#Kate bush strikes again! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

snowangeldotmp3 · 1 year

Text

kas!max mayfield

okay, this is a thought i've been rotating in my mind for a while (since vol2 dropped) and maddie (@verymuchablog42) and i were talking about the ever popular kas!eddie (which, while fun to explore, likely is not going to happen)

do you know who is the perfect candidate for a kas figure?

max mayfield.

i don't think max is out of the woods, and while it might not be an exact kas the bloody handed scenario,(i don't think the duffers would add vampires this late into the show, lol) i think we can all agree that vecna isn't done with max. yes, technically el is the one who brought her back, not vecna. but i think max is still the perfect candidate.

reason number one: she's in a coma, meaning she's basically defenseless against vecna if he were to strike again. (unless el is consistently monitoring her, which, from the looks of episode 9, she is, but still!) we know vecna/the mind flayer can possess people, and that vecna possession is way more powerful. we've seen vecna/the mind flayer possess people before, and though he's been knocked down a few pegs, he's not completely powerless. though el is the one who brought her back, vecna could be the one to give max her life back, meaning no more coma.

reason number two: the whole puppet master thing. the master of puppets is vecna, and who's the perfect puppet right now? a semi-dead girl who has a connection to el and will and the rest of the party. vecna could tear the party apart from the inside with max. (and a girl who vecna is now seemingly attached too, both with billy's possession and subsequent death, and then with max's death.)

reason number three: if we assume that max will tear the group apart from the inside, we also have to assume that she will be the one who rails against vecna with them in the end, too. because we all know max, there is no way that she wouldn't be fighting off vecna with everything she has, even while he's the only thing keeping her alive. she's going to make him pay.

reason number four: the emotional potential. god, could you imagine? not only would it break lucas and el (and the rest of the party + steve, robin, and nancy) that their best friend and girlfriend is now a puppet for the enemy, but they can't do much about it. it won't be as simple as 'play kate bush' and it saves the day.

not only that, but from max's pov, it would be emotionally devastating. 'do you accept the risk?' and this is the consequence of that risk. that tiny, seemingly insignificant acceptance, has led her to this. she didn't want to end up like billy, spent her years with him defying him the best she knew how, and yet, at the end of the day, she would have the exact same fate as him. her fate is no longer her own (has it ever been?) and she becomes the puppet for vecna's ultimate plan.

anyways, this is half me theorizing about max's s5 fate, and the other half trying to reconcile the fact that max could very well just, die. and i don't want that to happen, i want her (if she does have to go out) to go out with a bang. a 'fuck you!' to vecna, if you will. but i think if max does wake up in season 5, this is one of the routes that they could very well explore.

#max mayfield #stranger things #kas!max mayfield #again: i don't think they'd make her an exact kas figure but i think it would be very similar.#like a moment where dustin goes '...like kas! she's like kas! we could still save her! we could still win!' or some shit #of course will and el would know something's Wrong with her. and lucas too. he would know there's something distinctly Not Max about her #also sorry maddie for tagging u but now u got me thinking </3 #stranger things theory #st5 speculation #stranger things 5 #not sure what else to tag this with tbh. uh.#first flayed!robin now kas max mayfield what's next! who knows.#not i. that's for sure.#uhhhh adding some extra tags bc i don’t know how else to sort this #elmax #lumax #elumax

124 notes · View notes

unholyhelbig · 2 years

Note

absolutely loving your kate x reader stories more please!!

[A/N: It's been so long since I've had the pleasure of writing Kate x Reader and am intending to wrap up on a few of the stories that I've started previously. Here is the much-requested Part Two of "Once Bitten, Twice the Idiot"]

Request Prompts | Kate Bishop Masterlist | Read on Ao3

Once Bitten, Twice the Idiot Pt.2 | Kate Bishop x Reader

The door was cold against the small of your back, rising goosebumps across your arms, and your neck. The bite on your shoulder throbbed in tandem with the sound of your heart which was nearly deafening. You’d never heard it this loud before. Your nails curled into the palm of your hand as you tried, and failed, to still your breathing.

The girl hadn’t followed you when you took off down the street, hadn’t even attempted to. You counted it as a small blessing- being allowed to return to your apartment with little interference. The cold seeped into your skin as your shoes slapped the pavement. You weren’t going to cry, not in front of the stranger.

A werewolf. Ha.

That was utterly ridiculous. Though you had had your Twilight phase in middle school along with everyone else it was nothing but ebbed fiction. You could argue over Edward or Jacob until you were blue in the face, but you would never admit validity to any of the myths.

You’d sooner believe an escape from the zoo. Of course- it hadn’t been on any of the headlines. You spent your whole first period scrolling through the local news and nothing about an escaped wolf graced your screen.

“That would be insane.” You paced the length of your living room, toying with the sinched gold belt around your waist. “Fucking werewolves.”

Except, was it entirely crazy? The strange girl did share the striking blue gaze as the animal. She described everything you were feeling with innate accuracy before mumbling the truth bluntly. This, however, was the last thing you needed.

You had calmed down a good amount by the time MJ and America stumbled through the door, throwing their car keys into the small bowl next to yours. America’s stare darkened almost immediately with relief.

“Where did you run off to?” she asked.

“Run? I took an uber. I couldn’t run back here. I forgot a quiz due at midnight.”

“Right. Well, we got our asses kicked at beer pong. Those frat boys only have good aim where it counts.” MJ flopped down onto the sofa face first, the rest of her words muffled by the stuffing in the pillow.

You let out a forced chuckle and watched America carefully. She was watching you back, a narrow edge to her stare. It made your stomach hurt. Maybe it was the cold pasta you had eaten earlier, the way that America could read you like a book. Or it could be the girl who claimed to be a werewolf.

There was an alcohol haze to the color of her eyes. That meant you were off the hook until at least morning. You didn't know if you would make it that long, truly, without succumbing to the anxiety of it all.

You excused yourself, giving them a meek wave before MJ went back into the criticism of her own terrible trajectory. Her words were muffled by a throw pillow. You closed your bedroom door and breathed in the scent of your surroundings. Is this really what you smelt like?

It wasn’t bad but it was distinct. There was a sourness under your bed that led you to an expired banana, brown and dripping. You grimaced, wondering where that had gone before you unlatched your window and tossed it into the bushes down below with a preemptive shiver. Gross.

Also, not what you had to worry about right now, but it helped you focus up. Werewolves weren’t real. But then again, you couldn’t deny the animal chasing you, its speed, it’s tracking ability. A house pet couldn’t do that. Or at least you hoped it couldn’t. And maybe the girl in the middle of the street had something going for her, other than that soft, half-animal gaze.

You had fallen into a deep, exhaustion-fueled sleep in the same sheet that you had taken from your bed and fashioned around your waist earlier. Your own half-tonal scent mixed deliciously with the grease of bacon, and the simmering of eggs.

