. Maybe Steve needs to step up his game. He guesses he could eat Gina out more often. The ratio is off and he knows it. He gets head at least once a week and the last time he ate Gina out was three weeks ago. He notices the glass of wine set for him and gulps some down, before digging into his meal.

“Kim tells me you got a band,” Billy says to him, “What do you do?”

“Play music,” Steve retorts and Gina kicks his ankle again. He doesn’t want to play nice but he gets it. Gina and Kim are best friends. Of course they want their boyfriends to be friends. And Billy’s making an effort while Steve’s stewing in potentially unwarranted jealousy. Billy’s a good looking guy. Kim and Gina are close, he’s worried that they’ll ask her to join and he’ll be kicked aside. Which is stupid and Steve knows that.

“Uh, I play guitar and sing,” Steve clarifies, nodding as he smiles awkwardly.

“He’s really good,” Kim offers, “Gina and I went to one of his shows a month ago. Plus, when we went to karaoke.”

Billy’s face tightens and Steve feels like he’s won something. Yeah, sure, Billy can cook but Steve can serenade these bitches until their clothes fall off. It works for Gina, he can bet it’ll work on Kim. Maybe they should go out for karaoke again. Maybe they should invite Billy and Steve can really show off.

“Aw, thanks, Kim,” he smiles at her, “That was fun. I liked the duet you guys did.”

“I was so scared,” Kim breathes out, eyes wide as they meet Gina’s. Steve remembers that night fondly. He kinda felt like he had two girlfriends because both Kim and Gina get rather touchy when they’re drunk. They both clung to him in the Uber home.

“You did so good!” Gina gushes, “I think… we were hammered.”

Billy’s eyes widen as he blinks, looking to his girlfriend, “When was this?”

“We invited you, baby,” Kim assures him, “You had some frat thing.”

Billy nods along, reaching for Kim’s hand and lacing their fingers, “I bet you sounded great. You have a very sexy voice.”

Steve cringes, focusing on his food. He wonders if Gina wants him to blatantly flirt in front of them like that. But that’s really not Steve’s style.

—

“Stevie,” Gina whispers, turning to him and rubbing his chest. “Can you grab me a glass of water?”

“Yeah, ‘course,” he pecks her lips and sits up from the bed. He’s trying to find his boxers but he can’t. He goes to turn the light on but Gina protests.

“No, my eyes,” she whines, “Just go. No one’s awake.”

Steve reluctantly obeys, opening the door and peeking out his head. Kim’s door is closed and there’s no light underneath. Okay, it’s safe. Steve steps out to the kitchen, opening the cabinet and grabbing the orange, plastic cups Gina prefers for water. He reaches into the fridge and grabs the pitcher of water they keep in there. He begins filling the cup when the kitchen light is flicked on.

It’s Billy. And he’s also butt-ass naked. Steve immediately goes to cover his junk, knocking over the cup as he does so.

“Fuck,” he groans, setting the cup upright as he looks to Billy.

The blonde grins, wide and confident and yeah, okay, Steve looks at his dick. It’s out! He’s not covering it and Steve’s human. You display any set of gentians in front of him and he’s gonna look. It’s thicker than his own, even flaccid. His balls might be a bit smaller than Steve’s. But Billy’s working with a good set. It only makes him hate the guy more.

“I uh,” Steve clears his throat and he reaches for a towel to clean his mess up, exposing himself to Billy, who is obviously looking.

“Interesting,” Billy purses his lips and nods.

“What?” Steve replies as he wipes the water from the counter,

“Big cock for such a dweeb.”

“Did you just call me a dweeb?” Steve asks, covering himself again.

“Yeah, you are,” Billy scoffs, dumping the rest of his backwashed beer down the sink. He crouches in front of the fridge as he grabs a Truly. “No spine. That woman walks all over you. With a dick that size, I don’t get it.”

Steve’s beyond uncomfortable, turning away from Billy as he refills the plastic cup. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve mumbles.

“Guess you just don’t know what to do with it,” Billy comments as he stands again, cracking the can open and taking a swig, “I don’t think I’ve ever even heard you two have sex.”

Steve usually has his hand over Gina’s mouth, in consideration for Kim and Billy. He’s offended by Billy’s comment, fuming from it actually.

“I know how to use it, thank you very much,” he grumbles, moving passed Billy to put the pitcher back in the fridge.

And okay, yeah. He’s heard Kim every time he’s here and Billy spends the night. She screams. No regard for Gina and Steve. Even on school nights. Steve always thought it was rude.

“If you did, I’d hear it. Walls are thin,” Billy points out, frowning.

Steve rolls his eyes, holding the cup in his hand as he walks passed Billy down the dark hallway. Whatever. Steve pleases Gina. He doesn’t need the whole neighborhood knowing when they fuck. He closes her bedroom door behind him, handing Gina the cup. She grins and takes a couple of gulps before putting it on her nightstand.

“What took so long?” she wonders aloud, cuddling up to Steve once he crawls back into bed with her.

“Billy,” he groans, resting his head on the pillow and closing his eyes.

“Sorry,” Gina apologizes and kisses his jaw, dragging her hand through the tuft of hair on his chest.

“I saw his dick,” Steve mumbles, sighing after.

“And?” Gina giggles.

“He complimented mine,” Steve laughs, nudging his nose against Gina’s temple.

“It’s a nice cock,” Gina tells him, giggling as she moves her fingertip against his nipple.

“Oh, yeah?” Steve purrs, “You can like, touch it if it’s so nice.”

Gina giggles, shoving her face against Steve’s neck as her hand moves lower. She drags her fingertips across his length, “Like this?”

“Uh-huh,” Steve nods while he feels his dick start to fill out the more Gina touches it.

“Billy!” Kim’s voice can be heard through the wall, a gasp almost. Steve closes his eyes, grinding his teeth together. Of course. Billy wants to play this game? Well, he’s on. Steve sits up, pushes Gina on her back and kicks the blankets off of them. He pulls her panties down her legs before spreading them, lowering his mouth to her thighs and sucks a sizable bruise against her skin. Gina gasps, knitting her fingers in his hair. Steve kisses up to her pussy, licks a big, broad stroke up her slit. He digs his fingernails into her skin, holding her legs apart while he continues licking through her folds, wondering what exactly Billy’s doing to Kim that has her so loud so quick.

“Oh, fuck,” Gina exhales quietly, tugging on Steve’s hair.

He hears Kim moan again and he’s only a tiny bit ashamed that it makes his dick twitch. He can do this, he can make Gina scream, he’s sure of it. He licks patterns through her folds, pulling back to tell her, “Wanna hear you. Be loud for me, baby.”

Billy really fucking hated Steve.

He hated the way the brown eyed boy played innocent, and acted naive towards the problem at hand. Steve was a shit liar, that was for sure. It had only taken one meeting for Billy to quickly understand that Steve thought that Kim could do better. He was an ass who probably thought he could make off with both of their girlfriends.

The truth of it all was that he probably could. Steve was a fucking dweeb, a nerd who wore reading glasses and read through reddit for fun. Billy wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten a girlfriend like Gina, not that Steve was really lacking in the looks department. But being good looking didn’t erase how dorky and lame the other boy was. Despite all of that, Steve was sweet.

He sang songs and played guitar and wrote songs for Gina, all grand gestures that Billy had endured hearing about from Kim. Meanwhile, he sucked at giving her any romantic presents. He couldn’t sing and he sure as hell didn’t know what to buy for her. Kim was on a whole other spectrum than him. She listened to Taylor Swift, wore pretty pink dresses and recorded herself doing silly dances on Tik Tok. Steve was exactly the type of guy she’d probably dreamt up of.

And the stupid asshole had a big dick. Billy thought it was a shame, wasted potential on someone like Steve.

He’d nearly raced back to Kim’s room after their conversation, noticing the gleam in Steve’s eyes. He had the same idea and there was no way in hell that Billy was going to let him win at his own game.

“What are you doing?” Kim asked, her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at him curiously. He glanced at her phone, noticing it was a Tik Tok for different spicy books. His lips curled into a smirk as she fumbled with her phone before she eventually turned it off, grinning sheepishly at him.

“Just wanted to see you,” He mumbled as he slinked between her legs, spreading her soft thighs wide. She wore nothing but one of the shirts he’d forgotten a few weeks ago. He breathed in her scent, liking the way her hips were already jerking up towards his mouth, “I wanna taste you.”

“You just had me.” She giggled softly, but her hazel eyes were wide as she stared down at him. It was true. He’d taken her not long after Steve and Gina had disappeared into her room. He’d had her sprawled out on the couch, his tongue deep inside of her wet cunt and his hands on her perky tits.

“I didn’t get my fill,” He teased her, wondering if Steve was going to practice putting his lame mouth to work. He kissed up her bruised thighs, dragging his tongue up slowly and earning a blissful sigh from her. She pushed her hands up over her head, her fingertips reaching towards the head of the bed as he spit onto her pretty cunt, “Gonna be good for me?” He teased, watching the way his saliva dripped down her pussy.

“Always,” She breathed out, her nipples hardening against his shirt. He grinned, figuring she would answer with that statement. He licked at her folds, swirling his tongue around before he was flicking it against her sensitive clit. She whimpered, her hips jerking forward as he brought his fingertips against her cunt, “Oh god.” She spread her legs wider, inviting him in.

He looked up at her, enjoying how she already looked like she was in far too much pleasure as he popped his pinky finger into his mouth. He wasn’t usually so quick, but he wanted Steve to hear just how loud she could be.

He slid two fingers into her cunt, sighing as they engulfed his thick digits. She clamped down around him, still moaning as he peppered some kisses against her sensitive clit. He grinned against her folds as her hips jerked forward. He spit again, letting it slick down further until it slid between her ass cheeks. He glanced up at her, languidly licking at her clit as he slid his pink inside of her puckered hole.

He exhaled at the same time she cried out in bliss, her eyes shutting tightly as he curled his fingers inside of her. He groaned, wishing he could stretch both of her holes out at once with his cock. He puckered his lips around her clit, sucking and licking as he fucked into her with his fingers.

“Billy!” She cried out, her eyes snapping down towards him like she was afraid he’d miss something. He slyly winked at her, knowing she would be loud enough to irritate that bastard next door. He pumped his fingers inside of her, curling them as she continued to moan and fall apart underneath him.

“Such a naughty little slut,” He spit out harshly, liking the way her cheeks reddened as he pussy squelched around his fingers. He pressed them in deeper, searching for that spot that made her hips jerk off the bed and her eyes roll into the back of her head, “Does it feel good?” He mocked her, clearly knowing the answer from how well she was responding to him.

“Yes,” She cried out, jerking her hips up against his fingers. He felt himself smirking, feeling proud at the way the redhead was responding to his touch. He was just about to dip his mouth back against her sweet cunt when he heard a moan, a loud one that didn’t form from her lips. Kim’s motions paused for a moment as she giggled, “Sounds like someone is having fun.”

“Billy didn’t think it was funny, however. He knew Steve was doing it on purpose. To be an ass just because he could. If he wanted to play that game, Billy would give it his all.

He pulled his fingers away hastily, stroking his hard cock as he smacked the back of Kim’s thigh. She yelped as she moved quickly onto her hands and knees, her ass high in the air as she looked back towards him. He groaned, admiring the way her pussy gleamed in the moonlight.

“Do you want my cock?” He asked her, slowly rubbing the head of his thick cock along her drenched folds. She sighed, causing him to smack her ass with his free hand to make her moans louder. She gaped.

“Yes,” She said quickly, sitting up a bit so she could nod her head at him as she arched her ass further towards him, “Want you so bad, Billy.” She pleaded with him, her hazel eyes wide as she looked to him. He felt irritated as he heard Gina moan Steve’s name again.

“You want who?” He mocked as he squeezed her soft flesh in his hands. She blushed, looking at him a little shyly. She usually didn’t like to play too dirty with someone else in the apartment, but he didn’t care this time. He smacked her ass again, the sound echoing as Gina moaned out again.

“I want you daddy,” Kim clarified, her words tasting as sweet as sugar as she fluttered her eyelashes at him. He smirked, pressing his fat tip against her drenched hole as he slowly slid inside of her aching cunt. He hoped Steve heard every word, that he knew that Billy could treat Kim better in such a way that Steve could never imagine, “Oh my god.” She whined, her fingers turning into fists as she gripped the bedsheets.

He sighed, spreading her ass cheeks as he spit onto her again. He watched the way the saliva traveled until it met where they were connected. He groaned, thrusting forward hard enough to make the bed creak underneath their weight.

He pulled his hips back, far enough to where only his tip remained before he slammed into her again. She squeaked, her lips parting in awe as he moved his hands towards her slender hips. He held onto them, beginning to rock her into a steady rhythm.

She moaned as he tugged on her hair, forcing her head back until their lips met in a heated frenzy. He groaned, his cock pulsing as he tasted her moans on his lips. He momentarily forgot what he was doing before he heard a groan and was roughly shoving Kim’s face back into the pillows.

“Such a little whore,” He tsked, still feeling irritated at the fact that he could hear Gina moaning. He grunted as he rolled his hips forward, admiring the way Kim squeezed his cock so well. He was lying if he said he hadn’t imagined the two girls worshiping his cock before. He was only human and he couldn’t deny that it made his dick ache every time they hugged or kissed each other on the cheek, “Are you daddy’s little whore?” He asked as he dragged her back along the length of his cock.

“Yes,” She spit out roughly, loud and incoherent as her pussy clamped down around him. He groaned, rubbing his fingertips into her skin. He liked the way she had bruises fading from the last time he’d been this rough, “I’m daddy’s little whore.” She cried out, squeaking as his cock found her bundle of nerves. He laughed, pushing her hair from her face so he could get a better picture.

Her eyebrows were knitted together tightly, pouty lips opened in awe as drool fell from her open mouth. Billy felt his dick throb as he bent over her more, the sound of her flesh smacking against hers so loud that he hoped it lingered in Steve’s mind for the next few days.

He spit, his saliva landing on the corner of her mouth as he rocked his aching cock forward again. Her walls clamped down on him again as she whimpered, her tongue darting out to lick it away. He groaned, wanting to see how Steve would react when they did it in public. The next time they drank together; he’d make her do it.

He groaned as her body became more and more relaxed, her body slowly falling into the mattress as he pressed his cock into her harder. He groaned, wrapping an arm underneath her waist to keep her up as he rammed into her deeper. She was moaning incoherently, her breathing more labored as the head of the bed smacked against the wall.

“Right there, daddy,” She was panting harder, her whimpers coming out roughly and pitchy as he dragged his cock in and out of her wet walls. He groaned, bending his head down to kiss at her pale skin. He nipped at it, enjoying the way her back arched in response, “So close.” She was squealing suddenly, the tops of her feet smacking against the mattress as he slammed her roughly against his cock.

“S’alright,” He praised her, his voice sounding guttural from how tightly her cunt was squeezing down around his cock, “Cum for me.” He dipped his fingertips lower, proud that he could no longer hear Steve and Gina over Kim’s loud cries as he pressed his fingers roughly against her clit. He rubbed the sensitive nub quickly, earning a shrill moan from her as her body contorted at once.

She was loud as she came around his cock, her body spasming as she nearly did topple into the mattress this time. He groaned loudly, feeling like he wasn’t far behind from how her cunt was milking him. He hissed between his teeth, trying to keep his pace as he rocked her through her orgasm. She jerked her hips back, setting herself up onto her elbows as she turned to look at him with dark eyes.

“Cum inside me, daddy. Please, please,” Kim was gripping his forearm as she spoke, her eyes wide and dilated with lust as he dragged her back and forth along his cock even harder. He was groaning, his stomach muscles clenching together as the pleasure grew deep inside of him, “Please, daddy, please.” She sounded like she was crying, like she’d never recover if she didn’t feel his cum painting her walls.

