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Bleeding Chaos- Review
Title: Bleeding ChaosSeries: Love & LyricsAuthor: Nikki AshRelease: March 23, 2023Genre: Friends to Lovers, Rock Star RomanceGageI lost my first love. This time, I’m going to win the second girl who owns my heart—no matter the stakes.Being the drummer for Raging Chaos is the only thing that’s kept me going for the past six years. Even the music isn’t enough to drown out the guilt that’s been…
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bookboleynreads · 2 years
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Cover Reveal! Controlled Chaos by Nikki Ash
Cover Reveal! Controlled Chaos by Nikki Ash
Title: Controlled ChaosSeries: Love & LyricsAuthor: Nikki AshRelease: June 23, 2022Genre: Single mom, Rock Star RomanceGoodreads: https://bit.ly/LoveandLyricsBoth Covers Designed by: Julia Cabrera with Jersey Girl Design @jerseygirl_designCover Model: Lucas Loyola @lucas_loyolaPhotographer: Wander Aguiar @wanderaguiar_photography  Blurb: Camden I’ve been in love with my best friend since high…
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reesourire · 1 year
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Double Cover Reveal: Bleeding Chaos by Nikki Ash
Bleeding Chaos #CoverReveal @AuthorNikkiAsh #LoveAndLyrics #series #ComingSoon on Feb 23! #preorder now! Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3kpgrci
Title: Bleeding Chaos Series: Love & Lyrics Author: Nikki Ash Release: March 23 2023 Genre: Friends to Lovers, Rock Star Romance Cover Designer: Jersey Girl Design Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography Gage I lost my first love. This time, I’m going to win the second girl who owns my heart—no matter the stakes. Being the drummer for Raging Chaos is the only thing that’s kept me going for the…
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Another Au centered around music & punk Steve(sorta) bc of Steddie twt talking abt switching it up to celebrity Steve & just some guy Eddie.
I do love a good trope reversal
Underground Metal Eddie x (pop)punk Steve
Eddie working at a guitar shop that mostly catered to metal & hard rock musicians with a preference for a certain crunchy sound.
Since he was into a very specific niche of gay power & thrash metal, Eddie didn't know Steve was a pop punk star when they meet
He knew who Stevie Dynamite was, of course he did, everyone did. He knew that the guy debuted at 15, was supposed to be some musical genius who could play any instrument.
Eddie remembered the early songs because they were so personal, haunting little folk proto punk songs w/ a glam pop edge about identity, isolation, & loneliness. They weren't his thing but they were better then the usual radio fare.
Three years later after a series of salacious magazine spreads, notoriously explosive deals with several different make-up and high end hair care lines, more scandals then you could count, public partying, public meltdowns, cancelled shows, article after article abt the King of Pop Rock losing his touch, a mediocre album full of bubble gum party till you drop songs, and open speculation abt the nature of his relationship with indie pop darling Birdie (but Eddie knows that's not what ppl think it is. Her music is wall to wall barely subtle sapphic yearning, if there's one thing he knows it's gay subtext)
The rumors got louder & more dramatic until, five years after he rocketed to superstardom Stevie Dynamite publicly sued his label & parents for control of his image & brand.
He won
Then he quietly disappeared.
Thus was the end of the bigger then life legend of Stevie Dynamite
So when Steve Harrington walked into the guitar store on some lazy Monday afternoon while Eddie was sitting behind the counter working on a song in his downtime. He had no idea who Steve was.
When the unknown hot guy in a Violent Femmes hoodie & a plain black beanie struck up a conversation about Eddie's lyrics he thought Steve was just another life long grind musician wanting to talk shop
When the guy introduced himself as Steve, Eddie didn't think anything in particular about it
When Steve seemed to be flirting a little Eddie chalked it up to the guy wanting a discount on whatever he was in to buy.
When he dragged Stevie Dynamite viscously for being an absolute fake from top to bottom, when one of his newer songs came on the shop radio, Eddie laughed and agreed.
When Steve asked Eddie for help choosing a guitar with a very particular pensive but angry victorious sound he was happy to help (Steve paid full price & if he was annoyed he didn't show it)
When the guy came in again next monday for a new amp, and the Monday after that for new strings Eddie was confused but happy to see him
When Steve came in the Monday after that asking for help with the writing of a song, a service he would be happy to pay for, Eddie said yes against his better judgement. He knew he was well and truly fucked by the happy burbling in his stomach at the thought of creating music with this incredibly hot man.
When they spent six months of Mondays holed up in the break room working on lyrics, Eddie tried not to examine what it meant.
And when Steve abruptly didn't come by one Monday, Eddie had no idea what the hell happened but he was disappointed.
When one Monday no show, became two, then three, Eddie decided he must've been ghosted, he picked his embarrassingly broken heart up off the floor and kept going, resigned to never knowing what happened with Steve.
In fact Eddie had no idea that Steve Harrington was Stevie Dynamite until the first royalty check came in with a $ number so high, Eddie thought he probably died without realizing it. He'd never even dreamed of holding that much money in his hand at one time.
The check was from Dynamite Records?!?!?! Stevie Dynamite's personal label?!?!
Through a haze Eddie remembered that a a few weeks ago Stevie Dynamite had released his first post corporate divorce album to a tidal wave of media fanfare and critical acclaim. Everyone who had an opinion about music swore the real Stevie Dynamite was back on top again. Eddie barely noticed it, he'd been to busy not caring that Steve ghosted him to pay attention to yet another meaningless corporate shill telling him to dance all night
He called the corporate number on the check
"Dynamite Records, Jonathan Byers speaking, how may I help you?"
"uhh yeah man, I think there's been some sort of mix up. I uhh-, Look my name is Eddie Munson & as much as I would love to keep this check. It couldn't possibly be for me and I really don't want to get sent to prison for check fraud so maybe someone should come and get it or something."
The man, on the either end of the line immediately relaxed into a more casual manner.
"Eddie hey man, I've heard so much about you. It's definitely not a mistake, he wanted you to have credit since you guys wrote the songs together."
"uhh not to seem totally clueless or whatever Mr Byers, but umm He who?"
"Jonathan is actually totally fine, we're all family here right? Stevie Dynamite of course"
"Ok, but how in the world does Stevie Dynamite know me & why would he want me to get writing royalties on his new songs?"
"... Fuck...He still hasn't told you has he?"
"told me what?"
Jonathan sighed a kindly exasperated sigh on the other end of the line.
"Eddie have you looked at the new Stevie Dynamite album?"
"No-, I uhh no offense or anything it's just glam rock pop punk isn't really my thing."
"it's fine, it's not mine either-, hmm well are you at work? No of course you are that's where we sent the check. He didn't know your home address. You know, I should've known he didn't tell you now that I think about it. Why don't you go take a peek, pay specifical attention to the dedication. I'll wait here."
Eddie heard some rustling as Jonathan leaned back, talking to someone else apparently.
"Argyle, babe, you wouldn't believe this. He still hasn't told Eddie."
Even further away he heard a good natured huff of laughter.
"Bro? No shit. Man... Babe, your ex is so beautifully weird. I wish I found out a pop star was in love with me w/ a fat check and an album full of love songs. Stevie boy has style at least... wanna hit this?"
What the hell was that all about? If they were getting high he might as well just go look at the album right? Right. No time like the present.
Eddie didn't know why he was so nervous
The album cover wasn't anything remarkable, tattoo flash art of a nail bat, a weird flower full of serrated teeth, and a guitar. It was called "Stevie Dynamite: Love, Death, and a Baseball Bat Named Baby"
Inside there was a lot of concept photography, Stevie Dynamite after a show, make-up smeared, staring into a mirror with empty eyes. Each page of lyrics had a new picture of Stevie with some of the glamorous accoutrements removed staring at himself in the mirror, first he took off his shiny rock and roll lace top, then he replaced his leather pants with sweats, the next he had on an old beat up violent femmes hoodie, lastly he took off all the flashy metallic glam rock make up.
The last picture was just Stevie Dynamite, No, Steve Harrington, his Steve Harrington fresh faced, staring into the camera with a note superimposed, written in loopy feminine handwriting, the dedication.
'To Eddie who's inspired me since the day I met him, who never gave a damn about Stevie Dynamite'a fame or reputation, who was kind to me because that's just who he is.
To Eddie who helped me find my love of music again, reminded me why I was here in the first place, and helped me write the most sincere and meaningful songs I ever have.
To the Eddie I was so afraid of losing to the gossip machine I couldn't quite tell the truth.
All those dumb love songs that you were always teasing me about writing were for you Eddie. No matter what, you deserve to know that. I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive me.
I love you,
Stevie Dynamite
(but you can still call me Steve if you want to)'
Eddie felt faint again. He picked the phone back up
"What the fuck Jonathan?"
"Yeah, man what the fuck. But that's our boy Stevie, passionate, loyal to death and back, more than a little impulsive, and terrified of his feelings. Once he decides he loves you, he's impossible to shake. I'm so sorry he sprang this on you like this man, but Argyle's almost done getting him ready. I'll send him your way when we're done ok?"
Eddie wasn't sure what he was agreeing to but he still agreed.
20 minutes later a leather clad pop rock god, slouched in, looked around from behind his dark sunglasses with disinterested affected distance, pushed those sunglasses up onto his head and magically transmogrified into Steve Harrington, the guy he'd been pining over for a month. They both sat in silence, each afraid to go first. Finally Steve cleared his throat and broke the oppressive quiet
"I'm sorry I stopped coming by, I was so afraid that once you knew you'd only see Stevie, not me anymore. I couldn't bear losing another person I loved to him. God he sucks."
"But... you're Stevie Dynamite right? I haven't hallucinated all this, right?
"No no, you definitely didn't. I mean, yeah technically I'm him, but he's still the worst. I kinda hate him"
"uhhh...."
"I know it's weird"
"No I get it-, I think,-, trapped in reputations of our own making and all-, but uhhh... You love me?"
"Yeah Eddie of course! How could I do anything else but love you? Didn't you listen to the album?"
"uhh-, well-, No? Glam Rock Pop Punk just isn't my thing"
To Eddie's surprise, Steve broke out in a radiant smile.
"Of course you didn't, what was I thinking? All that worry for nothing. I'm so-... Hey I'm about to go play a private vip show to celebrate the album's success, you want to come? I promise I'll explain everything-, No pressure though!"
Eddie still wasn't sure exactly what he was agreeing to, but couldn't even feel to bad about it when Steve blushed, radiant, bigger then life, like a rock god, as he pulled Eddie out the door.
Right then and there Eddie made a pact with himself to keep saying yes to Steve as long as Steve bothered to ask. He was to precious not to.
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gaiaxygang · 5 months
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perth & chimon's covers at their events
decided to compile a small list of songs perthchi have covered at their events. for fun. also because i am unwell about some of these song choices (this is excluding older events and stuff like musicon which i might make a different post for)
1. unmovable - bright vachirawit. (official mv)
part of the boys dont cry project. most notably performed at nlmg final ep fanmeet, but they've sung it a few other times. perthchimon picked this one out themselves (i assume this goes for pretty much every event)
2. the secret in our hearts - gun achi & amp (official mv)
ost of sotus the series. performed at gmmtv fanday in osaka, possibly because sotus director lit phadung is also one of two dangerous romance directors? its hard to find footage of osaka fanday so im not sure lmaoaoao
they also covered it entirely in japanese.... i am unable to find a full video anywhere though
3. youniverse - nanon korapat (official mv, album ver with subs)
ost of youniverse, but nanon has pretty much claimed it as his own. chimon's solo performance for osaka fanday. chimon was in youniverse (the miniseries and the mv) and he performed this with nanon few years back as well!
4. have i found - sea tawinan (official mv)
ost of vice versa. perth's solo performance for osaka fanday (we got SO MANY good covers but so little footage). vice versa is the first gmmtv series perth appeared in. he also played guitar in his performance
ever since dangerous romance aired they've been singing the ost at all their events. BUT!
5. unidentified wonder - nanon korapat (official mv)
towards the end of their recent fanmeets (seoul and macau) they've been singing nanon's solo unidentified wonder! the performance is always super fun because its a higher energy song. they usually interact with fans during it too
i might be missing out a few, i didnt really check thoroughly. the lyrics of these really make me go ..... Hmm .......... all lovely songs and i recommend giving them a listen
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barbieburnanator · 9 months
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🐻🎼!!
🐻 Your go-to things to draw when you need comfort?
Oh, this is a good question! Honestly, just drawing in general gives me comfort, even on tough pieces. But if I'm really feeling down and need comfort, I'd go for a character from a game or show that I really like and draw them.
🎼 Your favorite music to draw to right now?
Love me some good music!! I've been listening to the soundtrack of Fire Emblem Three Houses/ Hopes the past few months. I listen to a lot of soundtracks when I draw/ paint, games like Final Fantasy and the Tales of series I listen to a lot as well. If I'm drawing before bed, I either listen to the extended soundtrack of Wandering Flame from FFX, or Swamp music (sounds of frogs, crickets, and water), from Youtube. I found that over the years, music that really amps me up just doesn't work like it used to and now it just stresses me out when working on my art. So stuff that doesn't have lyrics or that are a extended soundtrack helps keep my focus on my work.
Thanks for the questions! ❤️
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welcometomy20s · 2 years
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August 26, 2022
VOCALOID LEGENDS - 2022 Part 2
#692 - Cynical Night Plan (Ayase) [Hatsune Miku]
Achievement Date: 22-02-01, Upload Date: 20-03-24
Quite different from his usual fare, but I really love this song. Like the beat, like the hook, like the silly rap section, everything is just slick and funky and it’s great. And the running piano in the background add just a little gravitas to the whole thing.
#C-7 - Kyu-kurarin (Iyowa) [Kafu]
Achievement Date: 22-02-10, Upload Date: 21-08-29
Iyowa finally gets on this list with a song inspired by Doki Doki Literature Club of all places. Another person who does his own illustration, the distinct style, not just in the M/V but also the production and tuning of KAFU as well. 
#693 - Five (Omoi) [Hatsune Miku]
Achievement Date: 22-02-11, Upload Date: 17-09-27
We’re here with the heavy drum and guitar stuff… This time, the song is about expressing love rather than losing, so you can see this as a counterpart to Teo. I mean this is just amped up Teo and that’s just a good thing, honestly.
#694 - Hide and Seek (19 -iku-) [Hatsune Miku]
Achievement Date: 22-02-15, Upload Date: 14-11-04
Relatively recent song from a long time producer. It’s a pretty sweet song about a shy lover… sensing a theme here. Calmer instrumentation and laid-back beat makes the lyrics just that sweeter and we continue the childhood game.