It was a tradition that pained you to miss out on. You went to the parties with America and MJ, you suffered through terrible frats and vapid small talk, and as an award, MJ would fix up the biggest Sunday morning breakfast. It usually came with leftovers to be devoured that night with shitty reality television playing in front of you.

You pulled on the closest sweatshirt that didn’t smell too overwhelming, a pair of jeans, and the softest shoes you could muster. Because at some point during the night, you became determined to do what you did best, research.

Going through the front door wasn’t an option.

The third-degree had burned you too much these last 48 hours, and though you were on the second floor of your apartment building, you figured that you could get down there with no problem. A drain ran horizontally along the building and worse comes to worst, you could just fall into the bushes with the musty banana. Your plan was flawless.

The cold air burned your hands as they gripped the side of the brick sill. So- maybe this was easier in your head and maybe it was a further drop than you intended. With a deep breath, you hoisted yourself up and over the side of the window, back facing the small courtyard behind you.

You took it slow, inching to the metal pipe. The second your fingertips hit the metal you relaxed a bit. Never in a million years would you see yourself doing this. You inched down the edge of the gutter, hooking your hands on the small bolts until you shimmied halfway to the ground below.

Right when the confidence rose in your chest, your left foot slipped, the rubber of your shoe not enough to grip the small hold on the brick. You felt your knees scrape the rough material; cheek pushed against the earthy brick. You clenched your eyes shut. “Shit, shit, shit.”

“Just let go!” A voice called up.

In shock, you nearly released your grip, eyes flashing to anger as you looked down. The girl that had followed you from the party stood in the greying grass below. She had a shit-eating grin on her face that made your stomach do flips. That, or the fact that you were up a lot higher than you thought. You hadn’t made headway at all- too far from the window and even further from the ground.

“How are you here right now?”

“I took the bus,”

“You know what I mean!” You grunted, arms burning. “How did you find me?”

She rolled her eyes “Just drop, I promise nothing will happen to you.”

You gritted your teeth. The wind was starting to sting against your skin. What happened to being so confident that you could drop if you need to? You must have left that sentiment up there in the room. Though, you didn’t want to trust a stranger who had maybe bitten you.

“What? You’re going to catch me?”

“No, you’re going to catch yourself.” You turned and glared at her again. She was awful at talking you down. Her jacket was a cobalt blue, calming against the drab scenery around you both. Her hands were in her pockets, perfectly sculpted eyebrows raised. “You can’t stay up there forever. But I can’t say I don’t enjoy the view.”

You wrapped your left hand tighter around the gutter, using the right to flip her off. You went to readjust yourself instead, but your other foot took a nosedive from the movement, and you were suddenly falling.

The breath was knocked from your lungs as you hit the ground, your legs finding solace in the hedges while the rest of you sprawled on your back on the open grass. You groaned out the rest of the air in your lungs, the sun blocked by the silhouette of the girl.

“Yeah, I really thought your natural instincts were going to jump in.”

“You’re the worst.”

She reached down a hand to help you up, but you batted it away before hoisting yourself easily to a standing position, crawling from the bushes in something that couldn't look at all flattering. Your lower back throbbed in protest, heart beating fast a few times before everything faded and the screaming in your muscles stopped.

You let out a huff and straightened yourself before stomping away from her. The library wasn’t a far walk, and you refused to be cornered on the bus with her. There were worse fates, but that one was high up there. Pretty or not, she was clearly missing a few screws. Werewolves. Ha.

“Listen, we need to talk,” She trotted along, matching your pace. “I know you don’t necessarily want to hear what I have to say. I’m sure you’re really confused or whatever, but Clint will literally murder me if I don’t bring you back to the compound.”

Stopping short of the curb you turned and glared at her. “The what? Actually, you know what, I don’t care! I’m not going anywhere with you, much less something called the compound. You’re crazy if you think I would listen to anything you say at all after you… you bit me.”

“So, you believe me, then?”

“No!”

You shook your head clear of the smirk on her lips and continued your walk along the fallen palette of yellows, oranges, and reds. She followed close behind, but you refused to indulge in it. Just keep your eyes steady, she’ll leave eventually.

“You have to listen to me,”

No, no you didn't. You wished you had grabbed your headphones so you could at least attempt to drown her out. But then she was in front of you, her hands on both of your shoulders with an iron grip and a newfound look of seriousness.

“If you don’t, you’ll end up hurting someone you love.” She gritted, “I know you think that you can handle whatever life throws at you, really, it’s admirable, but not this. Trust me. Things are overwhelming right now, and confusing but I know you feel that anger. I know you’re swallowing it down.”

It was more like an incessant buzzing at the back of your mind, not there, not prevalent in the slightest until it was called into attention. But she was right, it was red-hot and rushed through your veins like a poison spreading from the very oozing bite on your shoulder. Your eyes softened, mouth dry and sour.

There was a softness to her gaze that seemed to thaw whatever was in the pit of your stomach. You found yourself wanting to collapse into her, wanting to let all that raw emotion out. It was fear, and pain, and your body wanted to give out.

“I wanted to find you to say that I’m sorry.” Her voice was low, quiet, gravelly. “But more than anything I want you to be okay, a stranger who I don’t know.”

You sniffed, your resolve cracking in tiny hairline fractures “Y/n.”

“Y/n, I’m Kate. And I’m going to get you help, okay? No libraries for research, or random freakouts that land you in a holding cell in Westchester because you broke into a restaurant and ate all of the raw meat in the freezer.”

“That’s a little too specific.”

You weren’t resounding to the fact that you were a werewolf just yet. Part of you believed that it wouldn't sink in all the way until you had four paws and a tail. But the answer settled around your mind like a heavy fog. Something that you had known all along- and here was the girl who had done it to you, someone you should hate, but rationally couldn’t.

Despite your better judgment, you did end up getting on the city bus with Kate. A mix of ice and rain had begun to fall while you waited silently in the small alcove for situations like these. There was a man asleep against an ad for a sandwich shop, curled into himself even as the overhead fluorescent flickered on. It left you with Kate and the mute driver who barely flashed acknowledged two college students.

You crossed your arms over your chest and watched as the stone maze of buildings on campus became scattered. The bus made three stops in town, the man exiting on the second. Soon it had pulled away from civilization entirely. The rain was coming down harder now, blurring the hills and the trees, as the homes became scattered into nothing.

Kate’s heat beside you was overwhelming. It radiated from her skin as she kept her palms flat against the bar in front of you both, obstructing the view. She had an unearthly beauty to her that made your mouth dry, incredibly so.

Here was a girl that confessed to digging her canine teeth deep into your shoulder, grounding your bones to dust and your blood to jelly. Yet, you felt no fear around her. If anything, it was a comfort that writhed hungrily under your ribcage, like a heart.

“So… Westchester?” You filled the silence.