He brought his forehead against hers, his lips open against hers as he breathed in her pitchy moans. His thrusts became sporadic as all of his muscles clenched together, his mind whirling as her pussy gripped his cock firmly. Her tongue darted out against his bottom lip, licking as he slammed his hips forward. He groaned, falling on top of her as he came with his own strangled cry. He sighed blissfully as she mewled underneath him, her legs still moving as his spunk filled her.

“Shit,” He breathed out harshly, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to collect himself. She giggled, looking up towards him as he slowly moved off of her. He looked over her for a moment, scared that he might have actually crushed her tiny body, “You’re bad.”

“Good,” She corrected him, sliding her tongue across her bottom lip as she watched him. His muscles were still contracting and he was out of breath but he slid between her legs again, dipping his tongue into her drenched hole as he licked his cum away. She moaned again, tugging on his hair as she brought him back up towards her mouth. They kissed messily, sloppily as they traded their cum back and forth with their tongues, “Oh god.” She whimpered softly, her eyelashes fluttering shut.

“So good for me, Kim,” He breathed against her lips. He pulled away for a second before he kissed the corners of her mouth, hoping that Steve had a hard time sleeping tonight, “Such a good girl.”

In the other room, Steve was doing pretty well. Gina was being more verbal than most nights. He ate her out until Kim started getting really loud. Then he knew he had to step up his game. Thing is, it sounded like Billy was being rough with Kim by the sounds she made, and all the smacking he could hear. Could swear Kim was calling him daddy. Steve wasn’t sure how he felt about that kink. Couldn’t exactly imagine Gina calling him that without thinking of his own father, or Mr. Hagan. Not to mention, Steve hadn’t ever been rough with Gina. He slapped her ass sometimes but he was usually pretty focused on not coming and knew that if he held her still and pounded away, he wouldn’t be able to last. He had to take things slow.

Gina was soaking wet, always got that one when Steve ate her out. He sits up, wiping his face off with the back of his hand before grabbing a hold of his cock and pushing the head through her folds. Then he remembers he needs to get a condom on, so he leans over her to dig through the nightstand. He grabs onto the golden wrapper and sits back up, tearing it open with his teeth and rolls the rubber over his aching cock. Kim makes another loud noise, egging Steve on as he lines himself up and thrusts inside Gina harder than he usually would. He knows he’s big, doesn’t typically want to hurt her but this weird competition has him not thinking straight. Gina yelps, eyebrows knitting together quickly as her jaw falls open. Her big brown eyes gaze up at Steve and he’s worried he’s hurt her, but then she rolls her hips and moans out his name.

“Steve…”

He bites his lip, staying still because the look on her face is about all he needs to cum. Goddamnit. He never understood how some guys can last hours, let alone 20 minutes. Gina’s cunt feels amazing, squeezing him tight and so wet and warm. He groans softly, grabbing a hold of her supple breast as he drags his cock out until just the tip remains.

“Uh—uhn…” Gina moans out, arching her back slightly.

“Fuck,” Steve exhales through gritted teeth, “you feel so good.”

Gina hums, wrapping her arms around Steve’s neck and rolls her hips, pushing his length deeper inside. He gasps, hanging his head as he grabs a hold of her waist with his other hand.

“You’re so big,” she whines, looking up at him with these almost innocent, huge brown eyes and Steve’s a little pissed off with himself for how close he already is. Gina has to cum first. He can’t fuck this up. He knows Billy is listening, even though it sounds like he’s fucking Kim’s brains out. Weirdly, thinking about Billy kind of helps distract him. He thrusts his hips again, builds up a steady rhythm while he toys with Gina’s sensitive nipple.

“Fuck!” she cries out, tossing her head back against the pillows while Steve pounds into her. This is about the point when he’d cover her mouth, always worried about someone hearing. However, it’s actually pretty exciting to think about the other couple hearing them. Now, all he has to do is last longer than them. Make sure that when they’re finished, they have to lay there and hear Gina.

“Is that good, baby?” Steve chokes out, squeezing the handful he’s got of her tit.

“So fucking good, Stevie,” she babbles out, tightening her arms around him.

Steve lowers his lips to Gina’s ear, like he always does, starts praising her. Though this time, he’s not muffling her sounds with his hand. Gets to hear the way his words drive her wild. He took his time eating her out, there’s no way Kim and Billy will last longer. Steve’s gonna win, has to.

“You’re so pretty for me, baby. Look so good when you take my cock,” Steve tells her, grinning to himself when she moans out and writhes beneath him. “Taking it so well.”

He snaps his hips faster, kissing against Gina’s jaw. Kim screams, it’s muffled but Steve’s sure she came. He thinks he’s right because moments later, he can hear Billy cry out. Fuck yes, he beat them. He’s got this. He’s just gotta make Gina scream like Kim did. Which is quite the task, she’s not usually loud. He’s gotta think quickly, tries to remember all the things that she likes. He hears Kim moan again and it throws him off. Were they not done? Are they going again? Fuck Billy. That asshole. Again? That quickly? Wait— they’re quiet. Okay, Steve, you can do this. Rock Gina’s world. Make her scream. You can do it.

Steve pulls out, Gina whimpers but looks at him curiously. He pats her thigh, “Flip over for me, beautiful.”

She looks excited now, quickly rolls onto her knees and sticks her ass up at Steve. He smooths his hand over her ass and then delivers a harsh smack to it. Gina cries out, arching her back and wiggles her ass at him. So he does it again, to the other cheek.

“Fuck me,” she begs breathlessly and Steve obliges, slides his cock back into her aching hole. Clearly, once he bottoms out, his tip presses against her g-spot because she’s moaning and her arms shake where she’s holding herself up. Steve runs his hand up her back and grabs a handful of her hair, pulling her up by it so her back meets his chest. She cries out from the sensation, turning her head to pant against Steve’s mouth. He snaps his hips forward again, licking against her lower lip. Gina moans softly, reaching her hand to grab Steve’s wrist, trying to hold herself up.

“I got you, baby,” he purrs, licking the pads of his fingertips before bringing them down to rub circles against Gina’s clit. He pays attention when she does it herself, tries to memorize exactly the right way to do it.

She whines out but he wants her to be louder, so he pounds into her harder and moves his fingers faster. It works, Gina chants his name out, “St-eve… Steve! Steeeve!”

Ha. Take that Billy. He knows exactly how to use his equipment. He’s beaming, smiling from ear to ear while Gina moves her ass against him harder.

“That’s it, baby,” Steve mutters, “Tell me how good it feels.”

“So fucking good!” she moans out through gritted teeth, he can tell she’s close by it. “Don’t stop, don’t stop, just like that!”

He grabs a hold of her hip with his left hand, still dragging quick and firm circles against her clit while he hammers into her deep and fast. Gina babbles, incoherent sounds falling from her lips. Before he knows it, she’s seizing against him while crying out. It’s loud, and fuck she sounds so sexy. Fuck, fuck, fuck— he cums too. Whimpering while they collapse on the bed, Steve is still pumping into her uncontrollably as he fills the condom. He rides out his orgasm, whining and whimpering against her ear.

Once he comes down, he pulls out and tugs the condom off his softening cock. He ties it off and tosses it into the trash next to the bed before laying beside Gina and pulling her into his arms. She hums happily before connecting their lips, kissing him soft and slow until they fall asleep.

#billy hargrove fic #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove smut #billy hargrove x oc #billy hargrove x original female character #steve harrington smut #steve harrington x original character #steve harrington x billy hargrove #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington x oc

83 notes · View notes

girlfriendsofthegalaxy · 1 month

Text

tuesday again 4/9/2023

the best photo i took this week

listening

i have not been keeping up with either the tuesdaypost spreadsheet or the tuesdaypost playlists so there's a strong possibility i have already talked about Joywave's It's A Trip! off the 2017 album Content. spotify

youtube

driving ten hours in one day is ideal for listening to albums and i listened to almost every joywave album on my way home from the eclipse. american indie rock band from rochester ny, i have loved them since early college. i think they were made in a lab to get to stuck in my head bc they tend toward lower register synthier tracks that deceptively amble cheerfully along and talk about dealing with fear. songs for a male protagonist to splash water on his face, look at himself in the mirror haunted by what he's seeing, linger in his children's bedroom doorways, and then drive off into the night for the finale.

i think i listened to this song for an hour on loop yesterday bc the chorus so perfectly got stuck in my brain

When you've gotten what you want (Maybe I should start over) There's nothing left to want (Up and at 'em again) You don't know what you want (Yeah, I'm thinking it over) Just tell me what to Want

they have spent a lot of time figuring out how to have longevity as a band: "The record kind of attempts to figure that out but it doesn’t end in a definitive place. For me personally, it’s just to create things that matter as long as I possibly can, and to make things that are going to outlive me that people can hang onto for at least five to six years after I’m dead." they are deeply cranky about virality/content churn, especially in this interview. i appreciate this in an artist.

could not tell you how i first found them. i think i would have to go back to the proto-tuesdayposts of 2018.

reading

when you're not sleeping well you can average a book a night!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik destroyed me. (image from here)

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”

my best friend real-life influenced me into reading this book and i have since managed to convince four other people to read this book bc i won't shut up about it. the descriptions of the physicality of magic and how different kinds of magic and different families of spells Feel was only part of the coolest magical system ive ever read about. this is not a dark romance but it is a little brutal in a brothers grimm/this is how battles shake out sometime kind of way. i think a companion piece of media written from the Dragon's point of view would nicely parallel that post going around about how Howl's Moving Castle the movie is from Howl's point of view and Howl's Moving Castle the book is from Sophie's point of view. i would die for Agnieszka.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (image from here)

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders… but her father isn’t a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife’s dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers’ pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed–and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold. But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it’s worth–especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

i don't know if i've ever read a book with seven points of view before? i think it was well handled, but it required significantly more brainpower than screaming through three of kingfisher's light fantasy/romances in two days and it threw me a little. saying this book is about debts cheapens it a little, i think. it is concerned with debts but also safety, and it is very much about cost in a very fairytale way and in the horrible everyday calculus of survival way.

Swordheart, Paladin's Hope, and Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher. god these go down So smooth. kingfisher has a niche and i respect that. i am reading the Saint of Steel tetralogy out of order bc even four library systems can only do so much, and i don't think you particularly need to read them in order.

i'm a bit cranky that the terfs took feminist fantasy from me, bc when the protagonist got her period in Paladin's Strength a little alarm bell went off in my head and i had to put it down and google some stuff (the answer is no btw). there is a way to write female-focused lightly historical fantasy without being terfy and kingfisher does it, but it's so rare that i was genuinely expecting some sort of. weird agenda to be at play.

these were all fun, fast reads and i don't have much else to say about them! not that they are better or worse than novik's books but they will not live in my head quite as long. there are fewer tantalizing hints about systems of magic that make me want to graph things out u kno

watching

kanopy has Animation April as their focus this month which is how i saw The King and the Mockingbird (1980, dir. Paul Grimault) which is a longer piece adapted from something he'd been working on since the 40s.

youtube

This animated fantasy tale follows the romance between a lovely shepherdess and a handsome chimney sweep. The land's imperious king falls for the beautiful woman and tries to thwart her relationship, but a kind mockingbird assists the lovers in evading the ruler. At the king's command, the chimney sweep and his bird friend are imprisoned, and they must escape in order to rescue the young man's true love.

GOD the animation in this. there are so many references to early animation and silent film. there are so so so many gadgets and methods of conveyance in an absolutely architecturally dizzying castle. there is a ROYAL MECH that plays its own theme music. the backgrounds have a very Chuck Jones quality in that they are exactly as detailed as they need to be for the gag to work. the castle is lush and beautiful but not dizzyingly, overwhelmingly lush. there is a clear vision to every shot and a clear path your eye is meant to travel, which i appreciate very much. i think a lot of technically impressive animation (i am specifically thinking of the Nimh movies) muddies itself by trying to jam too much on the screen. just a fucking delight of a film. a delicious confection

playing

nothing specific to say about genshin this week ur welcome

making

painted a frame (it was a dead basic michaels frame i got at a yard sale and it was giving little boy's room) and framed a thing. this is a poster that came as a freebie with a 1997 album, and i actually bought this CD case without the CD inside bc i was so delighted with the poster. scuff sanded the frame with 120 grit, i went with a matte black acrylic bc i felt that disguised how the poster did not quite fit the frame a little better? and also bc it was what i had in the house.

i did not bother with a mat, i just used the lining paper with the stock photo and painted the back of that. do not do this with particularly valuable or beloved pieces. i do not think this is necessarily acid free and there is some danger that the paint may transfer to the back of the poster over time.

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem #Youtube

28 notes · View notes

mumblelard · 12 days

Text

this morning, in that bit of sleep between waking up too early and waking up too late, i dreamt of finding a wasps nest hanging in the eaves of a childhood home

i saw twenty-two goslings yesterday

without warning or preamble, my dad started texting me daily bible verses at five thirty in the morning. so far, the selections have included two minor old testament prophets and one pseudonymous sibling of you know who

i am currently listening to a lot of cavity, p.s. eliot, waxahatchee, weed, and live the fall albums. also, a found playlist that starts donnie darko then wanders down the wrong kind of alley, and when i truly need a moment of genuine serendipity, a found skins uk series one through seven playlist on shuffle

after being separated for almost four years, i still tear up every time i get to visit with two fry and holler

35 notes · View notes

vanwritesfan-fiction · 10 months

Text

College Road Trip (Request)

Thank you for the idea @princessmermaid1289!

Words: 1,325

Warnings: None, pure fluff

“Really, Travis?” You raised your eyebrows at your boyfriend who was in the driver’s seat. “What?” He glanced at you quickly, trying to keep his eyes on the road. “Jonas Brothers, huh?” you asked as you scrolled through the music catalogue on his phone. The two of you were driving to meet your little sister at college to help her move in for her freshman year. “Hey, no judgement on my music choices! If I remember correctly, we’ve listened to N*SYNC in the car many times.” You rolled your eyes before you selected the Usher Confessions album, setting the phone down in the cup holder. You crossed your arms, settling into your seat. You had been on the road for about four hours and had another four hours to go before you got to your destination.

Boredom was starting to build as you shifted around trying to get comfortable. “What’s wrong, baby?” Travis called out to you as he took a sip of his energy drink. “Nothing” you huffed. Travis just scoffed, knowing you were lying through your teeth. He placed a hand on your shaking thigh, steadying you. “Talk to me, please.”

“I always knew this day was coming, my baby sister going to college. But now that it’s here, I’m just so nervous for her.” You boyfriend nodded his head in acknowledgement, allowing you to continue. He drew circles on your thigh with his thumb as you spoke. You were quickly getting emotional, your words getting caught in your throat. “I just remember her being 5 years old like it was yesterday, annoying the shit out of me.” You chuckled, thinking back on the memories. “I know, baby. Buy she’s gonna have the time of her life.” He patted your thigh before returning his hand to the steering wheel.

“Thanks for agreeing to come with me. She’s gonna be really excited to see you.”

“I love Liv like a sister, and she’s gonna love Cincinnati. I’m a campus legend, ya know?” You laughed at Travis. He was probably more excited than your family was when Olivia decided to go to the University of Cincinnati, Travis’ alma mater. He bought her practically every sweatshirt the school had available and planned to give her the inside tour once you got to campus. “You’re so sweet to her. It’s always been just her and I, so she has loved having two brothers in you and Jason”. You turned your focus to the road, the Ohio countryside the only thing visible for miles. Travis cleared his throat, “Do you ever think about our kids, and where they’ll go to college?” You smiled to yourself, your heart immediately warming at the thought that Travis was thinking about your future together. “I wouldn’t say that I’ve gotten that far, but I’ve definitely thought about our babies.” “Yeah?” Travis was beaming as he looked at you. You grabbed his hand, squeezing his fingers like you did whenever you were stressed.