#695 - Love Doll (DECO*27) [GUMI]
Achievement Date: 22-02-27, Upload Date: 14-05-30
One of the last GUMI songs DECO ever wrote, unless? His GUMI just hits differently and in a good way… I think I never really have seen GUMI sing in such a seductive way, and it suits her, there should be more dark GUMI… well, KING, yeah. 
#696 - Haruno Sora-Sensei Will Praise You Endlessly (GYARI) [Haruno Sora] 
Achievement Date: 22-02-28, Upload Date: 18-12-28
Kind of an underrated entry in the series, and this song leaves only two AH5 VOCALOIDS without a solo hit, although Tsunamaru Maki does make an appearance here and there and the student which Sora helps by heaping praise. It’s sweet!
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syddsatyrn · 2 years
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Black Butterflies and Déjà vu (Vi/FemReader)
☆Pairing: - Vi x Fem!Reader
☆Warnings: Smut, fluff, Smoking, Oral sex, conflict, Hurt/comfort, swearing, alcohol, violence.
☆Words: 4k
Song: Black Butterflies and Déjà vu - The Maine
☆Summary: You have a gig downtown and you invite your new girlfriend. Your ex crashes the party, attempting to stir up some drama. Vi defends you and you tell her how you really feel.
Notes: Back by popular demand with a part three to "Oh Love, Have Mercy on me". This was not supposed to happen but I guess it did. This is completely based off of the bands punk bands I've been in and the bars I've played at. The fun part is while writing this story, I learned how to play the song. I had a blast writing this, but this will be the end of this series. I will be moving forward with a couple more chapters of "Roses are Red Violets are pink", so keep checking back for more! I wanna thank @eclipsed-in-writing for the idea and for letting me bounce details off of her. Read these two first!:Oh love, Have Mercy on Me (Part One)Rollercoaster (Part two) Master List The sound of electric , rhythmic chords filled your small apartment. While plucking steel strings a beautiful melody flows out of a small amplifier. Late afternoon sunlight floods your living room. The coffee table is littered with scattered papers containing lyrics.
You're sitting crisscross on the couch in a small pair of shorts and large hoodie. A blue electric guitar in your lap, it's covered in various stickers. You've had this guitar for years but it's still in great condition. You take a sip of the whiskey you had poured for yourself a while ago.
It’s getting late and you should probably call it a night since you do have neighbors. You place the guitar back on its stand, turn off the amp, and throw back the rest of your drink.
Yesterday, you got a call from an old friend who's playing gigs downtown. He got you a mid show slot for a solo act. Since breaking up with your ex, you technically don't have a band anymore. You've gone solo before, but this time feels different. You feel more motivated and energetic about trying again.
Sadly, it's been a few days since you heard from Vi, and you blocked Eva's number so she can't pester you anymore. You yawn as you place your empty glass in the sink. The sun is setting and you're tired, you spent too long hyper fixating on the song you're going to play tomorrow.
You head to the bathroom to brush your teeth and wash your face. Your thoughts start to wander again and you can't stop thinking about the pink haired woman. You've been waiting for her to call you so you don't come off as clingy or needy. You lazily crawl under the covers.
But you are needy. You roll over and feel around for a certain texture of fabric. Once you find it, you gently bury your face in a hoodie Vi left for you. So enamored with this woman, you've slept with it every night since. It still smells like her and you groan out loud.
You can't take it anymore. While practicing, you thought about inviting her to your gig. You're a great musician, but Vi makes you so nervous. It's not the performance you are worried about. You're afraid of cracking under pressure the second you see her face.
You reach over and grab your phone off the side table and open up your contacts. You debate on sending her a text or calling her. You sigh and give in, you want to hear her voice so badly. You swallow your nerves and take a deep breath.
It's ringing.
"Well hey there, cutie. Was wonderin' when you'd call." Vi says sweetly.
"H-hey Vi… " You stutter and your heart skips a beat.
"What's new? Miss me yet?" she asks in a cocky tone.
"I do." You answered so quickly and you didn't even mean to say it.
Vi chuckles at your quick answer and honesty and your face gets hot.
"So… I have a gig tomorrow. It's at the Lucky Coin on Jackson Street." You say shyly.
"Yeah? What time are you playin'." Vi asks. A smile forms on your face with her interested tone.
"I play at 10pm." You answer enthusiastically.
"I would love to come see you, Cupcake. I'll be there." Vi replies.
"Yeah! Great! I will see you then."
"Goodnight lovely." Vi says and you can almost hear her smirk over the phone
"Goodnight Vi…" You say softly and hang up. You bury your face in her hoodie once again and groan. What have you done? You just invited the hottest woman you’ve ever met to your show. The first show you’ve done in months. Honestly, you just want to see her again. You would do anything just to feel her rough hands around your waist, and her lips against yours. You pull the covers over you and eventually drift off to sleep while thinking about her.
You wake up to bright sunshine filling your bedroom. You cover your face with a pillow, trying to shield your tired eyes from the sun’s rays. You reach around and find your cell phone under your pillow. You check the time, 11:30 am. You have plenty of time to prepare and practice. You notice a message notification and open it. “Can’t wait to see you tonight. Been thinking about you a lot. - Vi” You smile and slightly blush. She’s been thinking about you? You’re glad that you are not the only one drowning in feelings. You throw Vi’s hoodie on and head to the kitchen. You make yourself a cup of coffee and lean against the countertop. You let out a sigh and sip the warm, bitter liquid from your cup. Calm down y/n, it’s going to be fine. You know this song, you’ve been practicing for days. There's no way I’m gonna mess this up.
You make your way to the living room and pick up your electric guitar and turn on the amp. You sit on the couch and run through some chords. You look over at your lyric sheet and laugh at how ironic this song would be if you froze or lost your voice on stage.
F, Am, Bmaj, Fmaj, Am, Bmaj, Dm You pause, take a sip of coffee and start over. “Hoping for the right words…” You whisper along with the chords. As you continue to play and the song picks up, you stand up and begin to hop around the living room like the little rockstar you are. Feeling more and more confident about your performance and song choice, you place the guitar back on the stand and turn off the amp. You decide to eat something despite being so nervous, you’re not exactly hungry. You pace around your apartment nervously and do some laundry. Your stomach has been in knots all day and you just want to leave your place already. It’s common courtesy to show up and watch the other bands/artists perform when you're on the bill, so you decide to get ready early. After the hot shower, you feel a little less tense from all the overthinking. You wrap a towel around your body and dig through your closet for something to wear. You decide on a pair of skinny jeans with an old band shirt you cut in half to make a crop top. You add a belt with decorative chains and a black zip up hoodie to your look. You carefully put on some eyeliner in your bathroom and take one look at yourself in the mirror. You grab your jacket and slip on some boots. Feeling satisfied, you pack up your guitar, some loose papers, and head out the door. You get off the bus and walk across the street. The bar was pretty packed, you took a deep breath and walked over to the bouncer. “Y/n, I'm the talent tonight.” You lean in and tell him. He just nods, the guitar gives it away. You slip past the crowds and make your way to the back. The room behind the stage is for the staff and artists. As you are setting the guitar down a familiar voice calls your name. “Y/N! It's good to see you!” Lars says with a smile. “Bring it in, my dude!” He says and wraps his arm around your shoulders giving you a good squeeze. “Hey, Lars, It’s nice to see you too!” You say cheerfully. Lars already knows about everything with your ex and the band you no longer have. He’s been such a supportive friend. Honestly, he’s the whole reason why you got this gig. “Are you playing tonight?” You question him. “No, but I was going to ask you somethin’. I know you’re going solo, but do you need a drummer tonight?” He asks with a half smile. Your eyes widen, “Yeah!! That would be great!” you cheer. “It’s gonna be like old times!” you continue as you pull the loose sheets of paper out of your bag. You hand him the blueprints to your set and he looks them over carefully. He chuckles and lightly punches you in the shoulder, “This seems easy enough. You’re on at ten!” He reminds you, while handing you the papers back. He walks off to talk to another band across the room. You could tell he was a little uncertain of your song choice given your situation, but he's not one to question your talent.
You take a deep breath and head to the bar for a drink to calm your nerves. The first band gets on stage and they sound great. You're rather impressed actually, the singer is really talented. You order a whiskey neat. A couple of your friends show up and say hello to you, they greet you with hugs and light conversation. It's nice to reconnect with them, especially after all the drama. You haven't seen Vi yet and it's starting to make you anxious. It’s getting close to your time-slot and you tell your friends to stick around for the show. They all cheered, excited to see you play. You finish your drink and take another deep breath as you enter the back-stage room. You study the sheets of paper even though you have everything memorized. You pick up your guitar and play the notes quietly, hoping that a quick warm-up might make you feel better. The band finishes and gives the crowd their farewells. They pile into the back room shoving each other and exchanging fist bumps. It took everything in you to leave the room and walk up the stairs leading up to the stage. You plug in your guitar, and pull the strap over your shoulder. Lars hops on stage and repositions the house drum set to his liking. You turn around to lower the mic stand, the last singer was pretty tall. You spot a familiar shade of pink in the crowd. Her ruffled pink hair glows under the lights. You lock eyes with her and she gives you a half smile. She raises her hand and waves, her half smile turning into a cheeky grin. Your face gets hot and then several shades of pink. Your breath hitched and you waved back shyly. She's only 10 feet away from the stage, it's no big deal, right? Lars walks up center stage and takes the mic, “Hello? Hello?! Testing! Hey there, Lucky Coin! Thanks for coming out tonight! Stick around for more live music and cheap booze!” He jokes, the crowd laughs and shouts. “This is my very good friend, Y/n. Let’s give her some love!” Several groups cheer again. Lars puts the mic back on the stand and takes his place behind the drums. You take one step forward and lean into the mic. “This is for someone I can’t get out of my head.” You say softly and play the first few chords, Lars starts playing after the fourth chord and you both gradually get louder. ♫What would you say if you could say
Everything you needed to To the one, you needed to? You flash like a setting sun You come around, I come undone Can't find the sound under my tongue When I look at you♫
You struggle to not make eye contact with her but you can’t help it. You stare into her blue irises, Vi’s face is tinted red as she listens to the lyrics. You slow down and softly and repeatedly play F, C, Dmaj, F, C ,Dmaj.
♫I lose my voice when I look at you Can't make a noise though I'm trying to Tell you all the right words Waiting on the right words♫
♫Just another lovesick afternoon Black butterflies and déjà vu Hoping for the right words Waiting for the right words♫
You pick up the tempo again and Lars follows your lead. You look back at your drummer, he smiles and you smile back. It’s like you both could read each other's minds.
♫Just yesterday north of LA I couldn't help but think of you Every time I think of you You crash like a rolling wave You come around I lose my brain Can't find the sound under my tongue When I look at you ♫
♫I lose my voice when I look at you Can't make a noise though I'm trying to Tell you all the right words Waiting on the right words Just another lovesick afternoon Black butterflies and déjà vu Hoping for the right words Waiting for the right words♫
The drums get quiet and you grab the mic and lean down on your knees, getting closer to the crowd. Your drummer mildly taps on the cymbal the snare. People take pictures and someone in the back whistles. Your eyes are fixed back on Vi’s again. It feels like she's the only one you’re really playing for in this room. ♫I've been searching for the right words But I can't even find an echo Don't you let go There are only twenty Six letters I can use ♫
♫Just to tell you I won't let go Don't you let go I lose my voice when I look at you Can't make a noise though I'm trying to Tell you all the right words ♫
♫Waiting on the right words Just another lovesick afternoon Black butterflies and déjà vu Hoping for the right words Waiting for the right words♫ You hop back up on your feet and place the mic back on its stand. You play heavy and loud chords again while swaying. Your voice gets louder and you close your eyes. ♫I lose my voice when I look at you Can't make a noise though I'm trying to Tell you all the right words. Waiting on the right words♫ The drums pause and with one final strum, you let the noise fade out.
♫Just another lovesick afternoon
Black butterflies and déjà vu
Hoping for the right words
Waiting for the right words♫
The crowd cheers and you thank them for listening. You play a couple more songs, specifically the ones you wrote yourself. One song is about clinging to your glory years, and the other is about drinking yourself into a hangover. Lars was a great asset to have when it comes to music, he's very skilled and you're glad he offered to help you tonight. You thank the crowd one more time and hold your guitar in the air and walk off stage. The next band is already hauling their gear out to the stage. You hug your good friend and head back to the equipment room. The place was empty and you packed your guitar in its bag. You take off your hoodie and lean your back against a wall, still trying to catch your breath. Lars turns the corner and pops his head through the door. “Hey…uhh, you have a visitor.” He says quickly and takes off to continue his stage hand work. Vi opens the door and you just freeze. “Hey, cutie.” she greets with a smile, taking steps toward you. “H-hey Vi!” You greet timidly. You’re still leaning on the wall for support. “Did you enjoy th-” Vi suddenly cuts you off with a deep kiss. She caresses your bare sides and lower back. You melt into her touch, secretly glad you wore a crop top so you could feel her rough hands against your skin. She kisses you slowly and your head starts to feel foggy, she tastes so good. As much as you would love to continue this make out session, you have something to tell her. “I think…I’m in love with you…I can't stop thinking about you.” You admit, her lips are still so close to yours. “You beat me to it, cupcake. I was going to tell you the same thing.” She says softly with a smile. You kiss her once more and your arms wrap around her neck. Vi’s hand reaches up to cup your cheek, and you lean into her hand. You finally got your long awaited fix and you were more than satisfied, for now. Vi reluctantly breaks away, “Do you wanna get a drink with me?” She asks while holding out her hand. “Absolutely.” You answer and intertwine your fingers with hers. She leads you out of the back room and into the busy crowd. Vi finds an open spot at the bar counter, she wraps her arm around your shoulder, keeping you close. She flags down the bartender with a wave. He finishes up a couple of orders and makes his way to you. “Can I get a whiskey straight? And a Gin for this talented lady.” She asks and the bartender nods. He hands you both drinks, when you try to pay he shakes his head. “On the house. You kicked ass up there.” He says and goes about his business. “T-thank you!” You try to shout over the sea of voices. You turn around and take a sip of your drink, scanning the area for any familiar faces. Unfortunately you do recognize a very familiar face walking through the door. It was Eva, she’s here with some goon. You freeze and Vi feels your shoulders tense up. She looks in the same direction as you and immediately remembers her face. Vi squeezes you and leans down close to your ear. “Don’t worry about it, gorgeous. I’m here, I got you.” She whispers in your ear and kisses your temple. Eva quickly makes eye contact with you. A small gasp escapes your mouth and you turn around and bury your face in your girlfriend’s chest and jacket. Your reaction makes Vi scrunch her nose and shoot a deadly glare back at her. Vi arm is still wrapped around your shoulders and you take a few deep breaths. Taking in the smell of her clothes made it a little easier to keep your cool. “Do you wanna go outside?” She asks and you nod in response. You both throw back the drinks, Vi takes your hand and guides you through the groups of people once again. When you both make it outside, you draw the cold, crisp air into lungs. You take a few deep breaths as you pull a pack of cigarettes out of your pocket, placing one between your lips. Vi pulls out a lighter and lights it for you before you can even find yours. “Do you think she saw my set?” you ask, locking eyes with her.