Kate’s rocky eyes lit up. This was you trying your best to make light of the situation with small talk. It wasn’t an olive branch but a small spout of green that needed to be tended to. She chuckled and you liked the sound. “Yeah, an Olive Garden of all places. I guess I was craving Italian.”

“That is hardly Italian. There is a place in Brooklyn that has the best red sauce.”

You bite your tongue before you could say more. You’d have to take her there someday. That wasn’t appropriate to say. She just watched you fall to your near death and did nothing but smirk up at you charmingly.

Kate seemed to understand your reservations. She didn’t push, just smiled wider as the bus finally slowed to a stop. The brake released in a long whine of discontent at the wetness of the day. You didn’t recognize the world around you, the green and the scent of freshly mowed grass drenched with rain. The dense forest surrounding the small sign that was carved out for a station, a bench long overgrown with ivy.

Yeah, you were definitely about to be murdered. It didn't look like anyone lived within miles of this place. Kate disembarked and you followed, rather taking your chances with the girl than the bus driver who smelled sharply of Juicy fruit and cigarette smoke.

“Just through here,” Kate said, again, sensing your discomfort. She pulled back a large oak branch and something that resembled a gravel pathway came into view. It was worn over time by travel. The sun streamed through the gaps in the trees, catching the blanket of fallen leaves. Rain sprinkled as you walked, your hands cold.

“I have to warn you about a few things.”

You swallowed hard, dragging out the word. “Okay”

She slowed her pace, edging in the same direction as the muddy rocks and underbrush. “Everyone you’re about to meet is very… How do I explain this? They tend to be a lot sometimes. They’re good people just guarded. And mad. At me.”

“How many people are we meeting exactly?”

You weren’t the greatest in any social situation. This was one of your worst nightmares- a place in the dead center of the woods in Albany County, no less, that housed irritable strangers. You had barely begun to trust (also not the word) Kate. But yet, you wanted to cling to her like a safety blanket.

Before she answered, the house came into view. It was large and stuck out against the oak trees that surrounded the property, shading it from the rest of the world. Floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the environment, and large white paneling bordered the glass. It was far from inconspicuous, a flex of wealth that you had only seen in the city. Never this far away from civilization.

“Holy shit,” You breathed out “This is a secret government lab. You’ve taken me to a secret government lab to get experimented on and I’m going to hit myself over the head with a rock immediately.”

“It’s not as scary as it looks, promise. You can trust me.”

“I barely know you.”

“touché”

She shrugged her shoulders at the remark and trudged on toward the house. You watched her for a few moments before jogging to catch up. Retreating to the comfort of the university had long since passed. Most likely, you wouldn’t be able to figure out which way was up out here, despite the scents from the forest filling your lungs and prickling against your skin.

Kate was the only option.

#kate bishop #Kate Bishop x reader #Kate Bishop x you #Kate Bishop x y/n #werewolf au #request #hawkeye #Hawkeye au

152 notes · View notes

cool-island-songs · 1 year

Text

apropos of nothing, goth music headcanons. just

what i think each goth would purport to listen to and then actually listen to. you're welcome and i'm sorry

disturbing amounts of just like me fr

We have a good sense of Henrietta's music tastes based on what she says, the posters she has in her room, and the music she puts on while driving her mother's car. My girl Henri is trad goth; she likes Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy. In her speaking debut, she tells us she's been forbidden from going to a Skinny Puppy concert but I think industrial's a little more Firkle's bag and she'll just go see whatever. Also tbh we never hear of this heroin addict aunt again so she's either trying to impress or they retooled her character lol

Her fakeout guilty pleasure music is shoegaze of the caliber of Cocteau Twins and Jesus and Mary Chain. Her real guilty pleasure music is piano lady music but she will never admit to her deep abiding love for Tori Amos after she let slip she enjoys Kate Bush—the most respectable of piano ladies!—and Michael still makes fun of her for it to this day. Douchebagggg

Pete: Pete strikes me as a bit of a sap (affectionate). Like Henrietta, he enjoys classic goth with his faves being the Smiths, the Cure, Joy Divison, Depeche Mode. God, he probably has a crush on both Henrietta and Michael and listens to Bizarre Love Triangle and cries

I'm gonna say his guilty pleasure is just regular new wave/80s pop rock, maybe similar tastes to what I see cool gay Bradley being into like Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, omg Peter Gabriel. He's a wreck I love him

lol dork. omg do u think he likes Garbage

Firkle:

stated tastes: Ministry, Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Einstürzende Neubauten

real tastes: NIN, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Chemlab, Rammstein, Marilyn Manson even??? ur cringe firkle stawp

id k michael i'm sory

Michael is that guy who corners you at parties and knows way too much about black metal. I am . in love wit him

#sp goths #headcanons #henrietta biggle #pete thelman #firkle smith #sp michael #why doesn't he have a last name #he's the only one #c'mon #he's a good boy #give him one #south park

85 notes · View notes

sea-owl · 2 years

Text

I may or may not have fell into the Bridgerton fandom. And with like any fandom I drop into I may or may not have fun by thinking of some AU's. I haven't seen this exact one so have some immortal spouses/reincarnated Bridgertons AU.

(Also this was partly inspired by @thekatebridgerton I highly recommend their blog)

Magic is a recessive gene that has been slowly dying out, and the immortals being born from this magic is becoming less and less. Many now believe it nothing more than fairytales.

Few knew the truth, such as Simon Basset who was the first born in his family with magic after many generations. His father hates him and constantly remarks that his son's magic is a curse that killed his mother.

It isn't until Lady Danbury comes barging into his life that he learns his magic is something that is just a part of him like his hair or eyes. Lady Danbury mentors Simon and instructs him to keep an eye out for others like him.

"Magic likes to come in waves. Once one of you is born others are sure to follow."

And she had been right. When Simon married his wife Daphne every single in-law he got after had magical abilities. They all liked to joke that their spouses were magic detectors.

Simon could not have been more grateful for it when it was time for each one of them to separate themselves from the family.

Immortality was a bitch sometimes.

For the most part all eight of them stuck together. Of course, there were times where one or two might have gone and done their own thing for a decade or two, but they all knew where the general location of their family was.

And while none of them have any issue of shifting their age to fit their story or letting themselves appear to age to stay in a place longer they do tend to favor certain age groups. With Simon, Kate, and Sophie preferring their 30s, Penelope, Michael, and Phillip preferring mid to late 20s, and Gareth and Lucy in their early 20s or very late teens in the earliest. They pretend not to notice that the ages they chose tend to follow a certain order. The same way they all pretend not to notice how none of them have step a single foot back in Britian since they left.

Again, immortality is a bitch at times, but if there is anything their Bridgerton spouses have taught them it’s that there is always room for some chaos.

Penelope, Michael, Gareth, and Lucy have made it a sport to see who can trick the government to give them the biggest tax breaks in their lifetimes. In 2015 they somehow managed to drag Sophie and Phillip into it to shake up the playing fields. Sophie and Penelope vs Michael and Phillip, vs Gareth and Lucy.