“Of course. I want at least three kids, and I know for sure I want our first son to be named Alexander.” “I really like that name.” “Yeah, me too.” You smiled to yourself as you looked out the window. The sun was setting behind you, your eyes beginning to get heavy. You yawned, and Travis caught it out of the corner of his eye. “Go to sleep baby, I’ve got you.” You turned to him, trying to shake off your tiredness. “No, I’m good. I’m not sleeping, just resting my eyes.” Travis laughed, knowing you were going to be letting out cute little snores in no more than five minutes. Sure enough, you were in a deep sleep as you finally entered Cincinnati, the campus about 45 minutes away. “Wake up, baby.” Travis whispered as he stroked your cheek.” He had parked the car, gotten the room keys, and taken the bags up to the room, all without waking you in the front seat.” You stirred around before finally opening your eyes, confused about where you were. “Are we already at the hotel?” You groaned as you tried to slip your shoes on half asleep. “What time is it?” You held your phone in front of your face, the florescent backlight blinding you. “It’s 12:30, baby. I’ve got the room key already.” Travis grabbed your phone and your purse, helping you out of the car.

You leaned on his chest as you rode the elevator up to your room, Travis stroking your hair. “I don’t think I can take any more steps, I’m so tired.” You grumbled out in between a couple of yawns. “I’ve got you.” The doors to the elevator opened, Travis picking you up bridal style, carrying you through the threshold. You giggled, wrapping your arm around his neck as he carried you to the room. “You’re ridiculous, you know that? I was just joking about not being able to walk.” He placed you gently down on the bed, before walking to the door and making sure it was locked. “I’ll take any excuse to carry you.” He planted a kiss on your lips before he headed to the bathroom. “I’m gonna take a shower, try to get this road trip stink off of me.” You gave him a small smile as you laid on the bed, not bothering to change your clothes.

You woke up the next morning to the sound of Travis on the phone. After a few seconds you could tell it was your sister on the other line. “Yeah, we’re excited to see you too, just waiting for your sister to wake up.” You kept your eyes closed, listening in closely. “Did they place you in Schneider Hall? I called the school to make sure they put you in the best dorm. Oh, don’t worry about it, they owed me a favor anyway. I put their school on the map.” You chuckled, Travis turning around to see you were awake. “Alright, see you in a little bit.” He hung up the phone before coming to lay next to you on the bed. “You didn’t have to do that for her.” You snuggled up into his neck. “I wanted to. I want her to have the best time at UofC. She deserves it.”

“What time do we have to meet her?” “I told her we’d be there in an hour, move in starts at 9.”

Campus was buzzing with families helping their children move into their dorms, the roads, and sidewalks equally crowded. It took about 30 minutes of circling the block before you finally saw your sister waving you down in front of Schneider Hall. Travis quickly parked the car before jumping out to greet Olivia. He grabbed her into a hug, lifting her tiny body off the ground. “Good to see you too, Travis”, she laughed as he placed her down. “Sorry, I’m just so excited for you! Let’s get started.”

Once Olivia had been moved into the dorms, you and Travis were standing in her room while she went to get her keys and check in officially downstairs. “I bet you brought a bunch of girls back to your dorm when you were here.” You looked out the window waiting for his response, half joking, half hoping he wasn’t a player in a past life. “I had one girlfriend all of college, I was too tired most of the time.” You laughed, letting out a breath in relief at his response. “Do you think we would have dated if we went to the same college?” You asked Travis as you wrapped your arms around him. “Hell yeah, we would’ve. I would’ve followed you around campus if you asked me to.” He pulled you into a passionate kiss, your lips lingering together. “Can you guys stop? I really wanted to be the first one to kiss someone in my dorm.” You separated, turning to see your sister standing in the doorway. “Uh, no boys.” Travis joked. “Take it from someone who knows. The boys who go here are nothing but trouble.”

#travis kelce fluff #travis kelce fic #travis kelce imagine #travis kelce x reader #travis kelce #traviskelce #nfl fic #nfl fan fic #nfl fluff #nfl imagine

134 notes · View notes

honeyhotteoks · 1 year

Text

into the aurora - chapter thirty-four (ot8)

chapter thirty-four: a careful kind of comfort

chapter summary: you find your way both into and out of grief

warnings: further discussions on loss, grief, and mourning.

pairings: ot8 x reader

genre: fluff, angst, romance, ateez ensemble x reader, polyamory, non-idol!reader, fem!reader, smut

word count: 4.2K

(previous chapter) (next chapter) | AO3 | masterlist

In the morning, you wake first like always. San sleeps curled towards you, one arm locked across your middle and a little crease between his brows. You know he’s worried, the type to try and bear everyone’s pain, and even now deep in sleep you can see the concern written across his face. You wonder when he fell asleep, if he and Yeosang talked, how he’s feeling with everything that happened yesterday.

Shifting slowly in the covers you turn your head. Yeosang is sleeping soundly on his back, head to the side facing away, mouth open as he slowly and steadily breathes. There’s a few inches of space between you, but one of his broad hands still rests on your thigh. The way he looked at you last night is seared into your brain, his solid embrace keeping you grounded and helping you regain your breath.

With extremely controlled movements, you find a way to extricate yourself from their hold and out of bed before they start to stir. You give it about a minute before San realizes he’s not cuddling something and gloms onto Yeosang, and the thought makes you smile.

The dorms are quiet, still a bit early for everyone else, but you also know they have schedules today. If you remember correctly they are filming some content for the new year that will be posted on YouTube, and then it’s a mix of radio appearances and live content until the evening. It will be the first time you’re on your own since you told Yunho everything on the balcony. That feels like a year ago now, the past week so busy and full and emotionally draining that you can barely remember what he said to you that night.

With a sigh, you drag yourself into the kitchen and start the coffee machine. You’re deeply tired, spacing out a little as you watch the pot start to bubble and steam. Today might be a day to sleep, to finally get a little bit of time alone and recover before work begins for you again in the new year. The coffee seems to be taking forever to your tired mind, and your headache from last night is still a dull radiating throb at the back of your skull, so you take a deep breath and let yourself slide to the floor.

You draw up your knees, resting your elbows here and dropping your face into your hands, leaning back on the cabinets behind you. It’s easy to just listen to the sounds of the coffee machine and space out, let your mind drift. It’s not clear how long you’ve been on the floor, but the coffee’s done brewing and you still haven’t gotten up the energy to stand again.

“Jagiya? y/n?” Seonghwa’s tight, nervous tone brings you out of your drift, and your head snaps up. He’s standing at the entryway to the kitchen, but seems to relax when he sees your face.

“Morning,” You give him a small smile.

“Are you alright?” He seems hesitant, but takes a few steps forward.

“Yeah,” You sigh.

He glances up to the coffee machine and back down at you and smiles, “Okay,” he lets you be, starting to fix himself a cup of coffee, and when you hear him pour a second cup you know he’s getting you one too.

“Hwa,” You look up to him and he shifts back from the counter immediately to see you.

“Hmm?”

“Are you alright?” You turn his question around.

He looks confused for a moment, but instead of answering you directly he passes down a cup of coffee and eases himself down to the floor with you. He stretches his legs out long in front of him and rests his own cup of coffee on his thigh before turning to you again, “I’m worried,”

“About me?” You chew the inside of your lip.

“Mm,” He nods, “and everything else. Comeback, tour, this album… and yes, you too.”

“I really don’t want to be a burden like that,” You shake your head.

“Jagi,” He drops his head back against the cabinets behind him, “you’re the farthest thing, but I’m still going to worry. We’re partners, right? A team?”

“Yes,” Your voice is small.

“Well,” He rests a hand on your knee and squeezes gently, “I’m watching a member of my team hurting, and going through something… impossibly difficult,”

“It happened a long time ago, Seonghwa,” You murmur.

“It may have,” He nods, “but I can see how fresh it is. You’re still grieving, love,”

You can’t find anything to say to that.

He clears his throat, “You hid it from us extremely well,”

“Hwa,” You twist towards him, “it wasn’t like that,”

He holds up a hand, shaking his head, “I’m not accusing you of anything, I’m saying I didn’t see it. Yunho filled in some of the blanks for us, and thinking back, I can't believe I didn’t notice something earlier.”

“You don’t know me that well,” The words slip out and you grimace.

Seonghwa makes a noise, shaking his head, “I know it hasn’t been that long, but you’re wrong about that.”

“I know,”

“I don’t know that you do,” He says, squeezing you again, “and that’s okay, we’ve had years to get to know each other and learn each other’s patterns and moods. We’re still learning yours, but I promise you, we want to.”

You turn your hand over, pressing it into his and gripping tight.

“Also,” He sighs, “we’re used to spending most of our time with other men. We tend to process quietly and by ourselves, but when we need a problem solved or a moment of comfort, we lean on each other. That also means we don’t often pry and push each other.”

Seonghwa takes a sip of his coffee and leans further back against the cabinets, “For most of us, this is our longest relationship. We’re not well versed,”

“I wouldn’t say that,” You take a sip of your own coffee and let him continue.

“Oh, no,” He smiles, joking a little to try and diffuse a little tension, “we’re great boyfriends.”

“You are,” You nudge him with your shoulder.

He nods and then says, “I think you need us to come to you,”

“Hwa,”

“I’m so grateful Yunho saw,” He turns, locking his gaze with yours, “I wish I had, but I’m thankful someone did. The idea of you being alone here,” he trails off.

“I know,” You shake your head.

“You’re not alone anymore,” He insists, squeezing your hand tight in his, “You’re not and neither are we. And I’ll make sure you know that every day,”

“Baby,” You flounder.

“I know what we have is fun,” Seonghwa continues, “but it’s also real. Before we met you, we had been through so much as a team. There was a lot of pain, and loss, both professionally and personally. We’ve seen each other injured, heartbroken, and grieving just the same,”

Your heart clenches in your chest, and if you had more tears to cry you’re sure they would be welling up again.

“We’re no strangers to it,” He explains, softening, “so don’t be scared to tell us. Don’t worry you’re a burden, or that it’s not the right time. You’re good at protecting yourself, I know that now. You’re so strong,”

“Dont,” You sigh.

“Stop interrupting my big speech,” He tugs at your hand to draw your eyes back up to his.

“Sorry,”

He leans in, pressing a quick chaste kiss to your mouth and then takes a breath to finish, “What I’m saying is that you have us now, just like we have you. We all want to protect your heart, so please, let us.”

You don’t have the stomach to think through the thought that flickers through your brain - that what you might need to protect your heart from the most is them. You let it pass. You focus on the weight of Seonghwa’s hand in yours.

“There’s eight of us,” He nudges you, “we can take shifts.”

The tension in your mind dissipates at his easy teasing and you sigh, a light laugh on your lips. “Okay,” You concede, smiling.

“Good,” He sighs heavily, kissing the back of your hand and shifting on the tile floor. “Now, what are you doing on the floor?”

It seems comical now, and you laugh, shaking your head and shrugging, “I was just really tired,”

A little crease between his brows appears as he cups your cheek, “Let’s get you back to bed, then,”

“You’ll have to kick Yeo and Sannie out for me,” You smile, “they were hogging the covers.”

“Love to,” He grins at the mere idea of getting to mess with his juniors.

“Can you just sit with me for a minute though?” You lean into his side.

“Mhm,” He sets his coffee to the side, taking yours from your hands and doing the same before looping an arm over your shoulders and tucking you into his chest.

He runs his fingers through your hair as you rest with him, and his presence is a comfort you didn’t know you needed this morning. You are tired, but it’s a different kind of exhaustion. You need to sleep, yes, but you also need to wash away this week of grief. He holds you without any more prying, seeming to understand that what you need is a moment of quiet. For a moment you start to nod off against him, an image of your last night at Yunho’s family home in your mind’s eye.

You push away from Seonghwa after a moment, not wanting to literally fall asleep on him, and scrub your hands over your eyes, “Can I have that coffee?”

“Sure,” He passes it back to you.

You take a long sip now that it’s lukewarm and sigh, “Seonghwa… can I ask for your advice?”

His brows raise and he nods eagerly, turning towards you on the floor, “How can I help?”

“I’m,” You search for the right way to ask this, feeling the weight of the question on your tongue, “struggling to make a decision about something.”

“Ah,” He nods again, “tell me,”

“At Yunho’s,” You cross your legs and turn towards him, “he gave me a gift, but I’m not sure what to do with it.”

“What was the gift?”

“He told you the rest, right?” You double check, “About why I left home?”

“He did,” Seonghwa confirms.

“Right,” You decide it’s time to let them help. If they want to, if they’re here, staying consistent and steady for you every day, it’s time. “He bought me a ticket home,”

“Was that a good gift or a bad gift?” He asks, not quite able to gauge it.

“Good,” You assure him, “but I don’t know what I should do.”

“What are your options?” He smoothes a hand across your forearm.

“I could go home now,” You verbalize finally the thoughts you’ve been pouring over since Yunho put the ticket in your hands. He nods, and you continue, “or I could wait.”

“Do you want to go home now?” He asks.

“I want to move on,” You confess, “I want to be done feeling like this.”

“Are you ready to move on?”

“I don’t know,”

He takes your hand in his, massaging the center of your palm gently with his thumb while he thinks through what you’ve said. He chews on his lip for a moment before he says, “Can I ask a personal question?”

“Isn’t this all personal?”

“This might be more so,” He offers.

You nod, and watch as he forms the words.

“Do you want to go home to grieve and say goodbye, or do you want to try and see your father?” He murmurs.

His words stop you, your body tensing up at the thought. You won’t lie, you miss your house and the way the road curls up and around the hill, the way the walkway to your front gate always seems dusted in plum blossoms. Wild growth of pink and purple azaleas bursting from behind the stone gate, starkly different from your neighbors manicured greenery. She loved color, and your father loved her. You picture the long wood bench outside your front door, the place he took tea every day as he watched her work her hands into the dirt to coax every bud forth for spring blooms. You can see Tae-Hyun’s rain boots by the front door, caked in mud. Your backpack dropped on the bench and spilling over, books scattered on the stone porch. Your headache throbs.

“I don’t know,” You finally manage.

“Then you’re not ready, love,” He murmurs, smoothing a hand down your hair, “and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“It’s been years,” You sigh.

“I don’t think that matters,” He says, his voice an easy comfort, “people say time heals, and it does, but I don’t think they ever say how much time.”

“That doesn’t seem fair,”

“It isn’t,” He murmurs, “I know it isn’t,”

“Hwa,” Your eyes flutter shut as he runs his thumb along your jawline, “I’m so sorry I lied,”

“You’re forgiven,”

In his hands you feel an ease. He’s propping you up, a supportive beam for you to finally release, your body soft and sluggish with exhaustion and your mind falling quiet.

“It’s time for bed,” When you open your eyes again, he’s smiling softly, “let me take you back,”

You glance at the time. Everyone would start to wake in another thirty to forty-five minutes. There’s a scenario in which you could push through, stay awake and start your day and let them leave to be none the wiser to your feelings, but the way Seognhwa said ‘bed’ sounds too good.

“Okay,” You concede, “when do you all leave?”

“Seven,” He says.

“Maybe I’ll rest all day,”

“Mm,” Seonghwa nods, easing himself up off the floor and taking your arms to lift you up to your feet with him, “rest, and eat good food, and do something that makes you happy. And we’ll bring home something good for dinner, and we can spend all night together, just together.”

“That’s perfect,” You nod, “I think I might,”

“Then let me tuck you in,” He keeps his hands on you, as if you might just run off if he doesn’t make sure you get there.

As you move through the main space you pause though, “Hwa,”

“Hmm?”

“Yeosang and San,” You start to say, and then you realize what you want, “let them sleep a little longer, they were up so late with me. Can you take me to Yunho?”