“I hope so, you were amazing. She’s missing out.” Your face turns a little pink and you look down at your feet. You take another drag of your cigarette. A couple leaving the bar complimented you on their way out. So many nice words, it’s kind of hard for you to take it all in. You hand the rest of your cigarette to Vi, she happily takes it. “So you’re still hanging out with this oversized trash can?” Eva mocks from behind and you turn around. Her arms are folded and she has this ugly scowl on her face. “What are you even doing here, Eva.” You ask with an exhausted tone. “My boyfriend is in Silver Panic.” She says proudly. Of course he is. You suddenly feel Vi directly behind you, she places her hand on your shoulder. “Do you wake up a total bitch or is it something you have to work on everyday, Eva?” The pink haired woman scoffs. Eva was not happy with her words. Her blockhead trails behind her, looking concerned.. “What the fuck is going here?” He says while glaring at Vi. Vi has the cockiest face on. “Hey there! Can you leash up your yappy Pomeranian? I’m allergic.” She says in a taunting tone. “Do we have a problem?” He asks, his face scrunched with a menacing look in his eye. “Only if you got one.” She retorts, still wearing a smug look. She stands in front of you and gently pushes you back behind her. Eva’s boyfriend steps up and Vi raises her eyebrows, cigarette hanging from her mouth. “Well, if you insist.” she shrugs. The man lunges forward, she evades his fist and clocks him clean in the jaw. He fell right into the street gutter. She flicks the cigarette on the ground and steps on it, almost as if to say “We’re done here”. The few attendees lingering outside gasped. Eva runs over to help him and you grab Vi’s hand and swiftly drag her back inside. Thinking it's probably best you both get out of here before they start more trouble. Vi follows closely as you lead her to the back of the building, you clutch her hand tight as if you might lose her. You open the door to the equipment room, throw your hoodie on and grab your guitar. Then you quickly usher Vi out the back door. The alleyway is empty and dark, it’s getting late so less people are walking the streets. You spin around on your heel, take a few steps toward her, and look her up and down. “I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, Violet. But you look like a fuckin’ snack.” You remark and tug on the collar of her shirt. Vi gets visibly flustered as you close the gap between your lips assertively. Something about this woman standing up for you in front of your ex sparked a starving feeling in you. Vi grabs your waist and steadies you as the kiss gets hotter with every second. You gently bite her lip and she quietly moans into your mouth. You slip your tongue between her soft lips, Vi brings one hand up to the back of your head and threads her fingers through your hair. When she takes a fist full and gently tugs your head back so you disconnect from her. Vi plants kisses and small bites down your neck and you let out a welcoming hum. “Your place or mine?” She whispers in your ear. “Mine?” You reply with a smile. She kisses your cheek and bends down, her shoulder meets your waist. Vi wraps her arm around your midsection and tosses you over her shoulder, with a guitar strapped to your back. “Hey- Wha- What are you doing?!” You yell as you are being hoisted in the air. She starts carrying you out of the alleyway, making it look so easy. You giggle and squirm, “Vi! Put me down!” She laughs at your reaction and eventually sets you back on the ground. You fumble and attempt to unlock your door while Vi occupies your lips. She has you cornered against your front door, she pauses and lets you focus on unlocking the door. Once you're both inside she grabs your hips and pulls you back in.
You slid her jacket off her shoulders and it fell to the ground. She unzips your hoodie and you slip your arms out of the sleeves quickly, you cross your arms and pull the crop top over your head and toss it to the ground, revealing a black lace bra. Vi trails open mouthed kisses and soft bites down your neck and shoulder. You softly moan when she nips at your skin, your needy hands make their way under her t-shirt. You feel the peaks and ridges of her toned stomach and it just makes you want her more. Both of you make your way to the bedroom, clothes dropping to the floor along the way. Vi gives you a little push and you fall backwards onto your bed. She crawls on top of you with her knee between your legs. The pink hair woman continues to kiss you eagerly, her tongue swiping against yours. Muffled whimpers escape your mouth when she adds pressure with her thigh against your throbbing heat. You arch your back as Vi unclips your bra. She quickly gets the job done and before you know it, she’s groping you. The attention is overwhelming and you grind on her thigh for some sort of stimulation. You shake beneath her as she begins to caress one of your nipples with her thumb.
“You poor, sweet, thing…” She coos against your skin. Her tongue envelopes the now erect nipple and you gasp. This woman has so much control over you it's unbelievable. “Vi Please…” You beg just loud enough for her to hear. She takes pity on you and unbuttons your pants. She pulls both your underwear and pants down around your ankles, you kick them off quickly. Vi takes her time as her lips wander further and further down your body. Vi situates herself in between your legs, She squeezes your thighs, her breath so close it makes you gasp. She looks up into your eyes as she slips two fingers inside of you. You throw your head back, “Fuck…Vi~” you moan. “Such a mess.” She says against your clit, with that signature smirk. She finally flattens her tongue and plunges it between your folds. She alternates between sucking and kneading your clit with her tongue. You grab fistfuls of sheets as she sends shock waves through your body. Her two fingers pump in and out, increasing the momentum over time. She’s eating you out like it’s her last meal. “I-I’m…so close.” you say between gasps for air. Vi places your legs on her shoulders and tightens her grip around your waist. Your body starts to shake and your walls clench around her fingers. “Ohhh..fuck…Viii!” Escapes your mouth as a loud, broken moan. Your back arches as your mind fogs up. Your eyes roll into the back of your head as you chase that sweet release all the way to the very end. Vi removes her fingers and you ride out your orgasm with her tongue. You try to catch your breath as Vi laps up the mess she made. She licks her fingers clean and gently kisses your shaking thighs. She crawls back on top of you slowly. Before she could praise you, stumble on your words, but manage to form a sentence between heavy breathing. “You…are so hot..” you remark and Violet just smiles. She kisses your lips gently and you glide your hands down to her belt and unbluckle it. She hums into your mouth and assists you. Vi rolls onto her side and relaxes, allowing you to be in control. You face her and you slowly slip your hand under her boxers without hesitation. She gasps into your mouth when your fingers reach her clit. You massage the sensitive area in little circles. She digs her fingers into your waist a little and you notice her hips wiggling out of her pants. Vi rolls onto her back, you start to leave little marks on her shoulder and collarbone. You have a little more room to work with so you hook your index and middle finger inside of her. “Fuck!” She says followed by a groan. Your lips couldn’t help but wander even lower and wrap your tongue around her nipple. You slowly massage her clit with your thumb. She tilts her head back and closes her eyes. Her chest heaves up and down and you return your fingers back to where you started. You take the other nipple into your mouth, giving it the same attention. Her fingers run through your hair and tug slightly at your scalp. Her back arches and she shouts your name along with several swears. You press your nose against her cheek and offer comforting kisses as she grinds against your hand. “You’re so cute when you cum for me.” you whisper in her ear. Once you're sure she's had her fill, you remove your fingers and put them in your mouth. Vi looks at you with wide eyes as she gathers herself. Her hand cups your face and you lean into her as she captures your lips again, she’s soft and gentle with you. You move some stray hairs away from her face. Your lips part and those lyrics run through your head. I lose my voice when I look at you
Can't make a noise though I'm trying to
“I...love you, Violet.” You softly say against her lips.
Tell you all the right words. Waiting on the right words “I love you too, Y/N.” Vi returns your words and you smile. Just another lovesick afternoon
Black butterflies and déjà vu
Your lips connect once again and she holds you close. You swear to yourself you will never let go, not this time around.
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gointothevvater · 2 years
Text
Five-star
Part of the some kind of kiss series! 
.
"Can we afford this?"
The hotel they stopped at that night was huge and nothing short of fancy as fuck. Pickles stared up at the building while Sammy and Tony grabbed their bags, leaving their instruments and amps in the back of the van. When Snazz pulled away to find a parking spot, Tony handed off one of the bags, saying, "Don't worry about it."
St. Cecilia was already inside, chatting up the man behind the long, elegant check-in counter. When she saw the boys, she pulled back, accepting a pair of keys and joining the rest of the band when Snazz came strolling in. "We have two connected suites," she said. "I'm rooming with Snazz."
With his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, Snazz wrinkled his nose and asked, "Why?"
"Because there're two beds in each room, and if I'm with you, I won't have to worry about hearing Tony and Pickles fucking all night or Sammy kicking me out of bed."
That seemed fair, and Snazz shrugged.
Taking her bag from Sammy and pressing a kiss to his cheek, St. Cecilia led them to the large elevator toward the back of the lobby.
The space was enormous, all done up in gold and white and deep red and dark wood, shiny light fixtures on the walls that weren't occupied by tall windows, and there was a massive gold and crystal chandelier hanging above the check-in counter. St. Cecilia waved away a uniformed bellhop as they walked.
The whole place was swanky beyond belief, and as they all boarded the elevator, Pickles asked again, "How can we afford this?"
"It's been months," Sammy said, laughter in his voice. His bag had been very messily packed, and there was a sock very nearly falling out of it. "You're only just wondering where the money comes from?"
"Sure as hell ain't coming from shows," Tony said, also sounding distinctly amused.
Pickles just shrugged. He'd been too busy making music and writing lyrics and sucking Tony's dick to worry about money.
"Ceelie's a princess," Snazz said a little derisively, "literally."
"I'm not a princess," St. Cecilia shot back. "I'm just rich." The elevator dinged, and they all stepped out, following her down the hall, their footsteps loud on the lovely marble floor. "My grandmother sends me an allowance every month, and I like to splurge every so often."
"On ridiculous hotels?" Pickles asked when she unlocked the door of their suite and let them in.
"Ridiculous?" She raised a dark brow at him. "This is nothing. It's not even a five-star!"
"You stay in a lotta five-star hotels?" Pickles asked, flopping down on the amazingly comfy bed, not even bothering to kick off his shoes. The sheets wouldn't still be white by the end of the night, he could guarantee that much.
There were three doors along the wall, one leading into the bathroom, which Snazz opened, one leading into a rather impressive closet, which Tony opened, and Sammy was the one to find the door that led into the adjoining suite. Only Snazz passed through it.
St. Cecilia settled beside Pickles on the bed as the boys looked around, tucking a lock of golden hair behind her ear and watching him for a long moment. It wasn't just him thinking about her, he knew, and he wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse.
He wanted to reach out, to pull her down with him, but he held himself back, saying against his better judgment, "You should stay with me and Tony."
She cast a glance at Sammy, who looked just about ready to burst into laughter from where he stood in the open closet door, before she asked, her voice a soft purr, "Oh, yeah?"
And at last Pickles reached out, fiddling with her nearest belt loop for a moment before his hand drifted down to her thigh, and she shivered when his fingertips brushed along the inseam of her jeans.
The moment was broken when Tony snorted, saying, "You're lucky I'm not the jealous type, dude."
It was more of a relief than it should have been.
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olivemac · 3 years
Text
1300 miles | chapter one | b.b.
Summary | Bucky Barnes is adjusting to civilian life, living in Brooklyn, visiting Sam in Delacroix when he can, and trying to figure out what he wants. When he meets Jo Landry, the tattooed lead singer of a New Orleans-based band, he thinks he might have found the answer. Too bad they live 1300 miles apart.
Time Frame | post-TFATWS
Pairing | Bucky Barnes x fem!oc
Rating | explicit
Warnings | mentions of combat-related injuries, alcohol use, tattoos/body piercings, coarse language, gay male character, bisexual female character, recreational/medicinal drug use (weed), pet names (doll, Sarge), smut (f/m, mutual masturbation, fingering, slight dom!Bucky, praise kink), angst if you squint but not really, and all the romance tropes/fluff because I'm a sucker for it; more warnings to come; 18+ ONLY, minors DNI
A/N | It’s my birthday, so to celebrate I’m sharing chapter one of my new WIP. This started its life as a one-shot but then my enneagram 4 brain took over and now it’s looking like it’ll be a multi-chapter short. Enjoy!
Also, feedback – comments, likes, etc. – is always appreciated, my loves.
AO3 link | 1300 miles playlist
_____
The sun is just starting to sink in the sky as Sam and Bucky finish the latest repairs on the boat. Sam has spent the last hour pestering Bucky about things he’s missed over the last 80 years — things he needs to do, shows and movies he needs to watch, music to listen to, places to go. Bucky is considering the consequences of putting his vibranium fist through the new Captain America’s face.
“You’re telling me you’ve never been to New Orleans?” Sam half-shouts at Bucky in amusement.
“Sam, besides the airport, when would I have been to New Orleans?” Bucky sighs.
“We’re going. Tonight.” He stands up. “But none of that Bourbon Street bullshit. I know a place,” he says.
_____
The bar is crowded on a Saturday night, but they manage to find a table near the small stage where a band is setting up.
“I’ll get drinks,” Sam says, heading to the bar.
“Sam said he knows the owners?” Bucky asks Sarah.
“Jo and Danny. Yeah,” Sarah says. “Danny served with Sam on his last tour. Real young kid when he served. Took some shrapnel to the chest and face in an RPG explosion and got out early. He and Sam kept in touch.”
Bucky watches Sam talk to a man with a mop of curly, brown hair and an auburn beard behind the bar. From where he sits, Bucky can see a jagged scar peeking out from the top of the man’s beard over his cheek, stopping just below his right eye.
Sam returns with three beers. "Danny says hi," he tells Sarah. "Says he'll come over when he has a free minute."
"Jo around?" Sarah asks.
Sam nods toward the stage. "She's playing tonight. Danny says she's in the office rewriting the set list."
Bucky sips his beer and looks around. When they entered, there was a wave of enthusiasm as people recognized Sam as Captain America, but it seems to have died down and now no one is paying them much attention. Bucky prefers it that way, though he’s happy that people are excited for Sam.