Pall mall games have gotten more extreme with the added use of their magic. Kate has more than once set the mallet of death on fire, along with her ball. Penelope has literally gotten into her siblings’ heads and used her words to trick them into missing their balls. Phillip uses nearby trees or bushes to hide his siblings’ balls or obstruct the goals. Gareth likes to literally hide in the shadows to trip others. Simon adds more magical force than necessary when striking his ball. Lucy randomly changes the weather, and Michael turns the goals invisible.

In their current lives the eight siblings are living in America posing as former foster siblings who stayed together after they each aged out of the system. It gained quiet the sympathy for their current company, which definitely helped the donations. Simon and Kate are the coheads using their knowledge and time as a duke and viscountess to get ahead in the business. Sophie runs HR, she makes sure any employee feels safe in their company, and God help you if she finds out any type of management is taking advantage of those under their leadership. Penelope is the creative director whose team handles things such as the website, design work, copywriting, and content writing. She teams up with Michael, the head of the company’s PR, when it comes to advertising to make sure the company follows their brand and keeps it in good standing with the public. Phillip is making sure the company is staying ecofriendly, often looking for plant-based alternatives to keep their carbon footprint low. Gareth and Lucy used as the company darlings and are sent out during charity functions or demonstrations.

In this life it is safe to go by their real names again, though they decided to use the Danbury name just to get a reaction out of Lady Danbury, who has long taken residence in a forgotten about piece of property she owns.

While they all miss their spouses dearly, and each still wear their wedding bands on a necklace, they have adjusted to life without them. Afterall they still have each other.

Meanwhile back in Britan there was a lovely couple named Edmund and Violet Bridgerton who had eight children all named after a letter in the alphabet. When each child reached puberty their memories of their past lives returned.

And they each have been looking for their spouses ever since. If their parents could be reunited, then they sure as hell would find their soulmates again too.

Violet understands her children’s pain every time a lead goes nowhere. She calms their fears when thoughts creep up that their spouses didn’t reincarnate like they did.

“They probably go by a different name now,” Edmund would reassure his children.

The children would mumble an agreement, but Edmund could see them get more twitchy, become more desperate every year that goes by without them finding their loves.

Edmund never expected to be the one to find his in-laws. It just happened so casually too.

He had been looking at partnering with a new company to help his become more ecofriendly. A friend of his suggested Danbury Inc who was in one of the same industries as the Bridgerton group.

“They’re young,” one of Edmund’s associates shrugged. “But they definitely got what you’re looking for.”

A meeting was set up between two helpful PAs and Edmund was on his way to America.

“Ah Mr. Bridgerton!” A young secretary greeted. “Mr. and Ms. Danbury are finishing up their sibling lunch and they’ll meet with you shortly. You can wait in the conference room here.”

Edmund nodded, taking in his surroundings as the secretary left. The office walls were all glass with shades rolled up at the top. Giving a perfect view of the the office around it. It was a rather open floor plan with eight desks laid out among the floor. Near the back of the room sat a large table with eight people around it, and why did they look so familiar to Edmund?

Edmund squinted taking them all in. He’s seen them somewhere before but where?

Edmund sticks his hands in his pockets, a crinkle of paper catching his attention.

Pulling it out he finds the drawings Benidict always makes sure he has of the spouses should he ever stumble across one of them during his business travels. Benidict constantly keeps it updated to match the age they would be if they still held the same age differences as they did in their previous lives.

Edmund studies the drawing for a moment before looking back at the group of eight.

Oh.

Edmund looks back down at the drawing and then back at the table.

Oh!

Scrambling for his phone Edmund snaps a picture to send to the family group chat.

Guess who I found.

Violet is the only one to respond.

The children are already running out the door. We’ll be on the next flight.

#the bridgertons are coming to disturb the peace #they just miss their spouses #i can see this getting so chaotic so fast #lady danbury gonna be laughting her ass off when her nibblings call her up to complain about their clingy spouses #jk they missed their crazy bridgertons too #immortal spouses au #bridgerton #kathony #benophie #polin #saphne #philoise #franchael #hyareth #grucy #bridgerton spouses

112 notes · View notes

azulas-lightning-bolt · 1 month

Text

happy easter to those who celebrate! how will I spend my easter you ask? hmmm I think I’ll make a post about my mako playlist instead of anything on my 24728 item long list of things I want to post about within this lifetime (my spring break)!

just to start us off strong, here’s the link to the spotify playlist. I am now, under the cut, going to list all the songs. why is that, you ask? because this will be a master list of sorts. if I can commit to something for once in my life, I’ll post a bunch of different short things explaining why certain songs are on there! most of it is in fact mitski BUT HES SO MITSKI CODED‼️‼️ and I want to yap about it somewhere cuz music is my love language fr

Class of 2013 - Audiotree Live Version ; Mitski, Audiotree

Shame ; Mitski

I Don’t Smoke - Audiotree Live Version ; Mitski, Audiotree

Abbey ; Mitski

Drunk Walk Home ; Mitski

Real Men ; Mitski

Goodbye, My Danish Sweetheart ; Mitski

Brand New City ; Mitski

Jobless Monday ; Mitski

Cop Car ; Mitski

My Body’s Made of Crushed Little Stars ; Mitski

Townie ; Mitski

Crack Baby ; Mitski

Sarah ; Alex G

Break ; alex_g_offline

I Wait for You ; alex_g_offline

How To Never Stop Being Sad ; dandelion hands

The Blonde ; TV Girl

i was all over her ; salvia palth

Poison Tree ; Grouper

Pretend ; alex_g_offline

Song About Me ; TV Girl

Loving Machine ; TV Girl

Pretty Boy ; TV Girl

Louise ; TV Girl

Safeword ; TV Girl

Better in the Dark ; Jordana, TV Girl

Cigarettes out the Window ; TV Girl

Vampire Empire ; Big Thief

Back to the Old House - 2011 Remaster ; The Smiths

I Bet on Losing Dogs ; Mitski

anything ; Adrianne Lenker

First Love/Late Spring ; Mitski

Your Best American Girl ; Mitski

Two Slow Dancers ; Mitski

Washing Machine Heart ; Mitski

Nothing’s New ; Rio Romeo

Mama’s Boy ; Dominic Fike

It Almost Worked ; TV Girl

Just Take My Wallet ; Jack Stauber’s Micropop

Cupid ; Jack Stauber’s Micropop

Coffee ; Jack Stauber’s Micropop

Wet ; Dazey and the Scouts

Bruno is Orange ; Hop Along, Queen Ansleis, Frances Quinlan

Everyone Adores You (at least I do) ; Matt Maltese

She Likes Another Boy ; Oscar Lang

Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want ; Deftones

Heart For Brains ; Roar

Stress Relief ; late night drive home

P.U.N.K Girl ; Heavenly

Moonlight on the River ; Mac DeMarco

Good Looking ; Suki Waterhouse

nintendo 64 ; if i die in mississippi

Think Of Me Once In A While, Take Care ; Take Care

someday i’ll get it ; Alek Olson

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? ; Tyler, The Creator

Army Dreamers ; Kate Bush

Bigmouth Strikes Again - 2011 Remaster ; The Smiths

O Superman ; Laurie Anderson

Liquid Smooth ; Mitski

I Want You ; Mitski

Class of 2013 ; Mitski

A Burning Hill ; Mitski

Once More to See You ; Mitski

Last Words of a Shooting Star ; Mitski

I Don’t Smoke ; Mitski

Waiting Room ; Phoebe Bridgers

Francis Forever ; Mitski

Hate Yourself ; TV Girl

Stay, I Pray You ; Constantine Germanacos, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Christy Altomare, Anastasia Company