“Sure,” He smiles softly, “let’s go,”

You creep through the bottom floor to their door, and when you open it, you’re struck by the chilly air from the unit that is usually running a little less icy than this. Yunho must have taken advantage of San sleeping in your room last night, you realize. It’s dark in here, but when the light from the hall casts a warm glow you see Mingi too, sprawled out on San’s bed, his clothes from yesterday still on, but a blanket pulled up over him.

You tug Seonghwa’s hand, leading him with you to Yunho’s bed, and you’re grateful that Yunho tends to sleep along one side of the bed naturally and not starfished in the middle, because it lets you ease into his covers without pushing him around.

“Good?” Seonghwa murmurs as you settle back against the pillow.

“Stay?” You counter, hoping he won’t leave and he’s comfortable enough.

Seonghwa’s eyes flick to Yunho’s sleeping form, but he nods anyway and lets you tug him down to rest along your opposite side. You tuck the available comforter around you both, and find Yunho’s hand under the covers to hold while you continue resting on Seonghwa’s chest.

Yunho shifts, rolling, and makes a noise in the back of his throat as he does, “Everything okay?” His voice is still thick with sleep, and his eyes are closed.

“Mhm,” You soothe him, “go back to sleep,”

He sighs through his nose, his dry mouth making a little pop sound as he mouth falls back open and you smile against Seonghwa’s t-shirt.

“Is this okay?” You nuzzle into his firm chest.

“Of course,” He whispers.

Yunho makes another noise to your right, only this time you can tell he’s waking. He rolls further towards you, catching you in one of his strong arms and dragging you a little closer to him, bumping Seonghwa in the process. At your little surprised yelp, Yunho finally opens his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, it’s early,” You kiss him softly, hoping he’ll just fall back into sleep.

Yunho blinks harder, focusing his eyes to try and actually assess your face, and then glances up to see Seonghwa at your side. “Hyung?” He says, voice gravelly with the morning.

“Sorry,” Seonghwa shrugs, “she needed you,”

“I asked him to stay,” You turn into Yunho’s embrace, “I can’t sleep,”

“Okay,” Yunho nods, “Tuck in,”

His eyes are bleary but determined, and he gestures with his hand for you to come snuggle against his chest. After spending time at his family home, and the way he held you there while you swam through your hardest pockets of grief, you find his arms to be the most steadying place. He settles them around you with ease, just like he did at home, and he sweeps his hand up and down your back.

After a few moments he kisses your hair, “Do you need to talk, sweetheart?”

“No,” You shake your head into his chest, “I’m okay,”

He snakes a hand up the back of your sweatshirt to feel your bare skin, “You feel warm,” he comments.

Seonghwa’s hand darts between you both, resting over your forehead, “Hmm, you do feel a little feverish,”

“I don’t feel sick,” You assure them, “just exhausted,”

“Mm,” Yunho cuddles you closer, “still, I think you have a bit of a fever,”

“Then you really shouldn’t be all over me like this,” You push away from his chest a little.

“If you’re sick, we’re sick,” He brushes you off, “that’s how it works when we live in such close quarters.”

“Any other symptoms?” Seonghwa squeezes your hip.

“Headache,” You sigh, “but honestly, I think that’s from crying.”

“Oh, love,” Seonghwa sighs.

But Yunho shakes his head, actively problem solving again, “You’ll give yourself a migraine. What you need is a long, long sleep, some medicine, and some time to relax.”

“I think that’s the plan for today to be honest,” You murmur.

“Good,”

“What’s going on over here?” Mingi’s voice startles you all, and you jump in Yunho’s arms, twisting around until you see Mingi.

“God, you scared me, I thought you were asleep,” You laugh, falling back into the pillows.

“I was,” He yawns and climbs onto the bed without a thought, “but you were all talking,”

“Mingi, what are you,” Your words are cut off, he pushes himself smoothly between you and Yunho and tugs you against him until you're sandwiched between him and Seonghwa.

“Morning, hyung,” Mingi says sleepily to Seonghwa, before reaching back with one arm and grabbing Yunho’s hand, tugging him around you both so that he’s effectively spooning the two of you.

“Needy,” Yunho gripes, but you know he doesn’t mean it that way.

“Go to sleep,” Mingi groans, throwing a leg over you and pulling you closer.

“I guess we could get thirty more minutes,” Yunho offers.

“Don’t guess,” Mingi snuggles closer into the pillows.

“Let’s sleep,” You yawn, reaching for Seonghwa’s hand so you can twine your fingers together.

“Mhm,” Mingi murmurs low.

You drift off tangled with all three of them, but when you wake you’re alone again, tucked into Yunho’s bed with one of San’s old plushies. You stretch and yawn, checking the clock and seeing that it’s already noon. On your Yunho’s nightstand is a cool glass of water, a bottle of cold medicine, and a pack of red ginseng.

You squint to read Yunho’s hastily written note - Don’t argue, take these.

You stretch your aching limbs, stiff from being positioned in one spot during deep sleep. You don’t feel sick at all, or feverish, but you don’t argue either. You suck the ginseng out of the packet, grimacing at the sharp flavor, and wash it down with the water.

They’ll be out for several hours yet, at least seven or eight with their overlapping schedules, and even then they might be later if they stay and workshop some of the new choreography. With your afternoon, you have nothing but time and space to get your head on straight. You rest in Yunho’s bed for a little longer, watching the city moving outside, the dorms quiet, only the low thrum of the heater keeping you company.

What you need is a change of scenery.

You’re not sure where you’re going at first, it isn’t until you’re on the subway and you see the stop that it all comes together.

When you make it to the river, it takes time to remember how to find his spot. The last time you were here it was dark and far less busy, but you walk the path anyways and try to remember how many turns you had taken, which way he led you. Curling around the path, you finally see it. You step gingerly over the rocks, making your way down to the little secluded spot, and you settle yourself on the slab of rock.

You can see why he chose this place. With the busy park and paths behind you, you would have expected this spot to feel less comforting in the bright light of day, but what you find instead is a warm private little notch to rest your mind.

You stay awhile and watch the water and the way the sun glitters across it like tiny daytime stars. You let yourself feel it all, how deep your feelings for them run. How much unexpressed love has been caught in your body for years, desperate to pour out of you with the acknowledgement of real, honest grief. Somehow the way you’ve learned to love them has reminded you of so much, so many tightly locked emotions and memories that you had neatly packed away.

You’re not sure how long you’re resting on the rocks before your phone starts ringing.

Hongjoong.

“Hello?” You pick up, clearing your throat softly from the lack of use today.

“How are you feeling?” Hongjoong asks, “Seonghwa said you might be sick?”

“I’m not,” You assure him, “he and Yunho thought I might be, but I’m feeling much better,”

“No fever?” He presses.

“No, Joong,” You smile, leaning on your knees, “I promise,”

“Are you resting?” He asks.

“I slept until noon,” You tell him, “you don’t have to worry.”

“Hm,” He sighs, “I always worry,”

“I know,”

There’s a pause, and you can almost see him pacing at the back of the set. He makes another small noise and then says, “Where are you anyways?”

“Oh,” You didn’t realize he could hear anything in the background, but it might just be the sound of wind on the speaker, “I’m at the river,”

“Why?” His voice softens, “it’s freezing today, you’ll give yourself a cold if you don’t have one already.”

You chew your lip, tears welling up at the way he’s fretting over you. You swallow and blink back the emotions, “It’s helping,”

“It is?” He murmurs.

“Yeah,” You take a deep breath, “it really is,”

“Are you at least wearing a hat or something?” He asks, and you can hear the way his voice drops a little. Someone must be close by and you smile.

“Mhm,” You sigh, “and I’m going home soon anyways,”

“Alright,” He says, “well, that’s good,”

You want to ask him why he called, but you know deep down that he probably can’t stop thinking about last night. You know Seonghwa and Yunho would have filled him in on this morning too.

He’s quiet, just listening to you. You sit with him for a little longer, watching clouds of your breath dissipating into the air.

“Hongjoong,” You murmur after a little while.

“Yeah?”

“I think I’m going to be okay,” You tell him, as the realization sinks into your body.

He’s silent for a moment but then he clears his throat softly and says, “Yes, you will be, I promise,”

Words gather on your tongue, but you let them fade.

“You really should get out of the cold, baby,” Hongjoong says quietly.

“I will,” You nod as if he can see you.

“I have to go,” He says after a beat, “it’s almost my turn on set, but I… I just wanted to see if you were doing alright,”

“I am,” You assure him again, “you don’t have to worry about me.”

“We’ll see you soon,” He says, “and if you need anything,” he lets his voice trail off, letting you fill in the blanks.

“Go back to work, baby,” You pull yourself up off the rocks and stretch, “I’ll be home when you’re done, but for now, don’t focus on me.”

“Tonight, then,” He says.

“Tonight,”

It takes him another minute to hang up on you, but you don’t mind, you love his voice and the way his nervous checking makes you feel whole. You watch the river for another minute, before wrapping your coat around you a little more tightly, and heading back the way you came, heading for home.

279 notes · View notes

7grandmel · 6 months

Text

Todays rip: 16/11/2023

Windows Wonga Wappa

Season 7 Featured on: PROTONOMICON ~ The Cult of Proto Collection

Ripped by circunflexo

youtube

Yeah, look, Season 7 has had its grips in me recently, okay? I'm still making my way through the PROTONOMICON album, and just yesterday two humongous albums released covering rips from the entire year...after I'm done writing this post, I'm going to have to go update a bunch of older posts still sitting with tentative names. Until then, though - Windows Wonga Wappa.

Crypt of the NecroDancer has a long history on SiIvaGunner, as far back as Season 1 - though back then, it was almost entirely dedicated to ironic Kazoo covers of the soundtrack. That kind of put me off from listening to rips from the game in general for a long time, because it just seemed like the kind of joke that would keep going forever - and it wasn't really one I enjoyed all too much? Windows Wonga Wappa does indeed call back to this joke at the very start with a brief Kazoo fakeout, but its true intentions are far, far above what I'd ever expect - part brilliant YTPMV, and part tribute to *another* Konga Conga Kappa YTPMV by fellow channel ripper Nozobot. You may remember them from one of the channel's most landmark funny rips, Sex - Steve Harvey! Well, said rip was then later used by Nozobot as a basis for a YTPMV uploaded to their own YouTube channel, Konga Harvey Harvet. After having Sex - Steve Harvey haunt me for the better part of four years, it was incredible to see the very same nonsense samples and jokes used in it be elevated to the form of a proper YTPMV!

And that legacy, along with the entire Vinesauce Joel Protogent-theme that the PROTONOMICON Halloween event this year had, is what Windows Wonga Wappa builds on. The Windows OS sound samples used as the song's base foundation lay a fantastic sort of "bassline", allowing the rest of the song to go absolutely ham with Protogent-rap sentence mixing...look, everything regarding Protogent is a bit too much to explain in just this post - but it's one of the most memorable memes of Joel's most memorable series of videos, in a way circling back to the origins of SiIvaGunner as a whole.

Windows Wonga Wappa has so many fun layers and choices made in it - it really shows what strengths the art of YTPMV can have over mashups and melody-swaps. This cacophony of samples and sentence-mixed Protogent advert lines, all stitched together with a memorable base melody, is something that lets circunflexo truly flex their creative muscles as a ripper - a chaotic concoction of all that we love to hate about Windows.

#todays siivagunner #season 7 #siivagunner #siiva #circunflexo #Youtube #Bandcamp #ytpmv #crypt of the necrodancer #rift of the necrodancer #indie game #youtube poop #vinesauce #protogent #vinesauce joel #windows destruction

31 notes · View notes

pop-punklouis · 2 years

Text

*LITTLE LONGER DETAILS ABOUT THE SONGS*

Written all over your face: a mixture between grunge-rock and pop-punk. the guitars were absolutely insane. such a fast heat, and it hits you immediately from the moment it starts. it has such a sass punk edge to its chorus, and that’s what made me headbang so hard that both of my earrings came out lol. you guys are not ready for this song in particular. she's the main character of this era 1000% pop punk princess! it has a rowdy-rough energy offering a pop-rocks-like sizzle. it’s difficult not to imagine the absolute charge this song will have in a live setting. an anthemic track that rattles about with such an air of confidence both in sound and in vocal tone. for anyone who listens to the maine, this song 1000% feels like it could fit perfectly into their American Candy album era. that’s the best description i can give.

face the music: the heat only grows as we slip into this song. as i said yesterday, this one was heavily influenced by the early pop-punk, alt-rock scenes. it’s a much more condensed and slicker version of written all over your face. while WAOYF is rough and jagged, this song is tighter in production. the bridge is such a shining moment in this song. it has infectious chants that settle into bands such as reliant k, jimmy eat world, all-american rejects, the nothing personal era of all time low, and even english bands such as blur. the “WHOA WHOA WHOAs” that build right before the last chorus had us all absolutely barking and racing around each other to build up energy.

saturdays: from the moment this one came on, we just did a little group huddle and swayed together throughout its runtime. it’s definitely a sadder track. as i mentioned yesterday, it’s one of the best if not the best ballad he’s ever written. it has a very laidback feel. his vocals and harmonies with himself shine bright throughout this song. the bridge of the saturdays has such a soaring quality to it, and i wish i could understand or pay attention to more lyrics throughout the whole listening portion but we were having so much fun just living in the moment of it all. the only one i remember vividly from this one is: “saturdays used to take the pain away” which ends the chorus. it’s melancholic and nostalgic. i think this song transcends its surface meaning once you really get into the meat of it, and it could be about so many things both externally and internally. excited to hear how everyone interprets the song.

all this time: another laidback tune, but it has such a resistive melodic undertaking. fuzzy synths, mellow charm, wavier feel. it has the influence of 2015 tame impala, and it just feels right to listen to it on a night drive, wind whipping through your air, friends in the passenger seats singing along. it has a very ambient, chill wave foundation. definitely one of the tracks louis talked about implemented more dance-like elements to. and it fits perfectly in that indie-electronica arena.

when it comes to the departure from walls, FITF so far feels more deconstructed. it isn’t slick. it isn’t perfectly packaged. the colors are meant to bleed, the scissor lines purposefully jagged, and the lyrics raw. it doesn’t stand out for its polished appeal like walls does. it stands out for being everything opposite— everything red hot and haphazard and gritty. it’s louis musical mind and influences all packed into the four songs we got to listen to, and if this is just a taste of the record…. i cannot imagine what it feels like to listen to it in whole. its just so authentically louis.

#wrote this in my larger post about the day as a whole but wanted to post this separate for everyone who was curious!!!#louis tomlinson

309 notes · View notes

freddiemercurylegendabovelegends · 6 months

Text

Today, on November 2nd, 1974 - Freddie Mercury interview

NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS

by Julie Webb relentlessly probes the cut and contour of Queen's Lead Trouser

The contents of Freddie Mercury`s pants are his alone. They belong to him and to no-one else.

Funny how times change. Seems like only yesterday that people were taking the mickey out of Queen. Of course, there were some who reckoned they had a genuine talent which would come to the fore, but for many they were merely a flash in the pan.

Two hit albums and two hit singles later, the band can afford a smirk at the expense of their journalistic detractors. This week Queen began their second major tour of Britain. Last time round they were just breaking “Seven Seas Of Rhye” – this time the new album “Sheer Heart Attack” will be featured, but strangely enough not their new single “Killer Queen,” since lead singer Freddie Mercury deems it “not necessary to add to what we are going to do on stage.”

It was Mercury, you may remember, who was so sublimey confident about the band`s chances of success – and he hasn`t changed. “Queen II” may have gone silver, but he reckons “it`ll go platinum” before long. Four months ago, you might have sneered – now it`s about time you listened.

The turning point for the band is really the new single. “A double A side, though no one seems to realise it because they keep playing `Killer Queen`,” interjects Mercury. It`s a turning point in that it sounds nothing like the noisy heavy metal sound to which we are accustomed from Queen, thus justifying their earlier claim of `versatility.` It`s more of a mixture of Beach Boys, early Beatles and 1920`s music-hall. Quaite naice, actually.