“Speak of the devil,” Sam says, smiling and nodding toward a woman emerging from a door beside the bar marked ‘Employees Only.’ She’s wearing a loose-fitting white tank tucked into light-wash jeans cuffed just above a pair of black combat boots. Her wavy, dark hair fans out behind her as she rushes towards the stage. She's clutching a piece of paper in one hand, and the smile on her face makes Bucky's heart stutter for a moment.
Sam catches the way Bucky is watching Jo as she jumps onto the stage. He elbows Sarah and nods at the lovestruck look on Bucky's face, and they share a smirk. Bucky doesn't notice the exchange. He's too busy studying Jo. Her arms are covered in tattoos, from shoulders to fingers. When she tucks a strand of hair behind her left ear, Bucky can see the row of piercings adorning the curve of her ear. There's a gold ring between her nostrils. Bucky's seen some of the kids in Brooklyn with that piercing, but he doesn't know what it's called. He's seen plenty of women like her since moving back to New York — with tattoos and piercings and dark hair — but there's something about the combination with her green eyes and soft smile that makes his mouth go dry and his palm sweat.
He takes another sip of his beer to ground himself.
Jo picks up an acoustic-electric guitar from its stand, swings the strap over her shoulder, and plugs the guitar into a small amp at her feet. She raises her right hand in the air and sets a count with her fingers — one, two, three, four. The band starts, and Jo strums the guitar, smiling at the crowd. When she steps up to the microphone and opens her mouth, Bucky is surprised at how sweet her voice sounds. He was expecting it to be rougher, but it's gentle and warm, and he likes the way her mouth looks as it forms the words to the song.
Next to him, Sam taps his foot along to the music. Bucky can't remember the last time he saw a band play live. God, he thinks, it was before the war, before everything. He takes another sip of his beer before Sarah hands him a fresh bottle. He hadn't even noticed that she'd left the table and gone to the bar. He smiles and nods his thanks.
Sarah leans over and whispers to Bucky just loud enough for Sam to hear, as well, "You should ask her out after the show."
Bucky grimaces and shakes his head. As he told Yori once, there's a dance to these things, and he's eighty years out of practice. Plus, his last date didn't exactly go as planned.
But he can't stop staring at Jo's painted black nails and tattooed fingers as they move across the guitar strings. LOVE is written across the top knuckles of her right hand, HATE on the left. A series of lines and dots decorate her lower knuckles. There’s a snake curling around her left wrist, its inked head resting on her hand, and several large peonies cover the back of her right hand and up her forearm. Bucky wonders what her tattooed hands would look like wrapped around his cock. He also wonders where else on her body she has tattoos and what that voice would sound like when he's between her thighs. Fuck.
The band transitions into another song, and Jo's eyes land on Bucky. She's used to people staring at her, especially when she's on stage, but she's caught by the way his eyes never leave her, never wander to look at the band's female bassist or to Sarah sitting next to him. She's certain his stare could burn a hole right through her, and she wouldn't even complain. He’s fucking gorgeous.
She knows who he is, of course. She’s seen the recent footage of him with Sam in New York and read the Times article detailing his move from assassin to almost Avenger. Plus, her twin brother, Danny, was a bit of a history nerd as a kid so she’s definitely seen a Captain America documentary that mentioned the Howling Commandos. And they may or may not have hidden a fugitive Captain America and Falcon following the Accords.
Jo tears her eyes away from the super soldier and focuses on the rest of the audience. She can see Danny behind the bar, flirting with the man he's been trying to sleep with for the past two weeks. She catches his eye and smiles her encouragement between lyrics. Get his number! she tries to say with her eyes. Danny's usually pretty good at reading her mind. She doesn't know if it's a brother thing or a twin thing or just a Danny thing, but when he holds up his phone in surrender and smiles back at her, she knows he got the message.
The first half of their set ends with a crash of drums and a long guitar riff. Jo takes a swig from the mason jar full of water she keeps on stage. Her eyes meet Bucky's again as she swallows, and he licks his bottom lip. Heat curls in the pit of her stomach at the thought of what else that tongue could do.
Willow, the band's bassist, steps over and whispers in Jo's ear, “If you don’t fuck him after the show, I’m going to."
When Jo looks at her, she can see the amusement dancing in Willow's eyes. She rolls her own eyes and avoids looking directly at Bucky for the rest of the set.
_____
After the last song, Jo thanks the crowd and helps the rest of the band tidy up the stage, unplugging amps and turning off the mics. She's still trying not to look at Bucky, even though she can feel his eyes on her.
"You have to stop staring, man," Sam whispers to Bucky.
"I'm not staring," Bucky grumbles.
Sarah laughs, "You're definitely staring."
“Here," Sam says, "I'll introduce you." And before Bucky can protest, Sam is waving Jo over. "Josephine," Sam says, hugging her.
"Samuel," she returns, smiling. "Congrats on the new gig." She punches his shoulder lightly. "Better you than that John Walker douchebag," she says. Bucky snorts, and she catches his eye and smirks before turning to Sarah. "Hey, Sarah." They exchange pleasantries while Bucky tries to get his tongue to turn back from lead.
Sam points at Bucky, "This is—"
Bucky stands. "Bucky. Barnes."
Jo smiles and shakes his gloved hand. "Jo. Landry," she says, matching his cadence.
Sam was right. Bucky can't stop staring at her. This close, he can see there's a bit of gold in the green of her eyes and a slight gap between her two front teeth. She smells like sandalwood and citrus and just a little bit like pot.
Jo returns his stare. His five o’clock shadow doesn’t hide the dimple in his chin, and she briefly imagines pressing her lips against it. She’s trying to name the exact shade of blue of his eyes when Sam clears his throat.
She’s not usually so easily flustered by attractive people, but Bucky's blue eyes and chiseled jaw have done a number on her self-control. “Let me grab a drink,” Jo says, turning quickly.
“No need,” Danny says, appearing in front of her and handing her a glass. He leans in and whispers in her ear, “He’s cute.”
“Please fuck off,” Jo hisses in return, widening her eyes at him. She’s only half-serious, and Danny knows it. It’s a twin thing.
When she looks at Bucky again, he’s smirking, and she wonders if enhanced hearing is a super soldier trait. Bucky pulls out the fourth chair at the small table for her to sit, and Jo can't remember the last time someone did that for her.
"The show was great," Sarah says, grabbing Jo's attention.
"Thanks," Jo replies. "Took a while to get back to it after…” she snaps her fingers but doesn’t finish her sentence.
"You were snapped?" Bucky asks.
Jo nods. "Yeah. You?"
"Yeah."
"Cheers," she says sarcastically, raising her glass in a toast. She shakes her head again and pushes her hair behind her ear. "Five years just," she holds her hands open, "gone. Danny was still here, holding all this together by himself."
She tucks one leg under the other, and her knee bumps Bucky’s beneath the table. When she moves to pull her knee away from his, he places a gloved hand on her thigh, holding her leg in place.
Bucky surprises even himself with this move. He hasn’t been this forward with a woman since an auburn-haired nurse in Italy during the war. With her, it was all hands and mouths and skin on skin because he was certain he was going to die any day. Now he supposedly has all the time in the world. He just isn’t sure what he wants to do with it.
But in this moment, he's comfortable here, in this tiny bar, with a beer in his hand and Jo's knee pressed against his. He's confident that Sam would never introduce him to someone he couldn't trust.
Bucky's flirted with Sarah, sure, but that was mostly to irritate to Sam. And as much as he doesn't want to admit it, the thought of something happening between himself and Sarah and then ending badly and ruining his relationship with Sam makes his stomach hurt. Pursuing Jo seems safer in that regard. She and Sam are friends, but if — when, he thinks — he ruins things, he can just go back to New York instead of losing his only friend.
Jo asks Sarah about AJ and Cass to distract herself from the butterflies forming in her stomach at Bucky’s touch, and Sam starts a story about the boys' latest interests. Bucky is content to listen to the three of them talk, his eyes barely leaving Jo. When she flicks her gaze over to him every now and then, she doesn't seem phased by his staring, and she hasn't pulled her knee away from where it's softly touching his. After a while, Danny emerges from behind the bar and joins their table, introducing himself to Bucky with a firm handshake.
While Danny and Sam trade updates about people they know, Jo leans towards Bucky and asks, “You want another drink?”
“Sure,” Bucky replies.
Jo doesn’t say anything else, just nods her head toward the bar, stands, and offers Bucky her hand. He takes it, the leather glove of his right hand warm against her palm. He wishes he could feel her skin without the gloves between them. He doesn’t usually wear them around Sam and Sarah and everyone in Delacroix, but he wasn’t sure how the metal arm would be perceived at this bar he’s never been to. Sam told him not to worry about it, but Bucky doesn’t like to draw unnecessary attention to himself.
Jo leads him through the sea of tables to a barstool, then moves behind the bar and grabs him a fresh bottle of the beer he's been drinking all night. "Unless you want something stronger," she says, pausing before she hands it to him.
"This is good," Bucky replies.
She pops the top and hands him the bottle. He takes a sip as he watches her maneuver around the bartender on duty to fix herself another whiskey sour before taking a seat on the barstool next to him.
"Full disclosure; because it's only fair," she says, taking a sip of her drink. "I know who you are, Sergeant Barnes. Not the whole story, but bits and pieces."
Bucky pauses. He searches her eyes for the fear he's expecting but finds none. "And you're okay with that?" he asks.
Jo quirks the corner of her mouth up in a half-smile and says, “If Sam trusts you, I trust you."
“I’m not great with meeting new people, and I was telling myself the same thing about you," Bucky admits, almost sheepishly.
“You know we can never tell Sam about this, right?" Jo says, conspiratorially. "We’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Never,” Bucky agrees, and knocks his beer bottle lightly against her glass in understanding.
They talk for a while, just the two of them alone at the end of the bar. Jo asks him how he likes Louisiana ("Hot, but the people are friendly"); where he's staying ("Sarah's"); when he's heading back to New York ("A week from tomorrow"); what he likes to do for fun ("Still figuring that out"); his favorite place ("Wakanda") and favorite book ("The Hobbit"); and a myriad of other questions — some of which Bucky answers easily and some that make him pause. He makes her give her own answers to each one in turn.
Jo leans close to Bucky so she can hear him over the noise of the room, and he takes the opportunity to study her features more closely. He's practically mapped all of her face when her eyes leave his for a brief second and land on Sam, Sarah, and Danny staring at them from the table across the room.
"Don't look now," she whispers, leaning even closer, "But we seem to have an audience."
Bucky makes a big show of looking over his shoulder at the group.
"I said 'don't look!'" Jo laughs and swats casually at his arm.
Bucky takes the opportunity to pin her hand with his own, holding it tightly and licking his bottom lip before smiling at her. He can see the blush paint her cheeks and creep down her neck and chest.
He likes Jo, likes how easy it feels to be around her. He isn't used to that. He isn't used to feeling comfortable with people. Hell, he thinks, I barely feel comfortable with myself. But there's something about Jo that makes him feel safe and calm. Of course, there's attraction there — plenty of it — but he's sure it's more than that.
For her part, Jo is enamored with Bucky. She likes his hard edges and his snark, but she also likes the small glimpses he's given her of the man beneath all of that. She doesn't usually fall for people so easily, but she's found herself drowning in the sea of blues that make up Bucky's eyes, and she doesn't want to be rescued. How fucking cliche, she tells herself.
"We should probably go back over there," Bucky says, squeezing her hand once before releasing it.
They both stand and make their way back to the table. Bucky pulls Jo's chair out for her again, but this time, he makes sure to pull it a little closer to his chair in the process. This doesn't go unnoticed by Sam who smirks at him. Bucky returns the smirk with a thin-lipped smile of his own before scooting even closer to Jo.
Jo finds it hard to focus on the conversation in front of her with Bucky's warm body so close to her own, and she realizes she misses the pleasant feeling of his gloved hand around hers. She places her own hand on his thigh and hopes he gets the hint.
Bucky’s fascinated by even the slightest movements of Jo's tattooed fingers, and when her hand rests on his denim-clad thigh, he thinks the sight alone might kill him. Before he can second-guess himself, he pulls the glove off his right hand and links his own flesh and bone fingers with hers.
Jo doesn't look at Bucky — she's trying not to draw attention to her hand in his lap — but Bucky watches the corner of her mouth quirk upwards into a smile, and he squeezes her hand in response.
The conversation continues a bit longer before Danny leaves the table to check in with his bartender. Jo excuses herself to get another drink, and Bucky watches her pop behind the bar to fill a glass for herself.
"I need to get home, relieve the babysitter," Sarah says when she finishes her beer.
"We're heading out then," Sam says, then turns to Bucky, "You coming?"
Bucky looks toward Jo and says, "No, I'm gonna stick around. I'll get a cab back or get a hotel room in the city."
Sam smirks. "I don't think you're gonna need a hotel room, man."
Bucky rolls his eyes.
"Just promise me you'll use protection," Sam laughs. "We don't need any little super soldiers running around just yet."
Bucky gives him a sarcastic smile, but realizes Sam's probably right, and he definitely doesn't have any condoms in his wallet. He's not planning on sleeping with Jo tonight — he just met her, and he's not sure he's ready for that yet — but if the army taught him anything, it's to be prepared. As if reading his mind, Sam pulls out his wallet and places a condom in Bucky's palm before pulling him in for a hug and clapping him on the back.
"Have fun, man," Sam says.
Sam and Sarah say their goodbyes to Danny and Jo on their way out, and Bucky joins Jo at the bar, sitting on the barstool next to her where they sat earlier.
"Sticking around, soldier?" she asks. She reaches for his dog tags and tugs them gently. The drinks have been strong, and she's feeling more flirtatious than she would otherwise.
"If you don't mind," Bucky replies.
Jo smiles and reaches for his hand this time. "Not at all."
"Are you gonna finish your interrogation of me?" Bucky asks, amusement apparent in his voice.
Jo laughs in return. “I thought I'd read your palm instead," she says, turning his hand over in her own.
Bucky snorts but doesn't pull his hand away. "Is this a trick you use on all the guys?"
"And girls," Jo says, meeting his eyes. Then she studies his hand carefully, running her index finger across the lines that crisscross his palm.
"Your dominant hand," she continues, "determines your future, while your non-dominant hand is tied to your past."
Bucky snorts again at the truth of it all.
"I'm not making this up!" Jo laughs. "I mean, someone did, but I'm not!" She can see the laughter shining in Bucky's eyes, so she goes on, "Your head line is deep, meaning your thinking is clear and focused, but it's also curved downward which indicates a creative spirit and an appetite for literature and fantasy." She looks up at him, "Explains the love for Tolkien."
"I'm not sure I'm buying this," Bucky says.