Learn to Do It ; John Bolton, Derek Klena, Christy Altomare

A Pearl ; Mitski

Step On Me ; The Cardigans

Things to Do ; Alex G

Race ; Alex G

Tell Ur Girlfriend ; Lay Bankz

oh my god why do I do this to myself. typing that out was so fucking aggravating jesus christ.

#mako lok #character playlist #sigh #mitski #most massive mitski fan here btw #ik I used like all her most well known songs but like.#what am I gonna do.#add her entire discography.#mako is so mitski core dear god #slug’s stuff

2 notes · View notes

loughie · 2 months

Text

#Spotify

2 notes · View notes

devious-little-milkmaiden · 4 months

Text

Favorite Albums That I Listened to in 2023

I'm not a huge fan of listening to albums, so I'm actually surprised as to how many I listened to in the past year: though that's mostly because a friend and I started giving each other album recommendations.

Cracker Island Gorillaz, 2023

I was excitedly anticipating this one, though I'm a pretty moderate Gorillaz fan. They had some great collaborations on this one, such as Bootie Brown, Beck, Bad Bunny, and Stevie Nicks! It's not my favorite Gorillaz album but still a pretty solid one.

Favorite songs: "Cracker Island", "Oil", "Skinny Ape", and "Silent Running".

Bella Donna Stevie Nicks, 1981

In contrast to Cracker Island and Gorillaz, I am a huge Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac fan. Bella Donna is Nicks' debut solo album, and I absolutely love how powerful it feels, and the Nicks era that it ushered in.

Favorite songs: "Edge of Seventeen", "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"

The Kick Inside Kate Bush, 1978

Kate Bush is an artist that I love dearly, though I usually prefer to cherry-pick her songs rather than listening to entire albums of hers, usually because each individual song on her albums vary greatly by tone. I would say that The Kick Inside is one of the few that I do enjoy listening to from beginning-to-end. Some of my absolute favorites of Kate Bush come from this album, and overall, it does have a pretty consistent tone. It's airid, ethereal, comedic and whimsical.

Favorite songs: "The Saxophone Song", "Wuthering Heights" (!!!!!!) "Oh to Be in Love", "L'Amour Looks Something Like You" (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

The Queen is Dead The Smiths, 1986

Very appropriate listen for 2023.

I don't know much about The Smiths lore or what it says about me that I like them or whatever, I just enjoy listening to their music :).

Favorite songs: "I Know It's Over", "Cemetery Gates", "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

Melt My Eyez See Your Future Denzel Curry, 2022

This was one that was recommended to me by a friend based on his personal taste, which is pretty different from mine. I absolutely adore this album's sound. It has a sort of vulnerable charm to it.

Favorite songs: "Walkin", "Mental"

Are You Experienced Jimi Hendrix, 1967

I only started listening to Jimi Hendrix in 2023, and boy have I been missing out. His voice!!! His sound!!!! His guitar!!!!! Him!!!! Absolutely spectacular. This is Exhibit A in music that changes you. I feel like that scene in Elvis where all the girls lose their minds when I listen to this album.

Favorite songs: "Purple Haze", "Manic Depression", "Hey Joe", "Love Or Confusion", "The Wind Cries Mary" (!!!!!!) "Are You Experienced", "Highway Chile"

Hozier Hozier, 2014

I listen to this one and I think, "Yep, this is a Hozier album." Idk how else to describe it. Quintessential Hozier: ethereal, folksy, bee-boppy.

Favorite songs: "Jackie And Wilson", "From Eden", "Someone New", "Sedated", "Work Song" (!!!!!!!!)

Wasteland, Baby! Hozier, 2019

Again, quintessential Hozier, yet a bit more refined, more dark and romantic. Hozier's artistry is aging like wine. Transcendent.

Favorite songs: "Almost (Sweet Music)" (!!!!!) "Movement" (!!!!!) "Would That I", "Sunlight"

Never for Ever Kate Bush, 1980

Kate Bush at her finest. She is my everything. Similar to The Kick Inside, this one is whimsical and comedic, yet it differs with a much heavier weight and increased closeness.

Favorite songs: "Babooshka", "The Wedding List", "Army Dreamers" (!!!!!)

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars David Bowie, 1972

I want this buried with me. My absolute favorite of Bowie's albums. It has a transcendent proximity, a sentence which makes no sense. It feels close and far away at the same time (what I am pretentiously describing is called an echo).

Favorite songs: "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Starman", "It Ain't Easy", "Lady Stardust", "Star", "Ziggy Stardust", "Suffragette City", "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"

Superclean, Vol. II The Marías, 2018

Another one of my friend's recommendations. This one puts me in a good mood and clears my mind. :)

Favorite songs: All of them.

Unreal Unearth Hozier, 2023

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Favorite songs: "De Selby (Part 2)", "First Time", "Francesca", "I, Carrion (Icarian)", "Who We Are" (RASDHFKASDJGSDKGFGNASJDDSJGAFVLDFEJRGAOLFNVASGNWRG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), "Abstract (Psychopomp)", "Unknown / Nth", "First Light"

Thee Sacred Souls Thee Sacred Souls, 2022

The Greta Van Fleet of soul, taking it back to one of the most recognizable sounds from the genre. They're just so sweet.

Favorite songs: "Lady Love", "Easier Said Than Done", "Future Lover" (I have a t-shirt of theirs with this song's lyrics)

Also, it's not on this album but "Running Away" is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC AND I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF IT.

Mozart: Requiem Mozart, Karitta Mattila, Sara Minguardo, Michael Schade, Bryn Terfel, Berliner Philharmoniker

It has the drama. It'll make you feel like you're in a Donna Tartt novel. I have a bit of a hard time sitting through classical albums but this one is endlessly captivating.