Says Mercury: “People are used to hard rock, energy music from Queen, yet with this single you almost expect Noel Coward to sing it. It`s one of those bowler hat, black suspender belt numbers – not that Noel Coward would wear that.”

And you?

“Oh no dear, just a nice little black number.”

It is apparent that success (in any shape or form) has not altered Mercury, who still insists on using the suffix “dear” at the end of many of his sentences. He is also still very much hung up on maintaining the `star` image.

For a start he never carries much money round with him. It`s not that he`s poverty-stricken or even mean – just that it`s difficult to keep cash in your shoes. A star to the last, he wears pocketless trousers and keeps his finances close to his feet.

“I hate pockets in trousers,” he stresses. “By the way, I do not wear a hose. My hose is my own. No coke bottle, nothing stuffed down there.”

Of course, Freddie.

However, sticking rigidly to the star image has its drawbacks. Satin trousers aren`t that durable (“I split a pair last week”) and velvet and sequins have a nasty habit of dulling in the rain. Still, they create the desired effect of getting people to stare. Mercury still adores the stares, of course – he`s insisted all along he`s a star and thinks he should dress accordingly. But for all the high camp, he`s got some grey matter in that head of his.

It was, after all, Mercury who wrote six of the thirteen cuts on the new album and being artistically inclined it was he who provided the idea for the album sleeve.

“God, the agony we went through to have the pictures taken, dear. Can you imagine trying to convince the others to cover themselves in Vaseline and then have a hose of water turned on them?”

Sheer agony, Freddie. The end result is four members of the band looking decidely unregal, tanned and healthy, and as drenched as if they`ve been sweating for a week.

“Everyone was expecting some sort of cover. A Queen III cover really, but this is completely new. It`s not that we`re changing altogether – it`s just a phase we are going through.”

But won`t Queen devotees be a trifle worried by this new image?

“They will love it. We`re still as poncy as ever. We`re still the dandies we started out to be. We`re just showing people we`re not merely a load of poofs, that we are capable of other things.”

The album, as detailed above, boasts 13 tracks – most of them a mere three minutes in length.

“Not a collection of singles, dear – although we might draw another one off later for a single. I`m not absolutely sure about that, though. No, not all the numbers last for ages. There were just so many songs we wanted to do. And it makes a change to have short numbers. It`s so varied that we were able to go to extremes. I only had about two weeks to write my songs so we`ve been working (expletive deleted) hard.”

(➡️ Read on https://geirmykl.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/article-about-queen-from-new-musical-express-november-2-1974/)

#new musical express #interview nme 1974 #freddie mercury #queen band #london #zanzibar #legend #queen #brian may #john deacon #freddiebulsara #roger taylor #freddie mercury interview 1974

23 notes · View notes

taylorswiftstylequestions · 20 days

Note

I have loved Taylor since the fearless era (when I was 12 lol), but have noticed for the most part I don’t like the albums after first listen. The only album I really liked immediately out the gate was reputation, otherwise every album has needed everything from a week to multiple years to become something I really loved. Last year I realized I love Lover but, while I always knew I liked it, I didn’t think too much of it. I’m a lot of peoples go to swiftie friend so I always have people texting me asap after an album release to be like what are your faves??? What did you think?? And I always have to be like idk give me a week or two please! How do people form opinions so fast I have no idea. I legit hated folklore after first listen but after three or four days I was like ok this is her best album 100% (imo).

Just vocally processing in the safe tss space 💚 I told some of my friends I didn’t like this album when they asked me (the next morning) but now I’ve listened to the whole thing a few more times and I truly understand it so much better so I like it more. It’s still emotionally heavy in a way that I don’t totally jive with and a little too long for me and my adhd but I see the truly stand out songs for me which give it a big boost. Idk if this is something everyone goes through with new music or if it’s just me haha

Oh I absolutely think this is totally normal! I can also empathize as someone who likes to take their time figuring out how they feel about something.

I actually informally polled a group of my friends yesterday on whether TTPD:Anthology was an immediate like or if they thought it was a grower and people were about split on it!

#tss ttpd party

9 notes · View notes

forbidden-sin-bin · 2 years

Text

By Your Side | Chapter 1

Summary: After your flight is delayed for an extra day, you decide to look around for what Detroit has to offer. A poster depicting the debut album of a rapper called Eminem catches your eye when you enter an certain old record store...

Word count: 3,728 words

---

Three Years Later...

March 4, 1997

---

“...Can I listen to it now?”

“No, Quinn.”

“...How about now?”

“Baby, no.”

“...Now?”

You sighed for the umpteenth time today. “Quinn honey, I thought we already agreed you can listen to it when you’re older.”

“But I am older!” The toddler argued, kicking the seat in front of him with both legs. “I’m four now. That means I’m older. You promised.”

"Three." You corrected. “And I did, but being four is not old enough.” You firmly stated, placing a hand on his chest to stop him from keeping your poor mother from waking. “When I mean older, I mean when you’re completely grown up, okay?”

Your nephew whined. “But I’m borrrrrred.” He threw his head back dramatically against his booster seat, staring at the ceiling of the van. “It’s boring.”

You looked at him sympathetically. “I know baby, I know.” Choosing to ignore his complaint of “I’m not a baby anymore”, you re-winded the cassette tape a few seconds back before hitting play, the opening to Salt-N-Pepa’s ‘Shoop’ bursting from your headphones.

You were gonna be honest: you hated having to wake up at 3 in the morning just to drive to Detroit for a slightly cheaper flight to New York City; and it’s not for you and Quinn’s first vacation trip there either, you had a callback to attend. If things went well, maybe another, and then you’ll see if you’ve gotten the unnamed part of some movie. You weren’t counting on it though, chances were few and far in between, actually getting the part were even fewer.

Still, it’s too late to back out now, considering you’ve auditioned once in Toronto, your hometown, and this trip to New York has been planned for months already.

You looked over at Quinn, who was tossing himself back and forth even while being seat belted to his booster seat. Usually you would try to get him to calm down, but you really can’t blame the recently-turned three year old for his mind-numbing boredom. If anything, he’s got enough problems do deal with as is.

Having no birth mom, a dad that hardly does much to help, and a suspecting future diabetic, your boy’s got more than enough on his plate. A few complaints and tantrums here and there really isn’t a big deal, but god, you really wanted peace and quiet after having only 3 hours of sleep yesterday.

Looking out your window to stare at the slowly brightening sky, your eyelids gently closed shut, drifting you in and out of sleep. It wasn’t much at all, but anything to keep your brain from swelling out of its skull, you suppose.

---

And just as your morning could not get any worse... it just got worse.

“Due to overbooking, passengers may be asked to leave the plane and await the next flight. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience.” The automated voice on the loudspeaker echoed throughout the waiting area of the airport.

Of course, of all the passengers they decided to involuntarily bump, it had to be yours.

So there you are, once again, slouched in one the many rows of seats at the gates, watching your parents argue with the airport staff with their increasing frustration, all while Quinn was quietly focusing on eating his cup of oatmeal your parents bought him for breakfast. Brown sugar not included, of course.

Hiding a yawn, you looked away from the ongoing drama and instead watched your little man enjoy his meal. Quinn catches you staring and raised his bowl to you. “Want some?” he asked, always polite to a fault.

You gave him a smile and ruffled his hair affectionately. “Nah, it’s all yours.”

He shrugged and resumed eating. “...What’s they doing over there?” He asked, mouth full.

“Oh nothing, too many people on the plane so we’re just gonna wait for the next one.” You had no reason to lie to him, not that there was anything to lie to him about anyway. You swore this kid had already unlocked his sixth sense and was using it like a superpower to detect lies and all that.

He hummed in response, swallowing. “When’s the next one?” You shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe in a few hours, or maybe tomorrow. If it’s tomorrow though...” You leaned forward, whispering. “You wanna take a trip around Detroit?”

“Yeah!” He paused before asking: “What’s Dee-troyt?” You stifled a laugh.

“It’s the name of the city we’re at.” You replied. “It’s like Toronto, except Toronto is so far away, we’re in a different place that has a different name. This place is called Detroit.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re in a different country; cities can only be in one country.”

“Why?”

“Otherwise there would be two Toronto’s, or two Detroit’s. That would be confusing, right?”

“...Why?”

“Well... It’s like having two different friends, but they have the same name. Isn’t that confusing?”

Finally seeming to get the picture (for now), he nodded vigorously. Seeing as the curious beast is satisfied for the time being, you took a sip from your water bottle and leaned back, trying to rest.

Unfortunately, Quinn had other ideas to ask. “Mama?”

Your eyes shot open. ‘Not again, goddammit.’

“Baby, I told you to call me auntie, okay? I know it’s hard, but I can’t be mama and auntie at the same time, alright?”

You almost caved in at the sight of his puppy-eyed look as he looked down. “But... all my friends have a mama? Why can’t I have a mama?” You winced, knowing how badly this would affect him. At the same time, you hated to see him cry, and him crying now would just be another problem on your parent’s workload.

“...Does... Do you feel better when you call me mama?” He nodded, pushing out his bottom lip.

“Alright, well, here’s the deal: I can allow you to call me mama, but in return, I want you to practice calling me auntie, okay?”

And just like that, his entire mood brightened. “Okay!”

“Good man. Now finish your breakfast, it’s already cold.”

---

A few hours later, you and your family are now unzipping your suitcases, taking out essentials to freshen up and clean yourselves. You too took out your toothbrush, cup, and face towel to place on the bathroom counter.

As you leaned down into the running sink, washing your face, you pondered on how you were going to spend the rest of the day while also managing to convince your family to even bother going out. As your mom would describe it; ‘Detroit is a messy, messy place,’ too much crime, too much poverty, too little safety for tourism.

Yet obviously, you weren’t going to be cooped up in this two-star hotel for the next 18 hours either.

Turning off the sink and lightly wiping your face dry with your face towel, you tossed it back onto the counter and clapped your hands once. “Okay, so, what now?” In reply, all three of your family members looked at you - with varying degrees of expressions - and blinked.

Yep, you saw that coming.

“What now?” Your mom said first. “I guess we sleep for a bit, maybe watch some tv, then get some lunch later.”

“Well that’s the true, but what about actually doing something?” You tried. “Like, are we gonna be staying in all day? Don’t you wanna go out and see the city?” She shrugged.

“Probably not. Have you seen the houses? Everything’s so run down, it’s not safe.”

“I get that, but we don’t know that for sure unless we try.”

“The moment we try is the moment we’ll be too late to get out of trouble.”

“Yeah, but-”

“No buts, we’re not going out.” Your mom told you in a firm tone.

You tried to look to your dad for backup, but he simply shrugged. “Just listen to your mom, okay?” He patted your shoulder, and you could do nothing else but sigh.

“But I wanna go outside.”

Your head snapped up to look at your boy, sitting on top of one of the hotel beds, crossed legged and bouncing on the spot. Suddenly, a devious plot began to hatch in your head.

“You see? Even Quinn agrees with me.” You walked over and patted his head while looking at your parents pointedly. “We can’t be cooped up in a hotel all day, otherwise we’d be wasting the day doing nothing, except maybe watching tv.” You looked towards Quinn. “Do you wanna stay here all day?” The toddler shook his head furiously, eliciting a grin from you. “Ha ha, exactly.”

“Y/N, no.” Your father scolded, pointing towards you. “It’s too dangerous, and we are NOT bringing Quinn to anywhere dangerous. You should know better.”

Still, you weren’t about to go down without a fight, now that you’ve got backup. Putting your hand on your hips and jutting your chin out, you retorted:

“I know. I do know better, and that’s making this a good vacation. Right now, day one is not going well at all.” Before your dad could speak up again, you continued: “Look, I’m not asking you guys to bring us to literal alleyways or the sewers or something like that. I just want us to take a drive around the city, okay? We don’t even have to get out of the car, we can just look out the windows.”

Your mom hummed suspiciously, not convinced. “And what is there to look at? Run down houses and abandoned buildings?”

“Every city has them, even Toronto has them, we’re not in a warzone, we’re in a neighboring city.” You argued. “Come on, I know Detroit doesn’t look like New York, but if it was too dangerous, we wouldn’t even be here right now.”

The room was silent and tense, neither side stubbornly glaring each other down.

Of course, you knew you were being a tad irresponsible, reckless even, but for years you were always the goody-two-shoes that followed your parents every whim. This was probably the first time in ages you’ve actually stepped up and suggested something that you normally wouldn’t do.

In the middle of the silence, the atmosphere quickly shifted at the sound of Quinn’s equally loud stare, innocently blinking between his grandparents and you. That of course distracted you enough to look at him.

“Hey kiddo,” You murmured, stroking his hair softly. “What do you think? Do you wanna go outside later? Look at the city? Maybe get some snacks?”

After making a face that look like he was thinking hard, your nephew nodded again. “Uh huh.” He replied, looking to mom and dad pleadingly. “Can I? Please?”

‘Yes,’ Your mind could’ve done an evil villain cackle for the theatrics. ‘Nobody says no to the “please” from my boy. He said please, I trained him well.’

To be more accurate, it was a family effort of teaching him manners. Still, no grandparent can survive the puppy eyed look of a polite grandchild just wanting to get some fresh air unscathed. Probably.

Seeing your dad shake his head and turn away, rubbing a palm across his face, while your mom gave you a look that meant you were about to get a stern telling off later today meant that you were absolutely grounded in some form. Despite graduating high school last year, you had yet to move out and find a job. Therefore, you were still under the house rules. Seems like a fair trade off, so you couldn’t complain.

You watched as your parents moved to the side of the room, whispering to each other seriously. Deciding to let them talk in peace, you sat down on the bed beside Quinn, patting the spot to your side for him to crawl over and mimic your crossed legs. “You doing okay, baby?” You asked. He shrugged without comment, looking down at his lap. A small smile crept onto your face. “Tired?” You tried again, receiving the exact same response. You let him be, the two of you staring off into space to await your verdict from mom and dad.

After what seemed like hours when it had been only minutes, your parents finally made your way over to the foot of the bed and looked at you two expectantly. Your head shot up quickly.

“We’ve decided.” Your mom’s voice was stern and final. “We can go outside-”

You and Quinn broke into smiles as you shared a tiny “Yesss!” and a fist pump.

“-But right now, we’re taking a rest.” She finished. Both of your shoulders slumped simultaneously as you shared a look.

“Eh... fair trade, don’t you think?” You asked him. He nodded in agreement. “Mm hmm.” Clapping your hands once, you hopped off the bed. “Alrighty big guy, nap time! Go get changed.” You watched as he followed suit, running to his suitcase on tiny little legs.

A harsh tap on your shoulder forced you to look back, finding yourself facing your dad. “You are so childish,” He whispered harshly. “What’s gotten into you today?”

You couldn’t answer that, to be honest. “Uhh...” Trailing off, you raised your hands in an act of surrender. “I have no idea.”

“Well, don’t do it again.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Y/N. You JUST said you weren’t going to get out of the car.”

“I know, but-” You frantically gestured toward the record store with a worn out sign that read ‘Golden Jet Records’. “It’s a record store! It’s got music there that I probably haven’t seen yet! Five minutes, I promise-”

“Oh my god.” Dad leaned his forehead against the steering wheel, absolutely finished with you.

You heard a giggle to your right, and you gave Quinn a wink alongside a smirk before looking back at your parents seated in front of you.

“No, really. Just look outside! Do you see anyone about to hurt us? Do you see any gangs or crowds or anybody that remotely looks suspicious?” You raised a brow at them. “Look, I get it. I know this city’s got a lot of problems, but not the entire city is gonna be having violence or illegal activity at every corner, okay? Just a quick look, and that’s it.”

Hearing mom and dad mutter amongst themselves, you leaned back into your car seat, shutting your eyes and sighing through your nose.

“Fine.”

You shot up eagerly. “Really?!”