"You've literally fought aliens, and you're gonna give me a hard time over palm reading," Jo laughs.
"The aliens were real," Bucky deadpans.
"And in New Orleans, palm reading and psychics and crystal balls and voodoo are real," Jo says, still laughing. "But I promise not to read your palm again or read your aura or get out the tarot cards."
Bucky likes the way her slight accent makes New Orleans sound more like Nawlins. He also likes the sound of her laughter and the way her face lights up when she smiles. She's still holding his hand in her own, so he turns his palm over in hers and brings her tattooed knuckles to his lips.
_____
Meanwhile, the bar closes, and Danny and the bartender clean glasses and close up for the night.
Danny points at Jo as he comes around the bar. "I’m locking up then heading upstairs," he says.
"Thanks, love," Jo replies.
Danny walks the bartender out and locks the front door, then retraces his steps to the back of the bar. On his way past Jo, he stops and kisses her on the cheek, saying, "Be good. And set the alarm."
He turns to Bucky. "And you, Sergeant Barnes," he says, pointing at him now, "I know you're an Avenger or whatever, but if you hurt her, I'll kill you."
"Bye, Danny," Jo says, rolling her eyes as he disappears through the door marked 'Employees Only.' "Don't worry about him," Jo says, turning back to Bucky.
“Older brother, right?” Bucky says. He understands; he was an older brother once.
“Twins, actually,” Jo smiles.
Bucky takes a sip of his beer. "Sarah said Danny served with Sam," he says.
"Yeah. Afghanistan. A lifetime ago," Jo says. “He only had one more mission before he could come home so he switched with someone. An RPG barely missed the helicopter he was in, and he was pretty badly injured in the explosion and the resulting crash. Almost lost an eye. He came home, got out of the Air Force, went to business school. Now we own the bar..." She pauses to take the last sip of her drink. "...and the building. Sam's really helped Danny get past everything."
"He's good at that," Bucky says.
"Another thing we can never tell him," Jo laughs.
"Agreed. So, when do I get to ask about your tattoos?" he questions.
"What do you want to know?" she asks.
Bucky licks his bottom lip. "Anything."
He likes her dagger tattoo the best. It’s inked on the inside of her right forearm, nestled amongst the peonies, the hilt facing the crook of her elbow and the knife’s tip pointed toward her wrist. It’s feminine and dangerous and incredibly sexy. She blushes when he tells her how much he likes it. He doesn't tell her it reminds him of one of his favorite knives, currently tucked at the bottom of his backpack back in Sarah's living room.
"In some ways, they're my armor," she explains. "When I'm on stage, people look at the tattoos, not me, and I kind of like that. It lets me be whoever I want to up there."
Bucky understands the desire to hide better than anyone. But she knows who he is so there's really no point in hiding from her any longer. Plus, he feels like his arm is something she would understand, something she could accept — not just because of her brother's military record but because of her own unique body modifications.
He pulls his left glove off and shrugs out of his leather jacket, revealing the vibranium arm beneath his black t-shirt.
Jo takes in the black metal and gold details. "That," she says, pointing to his arm, "is lovely."
"It's lethal," Bucky warns.
She cocks her head to the side and says, "If you're trying to scare me, it won't work, Sergeant Barnes."
Bucky can't stop the corner of his lip from pulling up in the slightest hint of a smile.
"Okay,” she says, placing her palms flat on the bar top. “You want another beer?" she asks.
Jo stands and turns to move behind the bar, but Bucky's vibranium hand on her arm stops her. She looks at him curiously, and he slides his arm behind her back and pulls her flush against his chest. She settles between his open thighs, her palms resting gently on top of his legs. He's staring at her so intensely she's convinced he willburn that hole right through her, but she can't bring herself to look away.
He leans in, his lips only a breath away from hers.
"Can I kiss you?" Bucky finally asks, his flesh hand moving up to cup her cheek.
"Please," Jo whispers, desperately.
Bucky closes the distance between them, and his lips meet hers. He's hesitant at first, but when he feels Jo respond, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing even closer, he runs his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opens them for him. She tastes like bourbon and lemon from the whiskey sours she's been drinking, and Bucky loves it. His tongue sweeps along the roof of her mouth, and Jo moans. Bucky is determined to hear that sound again.
He kisses across the corner of her mouth and over her jaw. The hand that was cupping her cheek moves to her hair to angle her head backwards and give him better access to the bare skin of her neck. He laves his tongue over the corded muscles there, then nips at the skin with his teeth. She moans again, and Bucky is on fire.
Jo's right hand weaves into his short hair and tugs until his mouth comes away from her neck. He catches his breath while Jo nuzzles his nose with her own and places a soft kiss against the Cupid's bow of his upper lip. His eyes meet hers, and her pupils are blown wide with lust.
The need to kiss her again is overwhelming. Bucky’s lips find hers, and Jo somehow leans even closer into his body, her hands tracing down his chest to his waist. Bucky lets his own hands move to Jo’s ribs, resting just beneath her chest, his thumbs teasing the underside of each breast. Jo gasps when Bucky’s right thumb moves across her taut nipple.
Fuck, he thinks, I need to slow down. While he’s shared kisses with the handful of women he’s met on dating apps, he hasn’t done anything this intimate in a lifetime.
Bucky pulls away, panting. He rests his forehead against Jo's and stares into her green eyes.
"I should leave," he says. “I’m getting carried away. I…I want to do this right.”
And he does. Desperately. He wants to buy her flowers and take her out and learn what makes her swoon. But he also wants to map every tattoo on her body with his fingers and tongue and then fuck her until she can’t walk straight.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Jo laughs breathily. “We don’t have to do anything, but it’s almost three o'clock in the morning and your ride already left. You can sleep on my couch if you want to be a gentleman.”
Bucky groans. “I should be a gentleman."
She kisses him again, lightly, then moves away to set the alarm and turn the rest of the lights out. She leads him through the 'Employees Only' door and up a set of stairs to her apartment.
"You're not allergic to cats, are you?" Jo asks, as she unlocks the door.
"No," Bucky says. As far as he knows, he's not allergic to anything thanks to the knock-off serum, but he doesn't say that.
Inside her apartment, Jo kicks off her combat boots at the door, and Bucky does the same, leaving them both in their socked feet. There's a fluffy black cat sitting on the back of the green velvet sofa.
"That's Toulouse," Jo says. "Or Louie. He doesn't answer to either, so it really doesn't matter what I call him."
The cat regards Bucky with indifference before standing up, stretching, and leaving the room.
"Guest bathroom’s just there,” she nods. “Let me get you some blankets and pillows for the couch," Jo continues. "Unless you've changed your mind about being a gentleman." She smirks at him.
Bucky laughs through his nose. “Don’t tempt me.”
Jo leaves the room for a moment, which gives Bucky a chance to look around. He's standing in her living room; one wall features a set of French doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the street, and the opposite wall holds bookcases stuffed from floor to ceiling with books, framed photographs, and various knick-knacks. From where he stands, he can see a small room with an upright piano and guitars hanging on the walls. The exterior walls of Jo's apartment are brick, and everything else is set in jewel tones. He likes it. It's dark and cozy, and from what he knows of Jo so far, her living space matches her well.
When she returns, Jo is holding a stack of blankets and pillows. She sets them on the ottoman and moves across the room to close the curtains.
"There are some sweats and a t-shirt there that should fit you" she says, turning to Bucky.
"Thanks," Bucky says, smiling softly.
Now that they're here, in her apartment, Bucky isn't sure what he's supposed to do or say. He can still feel the heat of Jo's lips on his, and he's painfully aware that the condom Sam gave him is still in his pocket.
Jo must sense the hesitation rolling off him because she crosses the room to stand in front of him and takes his hands in hers.
"Get some sleep, Sarge," she says, squeezing his hands in tandem before dropping them.
"Goodnight, Jo," Bucky returns.
_____
Bucky lays on Jo's couch in the dark beneath blankets that smell like laundry detergent. He wishes they smelled like her. He unlocks his phone and looks up the distance between New Orleans and Brooklyn. Just over thirteen hundred miles. He sighs and drops his phone onto the coffee table before closing his eyes and reliving each kiss as he falls asleep.
On the other side of the wall, Jo falls across her bed, deflated. She likes this guy. She wants him — painfully so. But leave it to her to fall for the one guy in her bar who lives half-way across the country.
_____
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Bleeding Chaos- Cover Reveal
Title: Bleeding ChaosSeries: Love & LyricsAuthor: Nikki AshRelease: March 23 2023Genre: Friends to Lovers, Rock Star RomanceCover Designer: Jersey Girl DesignPhotographer: Wander Aguiar Photography GageI lost my first love. This time, I’m going to win the second girl who owns my heart—no matter the stakes.Being the drummer for Raging Chaos is the only thing that’s kept me going for the past six…
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deejadabbles · 3 years
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A Thousand Songs (Atem/Yami x Reader)
Chapter One: We Are Broken
One /// Two /// Three /// Four /// [Five Coming Soon]
Summary: You knew that you and your band could make it big. Not only that, but stay together while doing it; the five of you were family, after all. The only problem was that despite all your musical talents...none of you were particularly good at lyrics. After years of struggling to put out your first full album, the solution finally made himself know in chance meeting on an empty stage.
Rock Band AU, Atem x Reader, gender neutral reader.
A.N.  Woo look at me, starting a new series before I finish my current ones. Don't hate me I have the attention span of a squirrel! I know band AUs are pretty cheesy but I don't care, this idea has been floating in my head for awhile and it's super cute okay?? I was also going to wait to post this until all the chapters were done but I couldn't control myself anymore. These chapters will be much shorter than my usual length so hopefully that means I can update faster??? I won't make any promises but I'll try. Anywho, I hope you guys like fashionable, sensitive Atem because that's who'll be featured in this fic <3 The reader's gender is never mentioned but I will admit I tended to lean more towards songs sung by women in this, I don't really think that matters though (I have Atem sing songs originally sung by women so...). I really hope you guys like this series and I'll love to hear your thoughts <3 Also: @ohyema​ This is the series I told you about all that time ago lol
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I am outside
And I've been waiting for the sun
With my wide eyes
I've seen worlds that don't belong
My mouth is dry
With words I cannot verbalize
Tell me why
We live like this
The crowd was small, as always, but it was enough. Anyone hearing your songs was enough for now, or so you told yourself week after week. You felt Yugi’s eyes on you as you leaned away from the mic, plucking the cords of your Stratocaster for the brief solo and you looked to your left to see him smiling at you; always the positive optimist, the sun that shone on you and the rest of the band.
You flashed him the briefest smile in return before turning back to the mic. If you closed your eyes, got lost in Anzu’s keys, Jou’s steady beats, and Honda’s strings, you could almost pretend you were playing in front of a packed venue. One full of fans solely there to hear music, and not just a dozen or so patrons who enjoyed the music as a backdrop to their late-night drinks.
Keep me safe inside
Your arms like towers
Tower over me
You could have sworn you heard another voice in the crowd join yours as the chorus came. Ah, so there was an actual fan in the crowd.
Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And all the promise we adored?
Give us life again
Cause we just wanna be whole
Your eyes fluttered back open for the briefest second and through the smoky haze in the room, you saw that someone at the bar was holding up their phone, camera aimed at the stage. That managed to make you smile, at least you had someone’s attention.
Lock the doors
Cause I'd like to capture this voice
It came to me tonight
So everyone will have a choice
And under red lights
I'll show myself it wasn't forged
We're at war
We live like this
“Are you guys on SoundCloud or anything? Cos that was pretty awesome!” asked a young man who looked barely old enough to be in the bar at all.
You were just helping Yugi pack away his turntables, having finished your set and wishing the small crowd a good night. The young man was with two others, all of them looking enthused as they stood at the base of the small stage. The girl even giggled when Honda winked at her.
Yugi, as usual, was the one to speak up and pulled out a small leather folder from his back pocket. “Yeah, we are actually! We also have a youtube channel,” he pulled cards from the folder, black cardstock with your band’s name, logo, and media accounts scrawled across it in gold text. He handed one to each in the trio, smile still bright on his face, “Check us out if you get the chance, we’re trying to put out a new album this summer, so we should have plenty of new songs to listen to soon.”
With a few ‘cool man’s and ‘awesome’s, the trio wandered back to the bar, the one who had spoken already pulling out his phone with the card in hand, and the girl waving at Honda over her shoulder.
“You know you shouldn’t get their hopes up,” Anzu whispered as she set her keyboard case at the foot of the stage, “Two songs does not an Album make- we have no clue when we’ll actually have it out!”
“Well,” you chimed in, clicking one of Yugi’s several cases closed, “Maybe telling new fans to expect more from us will finally light a fire under our song-writing-asses.” When Jonouchi opened his mouth, that cheeky look on his face, you held up your hand to silence him, “And yes, I know I procrastinate too much, I’m to blame too.”
Yugi lifted two of his cases- and answered after Jou jumped in to take the heavier of the two, “I still think all of us should take a week's vacation, lock ourselves in our studio and work on the album together. Only getting together a few times a week is what’s really killing us I think- we can’t get into a creative groove!”
You and Anzu exchanged a look, knowing full well that neither of your bills would appreciate the week's loss in pay. Still, maybe it was something that you guys could find a way to work out. Then again, there was another idea that had been brewing in the back of your mind for a while now, and you weren’t sure if it was really something that the others in your band would go for...like, at all.
“I don’t know, a week probably wouldn’t even be long enough,” Honda chimed in after slinging his guitar case over his shoulder, grabbing an amp in the free hand.
Jou nodded as you all started filing out the bar’s back door, “I’m still thinking that gettin’ together every single night until the album’s done is the best way to go, even if it’s just for a few hours!”
This was the usual road the song writing debate took, or at least, how it usually went the past month or so, and soon enough the topic came to a standstill, as it usually did.
After loading up Jonouchi’s truck with your equipment, Honda gave the suggestion of stopping for some burgers at the 24 hour joint down the road, a common ritual after your monthly gig at “The Bandit’s Den”. As usual, Jou parked in the space best visible from the front windows of the dinner, and the five of you were glad to find that not another soul sat at the tables.
After settling at your usual booth and ordering, Yugi actually splayed his hands out on the table, looking rather determined. “You don’t start work until seven tomorrow. Right?” he asked you.
“Yeah?”
“I think we should take another trip to the station.”
You actually had to repress a sigh at that. Yugi was all about trying to trigger inspiration for songs, and the “station” referred to an old train station on the outskirts of town. You guys had discovered it long ago and were eager to use it in a music video, but were waiting for the perfect song to go with it. Sure, the old giant clock and brick stairs were a perfect setting, but it had only sparked a line or two of lyrics, nothing to make a full song.