Favorite songs: "Requiem, K. 626: I. Introitus. Requiem aeternam", "Requiem, K. 626: III. Sequentia: f. Lacrimosa", "Requiem, K. 626: V. Sanctus"

Final Thoughts: Quite a wide range of genres this year, though I must say I enjoyed stepping out of my usual listening tendencies and exploring some genres I was heavily deprived in.

3 notes · View notes

ebitchwriting · 1 year

Text

Music Taste The RE Characters Give Me The Vibes Of Part Three:

Piers Nivans: Oh serious boy Piers. I'll be honest, he was quite hard to pin down, but I also like to think when he's off-duty and just hanging out with his teammates and captain at a bar, or a movie theatre for the newest b-rated horror flick, or the one time they all decided to go to a medieval larp, he's a much less rough and gruff, but actually joking, light. Still serious, but anyone can see the tension melting away. For this reason, I actually think his music taste is greatly influenced by his friends. A strange mix of Queen, ABBA, I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, Ricky Martin, Toto, and quite a few famous pop songs like A Thousand Miles, I'm Not Gonna Write You A Love Song, etc. He's always willing to listen to whatever his friends want to listen to, and whatever they suddenly become obsessed with.

Jake Muller/Wesker: Jakov(I refuse to believe his name is Jacob) grew up poor in Edonia, a country constantly suffering from either war from impending invasion, civil war, or biological warfare because of greedy pharmaceutical comoanies wanting to test out new viruses. So, I don't think he really got to listen to a whole lot of music growing up. The radios, when the radio towers worked, played typically folk Edonian music, rock&roll Edonian music, or pop Edonian music. Which, since what little we've seen of Edonia, I would imagine Edonian music sounding very similar to Serbian music.

Richard Simmons: If you've seen Netflix's Tau, then Simmons gives me the exact same vibes as Alex(and not just in terms of music). He listens to classical music only when he wants to calm down and distract himself from murdering someone over something as trivial as a fingerprint on a glass. Maybe jazz if thr mood strikes him. He also likes the music he thinks Ada likes purely because it's Ada Wong, and he longs to possess her like she's a trinket.

Carla Radames: Who knows what she genuinely liked before she was transformed and gaslighted into "becoming" Ada Wong? After that, well she liked what Richard believed Ada liked(which again who fucking knows if that is the case or not). Which, in Simmons' mind and the confirmation bias he came to when he and Ada had meetings, I think he would see Ada as a classic jazz fan. Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, and Ela Fitzgerald are the artists he would mainly play for Ada, and therefore would make Carla listen to.

Helena Harper: Helena has always been known as a spitfire that didn't care much for what other people thought and always did what she thought was right unless forced otherwise. She strikes me as someone who's about counterculture, and for that reason, she seems like she would listen to heavy metal and nu-metal bands like Disturbed, Korn, Papa Roach, and Gracchus, as well as particular singers like Rob Zombie and Maynard Keenan. It's just what she likes, and she doesn't give a damn if people think she's trying to be edgy or cool.

Ingrid Hannigan: I can see Ingrid being a fan of Kate Bush, Daniela Andrade, Marika Hackman, and Lola Blanc. Not much of a dancer or a singer unless if she's intentionally trying to be goofy or romantic with a romantic partner, with a young niece or nephew, or drunk with Leon.

Ashley Graham: Ashley seems like she would be into indie pop music, like Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Ray, Of Monsters and Men, and I'm not sure if she counts as indie pop or not but putting Billie Eilish on the list too. I can see that Ashley would be the type to dance along with her songs, but it would generally be slower dancing, more swaying as she's insecure about her dancing skills and whether or not anyone can see her. She's also shy about showing her music to anyone. She hates being judged.

#resident evil #resident evil headcanons #piers nivans #jake muller #jake wesker #richard simmons #carla radames #helena harper #ashley graham #finally feel better after recovering from wisdom tooth surgery

9 notes · View notes

steelycunt · 2 years

Text

hehehe little rebrand xx

#didnt want to lose the kate bush pfp tho :-/ will never lose the kate bush pfp i will simply have to find a new pic of her each time #kinda miss the old one though. we'll see #not brave enough 4 the url change yet the rebrand will have 2 come in phases...still cant choose between steelydangf or sparksgf anyway xx #but either way i will always b ridi!! just pretend u dont see a completely different name attached to my spotify innit. its fine!!!#(ridi's) bigmouth strikes again

9 notes · View notes

sojourner-between-worlds · 1 year

Text

Because of who I am as a person, I decided to trim the fat from my 5Ds playlist and make a top 30 version that is actually semi-organized.

Have fun.

(List -- with notes -- below the cut)

***Mostly chronological order of what part of the series they best reflect. Some are in "off" places because I felt they fit better there, musically or thematically when listening. ***When I label one as "All Signers", that includes Rua/Lua/Leo since he's such an integral part of the group even before he gets his mark at the end. ***Also, presented with a lil bit of commentary because of who I am as a person, lol. ***I am hoping this list is the correct order, as I have moved things around a lot to get an order I liked, haha, but all of these are on there.

The Greatest Show - The Greatest Showman (Riding Duels, the general Vibe of the series, haha)

Catalyst - Linkin Park (Satellite)

Young - Hollywood Undead (All Signers)

Child of the Stars - Fish in a Bird Cage (Yusei, pre-series but with Foreshadowing)

Kings - Tribe Society (Jack, pre-series, Team Satisfaction era and on)

Paper Crown - Alec Benjamin (Aki, pre-series)

Counting Stars - OneRepublic (Crow, pre-series, Team Satisfaction era on)

Renegades - ONE OK ROCK (All Signers, a bit of a transition into the start of the series)

Who I Am - Citizen Soldier (Yusei and Aki, Fortune Cup)

Brick by Boring Brick - Paramore (Aki, pre-series through second duel with Yusei)

Relate - for King & Country (All Signers)

We Are - ONE OK ROCK (All Signers)

Feed the Machine - Poor Mans Poison (Rex Godwin, Satellite)

Watching As I Fall - Mike Shinoda (Pre-series Kiryu/Kalin.)

Ready As I’ll Ever Be - Tangled: the Series (Signers vs Dark Signers. I could break this one down line by line, but I will spare you all unless you, ya know, want to know or something)

Soldier, feat. Fluerie - Tommee Profitt (Yusei; fits the entire series but considering just how many duels this poor boy has, I felt it was fitting to have it be the finale song for the first half of the series, coupled with the next one.)

In Search of Tomorrow - Zack Hemsey (This one is weird simply because it's instrumental, but I think it fits nicely to close the first half and lead into the second.)

Unbreakable - Fireflight (Aki, associated specifically with her getting her license)

Higher - The Score (Crow, associated specifically with him getting hurt, missing the first prelim, and then coming back for the next)

Hell’s Comin’ With Me - Poor Mans Poison (Crashtown Kiryu/Kalin; originally associated with the DS but then I got to thinking about how much it fits after they escape the mines and since I have fewer songs for the second half of the series, it landed here. But it's for both, okay? Both.)

