#LIKE THAT LITTLE BIT OF PIANO AND STRING I’M GONNA

[the-moth-from-elsewhere]

The Epic Amazing Absolutely Insane TAOCC Song Post

Aka: Elsie assigns random songs to random characters for random reasons, vaguely organized by mod. These are almost entirely vibes and randomness so get ready to be utterly confused. Don’t expect any of these to fit too well, I went more based on the sound and random stuff than the actual accuracy. Also i’m kinda brain-broken from overthinking all this music lol. No, I didn’t add links, just because this took so many hours. Maybe tomorrow, I just wanna get this done.

Feiar’s characters.

Nymn

“Dento takes the Stairs” by Gooseworx

I told you these would make no sense. Idk the amount of nymn just being vibes/silly/lighthearted makes me think of how this song is a break from the chaos of the Elain series.

Jessy

“Metamodernity” by Vansire

Okay, I have a really specific animatic in my head for this song in which we flash between the TAOCC characters as they are in the circus, and then a cool transition, and then it’s them pre-circus. My best example is Dusk and Jessy sitting on a bench. A train passes by, and now it’s human Jessy sitting alone on a bench. Because Dusk is AI. And that very specific part of the animatic in my head tends to stick with me, especially seeing as Jessy is very “just go with stuff” and so I can kinda hear him singing this in my head.

”Apocalypse Now” by PinnoccioP

The first appearance of many of my favorite music artist lol. The song is about enjoying existence even if everything is a violent wreck, and it just kinda fits to me lol.

“World’s Smallest Violin” - AJR

yeah just gonna drop this one here and run

“Sweet Tooth” - Scott Helman

Blame Fei.

Clara

”Drosselmeyer’s theme - Kurumi Wari Ningyo (Nutcracker No. 2 March) - The Princess Tutu Soundtrack

Okay, for starters, you should watch Princess Tutu. Like right now. It’s amazing, and the title does NOT do it Justice. Back on track, it…it’s the nutcracker! Come on, this one was basically handed to me.

Tutu vs Kraehe (Swan Lake Act 1 Op. 20 No. 2)

Fight theme.

Lance

”I Don’t Have a Name For It” - Steam Powered Giraffe

I…I’m sorry I don’t have an explanation for this it just works. Lancia sweep.

Raina

”Nightcall” - Kavinsky

…Once again, very flimsy. But like…switch the gender. I’m sorry but it’s giving “they’re talking about my death but I’m still here.” The miku version works better here in my opinion :3

The pirates

“He’s a pirate” - F-777

“The 7 Seas” - F-777

idk man techno piracy go vrrrrrrrr I unironically blasted these during like the entirety of the pirates plotline frick you this is my rant I do what I want /silly

Star’s Characters

Icia

”Long Live” - Taylor Swift

I swear I have reasons for this just hear me out okay- First off, I can see the voice fitting, second off, I imagine her singing this either for Lance or Starro or both after we finally finally finally throw Hexe off a cliff.

“Santa Salvacion” - Magia Record OST

epic fight theme for fighting the terrifying ice lady. I blasted this while writing the fight scene with The Dark Queen Icia.

Dunite

”Postmeridae” - Madoka Magica OST

Cutesy upbeat theme for making merengues to. No notes.

“Witches Dance” - Magia Record OST

Idk, feels like her fight theme

”Roki” - Mikito P

…Vibes. Entirely vibes. Dunite should start a band /hj.

Starro

“Please Never Fall In Love Again” - Ollie MN

I just…him. Singing this. About Conny. I swear to cheese.

Vaga and Nova

“Class Dance - Rensho Kyoku I” - Princess Tutu OST

…Vibes.

Odette

”Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14” - Madoka Magica OST

Vibes. Piano. Sad string accompaniment. Must I say more?

Achilles

“Doubt #2” - Madoka Magica: Rebellion OST

Starting to notice a pattern with the kingdom characters lol?

Joofie’s Characters

Cardlan

“Main Character” - Will Wood

Ego. So, so much Ego.

“Sayo-Nara” - DDLC OST

I have my reasons.

Minimi

“Not Yet (Epilogue)” - Madoka Magica: Rebellion OST

Accordion and a little bit of ominousness. Vibes.

Xeyshattersiltav1a’s Characters

Sun

“Cowboy Dan” - Modest Mouse

Yee-haw sun. Do not give that woman a truck. Wow, these descriptions are getting terrible lol.