“You have five minutes.” Dad taps his watch threateningly. “If you’re not back by then, we’re leaving you behind.

While it may have been a threat, it completely flew over your head as you leaned forwards and gave your parents a kiss on the cheek each. “Love ya! I’ll be back!”

Practically throwing yourself out of the car, you heard Quinn’s voice in the distance as you jogged away: “Hey! I wanna go too! Can I go?”

You didn’t hear what your mom had to say as you stepped into the store and was met with the familiar old store scent.

---

The walls were painted with the old, unwashed white with the usual rectangular ceiling lights that would start making you think the whole place was dimmer than it actually seemed. And of course, there were rows upon rows of boxes and shelves filled with vinyl's, cd’s, and cassettes. There were only a few people here and there, with the store owner at the front desk of course, none of them paid any mind to you entering.

Five minutes to see if you manage to catch something good... time to get to work.

You scoured through the cassette section to find that they were ordered in both alphabetical order and in genre. Off the top you found the usual famous artists and albums; Hair metal bands like Metallica, Bon Jovi or Motley Crue, various levels of rock music - Alt rock seemed to be the trend this decade - like Nirvana or Pearl Jam, and obviously there were the pop artists who could always make it to the top 100: Michael Jackson, Céline Dion, Toni Braxton... the list goes on and on.

And of course, there was Hip-Hop. That one music genre you didn’t dare tell your parents you were warming up to. The controversial, thought provoking lyrical rhymes on a hard beat that kept you lip-syncing or muttering under your breath without even realizing it. Unsurprisingly, the store had plenty of it, from Nas, to Common, to Notorious B.I.G., to the Wu-Tang Clan, the whole nine yards more or less.

If you had the budget to buy more than one cassette, you would. Unfortunately you had to choose wisely... if you could.

Yet as the seconds ticked by and your hopes of purchasing another tape for the collection faded, a glimpse of the night sky, just brushing by the edge of your vision, caused you to take a second look.

A poster taped to the window, faded and worn, probably having been there for a bit, showed off a simplistic album cover; The dark blue gradient dotted with white specks of stars, with a violet line at the center that was probably meant to be either a horizon line or a beam of light somehow caught your attention. In capital letters, the name ‘EMINEM’ was displayed along the top half of the cover, with the bottom half titling the album as: ‘INFINITE’.

‘Huh.’

Having completely forgotten your browsing, you moved to take a closer look.

It was simplistic, no photo of the artist itself and no detailed graphics that would suggest it to have earned a parental advisory sticker on the corner. It was rather plain, yet oddly enough it somehow fits.

You couldn’t recall an artist by the name of Eminem before, assuming he was completely new and undiscovered, maybe this was his first release? Though the bent corners and slightly aged look suggests it was released a while back, or the person wasn’t very careful, it didn’t reduce the calming feeling that miraculously took a hold of you when you continued to stare, hell, maybe even admire it a bit.

Out of all the pictures, posters, and promotions in this store, why was this unknown little poster the one that had you wanting to know more?

Granted, if you hadn’t heard of this artist or album, let alone seen it, in Toronto, chances are it probably wasn’t even known anywhere outside of Detroit. There’s an even bigger chance it was hardly half-decent to listen to, and if it was, it would be a tape you would shelve and have it collect dust after the first listen. And yet... your gut instinct told you to give it a chance, and your mind was already set on making sure any other option was worth the same amount of curiosity.

“Are you looking for something?”

The bored, disinterested voice belonged to the middle-aged man at the counter, startling you out of your thoughts. Forcing a gulp down your throat, you replied with a slight stutter: “N-No... A-actually, wait- yeah; could... could you tell me more about that album over there?” You pointed to the poster.

The receptionist leaned over the counter to take a better look, before realizing. “Oh, that? That’s from one of the local rappers around here, nothing special really; He’s here pretty often.”

You raised your eyebrows. “Oh! Well that’s nice to hear.” A few seconds of silence passed before you spoke up again. “So, do you know where I can buy a cassette here?”

“Sorry kid,” the man shook his head. “I’ve only got the vinyl’s and the CD’s here. If you’re looking for the cassettes, you gotta wait for him to arrive. He sells most of his stuff in the back of the trunk of his car.” He narrowed his eyes at you with suspicion and curiosity. “Didn’t know Marshall had a fan...” he muttered.

You squinted back. “Who?”

“Eminem. His real name’s Marshall.”

“Ah... okay then... Do you know when he’ll be here?”

He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Actually, he should be here any minute now. His shift ends at six, so...” Looking out the window, his eyes widened as he seemed to recognize a certain car backing into the parking lot. “There’s your guy.” He pointed to an old reddish car.

Thanking the man, you exited the store just as the engine of the car went silent. ‘Alright, just relax.’ You thought, trying to push down the nerves of having to talk to a stranger. ‘Put those acting lessons to use and don’t be a bitch.’ Easier said than done.

The driver’s door clicked open, and you blinked once, twice, three times as you finally realized that the guy was, in fact, Marshall.

He didn’t look much older than you, probably only a couple years your senior. Even from the distance between you, he probably stood to be of average height, if not a bit shorter. His hair was short, dark and buzz-cutted, probably his preferred look alongside the clean shaven face. Judging by his attire, a pair of sweatpants and a grey sweater loosely worn over his average, yet slightly chubby frame, he looked to have been around this side of Detroit for most of his life.

There was one thing you really didn’t want to mention... but you weren’t expecting a pale-skinned guy. He was white, for sure, and if your memory serves you right... there weren’t many white rappers in the industry. Aside from the Beastie Boys and the highly questionable Vanilla Ice, hip-hop was a mostly black oriented genre. But hey, you didn’t care about a person’s ethnic background in the slightest; as long as they could make music, whatever genre they chose, that’s more than enough.

You almost didn’t catch him looking straight back in your thoughts, looking around the parking lot to check for anyone else, then back at you to realize that he was the person you had your eyes on. Not knowing how else to react, you gave a small wave.

It seemed as if he wasn’t used to people waving him over, let alone someone that doesn’t even look like they were from Detroit. His expression was guarded and suspicious as he made his way over to you.

Finally reaching the curb, the pale boy jutted his chin at you - his blue eyes flashing threateningly - before asking:

“The hell do you want?”

---

(End of Chapter 1)

---

A/N: This took WAY TOO LONG. Holy shit I’m so sorry guys. I figured to end it at the very beginning of your conversation with Em after realizing how freaking long it got, so I’m moving the dialogue over the Chapter 2. I promise, updates will (probably) be faster.

But AYYYYY CHAPTER 1 IS OUT LETS GOOOOOO

Taglist: @eminemsorangejuice , @slimshay-castle

(Let me know in my ask box if you would like to be added to the taglist!)

#By Your Side Series #eminem fanfiction #eminem x reader #eminem imagine #marshall mathers x reader #marshall mathers imagine #Sin Bin Books

309 notes · View notes

manysmallhands · 4 months

Text

Top 10 Albums of 2023!

This was all supposed to work out differently. As i recall from the now long distant past, my original plan was to do a countdown where i put up one post a day throughout December. However, I got Covid on December 1st and that plan immediately became lame and useless. After that, my assumption was basically that i wouldn't be able to do any of this, but i got better more quickly than i'd anticipated and found myself working on these reviews in bits as the month has gone on. So, having rushed through all the the song blurbs that i wanted to do, here i am on New Year's Eve with a more or less finished Top 10 albums to put up.

The only problem is that there are ten quite lengthy reviews here and the vibe is already pretty tl:dr. But tbh that's fine: there really is only my girlfriend who ever reads everything (and i believe her, trust is what love is all about after all) so for anyone looking at this and thinking blimey, that's a lot of text, my advice is: you don't have to read any of it. Just look at the albums, scan thru to see if it sounds like something you might like and give one or two of them a listen if that looks like the case. The words are really just to keep me occupied but i'd like to hope that someone likes some of the records.

I said yesterday that i would reveal what the best one is and so I am now delivering on that important promise. The best one is Scarlet by Doja Cat. Anyone who follows me on whatever platform already knows that the best one is Scarlet by Doja Cat. Don't make me say it again.

Barbie - The Album

Few people have seemed much interested in the Barbie soundtrack, other than the punters who kept it atop the compilations chart for four months. I, as ever, channel the spirit of the populous. The sound is basically 80s synth pop updated for a modern audience - the likes of Haim and Ava Max slot in predictably well - but its the extra dimensions created by how the artists interact with the film that provide some of its more interesting aspects. Sam Smith’s Man I Am reflects a surprisingly LGBTQ Ken despite protestations (certainly its "I'm not gay bro, but..." T-shirt is prompting a lot of questions already answered by the shirt), while Billie Eilish dwelling on life as a manufactured product makes for interesting and uncomfortable parallels in What Was I Made For. Mark Ronson’s plasticky production suits its subject to a tee, further cementing the conceptual unity of the project.

Star turns abound throughout the album as A-listers like Dua Lipa and Lizzo bring their best games alongside some terrific and unlikely downcard cameos. What Was I Made For? and Dance The Night were both deserved #1s, but the pacey pop punk of GAYLE’s Butterflies and Dominic Fike’s breezy, hook laden Hey Blondie are as much highlights as any of the bigger names here. Special mention should be made for Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken, a blockbuster 70s rock number that, whilst puncturing the wider stylistic template, is batshit and hilarious enough to more than justify its place as well as netting him a surprise hit too. The quality lapses once or twice (Tame Impala in particular are bloody awful) but by the time Ava fires the final laser I’m generally happy to go back and start all over again. With banger after banger here, my verdict is in: the Barbie soundtrack is *Charli voice* HOT!

Claire Rosinkranz - Just Because

While this has been a year that I’ve gotten more fully into pop, it took a while for me to find many new albums that I’ve been interested in. This may partly be to do with me clinging to an idea that LPs ought to be substantial beyond having good hooks and charm. In truth, all I needed to do was revert to my indiepop training, where bands have never knowingly been fussed about having any great weightiness. But even so, it took Just Because to make it clear to me that no, you really don’t need any grand vision at all: a high number of great if frothy pop songs will do just fine. It’s a record which bounces from banger to banger in an endearingly sunny style, with each tune so catchy that their lightness becomes a strength rather than a weakness.

Rosinkranz’s voice seems to mark her out as one of the many Billie clones who populate the current pop scene but her musical ambitions are both simpler and more instantly engaging. Not yet 20, her songs have an element of schoolyard whispers which add a welcome silliness here and there, but she also plays with the intensity of youthful emotions to make them a little heartrending even as she goofs off. Highlights include Dreamer, a break up song where the vocal makes it clear that she’s far from as done as she says she is, and Wes Anderson, which offers some sombre advice but packages it in a song so sweet that you’d never know. But in spite of all this it makes no end of year lists (well, maybe just the one), being merely a lovable set of songs that are very hard to forget. Need it be more? I don't believe so.

Doja Cat - Scarlet

Mired in discourse throughout the year, Doja Cat still found time to make a chart topping single (Paint The Town Red) that took the world by storm and a cracking album which, sadly, did not. Scarlet was in my opinion the better of the two: largely ditching the afrobeat pop of Planet Her, Doja staked her claim as an old skool rapper and brought it off pretty well, mixing hard rhyming with her more scattershot pop delivery and sounding entirely comfortable wherever she landed. While flitting musically between modern RnB and neo-soul grooves, her subject matter was largely taken up by how much she hated her fans, a bold strategy that found her shedding support even as blistering tracks like Fuck The Girls shaped up as some of my favourites of the year.

Whilst I’ve found myself uncomfortable with both the company that she keeps and the views which she may or may not subscribe to (i feel safe in saying that she's a right wing edgelord but i suspect that’s the least of it), Scarlet is such a good album that I’ve found myself, if not making excuses for her, then at least deftly navigating around my distaste in order to keep listening to it. While Agora Hills often reminded me how serious she is about her scumbag of a boyfriend, it’s still a song that can submerge me in its beauty entirely; while some of the complaints from her online audience are less easily dismissed than others, it’s more comfortable just to think about the morons calling her a devil worshiper, especially when she mocks them so wickedly on the elegant Skull And Bones. Am I the problem? Maybe I am: it’s a place I often find myself in with hip hop, where faves are frequently problematic and exceptions beg to be made. As such, I can not wholeheartedly recommend this record to people who might want to take a principled stand against some of her bullshit. I can only say that, as a musical talent, there was no one better all year.

Lana Del Rey - Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard?

After 2021’s fairly middling brace of albums, Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd always felt like it was going to be a return to form and this time the faithful were not disappointed. It was another epic and sprawling record which unfolded like a cross between The Bible and a 50s musical. While changeable in style, ranging from hammy country ballads to trap beats and beyond, the thing that springs to mind most often is the Great American Songbook, as Lana takes the melodramatic grandeur of those standards and soaks them in her own messy and complicated worldview. This draws in family, romance, the future, her relationship with religion and how it all scrappily fits together, ranging widely and wildly across 75 extraordinary minutes.

Much of the album feels like it’s being broadcast from a kind of dreamworld, although one that overlays with reality neatly enough. Lana’s dismissive “if you want some basic bitch go to the Beverly Centre and find her” line undercuts the mood on the otherwise lush and evocative Sweet but the impact is hilarious rather than jarring, a perfect marriage of the strange and mundane. In contrast, the brooding A&W initially brings that realism to a far more uncomfortable level, before goofing off wonderfully in the second half in a way that only Lana ever really dares to do. Much of the record feels like it's creating its own language, as key phrases (“let the light in”, “when you know, you know”) are repeated and musical themes come back around in strange modulations. All in all, while perhaps less satisfying as a pop record than Norman Fucking Rockwell, Did You Know… feels like her most complete statement on a personal level yet, whilst still working well within the broader world that she’s spent over a decade constructing.

Mitski - The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We

Despite liking the odd song or two, I have until now been largely immune to Mitski over the full length of an album. But The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We has a much more organic sound than I’m used to hearing from her, well adrift from the polished guitar rock of her big 10s records. Instead, it takes many of its cues from classic folk and country, occasionally lush and expansive, often determinedly sombre but always at a distance from the areas where she’s generally been at home. Opener Bug Like An Angel is a brooding scene setter, where Mitski unveils the terse and grumpy presence we will grow familiar with over the next half hour. The main elements of the album are already in place - the spare instrumentation; Mitski’s extraordinary voice, hard and intransigent but still full of yearning; the occasional, overwhelming interjections from the wings. It all creates a distinctive atmosphere, extremely intense but intimate too: we’re allowed into Mitski’s world but there’s a lot to take in.

Lyrically, the songs are both heavily allusive and extremely personal, like hearing ancient parables told by the characters from the story. Surprise hit My Love Mine All Mine seems to sit apart as a relatively standard love song but a closer listen reveals deeper layers; the placing of her love as something independent from its object makes it feel more of a piece with the album’s other enigmas. At a time where Mitski seemed to be cooling on being a rock star, The Land Is Inhospitable adds a new twist to her long musical journey, seemingly presenting a more intimate portrait while in fact retaining most of her essential mystery. As an album, it really is quite something: what that is I’m less certain of but I like it regardless.

Olivia Rodrigo - Guts

Tho I wouldn't have called myself a hater (I don’t think I would have been bothered enough), I don't really like Olivia’s all conquering debut Sour, which I thought a bit too one-note and overpopulated with slushy ballads. But by the time Guts came around I was open to listening again, drawn in by its excellent singles and primed for a different experience. Vampire, the best of them and more or less of this year, was a fantastic example of taking something that Olivia is clearly very accomplished at (the grand piano lament) and then, rather than running that into the ground, instead using it as a springboard for an entirely different idea. Get Him Back and Bad Idea Right hark back to earlier guitar based tracks like Brutal, but on Guts they form a much more substantive part of the album, cementing its brand of addictive pop grunge and working up a much goofier version of her messy teen persona.