Battle Scars - Paradise Fears (Team 5Ds vs Team Taiyo; originally just associated this song with the Signers but their journeys mirror each other so well and...yeah.)

Brother - Kodaline (Yusei, Jack, Crow; I had no idea where to fit this one in so I selected a semi-random location and here it is, lol.)

Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush, metal cover by Jonathan Young and Caleb Hyles (Aporia and Team Ragnarok; an odd combination of characters, but somehow it just works, considering.)

Strike Back - Fairy Tail OP16, English cover by NateWantsToBattle (All Signers; for real this could have been the opening instead and I would kill to have someone make an opening to this song for the finale arc.)

Where the Skies End - Starset (Yusei)

The Hero - Nathan Wagner (Yusei and Z-ONE; I love the dichotomy of their stories so much. I am so normal about this.)

SCAVA - Hollywood Undead (Z-ONE et al)

Memories - Maroon 5 (Bruno)

The World You Want - Switchfoot (Yusei)

See You Again, feat. Charlie Puth - Wiz Khalifa (The Departure)

#yugioh 5ds #ygo 5ds #oh look another playlist lol #but this one is actually a link to a playlist that you can actually ya know listen to unlike the last one lol #yeah its yt i'm old okay #just get adblock or don't complain lol #i do have spotify i just hate #could never figure out how to make playlists #fr if someone can tell me how i will make this up on there too lol

3 notes · View notes

paladin-n-cleric · 1 year

Note

M songs!!!

mountain - the front bottoms

mold - carpetgarden

mowgli's road - marina

map pilot - babes in toyland

manic depression - jimi hendrix

maniac - conan gray

maneater - hall & oates

mandy goes to med school - the dresden dolls

mamma mia - abba

my medicine - the pretty reckless

magnolia - the hush sound

mary-christ - sonic youth

masterpiece - summer luk/summer c

material girl - madonna

maud gone - car seat headrest

mausoleum - manic street preachers

maybe memories - the used

mayonaise - the smashing pumpkins

me and little andy - dolly parton

masculine artifice - g.l.o.s.s.

mercy in you - depeche mode

memories fade - tears for fears

mermaid bar - maya hawke

memories of tomorrow - suicidal tendencies

metal heart - garbage

metal postcard (mittageisen) - siouxsie and the banshees

moonsickness - penelope scott

mote- sonic youth

motorbreath - metallica

monroe - crawlers

monkey tree - mother mother

misunderstood - mötley crüe

misguided ghosts - paramore

misery meat - sodikken

mine - christina perri

michael who walks by night - strawberry switchblade

morphine and chocolate - 4 non blondes

mortal projections - djo

mother's little helper - the rolling stones

mr. loverman - ricky montgomery

mr. tinkertrain - ozzy osbourne

mudride - mudhoney

murdered out - kim gordon

murders in the rue morgue - iron maiden

murder games - badflower

music will untune the sky - have a nice life

mx. sinister - i dont know how but they found me

muzzle - the smashing pumpkins

moving - kate bush

magnet - bikini kill

made of stone - the stone roses

milk and cookies - melanie martinez

miss mistreated - rainbow

madman - silverchair

molly's lips - the vaselines (or the nirvana cover)

monster - dodie

moonlight - carpetgarden sweeney and cmten

mystery - dio

may this be love - jimi hendrix

theres all different genres and artists in there, so something has gotta strike ur fancy!

yay again!!! thank you sm!!

#i know lots of these artists but not the songs!#asks

3 notes · View notes

wispofwillow · 2 years

Text

FFXIVWrite - Prompt 3: Temper

Prompt 3: Temper

((Almost went with a witnessed Garuda tempering for this one, but here we are. Rarely would show a loss of temper))

((Still messing around with a lot of tentative ideas and magic sense here))

Temper:

(noun): “a particular state of mind or feelings”

(verb): “improve the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it” - “to be or become tempered”

(verb): “to moderate or mitigate; to soften or tone down”

(Definitions pulled from Dictionary.com)

Character: Wisp Alsentia

Brief mentions in memory of: Stari King, Lif Silverlode, Mara Kha, August Mercer, X’Khal’a Moui, Allyn Grav'nost (Gravy), Akhutai Urit, Kurenai Nagimae, Ushumgallu Allagbane

Music: A choice!

Vaults - Bodies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgB6Ffd3Q_s

Kate Bush - Running up that Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_b_X6n__pY

Active Child - Color Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUz9TUXXqRU

Focus

In the half-dark of the late afternoon, Wisp sat cross-legged on the rag rug spread in the far corner of their room, almost out of reach of the creeping slant of light through their uncurtained windows. They sat straight, but with their shoulders set back against the leg of the bunk bed behind them, the wood a solid presence against their back, neatly made-up sheets cool against their neck. Sheets still smooth and unmussed for more than just that day.

Between their hands, cupped loosely in their lap, they held a small focus, its colorless crystalline surface gathering and reflecting light against their downturned face, catching along the silvery scars that marked channels like tear tracks beneath their eyes. Their habitual mask sat discarded, for now, on the low desk across from them. It had tipped downward, leaning on the beak of it, so that the shadowed, carved eyes appeared to watch them. Beside it lay their actual rapier and focus. For this, they had obtained a smaller, weaker focus. The rapier felt as though it should be reserved - kept safe, somehow, in a way they could not fully articulate. So, for this practice, a practice focus. It should suffice, in any case, for what they were trying to accomplish.

For this small, simple task.

The simplest, the smallest, the easiest task they had learned even before their first formal lesson of conjury.

The task they were, as yet, failing.

To channel and direct one’s aether. And only one’s own aether.

Frowning, Wisp resettled themselves against the bed, shifting their legs on the rug below to ease out a cramp. They took in a long breath, a slow breath, held it, and, just as slowly, released it, letting their shoulders fall, keeping their cupped hands deliberately loose around the empty focus. The unwelcome tension of growing frustration would not help them now.

Once again, they reached, calling up the memory of Khala’s description of the feel of channeling his own aether - the catch, the pull of it, the warmth flowing from toes upward. Immediately the familiar sense of it wrapped their senses, a feel of moss pressing softly against the skin, a brush of pine and petrichor and damp earth. Taking in another slow breath as their frown eased, Wisp let the aether flow up and out, into their hands, their fingertips, and, carefully, into the focus, which woke to a soft gold-green glow. It was weak, befitting of the caution they’d taken and what should have been their low reserves following their recent healing and training exertions, and the sleeplessness following the concert of the night before. But that was how they had intended it to be.

There. Just…

Before they could finish the thought, before the satisfaction and relief could settle, the aether twisted. Tangled. Again. Again.

It did not stop, but rather, flared.

Chained behind their faint cast came not another spell, but a rush of force. The smell of pine grew, whispers of needles on branches behind it, and above it, beneath it, through it flashed the hair-raising static sense presaging a lightning strike. Tiny bolts of static flicked from their fingers to the crystal focus, growing by the second.