Out of the five of you, most of the lyric writing fell on your’s and Yugi’s shoulders, with Anzu, Honda, and Jonouchi giving occasional input. Since you were the lead singer most seemed to think you would be the natural lyric maker, but the truth was that, despite your talent in singing and playing the lead guitar, lyrics just weren’t your forte. You’d had some luck when teaming up with Yugi, his emotional maturity helping you work through the written expressions, but that only went so far. Yugi also tried things like this, exercises and field trips in the hopes that it would spark creativity.
“How many times have we been to the station before, Yugi?” you asked, “I just don’t think it’s the oracle of inspiration we all hoped it would be. I still want to film there some time, but I don’t wanna take time out to visit it again, I’ll just get annoyed when it doesn’t lead to anything.”
Yugi’s set expression seemed to blink away, replaced with something almost like guilt, “Okay, I was just trying to think of something to get our inspiration flowing…”
Now you’re the one who felt guilty. “I know...hey maybe we could try something new? Like we could go some other place or try some different way to spark our heads?” you suggested, trying to sound positive.
Yugi’s eyebrows lifted in interest, but he was cautious when he asked, “Like what?”
“I…” you trailed off when your mind came up blank. It remained blank even as your eyes trailed over the entirety of the empty dinner as well as the dark scenery outside. A growl of frustration left your throat as you face planted on the table, “I don’t know!”
You heard Yugi giggle as he reached out and patted your head. Beside him, Jonouchi said, “What you need is some brain food! That’s sure to help some ideas come- ah! And here’s our feast now!”
Even though the food was good, kick-start your brain, it did not. If anything the meal just made you more sleepy, even as you guys chatted over the next hour before paying the tab and piling back into Jou’s truck.
Like always the next stop was the studio, the home and hideaway for you and your friends. For a small-time band whose biggest fame was on Youtube, all of you were actually quite proud of your studio. Yugi’s grandfather owned a few rental properties, and since the building wasn’t fitting for a residential space, nor in a part of town that would serve a shop well, he had agreed to give you guys the small building in exchange for help around his game shop every week.
Working together to make the space your own was some of the best memories you had with your oldest friends; going to second-hand shops to gather fitting set pieces, saving up for the sound dampeners so you could record your songs without paying a big-time studio, setting up the back room with tattered old furniture and a mini-fridge that was sure to break down any day.
The only thing that beat those days were the times you actually spent in the studio; rehearsing, recording your few music videos, spending downtime together writing new music on lumpy bean bag chairs and worn rugs (and definitely getting distracted by each other every ten minutes).
The night was late enough that no one bothered the five of you as you unloaded the truck, and soon enough all of you were taking your usual spots in the back room (Anzu sprawling out on the battered chaise, Jonouchi and Yugi filling up the loveseat, Honda falling onto a pair of beanbags, and you plopping down in the hammock chair).
“Alright you guys, I’m just going to come out and say it,” Anzu sighed after a few moments of hanging off the arm of her seat, “We need help writing our songs.”
You actually sat up as straight as you could in your chair and peered over at her- had she really just said what you had been thinking of saying for weeks?!
When she saw your look, something like panic colored her face as she waved her hands, “Not that I don’t think you’re a good writer! The songs you came up with were awesome! ...But-”
You waved off her concern, the hard motion causing your hammock to spin a little, “No- no, Anzu, I totally agree! I just didn’t know if I should bring it up...”
Even if you hadn’t thought of it too, Anzu had plenty of reason to think you needed help. In the whole four years since your group had started the band, from the first days sitting in class drawing up logo ideas, you had only written six original songs- and that included the two that were meant to go on your new album. You had gotten by with relying on covers to fill out your live sets and media accounts and making a host of excuses for the lack of originality.
“You really think bringing in another bandmate’s a good idea?” Honda chimed in, eyes narrow as he leaned back in his beanbag chair.
“Yeah, we don’t wanna end up like half the other bands out there,” Jonouchi chimed in, seeming to subconsciously pull Yugi closer to his side, “you guys know the only reason our band works is because we get each other- we’re family! We can’t just bring another person into that, it’ll ruin it and maybe even break us up!”
Yugi put a hand over Jonouchi’s, “Hey hey, slow down, don’t you think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves? First of all, bands hire ghostwriters all the time, and they don’t always join the band. Besides... I don’t know, if the person’s really cool, would it be that bad to have another member?”
“We could always have them ghostwrite for us for a while, and if we like them, then talk about letting them join,” you offered, and were glad when everyone seemed to contemplate that with at least some positivity. “But that brings up the issue I think we’ll have, I’m not sure we can find someone who fits with our style all that easily. Like Jonouchi said, there’s a reason all of us work well together.”
It was true, all of you brought something to the table, something more than an instrument. The five of you had slightly different tastes, all of it coming together in something that wasn’t quite punk, not quite rock, not quite pop or even metal, and that’s what worked to your advantage. You wanted to prove that different sounds and styles could come together in harmony and appeal to listeners all across the spectrum. Not fit into a genre-labeled box that only fans of said genre would even bother listening to.
Eventually, Anzu gave a shrug, “We won’t know until we try. Why don’t we put the word out and see what happens?”
“We can still work on our own, and if we don’t find anyone who fits, we didn’t really lose anything besides time,” Yugi added, and that pretty much settled the matter.
Tomorrow the search for a new member of your team began.
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technomaestro · 3 years
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Top 5 Video Game Soundtracks
Ok. Let's try this *again*. I had a whole thing written up and I accidentally refreshed the page, so tumblr ate the entire thing, and I lost it.
Destiny 2 There's a reason D2 is one of my all time favorite games, and the music for it is one of those reasons. Destiny 2's sweeping orchestral soundtrack is full of songs that encapsulate that grand, epic nature of the world and conflict you find yourself in as the Guardian. From the mission tracks like 1AU/Forge Ahead , Valkyrie, and Guns Blazin which provide this cinematic backdrop as you fight for your victories, to the epic swelling of the raid bosses where the tension in their first phases is replaced with triumphant moments where the tide turns as seen in Riven of a Thousand Voices or Insurrection Prime (even the most hated boss in Destiny has a pretty baller theme with tons of brass in it as you get ready to put him in his grave one last time after fighting him multiple times throughout the raid). Locations such as the Dreaming City have tracks that manage to encapsulate the mystery and history behind each location. No matter my feelings and critiques on the gameplay or the story, the music in Destiny 2 is just an absolute gift of musical genius. Michael Salvatori (yes, that same Michael Salvatori from Halo) is one of my favorite composers for the work he's put into that series. Favorite track: Journey ft. Kronos Quartet. This is the song that plays after the deafening silence that comes from escaping the city during the initial Red War campaign, where you montage your way through an unforgiving wilderness, powerless, as the city fades into the distance behind you. You've been beaten, your home taken from you, but the music swells with hope as you follow a sign from the Traveler - and you know you'll return to reclaim your city. I highly recommend taking a peek at the mission, as you can't play it anymore, to see what I mean as to how the track absolutely enhances the experience.
Hades Supergiant games - the people behind Bastion and Transistor, two other games with amazing soundtracks - really did knock it out of the park with Hades. This game's soundtrack is a wonderful blend of classic acoustic instruments (Check it out - it's called a Bağlama) mixed with metal and electronica to create a theme that evokes not only the aesthetics of the region, but also give it a modern twist that meshes with the dark, haunting vibes of the underworld that you reside in. Each track flows so well from one into the next, mixing perfectly with each area or character you encounter. And the two musical characters you encounter - Orpheus and Eurydice - add in plenty of musical flair to the game themselves. The motifs present in the songs are called back frequently to make it a coherent, consistent soundtrack, and it remixes so incredibly well. Favorite Track: God of the Dead - the theme for the final boss of each run, this track is incredible. Not only does it reflect the theme of Zagreus in a different key, showing the link between Hades and his son, before delving into this heavy, frantic track that perfectly encapsulates having to fight
Payday 2 There are exactly two ways to play Payday 2. The first is stealth - you won't have much in the way of music as you silently slip by cops, cameras, and civilians to reach your score. The other is the way I play, where you suit up in the heaviest body armor you can get, grab two automatic shotguns, and go to town to some of the best soundtracks in the game. Payday 2 has a unique musical cue system with it's audio during loud heists, where it amps up the tracks in time with what the cops are doing. At first, before you've been detected, you have the Stealth track which is always low and very basic to not intrude. In low points, like when you first go loud and the first responders arrive on the scene, you're in a Control track. Then, as the police gear up, it switches to a higher temp Anticipation Track, and then when the police storm your position, the Assault track. So each "song" in Payday 2 is actually 4 songs in one, that the game blends seamlessly together in order to match the audio with the gameplay. It's an incredibly clever system that keeps you immersed in the tension of the heist even as Bain, your mastermind, calls out over comms with instructions. And it helps that almost all of the tracks are exceptional bangers in their own right, with amped up electronica with great percussion and bass lines alongside rebellious hard hitting metal and rock. But during those assault tracks, there's something satisfying about hearing the build, reloading your guns, then timing you leaving cover to unleash fury with the bass drop. There's a great playlist here with links to the different types of tracks if you want to take a peek yourself. Favorite Track: I Will Give You My All - one of the few tracks with built in vocals. This particular track feels like the exact kind of music I'd see in a movie, and with the build I run in game for Loud stuff at the moment which incentivizes me running face first at bulldozers and cloakers, giving it my all is *exactly* what I intend to do in that game.
Horizon Zero Dawn HZD's soundtrack is full of the same sort of sweeping orchestral stuff that made me love Destiny 2, with tracks that serve to accentuate the world around you. The only reason it's down here at 4 and not higher is because there's a somewhat lack of variety; as a singleplayer story game, most of the music you encounter tends to be in cutscenes, rather than during gameplay. That isn't a *bad* thing however, and over the hundreds, if not thousands of games I've played, reaching #4 on the list is no small feat. The actual orchestral bits pair so well with being able to cultivate this theme of a world full of grandeur, the kind of which you'd see in nature documentaries. The various tracks illicit this feeling of a long forgotten hope, which if you know anything about the plot, ties in perfectly. The music that *does* play outside of the incredible cutscenes add to the world's aesthetic so well, pairing the sort of instruments you'd find people playing in the civilizations you encounter with the environments you find them in. Even the battle music, when there is battle music, is a tense affair; the game incentivizes you to stalk your prey, as Aloy is not a frontline fighter: she's a hunter among predators, and the music matches that tone. Favorite Track: A tie between Aloy's Journey, which provides not only natural sounds mixed with the instruments of the Nora and the underpinning of techno that permeates the story (in addition to one of my favorite musical things where you have these grand sweeping vocals that aren't actually lyrics) and Your Hand of Sun And Jewels, which gives off this sort of air of walking through city streets in golden sunlight, where people dance just a block away and you can smell the fragrant spices of the local cuisine. It makes me yearn and if I listen to it on full blast I can forget that I'm stuck at home for a moment.
Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver Pokemon OSTs hold a special place in my heart because as much as I loved games as a kid, getting started on things like Mappy for the NES (which, now that I write that, really shows how fuckin *old* I am), Pokemon was one of the first things that I basically turned into my personality as a child. Silver version especially was one of the ones that *truly* got me going, as in Blue version I always felt one step behind my brother but Silver was *my* game, my generation. I have extremely fond memories of that game, from the Lake of Rage to trying to beat a ghost gym with a Sentret and it taking four hours because normal types and ghost types are just... immune to each other. But when Soul Silver came out and remastered the soundtrack, it brought back this wave of nostalgia. The bit tunes I remember had been brought to life, in a way that was recognizably Pokemon. Hearing it again brought back the waves of wanting to journey and be a hero again that when the game came out, I was sorely missing. The music in the game is upbeat and chipper, befitting a near solarpunk world that I want to live in. Iconic tracks remain iconic but with a bit of cultural flair, showing that the Johto region hasn't lost touch with it's roots. While it isn't the almighty trumpeting of Gen 3, the nostalgic tracks that are already evocative of nostalgia brings a yearning back for a time when things were simpler and I could just play games. Also, the Rival theme is *rocking*. Favorite Track: Route 26 Theme. Route 26 is also known as Tohjo Falls, the place which connects Johto and Kanto together. And for me, this route represents having reached a triumph and the energy to explore what's next. It's a critique directly against the Hero's Journey's unfortunate end, that they can never go home - the hero here *can* go home, but they choose to set out again for new sights. It's full of the fact that when it plays, you're taking your steps into something new, something bold, and full of new challenges that await you. It is, by far, one of my favorite tracks and the orchestral version brings me to tears.
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hlupdate · 3 years
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Variety’s Grammy-nominated Hitmaker of the Year goes deep on the music industry, the great pause and finding his own muses.
“We’ll dance again,” Harry Styles coos, the Los Angeles sunshine peeking through his pandemic-shaggy hair just so. The singer, songwriter and actor — beloved and critically acclaimed thanks to his life-affirming year-old album, “Fine Line” — is lamenting that his Variety Hitmaker of the Year cover conversation has to be conducted over Zoom rather than in person. Even via videoconference, the Brit is effortlessly charming, as anyone who’s come within earshot of him would attest, but it quickly becomes clear that beneath that genial smile is a well-honed media strategy.
To wit: In an interview that appears a few days later announcing his investment in a new arena in his native Manchester (more on that in a bit), he repeats the refrain — “There will be a time we dance again”— referencing a much-needed return to live music and the promise of some 4,000 jobs for residents.
None of which is to suggest that Styles, 26, phones it in for interviews. Quite the opposite: He does very few, conceivably to give more of himself and not cheapen what is out there and also to use the publicity opportunity to indulge his other interests, like fashion. (Last month Styles became the first male to grace the cover of Vogue solo.) Still, it stings a little that a waltz with the former One Direction member may not come to pass on this album cycle — curse you, coronavirus.
Styles’ isolation has coincided with his maturation as an artist, a thespian and a person. With “Fine Line,” he’s proved himself a skilled lyricist with a tremendous ear for harmony and melody. In preparing for his role in Olivia Wilde’s period thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” which is shooting outside Palm Springs, he found an outlet for expression in interpreting words on a page. And for the first time, he’s using his megaphone to speak out about social justice — inspired by the outpouring of support for Black people around the world following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.
Styles has spent much of the past nine months at home in London, where life has slowed considerably. The time has allowed him to ponder such heady issues as his purpose on the earth. “It’s been a pause that I don’t know if I would have otherwise taken,” says Styles. “I think it’s been pretty good for me to have a kind of stop, to look and think about what it actually means to be an artist, what it means to do what we do and why we do it. I lean into moments like this — moments of uncertainty.”