Elsewhere, the ballads did in fact return. Some have speculated that this may have been a bad idea (right?) but for me they’ve been growers, particularly the likes of Lacy and The Grudge, where Olivia explores the bitterness of youth and uses it to tear holes in the people who’ve wronged her. But if I’m honest, it’s the rockers that I’m usually waiting for: whether the new wave pastiche of Love Is Embarrassing or autumnal Cure homage Pretty Isn’t Pretty, each one feels like a mini-revelation and it’s the style that I hope she leans on most in the future.

Palehound - Eye On The Bat

Palehound have been around for a while now and every so often I’ve given their records a try and haven't really managed to connect with them properly. Eye on the Bat has been the first exception, though whether that's because it’s any better than the others or I just made more of an effort with it I don’t know. Its template is certainly well worn in the indie world - country rock with varying degrees of aggression or melodic sweetness - but there’s still a lot here that grabs my attention, especially in the charming indie pop of the title track and the heart-rending melancholy of Route 22.

But the thing that caught my ear the most was Ellen Kempner’s disarming honesty, with much of the album spent documenting what sounds like a deeply messy break up. Whether she’s bitterly picking through the fall out on Independence Day or remembering some hilariously embarrassing bedroom scene on opener Good Sex, Eye On The Bat's almost diaristic view is mesmerising throughout, making you warm to Kempner even as she works thru some of her own worst traits. And aside from anything else, her understanding of relationships underlines her strengths as a lyricist, as she dissects their complexities with wit, sympathy and occasional anger to capture all the stuff that transcends whatever we were hoping for in the first place.

Poppy - Zig

After the wild ride that commenced with 2020’s extraordinary pop/metal mash up I Disagree, Poppy has journeyed thru indie rock, goth and punk to wind up back where she started, only not quite. Zig may represent a return to pop - indeed it’s produced by Weeknd affiliate Ali Payami - but it’s one that’s filtered thru all of the places she stopped off along the way.

The crepuscular grind of Church Outfit and Knockoff sound like more danceable versions of the I Disagree sound, while the crunching title track suggests that she can still go as hard as ever. But there are nods to a lighter side here as well, particularly in the strong trio that wind up the album: The Attic recasts her sound in a euphoric drum n bass clatter whilst closer Prove It kicks up a remarkable blend of manic hyperpop and gentle electro-balladry, whilst still working in the rich emotional palette that she’s developed in recent years.

In one sense this is a huge departure from the frenetic punk of last year’s Stagger EP but the vibes here stake out territory that you’d still find oddly familiar. Some of the gothy ballads are less immediate than other songs but nothing on Zig is boring, just varying refinements on her ever evolving musical journey. The critics were split, occasionally rattled and sometimes just plain baffled, but that’s only to be expected by now. Poppy follows her own plan and rarely sticks to the same tune: in truth it’s a privilege just to be a witness to the chaos.

Sweeping Promises - Good Living Is Coming For You

One thing that I find missing in a lot of modern guitar based music is snappy songs with good catchy hooks. While Sweeping Promises appear to place their focus elsewhere - their high concept sound is best understood as someone broadcasting direct from 1979 through a wristwatch speaker - their second album still finds time to deliver fully on the tunes. Good Living Is Coming To You is steeped in bubblegum melodies and memorable choruses, with songs that become earworms before you’ve even registered how catchy they are.

More than anything, it's dominated by Lira Mondal’s imperious vocals: whether it’s in the cascading harmonies of Throw Of The Dice, the fierce yells and hisses that close out the title track or her sweet voiced switch-outs on Ideal No, her character springs out of every song in a way that few singers ever really manage to impose. While you might think that the post punk era has been mined to death by now, Sweeping Promises drag new life into it by going back further: their sound may be heavily rooted in a specific moment but the elements of songcraft often have more in common with 60s girl group classics than gnarled art rockers. Ten bangers and no filler: Good Living Is Coming For You is everything I wanted from it and more.

Wednesday - Rat Saw God

While the queasy vibes of 2021’s Twin Plagues are still high in the mix here, it was the welcome injection of melody on Wednesday's third album that managed to alert the media. That lightness was more apparent in Karly Hartzman's lyrics than you might notice on a passing listen too: though often praised for her grimly amusing takes on middle American backwaters, the key to them was her deceptively soft touch, casting a sympathetic eye over grisly scenes even as she retained their gnarlier undertones.

Single Chosen To Deserve, with its crunching chorus and heartwarming romantic turnaround, feels like the designated big moment from the record but in reality Rat Saw God has an embarrassment of riches. Quarry in particular, with its Waterloo Sunset-esque signature and matter-of-fact dissection of grim local gossip, is an almost pop version of the most haunting aspects of Hartzman's craft, while the washed out bounce of closer TV in the Gas Pump pitches a lonelier scene in a similarly gorgeous manner.

This is not to forget that Wedneday can still rock extremely hard when they want to, especially on the brutal 8 minute Bull Believer, an ambitious multipart epic that ends with Hartzman screaming “FINISH HIM!!!” repeatedly over the chaotic finale. But while Rat Saw God brought this kind of sawtoothed sound back to widespread acclaim, its real trick was how it sugared the pill just enough to get it past even the most determinedly sweet tooth.

14 notes · View notes

perhaps-in-anotherdream · 2 years

Text

[CN] Victor’s Transshipment Date (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 转运之约, that is yet to be released in the global server! ♡

[Translation Under The Cut]

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

[Tidbits from Anika]: There are a couple of Victor dates that you NEED to read / at least have the idea of before proceeding with this date (* marked are must-reads)––

Job Date (2018), Taste of Life MQ, Rainy-day Date*** (2020) — already released in EN.

Glass Boat Date* (2022).

There are several dialogues in this date that are the exact same (callbacks/reenactments) as the mentioned dates. I’ll translate them according to the CN script btw~ (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

🎥🔗 Video link is in the comments! If you can, PLEASE follow along with it. And if you can’t, PLEASE listen to it at least once, cause the voice acting for this date is BEYOND—— 🥺🌊

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

✧ [Chapter 1] ✧

The night breeze occasionally lifts corners of the curtain. The moon is clear, with sparse stars adorning the endless night sky.

In contrast, Victor, sitting opposite me, is frowning tightly, the luminous white light of the screen reflecting on his lenses. His entire being looks like he is shrouded in dark clouds.

MC: Victor, are you still busy?

Victor: Mm.

He responds with a simple grunt, never taking his eyes off of the computer even for a moment.

Victor seems to have been a little out of luck lately. It’s as though God is deliberately opposing him, throwing all the adversities at him in one fell swoop.

From small things like flight cancellation for business trips to big things like delays in collaboration projects––

There was also a big project that LFG had been preparing for a long time. But due to the sudden revision of the import tax policy, a large sum of funds evaporated in an instant.

While Victor has been continuously running around day and night because of this, I detect a trace of restlessness in his seemingly calm and unflappable exterior.

For instance, he’d be looking for his phone for half a day when it’s still in his pocket, or he’d realize that he’s still left the car keys in the car after coming home.

And from what Goldman told me, he’s often so busy these days that he doesn’t even remember to eat lunch.

There are all kinds of tiny traces that make it clear that this person, the CEO of LFG, who seems as motionless as a mountain under any circumstances, is distressed like any ordinary person.

Seeing how he still has no intention of resting now, I sigh silently in my heart.

MC: CEO Victor, even the pandas are going to recognize you as one of their own kind.

–

[Tidbits]: Victor says the same line to MC in the rainy-day date~ :>

–

Victor: Mm.

MC: ...you aren’t asleep already with your eyes open while looking at the screen, are you?

Victor: Got it.

MC: ...

Hearing his clearly absent-minded answer, I narrow my eyes.

MC: How about–– you give LFG to me? And then you can be my personal chef without any worries!

The hand that has been tapping on the keyboard pauses as he finally shifts his gaze from the screen to my face.

Victor: At that point, a certain dummy won’t have time to enjoy big feasts.

Seeing that he isn’t “taking the bait,” I pout and put on a straight face.

MC: You’ve slept less than five hours for four days in a row.

MC: And you had promised me yesterday that you would get some proper rest today.

Victor: Let’s talk about it in half an hour.

You said the same thing half an hour ago.

I feel angry for a moment, and just as I’m thinking about how to carry out the coercive measures, the alarm set on my phone suddenly vibrates.

I hastily refresh the ticket purchasing website, staring intently at the time in the bottom right-hand corner of my computer screen.

When the numbers jump to 22:00, I decisively click on the ticket purchasing button on the webpage.

“Your ticket purchase was successful.”

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [Chapter 2] ✧

This weekend, Pianist Maxie will be performing a concert in Loveland City.

Victor’s cabinet contains many of his albums. I want to take this opportunity to take him there for a change of mood.

–

[Tidbits]: According to MC (explicitly stated in the dating diary), Victor really likes this pianist! Though, of course, his favorite pianist is... and he says it himself later too ahah~ 🥺💘

–

At this moment, a shadow suddenly casts a shade on the screen, and I subconsciously switch the ticket purchasing interface to the desktop screen with one click.

Victor: Being sneaky, what are you up to?

MC: ...how do you walk without making any sound?

Victor: You have that guilty look on your face.

Holding the tea-glass in one hand, Victor hands me the material marked with colorful labels, added with his annotations between the words and lines.

Victor: The proposal is well adjusted. You can carry it forward.

MC: Huh? Weren’t you looking at the proposal for that import project you’re going to negotiate tomorrow?

Victor: That one’s relatively complicated. So halfway through, I took a look at a certain someone’s self-proclaimed “unique ingenious” proposal for a change of pace.

I try my best to hold down the corners of my lips that are getting restless to turn up to their ends, tilt my head and ask:

MC: My proposal is worthy of that description, isn’t it?

Victor: This time, it has indeed reached the degree of a certain someone’s boasting.

Victor: At least, it’s the most satisfying among the documents I’ve read in the last few days.

The applauding gaze lands on my face through the lenses, but the faint bluish-green tinge under his eyes makes my happy mood fade a few notches.

MC: Since I’ve made CEO Victor happy, can I ask for a reward?

Victor: If you want pudding, I’ll owe you that for now and will make it for you another time.

I close my laptop shut and wrap my arms around his waist.

MC: Although the pudding is highly attractive, this time I want a full-length cuddle pillow that can warm my hands to accompany me in getting rest together.

Victor: I’m just your cuddle pillow?

Despite saying these words, Victor takes off his spectacles, scoops me up, and heads toward the bedroom.

–

The light of dawn sprinkles over Mother Earth in the early morning, enveloping it in a layer of faint glow.

I quietly tuck the panda ball-point pen I’ve prepared into Victor’s bag, which is a lucky charm for the Capricorns this month, and step out of the door together with him early in the morning.

In the grass on the neighborhood roadside, there are a few white and green flowers that have just bloomed in the wind.

MC: Victor, look! They are dendrobium flowers!

–

[Tidbits]: Dendrobiums are a type of orchid, which represent love, refinement, beauty, charm, fertility, and thoughtfulness! 🥺

–

Pleasantly surprised, I squat down and pluck one flower cautiously and solemnly, then pin it to his breast pocket.

MC: Dendrobium is an auspicious flower, which means good things are coming our way very soon!

Victor glances down at the fresh and delicate flower on his chest. A smile, which hasn’t been seen that often these days, blossoms at the corners of his lips.

Victor: If it is to be my lucky flower, the “work pressure” on it must be quite a lot.

MC: The fortune transshipment buff I’ve prepared for you is not just this one~

–

We’ve walked to the parking lot while we are talking. Under Victor’s slightly surprised expression, I open the door of the driver’s seat.

MC: Hello, CEO Victor. I’ll be your chauffeur this morning and will be responsible for getting you to the LFG building safely and on time.

MC: Please fasten your seat belt, and we are ready to set off.

–

[T/N]: Victor’s fireplace corner!! It’s one of my fav BGs~ ಡ⁠ ͜⁠ ಡ

The weather forecast said that the weather will be good all day today, but the misty rain hasn’t ceased since the afternoon.

It’s almost eleven o’clock by the time I type the last word of my document.

I received a text message from Victor in the afternoon, saying that he has a dinner party to attend in the evening and that Goldman will bring him home.

Just as I’m about to call him, my phone screen lights up, as if our two hearts beat as one.

Victor: [he sounds SO 🥺] Are you home yet?

MC: Mm, I’m done with dinner. Are you done with the dinner party yet?

Victor: I’m already on my way back, it will take about twenty minutes or so.

MC: Then why are you calling me now? Did something happen?

Victor: [laughs quietly, softest of the softest voices to exist] It’s nothing, just wanted to hear a dummy’s voice.

I don’t know if he’s had a drink or not, but Victor speaks a little slower than usual, which makes me unable to resist softening my breathing.

MC: Victor, are you acting coquettishly?

Victor: ...are you in a sleepy daze?

MC: I’ve heard that people who act like spoiled kids have good luck. You need to learn more from me.

Victor: [sulking] Learn what from the dummy? [mimicking MC] “Help me~ahh~Victor~”?

MC: Humph, have you noticed that you’ve recently taken a liking to talk like me?

Victor: [sulking intensifies] It’s just your misperception. I don’t want to become a dummy.

Hearing the laughter hidden in his voice, I somehow manage to settle down my heart.

MC: So, how was the dummy’s Mr. CEO’s day?

Victor: After the meeting in the morning, I was preparing to go out to attend to some other matters. It started raining when I was halfway there, and I hadn’t brought an umbrella.

MC: ...looks like my fortune transshipment didn’t come in handy.

His soft laugh on the other end of the line knocks on my eardrum along the electric waves.

Victor: Is it that fancy pen?

Victor: If the purpose of the transshipment was to put me in a better mood, then it has accomplished its task.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [Chapter 3] ✧

Amidst the busy work schedule and a little bit of anticipation on my part, Saturday arrives.

Today, Victor is going to negotiate cooperation with a wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE). If this partnership is successful, it will reduce the loss of the import project to a minimum.

I bribed Goldman in advance and learned the intel on the location and end time of the negotiation meeting.

The two tickets to the concert are still waiting quietly in my bag, and I plan to give him a surprise when his meeting concludes smoothly.

–

When I arrive near the hotel where the meeting is taking place, there is still less than half an hour left before it ends. I scan the surroundings and push open the door to a milk tea shop.

Shop Assistant: Welcome.

MC: Hello, I’d like to ask you to do me a small favor.

I pull up Victor’s photo from my phone and show it to the shop assistant.

MC: This is my boyfriend. When he comes to buy milk tea later, can you offer him a “buy one get one free”? I’ll pay you the bill up-front.

MC: Today is our anniversary, and I want to give him a surprise.

The shop assistant readily agrees to my request. After paying for the milk tea, I sit down in a corner and text Victor––

MC’s text: “I’ll come to find you later for lunch at the hotel you’re having the meeting. Buy a drink for me from the milk tea shop downstairs, okay ^ 3 ^”

I then fetch out my hat and sunglasses and put them on, waiting for his arrival with some anxiety and anticipation.

Finally, with the sound of the ringing of a doorbell, a familiar figure appears in my peripheral vision. I hurriedly open the small make-up mirror, in which I see Victor walking up to the counter.

Victor: I’d like a strawberry bubble milk tea, half sugar, and less ice.

Shop Assistant: Sir, you are the 88th lucky customer of our shop today. We’ll give you another cup of Milk Oolong Green.

Victor: Thank you.

–

[Tidbits]: The number “88” symbolizes fortune and good luck in Chinese culture! Also, 88 is the morse code for “love and kisses”! 🥺

–

I observe Victor’s reaction carefully, not expecting the man to give a simple nod.

MC: How come there’s no reaction...

I bring the mirror a little closer to myself, wanting to observe his facial expression more meticulously. But what greets my eyes is the sight of him lowering his head, followed by an abrupt vibration of my phone.

With a “guilty conscience,” I switch my phone to silent mode. When I look in the mirror again, Victor has already got two cups of milk tea.