No.

Wisp snapped their fingers away from the focus, slamming their mind down against this rush of levin-aspected aether. No. The sparks died, but the tightness to the air did not as the focus rolled from their lap to the floor with a neglected thunk. They leapt to their feet, flexing their fingers as the fur along their tail, their ears, their arms stood straight up.

It had not been their intention to channel any aspect to their aether at all. And there, at the last, it had not been their aether.

Their tail lashed once, twice.

“Are you…tied to something?” Stari’s words echoed up through memory, so quick on the heels of the initial reassurance they’d sought. And with those words, Khala’s voice, as well, speaking of how it was not natural to be so linked to external aether, so unable to shut it out.

For that’s what this was, somehow, though they’d not called it: aether external to them. And they ought to know the difference, relying ever first on their own aether unless a healing spell absolutely called for ought else. And calling only on the aspect needed to shape a spell of another kind to do harm.

Lif’s voice came to memory now, too, telling them how interesting Mara had found their aether. And with her voice came the wide-eyed, strained fear that had flashed through her as Wisp had started to speak of what had happened. Of what little they knew.

Wisp paced, now, a tight circle in the corner of their room, ears pinned back, still flexing their fingers. Open, closed, open, closed, curled into claws.

This could not continue. They knew it. Like as not, everyone did. Everyone who’d seen, at least.

Their mind offered them up the image of that voidsent, weeks back, Mercer alongside them. When the visions that had latched onto their mind had distracted them enough to give an opening to the creature. Luck, only, that the attack had been on them and not Mercer. But, what of the next time they became so distracted?

And again, another memory, another creature of the void draining at their own aether, pulling their attention away from healing spells their party needed, distracting the other healers, too.

The lapses of attention were worse, even, than the lapses of time. It had happened again, that night, they knew. The magic of the Shroud that had been worked by the performers at the concert had pulled at their mind, their senses, their aether, in a way that they could not explain, like the echoes of a song stuck in one’s head long after the notes had faded. Even as they had accompanied Ushumgallu and Sari back to the Aetherflow offices, spoken with Gravy, watched Kurenai carried safely to sleep, a part of their mind had not been there. They’d sat down, just for a moment, back in the dark of their own rooms, to rest before changing from their sweat-salt-stiff robes.

And then, they had woken. If “wake” was the right word to use when there had been no sleep, just hours, gone. And a drifting. Just like with Josie’s funeral.

A hot wash of guilt and loss and shame poured through them, and they put their hands to their face, fingers pressing hard into the corners of their eyes where tears were starting, smearing them before they could follow the silver traces left before by a wholly different kind of tear. Forcibly they pulled their hands away again, away from the scars, fingers curling back into claws.

This training in Red Magic, begun from sheer interest, was something they needed, now. To temper this overreliance on external aether - to balance out whatever it was that had changed in them, with the transformation the sineaters had wrought. And what had been done, after, to undo that transformation. But, a blade of metal that was weak to start with could not well be tempered.

Pausing in their pacing, Wisp relaxed their hands, rubbing their palms briefly together to smooth away the pricked dents in their skin where their clawed nails had left a mark.

Again. Just try again. Khala had told them what it would feel like. And they’d felt it, briefly. They’d kept out the other aether before, had they not? Before the First, an insidious whisper in their mind reminded them. Before the sineaters. Before the rasping scrape of taint along their aether, along their bones as they stretched, warped, twisted. Claws against stone. Fangs drawing down and down. Light overflowing, oozing…

Breathe.

Breathe. In, out.

The air rattled shakily from them in a whoosh, and Wisp crouched, laying hands flat on the rough surface of the rug to steady themselves again. Hands that were not the sickly white of a sineater. Hands with furred skin along the backs, black-tipped claws kept neatly trimmed back. Their own hands. Just theirs.

These memories would not aid them now. As they had not aided them when they had reacted so strongly upon meeting Teo and learning of others’ travels to the First. Nor did they explain what this tie in their aether was. No, not tie in their aether - tie to their aether.

Which should not prevent them from calling just upon their own aether. It should not.

Clenching their jaw, Wisp reached out for the focus, groping for where it had rolled halfway beneath the bunkbed as they’d jumped to their feet.

How can I be of use - how can I be trusted in danger - if I cannot even master myself?

The borrowed time they had now, they had never requested, but all the same it would have a purpose to it. It must. More images flashed to mind, now: Arc, his wide smile up into the sun as the wind caught at his hair - trapped now, in their place, on the First; the hollow silence of the village to which they’d been returned when the moss had released them, in their own shape again - a trail they had joined Aetherflow, albeit unintentionally and unvoiced even to Akhutai’s direct question, to pursue; Josie’s face, slack, empty of all light and life.

Focus.

Breathe. In, out.

Letting their eyes drift shut, Wisp called again upon their aether, letting the feel of it wash up through them. Moss, again, the faint brush of pine, a faint scent and sense of lightning at the roof of their mouth, not so strong as Mercer’s. And then, suddenly, it was. The wash of electricity slammed into their senses, overwhelming the soft sense of their own magic. They leashed it quickly, grasping physically and mentally with both hands.

No. Again. No.

Mouth pulled back in a silent snarl, fangs bared, Wisp grappled with the flow of the aether seeping into theirs. Shut it down. But as soon as they reached for their own aether again, the rush of the storm came with it.

They failed again. And again. And again.

Wisp breathed in. And breathed out. And instead of abating, the frustration grew, heat prickling up their palms and upward until their whole face, their ears, their skin felt hot. With it, so too came the sparking sense of pressure building. Their fur stood on end, tail lashing once, twice.

And with a last, final growl, they let go their hold that could not keep the aether back.

With a rumbling boom of thunder that shook the room, an arc of lightning leapt from their hands into the focus, bouncing through it and, with no rapier to guide the overflow, outward, a spray of smaller sparks branching out and over their fur and clothing as it went. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the lightning was gone, the pressure seeped from the room, leaving Wisp lightheaded, the flood of aether from elsewhere slowed to a trickle. But still not gone.

Heavily, they sat on the bed, legs shaking, temper and aether spent. Between their hands, the small focus, never designed to take aspected aether in such a single blow, lay cracked and blackened. Also spent.

Failed just as they had. Again.

___

Somewhere in the distance, in a forest huddled along the ridges and feet of a low mountain range, where tall pines flanked the slopes that folded gently down toward a green-blanketed valley below, rain slowed, then stopped. The thunderstorm that had gathered itself earlier in the day, raining torrents down upon the trees as it fetched up against the mountains gradually, dissipated, clouds rolling on and away, shrinking as they went, temper, if one could call it that, spent.

#FFXIVWrite2022 #FFXIVWisp #Wisp Alsentia

9 notes · View notes