In truth, while Styles has largely been keeping a low profile — his Love On Tour, due to kick off on April 15, was postponed in late March and is now scheduled to launch in February 2021 (whether it actually will remains to be seen) — his music has not. This is especially true in the U.S., where he’s notched two hit singles, “Adore You,” the second-most-played song at radio in 2020, and “Watermelon Sugar” (No. 22 on Variety’s year-end Hitmakers chart), with a third, “Golden,” already cresting the top 20 on the pop format. The massive cross-platform success of these songs means Styles has finally and decisively broken into the American market, maneuvering its web of gatekeepers to accumulate 6.2 million consumption units and rising.
Why do these particular songs resonate in 2020? Styles doesn’t have the faintest idea. While he acknowledges a “nursery rhyme” feel to “Watermelon Sugar” with its earwormy loop of a chorus, that’s about as much insight as he can offer. His longtime collaborator and friend Tom Hull, also known as the producer Kid Harpoon, offers this take: “There’s a lot of amazing things about that song, but what really stands out is the lyric. It’s not trying to hide or be clever. The simplicity of watermelon … there’s such a joy in it, [which] is a massive part of that song’s success.” Also, his kids love it. “I’ve never had a song connect with children in this way,” says Hull, whose credits include tunes by Shawn Mendes, Florence and the Machine and Calvin Harris. “I get sent videos all the time from friends of their kids singing. I have a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old, and they listen to it.”
Styles is quick to note that he doesn’t chase pop appeal when crafting songs. In fact, the times when he pondered or approved a purposeful tweak, like on his self-titled 2017 debut, still gnaw at him. “I love that album so much because it represents such a time in my life, but when I listen to it — sonically and lyrically, especially — I can hear places where I was playing it safe,” he says. “I was scared to get it wrong.”
Contemporary effects and on-trend beats hardly factor into Styles’ decision-making. He likes to focus on feelings — his own and his followers’ — and see himself on the other side of the velvet rope, an important distinction in his view. “People within [the industry] feel like they operate on a higher level of listening, and I like to make music from the point of being a fan of music,” Styles says. “Fans are the best A&R.”
This from someone who’s had free rein to pursue every musical whim, and hand in the album of his dreams in the form of “Fine Line.” Chart success makes it all the sweeter, but Styles insists that writing “for the right reasons” supersedes any commercial considerations. “There’s no part that feels, eh, icky — like it was made in the lab,” he says.
Styles has experience in this realm. As a graduate of the U.K. competition series “The X Factor,” where he and four other auditionees — Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson — were singled out by show creator and star judge Simon Cowell to conjoin as One Direction, he’s seen how the prefab pop machine works up close. The One Direction oeuvre, which counts some 42 million albums sold worldwide, includes songs written with such established hitmakers as Ryan Tedder, Savan Kotecha and Teddy Geiger. Being a studious, insatiable observer, Styles took it all in.
“I learned so much,” he says of the experience. “When we were in the band, I used to try and write with as many different people as I could. I wanted to practice — and I wrote a lot of bad shit.”
His bandmates also benefited from the pop star boot camp. The proof is in the relatively seamless solo transitions of at least three of its members — Payne, Malik and Horan in addition to Styles — each of whom has landed hit singles on charts in the U.K., the U.S. and beyond.
This departs from the typical trajectories of boy bands including New Kids on the Block and ’N Sync, which have all pro ered a star frontman. The thinking for decades was that a record company would be lucky to have one breakout solo career among the bunch.
Styles has plainly thought about this.
“When you look at the history of people coming out of bands and starting solo careers, they feel this need to apologize for being in the band. ‘Don’t worry, everyone, that wasn’t me! Now I get to do what I really want to do.’ But we loved being in the band,” he says. “I think there’s a wont to pit people against each other. And I think it’s never been about that for us. It’s about a next step in evolution. The fact that we’ve all achieved different things outside of the band says a lot about how hard we worked in it.”
Indeed, during the five-ish years that One Direction existed, Styles’ schedule involved the sort of nonstop international jet-setting that few get to see in a lifetime, never mind their teenage years. Between 2011 and 2015, One Direction’s tours pulled in north of $631 million in gross ticket sales, according to concert trade Pollstar, and the band was selling out stadiums worldwide by the time it entered its extended hiatus. Styles, too, had built up to playing arenas as a solo artist, engaging audiences with his colorful stage wear and banter and left-of-center choices for opening acts (a pre-Grammy-haul Kacey Musgraves in 2018; indie darlings King Princess and Jenny Lewis for his rescheduled 2021 run).
Stages of all sizes feel like home to Styles. He grew up in a suburb of Manchester, ground zero for some of the biggest British acts of the 1980s and ’90s, including Joy Division, New Order, the Smiths and Oasis, the latter of which broke the same year Styles was born. His parents were also music lovers. Styles’ father fed him a balanced diet of the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and Queen, while Mum was a fan of Shania Twain, Norah Jones and Savage Garden. “They’re all great melody writers,” says Styles of the acts’ musical throughline.
Stevie Nicks, who in the past has described “Fine Line” as Styles’ “Rumours,” referencing the Fleetwood Mac 1977 classic, sees him as a kindred spirit. “Harry writes and sings his songs about real experiences that seemingly happened yesterday,” she tells Variety. “He taps into real life. He doesn’t make up stories. He tells the truth, and that is what I do. ‘Fine Line’ has been my favorite record since it came out. It is his ‘Rumours.’ I told him that in a note on December 13, 2019 before he went on stage to play the ‘Fine Line’ album at the Forum. We cried. He sang those songs like he had sung them a thousand times. That’s a great songwriter and a great performer.”
“Harry’s playing and writing is instinctual,” adds Jonathan Wilson, a friend and peer who’s advised Styles on backing and session musicians. “He understands history and where to take the torch. You can see the thread of great British performers — from Bolan to Bowie — in his music.”
Also shaping his musical DNA was Manchester itself, the site of a 23,500-seat arena, dubbed Co-op Live, for which Styles is an investor and adviser. Oak View Group, a company specializing in live entertainment and global sports that was founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015 (Jeffrey Azoff, Irving’s son, represents Styles at Full Stop Management), is leading the effort to construct the venue. The project gained planning approval in September and is set to open in 2023, with its arrival representing a £350 million ($455 million) investment in the city. (Worth noting: Manchester is already home to an arena — the site of a 2017 bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert — and a football stadium, where One Love Manchester, an all-star benefit show to raise money for victims of the terrorist attack, took place.)
“I went to my first shows in Manchester,” Styles says of concerts paid for with money earned delivering newspapers for a supermarket called the Co-op. “My friends and I would go in on weekends. There’s so many amazing small venues, and music is such a massive part of the city. I think Manchester deserves it. It feels like a full-circle, coming-home thing to be doing this and to be able to give any kind of input. I’m incredibly proud. Hopefully they’ll let me play there at some point.”
Though Styles has owned properties in Los Angeles, his base for the foreseeable future is London. “I feel like my relationship with L.A. has changed a lot,” he explains. “I’ve kind of accepted that I don’t have to live here anymore; for a while I felt like I was supposed to. Like it meant things were going well. This happened, then you move to L.A.! But I don’t really want to.”
Is it any wonder? Between COVID and the turmoil in the U.S. spurred by the presidential election, Styles, like some 79 million American voters, is recovering from sticker shock over the bill of goods sold to them by the concept of democracy. “In general, as people, there’s a lack of empathy,” he observes. “We found this place that’s so divisive. We just don’t listen to each other anymore. And that’s quite scary.”
That belief prompted Styles to speak out publicly in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As protests in support of Black Lives Matter took to streets all over the world, for Styles, it triggered a period of introspection, as marked by an Instagram message (liked by 2.7 million users and counting) in which he declared: “I do things every day without fear, because I am privileged, and I am privileged every day because I am white. … Being not racist is not enough, we must be anti racist. Social change is enacted when a society mobilizes. I stand in solidarity with all of those protesting. I’m donating to help post bail for arrested organizers. Look inwards, educate yourself and others. LISTEN, READ, SHARE, DONATE and VOTE. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. BLACK LIVES MATTER.”
“Talking about race can be really uncomfortable for everyone,” Styles elaborates. “I had a realization that my own comfort in the conversation has nothing to do with the problem — like that’s not enough of a reason to not have a conversation. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve been outspoken enough in the past. Using that feeling has pushed me forward to being open and ready to learn. … How can I ensure from my side that in 20 years, the right things are still being done and the right people are getting the right opportunities? That it’s not a passing thing?”
His own record company — and corporate parent Sony Music Group, whose chairman, Rob Stringer, signed Styles in 2016 — has been grappling with these same questions as the industry has faced its own reckoning with race. At issue: inequality among the upper ranks (an oft-cited statistic: popular music is 80% Black, but the music business is 80% white); contracts rooted in a decades-old system that many say is set up to take advantage of artists, Black artists more unfairly than white; and the call for a return of master rights, an ownership model that is at the core of the business.
Styles acknowledges the fundamental imbalance in how a major label deal is structured — the record company takes on the financial risk while the artist is made to recoup money spent on the project before the act is considered profitable and earning royalties (typically at a 15% to 18% rate for the artist, while the label keeps and disburses the rest). “Historically, I can’t think of any industry that’s benefited more off of Black culture than music,” he says. “There are discussions that need to happen about this long history of not being paid fairly. It’s a time for listening, and hopefully, people will come out humbled, educated and willing to learn and change.”
By all accounts, Styles is a voracious reader, a movie lover and an aesthete. He stays in shape by adhering to a strict daily exercise routine. “I tried to keep up but didn’t last more than two weeks,” says Hull, Styles’ producer, with a laugh. “The discipline is terrifying.”
Of course, with the fashion world beckoning — Styles recently appeared in a film series for Gucci’s new collection that was co-directed by the fashion house’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, and Oscar winner Gus Van Sant — and a movie that’s set in the 1950s, maintaining that physique is part of the job. And he’s no stranger to visual continuity after appearing in Christopher Nolan’s epic “Dunkirk” and having to return to set for reshoots; his hair, which needed to be cut back to its circa 1940 form, is a constant topic of conversation among fans. This time, it’s the ink that poses a challenge. By Styles’ tally, he’s up to 60 tattoos, which require an hour in the makeup chair to cover up. “It’s the only time I really regret getting tattooed,” he says.
He shows no regret, however, when it comes to stylistic choices overall, and takes pride in his gender-agnostic portfolio, which includes wearing a Gucci dress on that Vogue cover— an image that incited conservative pundit Candace Owens to plead publicly to “bring back manly men.” In Styles’ view: “To not wear [something] because it’s females’ clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes. And I think what’s exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn’t have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred.”
But acclaim, if you can believe it, is not top of mind for Styles. As far as the Grammys are concerned, Styles shrugs, “It’s never why I do anything.” His team and longtime label, however, had their hearts set on a showing at the Jan. 31 ceremony. Their investment in Styles has been substantial — not just monetarily but in carefully crafting his career in the wake of such icons as David Bowie, who released his final albums with the label. Hope at the company and in many fans’ hearts that Styles would receive an album of the year nomination did not come to pass. However, he was recognized in three categories, including best pop vocal album.
“It’s always nice to know that people like what you’re doing, but ultimately — and especially working in a subjective field — I don’t put too much weight on that stuff,” Styles says. “I think it’s important when making any kind of art to remove the ego from it.” Citing the painter Matisse, he adds: “It’s about the work that you do when you’re not expecting any applause.”
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cardest · 3 years
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Japan playlist
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Are you turning Japanesa? I don’t think so! This, I believe is the ultimate Japan playlist. One of my favorite countries in the world to visit. it truly is a fascinating place in the world. The music from this region is just so. Crazy even! I have been a few times and cannot wait to get back over there again as soon as Crap-19 takes a hike and leaves this planet already. Meanwhile, here is the Japan playlist to keep us happy. Perfect for those of you out there in lock down.