Before leaving, he pauses in his footsteps as his gaze sweeps over indistinctly.

I hastily close the small mirror, pretending that I’m simply an ordinary customer.

Only after confirming that Victor has already left do I take out my phone.

Victor’s Text: “I’ve bought the milk tea. Let me know when you arrive.”

–

After thanking the shop assistant again, I briefly change my hairstyle and give myself an appearance of having just arrived, and then knock on the door of Victor’s hotel room.

The sound of steady footsteps gradually approaches. The instant the door of the room opens, I lunge myself into Victor’s arms.

MC: [in English] Surprise!

The flash of surprise in his eyes quickly melts into a faint smile as Victor draws a step back while holding me in his arms, and closes the door behind me.

MC: How did the meeting in the morning go?

Victor: [laughs softly, a little helplessly] It was okay.

I notice that the pressure pressing down on him has indeed weakened to some extent compared to the previous two days. Even the corners of his lips, which have been rigid so far, now have a slight upward curve to them.

MC: Hehe, that’s great.

As I’m grinning, the corners of my eyes “just happen” to land on the two cups of milk tea on the table.

MC: Wow, you’ve already bought it!

Victor: A certain someone asked me to buy the milk tea at a pretty fortunate time. I happened to be just in time for a “buy one, get one free.”

Victor pushes one of the cups over to me and places another slice of matcha cake in my hand.

MC: It seems that the little trans-shipments I gave you are quite efficacious after all.

He doesn’t say anything, but that meaningful look in his eyes makes me stuff two bites of the cake into my mouth a little sheepishly.

Not long after, the room service brings in a table full of delicacies in a variety of aromas, colors, and flavors.

The two of us soon wipe them out. Victor also seems to be healed by the fine delicacies, displaying a few rare moments of relaxation.

MC: By the way, do you have any other arrangements for today?

Victor: [laughs knowingly, indulgently] Theoretically, there should be none.

MC: Then, in the afternoon we––

Before I can mention anything about the concert, Victor’s phone rings. He gestures for me to pause, and then answers the phone.

I don’t know what the other party has said across the line, but the tenderness originally embedded in his expression dissipates a little.

Victor (on the call): …got it. Tell them I’ll be there on time.

Hanging up the phone, Victor stands up and straightens his cuffs and collar.

MC: What’s wrong?

Victor: Goldman said that there are still some things the partner wants to discuss regarding the project. We still have to have another meeting with them in a bit.

MC: Will it take long?

Victor: Can’t say for sure how long it will take.

I nod in silence, swallowing down the matter of the concert for the time being. I then take the tie that is hitched up on the side and nimbly tie a Windsor knot for him.

MC: [to the tie] Nice. [to her Mr.] You look very imposing. Bring along this transshipment I’ve prepared for you, and everything will go perfectly.

Victor blinks, suppressing a glint in the depths of his eyes, and lowers his head––

Victor: As compared to a transshipment, [a long pause, then voice drops to a raspy whisper] immersing in the dummy’s cheerfulness is more effective.

–

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [Chapter 4] ✧

Bored, I spend my spare time wandering around the shopping mall near the hotel in every possible way. The opening time of the concert has long passed, but there’s still not the least bit of news from Victor.

MC: I wonder if the negotiation went well or not…

Salesperson: Hello, we have the latest hot compress animal facial masks available that can eliminate your fatigue. If you’re interested, please take a look.

Looking at the various animal masks in the display window, I recollect Victor’s somewhat gloomy and dispirited face over the past few days and turn to step into the store.

–

When I return to the hotel, I’m met head-on with Victor who seems to have just finished his meeting. The moment he sees me, an intermittent look of astonishment flow through his eyes in a stream.

Victor: [flabbergasted] Why are you still here?

MC: To pick you up “from work,” of course.

I walk up to him, acutely aware that his emotions are off.

Although his expression isn’t much different from a few hours ago, I still catch a trace of loss in the depths of his eyes.

Remaining calm and collected, I take his hand, swaying it with a smile on my face.

MC: CEO Victor, you’ve worked hard in the meeting. So, should we head back home, or would you like to go for a hearty meal?

He lowers his gaze to me; his opaque eyes are even darker and deeper than the midnight sky. After a long time, he takes hold of my hand.

Victor: [sighs REALLY HEAVILY] Let’s go home.

–

After dinner, Victor goes off to take a shower. Taking advantage of this interval, I turn it over in my mind for a moment and study the animal facial mask I’ve just bought.

The sound of footsteps approaches from behind as the water running in the bathroom gradually fades to a halt. Victor wipes his hair and sits down beside me.

Victor: What did you buy again?

MC: A new style of animal facial mask. It’s super cute.

His gaze sweeps over the smiling panda in my hand, and he raises his eyebrows slightly.

Victor: It’s actually perfect for a certain dummy.

MC: It’s not perfect just for me…

I give Victor a half-push to make him lean back on the sofa, and his eyebrows knit together into a light frown, seemingly having realized that the mask in my hand is for him.

MC: Would this gentleman like to try my exclusive hot compress relaxation service?

Victor: …the range of your business is really expanding wider and wider.

I remove the small hairpin from my head, lift the fringes in front of his forehead, and clip them in place.

MC: Thank you, I’m very flattered. I’ve opened this business only for CEO Victor.

Victor takes one look at the “panda face” in my hand, and his brows begin to show the signs of weaving horizontally again.

Seeing this, I hurriedly press on his eyebrows.

MC: Don’t frown! Just relax, and let me put a happy panda face on you~

Victor’s slightly speechless gaze glides over the panda mask in my hand and lands back on the mirror next to me.

Victor: I don’t see any difference from the usual times.

MC: There is a huge difference! When you’re unhappy, the space here between your eyebrows will be pressed down two millimeters lower than usual.

I reach out and gently press the tip of his brows, lifting them upwards.

He stares at me, and the corners of his lips seem to curl up in a soft arc.

Victor: Do you use this trick to “predict” the outcome and quality of your proposals?

MC: This is something I’ve accumulated over a long period of time, built up from the experience of diligently observing you daily.

The panda mask covers his slightly lowered brow ridges, sharp contours, and angular jawline, which also gives a playful softness to his steadfast composure.

MC: Victor, you look incredibly cute. Can I take a picture?

Victor: [AAAHHHH this HAS TO be THE MOST ADORABLE VOICE EVER, he really sounds like a 3-year-old kid asjdksbfjks] I don’t see you caring to ask for my opinion one bit.

His pronunciation becomes slurred and adorable because of the mask. Seeing me hold up the phone to him wearing a giant panda face, he only releases a snort and doesn’t move.

After snapping a few shots from different angles, I feel perfectly content and proceed to massage him gently.

The afterglow of the setting sun draws a layer of golden outline through the French windows, and for a while, the only sound that can be heard in the air is the breathing of the two of us.

Victor: [very quietly] Don’t you have anything to ask me?

My hand pressing against his temples pauses for a bit, and I mull over how to ask him.

MC: The project you negotiated today… was it successful?

Victor: No.

Victor: There were indeed a few details in the middle that hadn’t been discussed properly.

He looks up at me, his eyes tinged with a little helplessness.

Victor: Are you sure you want to ask about this? And not about the concert this afternoon?

MC: How did you know about that?

Looking at the surprised expression on my face, he purses the corners of his lips slightly as if swallowing a quiet sigh in silence.

Victor: A certain someone had sandwiched the tickets inside her notebook, and it was, in a very generous manner, spread out on the table when she was working overtime the night before yesterday.

MC: …anyway, the surprise couldn’t be materialized. So just pretend that you don’t know.

Victor: I’m not a dummy who can pretend to not know or play dumb.

There are some rare apologies weaved in his eyes. I stretch out my hand and tangle his locks dyed with splinters of golden.

MC: It was just a concert. It’s not like we can’t go in the future. Your matters are undoubtedly more important.

MC: So, what I actually want to ask you more is something else.

MC: Victor, are you… really okay?

Victor: In business, victory and defeat are general occurrences like military affairs.

He says it calmly as if stating a fact that couldn’t be more ordinary.

MC: Of course, I know that. But as you’ve said before, you are no different from me. There are many things that you cannot do or cannot force yourself to make happen.

MC: The pillar of LFG sometimes needs to take a breather too, and return to the “ordinary person” Victor.

MC: I just hope that when you are in front of me, you can be not strong, and you can do not well. You don’t need to suppress your emotions.

–

[Tidbits]: The last few lines MC says are the exact same lines Victor told her in the “rainy-day date,” and repeated in the “glass boat date.” 🥺

–

LFG is akin to a gigantic mountain, with an incomparable weight of responsibilities and hopes resting on his shoulders.

This person who’s been entrusted with all of this, I hope I can be a small harbor for him where he can rest at ease amidst the wind and rain.

Victor’s eyes are closed, and he doesn’t say anything more. Just when I think he’s already fallen asleep, a serene, slightly raspy voice resounds.

Victor: [softest of the voices to exist] Don’t I already rely on you? Dummy.

–

[Tidbits]: Another reference to the “rainy-day date,” where Victor tells her she can rely on him and will forever have the right to be vulnerable in front of him~ 🌊

–

He looks at me, the curves at the corners of his eyes softening.

Victor: [whispers in THE most beautiful, gentlest, bewitching manner to ever exist] Don’t worry. I’m not as dispirited as you might think I am right now.

Victor: [whispering continues] The main credit for this goes to a certain someone who has been making use of every second and every inch to bring me “little fortunes” these past few days.

Victor: [continuation] For example, the transshipment stuffed in my bag, and there’s also the sneaky buy-one-get-one-free “milk tea.” They have all worked well.

MC: Huh? What do you mean…

Victor: Did you think just because you wore a hat and a different jacket at the milk tea shop, I wouldn’t be able to recognize you?

I pout. Although my tricks have been seen through, there is an inexplicable feeling of warmth within me, knowing that all my actions are taken to heart by him.

The timer set to the side goes off. I peel off the facial mask and tenderly pat a towel soaked in hot water on every corner of his face.

His skin is slightly flushed from the hot compress, making every tinge of his emotions traceable.

MC: There’s nothing I can do to help you resolve the work plights, so I can only use these tricks to make you a little bit happy…

MC: No matter how small the “luck” is, when it appears, it always makes people think that things are in fact not so bad after all. Am I right?

He presses his hand against my neck, making me bend down slowly in response to his force.

Victor: Indeed.

Victor: [that whisper returns] However, the more important thing is that person who brings this “luck.”

His scorching breaths brush across my cheek, delicately tracing their path from the base of my ear to my cheek in fragments and finally landing on my lips.

The sound of his whispering melts between my lips and teeth, dyeing the deep ending note with an inseparable love, akin to some kind of cryptic demand.

Victor: [that same whisper but more coquettish] A certain someone said before that people who act like spoiled kids will have more luck.

MC: That’s right! So, what do you want me to do now?

Victor: [whispering 2.0 continues] Compared to other people’s concerts, I now…

Victor: [continuation] ––would rather hear you play the piano.

His voice is soft, his fingertips tangling in the ends of my hair with yearning.

MC: I’d be glad to be at your disposal, my husband.

I smile and give him a peck on the corner of his lips, then walk over to the piano in the living room.

–

[Tidbits]: MC addresses Victor as “我的先生;” addressing someone as “先生” has different meanings on different occasions, depending on the context it can mean “sir/ Mr./ husband.” But when said (我的先生, 我先生) / (你的先生, 你先生)– it literally just means “my husband” / “your husband” ahaha~ ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

–

MC: What would you like to hear?

Victor: “Humoresque,” I guess.

The familiar title of the tune makes a leap in my heart. I lift my gaze, and the moment our eyes interlock, it’s like we are locked in a secret code known only to each other.

The corners of my lips curl up, and the smooth sound of the piano leaps from beneath my fingertips and flows into every corner of the room.

Closing my eyes, I concentrate my innermost thoughts on each of the notes.

Let him be happy again, and let him take it easy on himself. At least for the moment, please let him forget all his worries.

When the music is over, I turn around to him.

Victor is leaning back on the sofa. The last twilight of the setting sun interweaving with the dim lights of the night gradually submerges his body in a half-deep red.

He gazes at me. The depths of his eyes look as if they are permeated with the rosy color of the horizon, billowing with the flow of tiny specs of glowing light.

MC: Listener, what’s your impression?

Victor: [laughs softly] Very peaceful, very warm and tender, brimming with unbending strength… just like the vigor of a dummy.

The treasured memories spring out in shimmering lights from the years spanning into a long river, like the melody of the most moving and inseparable love in the world.

Time moves round and round in a circle, entwining us together forever.

–

[Tidbits]: The first time MC came to Victor’s house (Job date), she played this same music for him-- «Dvořák's Humoresque». And when he asked her why she chose this one, she gave him the very same answer Victor tells her as his impression of the music in this date. 4+ years have passed, and this place has long been “THEIR HOME.” 🥹💘

–

Victor walks up to me and takes something out of his pocket. He then puts it on my chest for me, right over the position of my heart.

Puzzled, I look down, only to find a delicate dendrobium flower brooch in quiet bloom. The enamel outlines the color of the petals in a tender and vibrant hue.

Victor: I bought this in the store that day when I was taking shelter from the rain. Didn’t a certain someone say that dendrobium is an auspicious flower?

Victor: Consider it a return gift for all the “little fortunes” you’ve given me.

The small flower in full bloom seems to be telling me that in every moment he’s occupying my mind, he is thinking of me too.

I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my head in his arms. That overwhelmingly familiar scent of his washes over me, filling my entire body as it flows along my veins.

MC: Victor, have all these “little fortunes” made you happier and feel more blessed?

He takes my hand, slowly pulling it up to his chest.

Beneath my fingertips, I feel a blazing heartbeat within my reach. Time and again, it seems to set my heart on fire along with itself.

Victor: [softest of the softest voices to exist] Feel the answer to this for yourself.

—

📞 [Calls]: Here!

—

[Anika’s Afterthoughts, feel free to ignore LOL]

IT’S EASILY OFFICIALLY ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE DATES EVER!

The full-circle on what I ALWAYS keep saying, how Victor x MC are each other’s home, oasis, harbor, and how the softest parts of their hearts are reserved ONLY for each other.

We have seen how MC regards Victor as her beacon of light, her safe haven, her pride, and the grand miracle on this earth. I remember saying before that Victor’s contents are filled with spiritual references and probably the writers would just write him as 神 if they could LOL.

But we see him giving MC and us the constant reminders that he is no god, and he’s merely an ordinary human no one believes that Victor LOL. This date, nevertheless, gives us the picture that even “李泽言” needs a breather, and thankfully he has “his oasis.” (garden date reference ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ)

I just love the portrayal of their love for each other, love in the smallest of things, a single glance, a smile, celebrating and confronting every little joy and sorrow, together (their proposal, again!!). And I LOVE how he lays his vulnerability bare before MC’s eyes, because he has that confidence in himself and in her love for him.

AND MC!!! THE ROCK!!! You can feel the power and depth of her love for him, just by the way she mentally steels herself to tackle this situation, not to mention how she handles him and everything else! (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

And please, it’s just SO VICTOR to get a Dendrobium brooch for her, and to place her hand over his heart. of course he does ahahah. Their reciprocation theme in all its glory!!! 🌊❤️

I still have SO MANY things to say LOL... 😭❤️‍🩹

—

#我的先生!! SHE SAYS 我的先生!!! VICTOR WRITERS!! BLESS YOU GUYS!!!#this is a MUST READ date for every Victor stan!! I honestly wasn’t expecting to cry reading this. but I DID. even more during the 2nd read–#for translation🌊💘 MC ILYSM!! VICTOR YOU TRULY ARE A “GRAND MIRACLE.” “THEM” AND THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER– INVINCIBLE is all i can say🤲#mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mr love victor #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

187 notes · View notes