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I hope you dig the list of songs I put together. You can even let me know what songs or bands I forgot and let me know! 私はあなたがそれを掘ることを望みます Arrigato! Hit play right here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_IcliLasW5eajllU8pA5Gh
JAPAN
001 Fantomas - 4-30-05 002 INXS - I Send A Message 003 LADYBABY - candy 004 Babymetal - DoKiDoKi MORNING 005 MOMOIRO CLOVER Z vs KISS - YUMENO UKIYONI SAITEMINA 006 The Cure - Kyoto Song 007  Kill Bill Vol.1 - Isaac Hayes - Run Fay Run 008 CHAI - GREAT JOB 009 Mutant Monster -  Barabara 010 Sigh - Inked in Blood 011 The Vapors - Turning Japanese 012 Fantomas - 4-7-05 013 Ocean Machine -  Night 014 Masayuki Sakamoto - Psy'chy 015 Astro Boy - 1980 English Intro Theme 016 Go Misawa - 悪魔人間 (デビルマン) - 不動明 017 Red House Painters - Japanese To English 018  八十八ヶ所巡礼「仏滅トリシュナー 019 Acid Mothers Temple - Floating Flower Shizuku No Youni 020 Ween - Japanese Cowboy 021 Otoboke Beaver - Don't light my fire 022 Gojira's Godzilla Theme Song 023 Cavalera Conspiracy -  Bonzai Kamikazee 024 Ultra Bide - DNA vs DNA 025 David Bowie - Crystal Japan 026 A Flock Of Seagulls - Tokyo 027 Sakura - Cherry blossoms 028 BON JOVI - Tokyo Road 029 Aneka - Japanese boy 030 Endon - Boy Meets Girl 031 Junko Ohashi - Dancin' 032 Ike Reiko - Yoake No Scat 033 Shohjo-Tai - Flamingo Island 034 Chthonic - Kaoru 035 Herbie Hancock - Nobu 036 Akiko Yano - Dogs Awaiting 037 Inoyama Land - Glass Chaim 038 Fantomas -  4-14-05 039 Hide - Dice 040 Japan - Talking drum 041 Sabbat - Samurai Zombies 042 Brian Ice - Tokyo 043 W.A.S.P. - Tokyos on fire 044 UHNELLYS - SWITCH 045 Boris -  LOVE 046 Kill Bill Vol. 1 - Battle Without Honor or Humanity Tomoyasu Hotei 047 eX-Girl - Pretty You Ugly 048 Gonin Ish - Shagan No Tou 049 Banana Erectors - Fed Up With Highschool Days 050 Strapping Young Lad - Japan 051 Yoshida Brothers - Ibuki 052 Zeni Geva - Total Castration 053 Flower Travellin' Band - Satori, Pt. 1 054 MOMOIRO CLOVER Z - GOUNN - 055 Tom Waits - Big In Japan 056 ABIGAIL - A Witch Named Aspilcuetta 057 Sigh - The Tombfiller 058 Marty Friedman-Dragon's Kiss-Dragon Mistress 059 RIOT - Tokyo Rose 060 Fantomas - 4-13-05 061 Guitar Wolf - High Schooler Action 062 Becoming a Geisha - Memoirs of a Geisha Soundtrack 063 Seven Samurai- Ending Theme 064 Miki Sugimoto - Rei's Ballad (Theme from Zero Woman Red Handcuffs) 065 Yoshida Brothers - Rising from Best Of Yoshida Brothers 066 Ruler - Jeanie Jeanie Jeanie 067 Kill Bill Vol. 1 OST - Twisted Nerve - Bernard Herrmann 068 Fantomas - 4-23-05 069 Shonen Knife - It's a New Find 070 Polish National Radio Symphony OrchestraKrzysztof Penderecki - Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima 071 ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE - Helen Buddha; Miss Condom X 072 Shugo Tokumaru - Decorate 073 PiGu - Bye Bye Honey 074 Hello Kitty Theme Song - Hello Kitty 075 ACUTE -  生き地獄 076 Sabbat - Karmagmassacre 077 Yellow Magic Orchestra - Tong Poo 078 Yojimbo OST -  Main Theme 079 Anpan-man (Red beans bread man)theme song 080 Ex-Girl - The Crown of Dr. Keroninstein 081 Kate Bush - [The Whole Story] Breathing 082 Coffins - Hatred Storm 083 The Books - Tokyo 084 Fantomas -  4-19-05 085 男の一生/松方弘樹 086 Azuma Kabuki Musicians - Dojoji 087 Saxon -  Walking Through Tokyo 088 Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack - The Flower of Carnage - Meiko Kaji 089 Les Rallizes Denudes - Now is forever 090 G.I.S.M. - Nih Nightmare 091 Mono - Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn 092 Deftones - Romantic Dreams 093 Strapping Young Lad - Zen 094 Dead Can Dance - Kiko 095 Kinoco Hotel - キノコホテル「キノコノトリコ」 096 Esashi Oiwake - Ensemble Nipponia 097 Naitemo idayoi - bcmomoiro clover 098 Bryan Ferry - Tokyo Joe 099 Suzuki Junzo - Crying Out Double Suicide Blues 100 Iron Maiden - Sun and Steel 101 Kikagaku Moyo - Dripping Sun 102 Fantomas -  4-3-05 103 BARBATOS - Tokyo Rock'N Roll Show 104 BABYMETAL - MEGITSUNE 105 Eternal Elysium - Shadowed Flower 106 The Erections - stupid punk 107 The Seatbelts - Cowboy Bebop (Original Soundtrack 1) 108 Rush - Manhattan Project 109 Today Is the Day - Samurai 110 Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OST - main theme 111 Japanese War Music - Samurai Battle March 112 Steel Panther - Asian Hooker 113 The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation -  A Place For Fantasies 114 Guitar Wolf - FIGHTING ROCK 115 HEAVY METAL ARMY - That's Hammurabia 116 Michale Graves -  Godzilla 117 Noriko Miyamoto - My Life 118 Loudness - Ashes in the Sky 119 Mary's Blood- Save the queen 120 Mellvins - One Fine Day 121 High On Fire - Bastard  Samurai 122 Shakuhachi - The Japanese Flute 123 Luna Sea - IN SILENCE 124 Tatsuro Yamashita - Sparkle 125 PIG DESTROYER - Kamikaze Heart 126 Tomoko Kawada - Akanegumo 127 Sodom - Kamikaze Terrorizer 128 Carlos Toshiki and Omega Tribe - Sky Surfer 129 TOKKAEBI - cheon mun 130 Pere Ubu - 30 Seconds Over Tokyo 131 Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama 132 Witch Cross - Night Flight To Tokyo 133 F.O.E. - Total Eclipse 134 Coffins - The Frozen Styx 135 Sword of Doom (1966) - Main Theme OST 136 Sigh -  The Transfiguration Fear 137 Yondemasu Yo, Azazel san - Opening song 138 Thundercat - Tokyo 139 GHOST IN THE SHELL O.S.T.2 - i can't be cool 140 Japandroids - No Allegiance to the Queen 141 YAMANTAKA - SONIC TITAN - Hoshi Neko 142 Doraemon 2005 Opening - Sha La La 143 Akira Soundtrack - Kaneda's Theme 144 Anatomia - Morbid Hallucination 145 Traditional Japanese music - Honno-ji 146 Kodo - Lion 147 Tomita Planets - Mercury, The Winged Messenger 148 Yuji Ohno - Lupin The Third Theme '78 149 Ninja Scroll TV Series Soundtrack - Jubei's Theme 150 OKAWARI_BOY show me your space 151 Boris - The Woman on the Screen 152 Sepultura - Kamaitachi 153 X Japan - X 154 L'Acephale - Hitori Bon Odori 155 Zilch (hide) - Inside the Pervert Mound 156 Fantomas -  4-12-05 157 Kodo - Akatsuki 158 Sigh - Hunters not horned 159 Pucca Theme song 160 Tujiko Noriko - Solo - Magic 161 MYSTERY KINDAICHI BAND - THEME OF KOSUKE KINDAICHI 162 Akiko Yano -  クマ 163 Sooo Baad Revue - バッド・レビュ 164 Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says (instrumental) 165 Imaginary Flying Machines - Sanpo (My Neighbor Totoro) (feat. Living Corpse & Yoko Hallelujah) 166 Mutant Monster - kamisama o negai - pv with romaji lyrics 167 Mount Fuji - Neun 168 Kumi Sasaki - Tanchame Bushi 169 Yakuza - Yama 170 Chai - Choose go! 171 Goto Mariko – Drone 172 Blue Oyster Cult  - Godzilla 173 Kinoco hotel –  F No Junkai 174 ASS BABOONS OF VENUS - Jet Unchi 175 James Bond you only live twice OST - Aki, Tiger and Osato 176 PJ Harvey -  Kamikaze 177 BABYMETAL - Awadama Fever 178 Alcatrazz - Hiroshima Mon Amour 179 Tokyo Blade - Warrior of the Rising Sun 180 TIK & TOK - TOKYO GIRLS 181 Queen - Hammer To Fall 182 Nana Kitade - Kibou No Kakera 183 Gallhammer - Blind my eyes 184 Yellow Magic Orchestra - Kai-Koh 185 Chikyuu Kyoumei  Resonance of the Earth 186 Hoodoo Gurus -  Tojo 187 John Waite - Euroshima 188 Tommy Snyder / Yuji Ohno) - ザ・マリン・エクスプレス (The Marine Express) 189 Boris - Riot Sugar 190 Yellow Machinegun - Again 191 Kill Bill, Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack - The Lonely Shepherd 192 Church of Misery - Chilly Grave 193 Jimmy Takeuchi  - Yasuki bushi (Shimane) 194 Yuji Ohno "Andromeda no kanata ni" - (OST - Captain Future) 195 Bo Ningen - Henkan 196 Blood Stain Child - Electricity 197 Crime - Yakuza 198 Tatsuya Yoshida & Satoko Fujii - Feirsttix 199 Ike Reiko - Kokotsu No Sekai 200 Fantomas -  4-9-05 201 David Bowie - It's no game 202 Manon - xxFANCYPOOLxx 203 Sparks - Here In Heaven 204 MAD SPYAIR - samurai heart Gintama 205 Terror Squad - Nightmare Rider 206 Fantomas -  4-6-05 207 Mutant Monster - Hanabi 208 Jimmy Takeuchi - Akita obako 209 NAKED CITY - OSAKA BONDAGE 210 Death Panda theme 211 Crossfaith -  Monolith 212  OMD - Enola Gay 213 Dir en Grey - Obscure 214 LADYBABY Age-Age Money 215 Fantomas -  4-17-05 216 S.O.B. - Deceiver (Napalm Death cover) 217 Jimmy Takeuchi - Time Of The Season 218 Dark Mirror Ov Tragedy - Thy Sarcophagus & Unwritten Symphony 219 Laurie Anderson -  Kokoku 220 THOMPSON TWINS  - TOKIO 221 Electric Eel Shock - Killer killer 222 Kodo - Nanafushi 223 Ningen Isu - Heartless Scat 224 Amachi Shigeru – Showa Blues 225 BlackLab - Insanity 226 TENGGER - achime 227  Riot - Narita 228 Martin Denny - Japanese Farewell Song (Sayonara) 229 LADYBABY - Renge Chance 230 Tokyo Electron  - She Keeps Me Shut 231 Kan Mikami - Anata Mo Star Ni Nareru 232 Kraftwerk - Radioactivity 233 CHAI - N.E.O. 234 Fantomas - 4-27-05 235 Gacharic Spin - Next Stage 236 Loudness -  Crazy Nights 237 David Bowie - Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence 238 The Presidents of the USA -  Japan 239 Fantomas -  4-4-05 240 Kyary Pamyu P - Fashion Monster 241 Wagakki Band - Senbonzakura 242 Deep Purple - Woman From Tokyo 243 Krokus - Tokyo Nights 244 Kyoto - Venetian Blinds 245 Happy End - Natsu nandesu 246 Motohiko Hamase - Plateau 247 Boris - Tokyo Wonder Land 248 Asia - Countdown to Zero 249 Hiiragi Fukuda - Me And My Marshall Amp 250 Marty Friedman -  Ai Takkatta 251 Kodo -  O-Daiko (japanese drummers - Taiko - tambours geants Japon) 252 Sonic Youth - Tokyo Eye 253 Otoboke Beaver - Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome No Meshi 254 Y&T - Midnight in Tokyo 255 Metalucifer -  Heavy Metal Samurai 256 Urami Bushi - Meiko Kaji 257 Alphaville -  Big in Japan 258 M.O.D. - Godzula 259 Akiko Yano - Hitotsudake 260 Japan - Life in Tokyo (Giorgio Moroder Version) 261 Boris with Merzbow - Sometimes 262 Dragonforce - Power Of The Ninja Sword 263 Fantomas -  4-10-05 264 The Guyver Dark hero Theme song 265 Minami Deutsch / 南ドイツ - Futsu Ni Ikirenai 266 Yukihiro Takahashi - Drip Dry Eyes 267 ZooBOMBS - Doo Bee 268 SIGH -  Shingontachikawa 269 Burt Bacharach - Me Japanese Boy I Love You 270 Kay Cee Jones - Japanese Farewell Song 271 Dhidalah - GRB 272 Kikagaku Moyo - tree smoke 273 The Fall - I Am Damo Suzuki 274 Ryuichi Sakamoto - Thousand Knives 275 Yasuaki Shimizu - kakshi 333 Godiego - The Birth of the Odyssey (Monkey Magic) 666 BABYMETAL -Headbanger
Here are the songs to listen to: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_IcliLasW5eajllU8pA5Gh
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korinthya · 3 years
Text
THEORY       Robins and Handkerchiefs
♫ The boy I love is up in the gallery,    The boy I love is looking now at me,    There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief,    As merry as a robin that sings on a tree. ♫
 Hi everyone! Today I’ve got a new theory related to the song "The Boy I love is Up in the Gallery" whose hidden meaning passed unnoticed from my point of view. Of course, all of this is just speculation based on small details collected throughout the series, Steven Knight has the final word.       
So, let’s go...                                                   
  When Grace sings the song "The boy I love is up in the gallery" she mentions the handkerchief and the robin. On the other hand, Thomas is looking at her captivated but he is also listening to the music lyrics. This becomes a symbol between them, the song and its lyrics. 
It should be noted this bird is not red actually, in any case orange, but even in other languages this animal is considered red despite of its orange tones, (Anecdotally in Spanish is called ‘’petirROJO’’) that's why we have to focus on the ESSENCE of these details.
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  Clothing and clothing accessories are also important because express secret ideas and messages.
Now, Thomas telling Grace to buy the matching dress with ‘his handkerchief’ (1x3)... He doesn’t mean Billy Kimber’s, but the boy’s in the song which will be a foreshadowing of her feelings towards him. Moreover, he’s never seen Kimber wear a red handkerchief, yet. The man appears for the first time in 1x2, but he is not using that.
So, why is Billy Kimber wearing a handkerchief of that color later? To mislead. SK does this to make Thomas' feelings for Grace unclear. The best example of this is at the end of that episode when she asks him why he changed his mind. Thomas doesn’t answer but it is obvious that he likes her, a lot. It is a way the author utilises to intrigue the viewer about what kind of feelings there are between them.
But it doesn’t end there, in subsequent episodes we find Thomas wearing a beige scarf to match her dress, implying they are on the same page. It is an element that links them once again. Yes, it isn’t a handkerchief; it is a scarf, even so, is still a pretty similar accessory. The essence is there.
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After what happened that night, we never saw him wearing anything like that until now. Recently, we’ve seen him using a maroon (dark red) scarf in France. If you ask me, it’s the same colour Grace dressed for S1 and S5.
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 But the most decisive proof of this theory was shown to us a few days ago... when a part of the PB team was caught in Scotland due to inclement weather. It was then when some sources reported there was a robin on the crew. They probably used this little bird to make reference to Grace in France, in order to finish that narrative arc created from the first season. In fact, the song in question is recovered in S4 during Thomas and Jessie Eden meeting for a similar purpose.
Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/peaky-blinders-crew-forced-seek-23503939.amp
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So what’s the point of this?
I just want to clarify:
1. Thomas played along with Grace and she wasn’t aware of that 😝
2. There’s a real connection between all these elements and for that reason I think Grace (the real one) still has unfinished business in S6, and will appear alive at some point in the story. I mean, If she disappears after Thomas shots his hallucination (I do think that will happen), it makes no sense that they continue creating symbolism or manipulating the old one, in this case the handkerchief and the robin. It's exactly the same as with the swan thing. Why do you create a completely new symbolism for someone who is dead?
3. More Grace content is coming!! 👏👏👏
UPDATE 5/3/21
 Thomas Shelby wearing a suit and scarf suspiciously similar to the ones he wore to the charity dinner in S3. However, it’s not a flashback. The situation seems to be linked to an important event connected with Oswald Mosley and his fascist political party. And at the same time, all of this takes place in St George’s Hall, a building previously used for the secret meetings between Campbell and Grace and the fateful charity dinner. Once again, I think it’s not a mere coincidence, but one of many callbacks that point to Grace.
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