”Popular” - Wicked Soundtrack

Wicked but it’s sun and Dusk lives in my head rent free okay

“Alright” - Mother Mother

please help me I keep making up sun animatics with this song in class

Mix

“Something, Everything is Wrong” - Madoka Magica: Rebellion OST

This song is the reason I associate Mix with the accordion. Also, I imagine Dusk meeting him/his first real introduction in TAOCC’s background music as this song.

“Intertwined” - CMYK, CircusP.

Rip this man’s love life

“Love is War” - Ryo/Supercell feat. Hatsune Miku

Love is still Vehicular Manslaughter /ref

Dialtone

“Cats!” - waterflame

Does the song fit him? Not at all! It is way too techy and upbeat, and would probably better suit someone like Switch. But like….cats. He’d listen to a song called “cats!”. You can’t convince me otherwise.

“Want You Gone” - The Portal OST

Dialtone is GLaDOS coded to me.

“Killer Spider” - PinnoccioP

vibes and vibes alone.

Soup’s Characters

Silhouette

“Scared of you” - Brandon Hesslau

“Whoops, sorry for kinda almost killing you.”

”What Gave It Away” - Riproducer

evil.

”Burial Ground” - Low Roar

sad backstory.mp3.

Clown

“I’m Number One” - Muppets Most Wanted Soundtrack

Look man he’s silly and egotistical and it’s funny. He’s definitely singing this with carbine.

Autumn’s Characters

Pyxel

”Magical Doctor” - MARETU

once again, more vibes than lyrics and the gender’s wrong but, like, the vibes, man

Neb

“Lonely UFO” - PinnoccioP

…it doesn’t fit. The lyrics, as far as I can tell, do NOT fit. BUT LOOK AT THE OUTFIT, THE BLUE HAIR AND VOID SKIN AND MURDER TEETH AND TELL ME THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE NEB, OKAY?!

“Finding Sanctuary” - Stellaris OST

Silly space song for silly space person.

Lily’s Characters

The bookend siblings, and I mean all of them as a group, Katrina included for brevity’s sake

“Magical Girl and Chocolate” - PinnoccioP

Okay, I have actual reasoning for this one. Each of the siblings is someone’s “magical girl”, whether metaphorically or literally. They’re each fighting to protect and support someone. And they each strain and struggle to cope with a role too demanding for them. This song works for each of them in a different form and context.

Octavia and Steven/Sign

“Isn’t it “A”” - PinnoccioP

The arguments of all time

Honse- I mean Sophro

“Puzzle” - CMYK, CircusP

He’s just here to help. No notes.

Miscellaneous Others/Not big enough for their own section

Lantern

“Lantern” - Undertale OST

…self explanatory. The song’s vibes fit, too, I imagine this plays in his scenes.

“The Other One Left” - VaneLily

Half due to the “I just want a loving father” line. Gender’s wrong, again, but otherwise the lyrics fit.

Seer

“Seer’s Theme” - Cindy

I literally cannot outdo her own theme. It’s just too good. I listen to it randomly just because I like it so much /gen.

Sigil

“I’m Just Ken” - Barbie Movie Soundtrack

this is mostly a joke but come ON you think that guy doesn’t feel a little overshadowed by his GODDESS FIANCÉE?!

“Business Man” - Tom Cardy

Okay so this one takes some explaining because I imagine sigil walking into Dialtone’s place to spy and Insanity ruining everything and shooting everyone. It makes absolutely no sense but it’s funny in my head so here we are.

My Characters, yes this is gonna be last

Dusk

“Ultimate Senpai” - PinocchioP

A song about being overly pressured and stuff? Yeaaaaah.

“Sis Puella Magia!” - Madoka Magica Soundtrack

….Pretty. That’s it.

Aoki

“Decretum” - Madoka Magica Soundtrack

The reason I gave him a violin.

Alpenglow

“Yume Yume” - DECO*27

I have an ENTIRE ANIMATIC for chip and alpen with this song in my head

Lemonade

“Viva La Vida” - Coldplay

lore. Hehe.

Yume

“What are Children Made Of?” - PinnoccioP

This kid’s childhood has been ruined and boy is processing that hard.

”Everything about Animals” - PinocchioP

an absolute fever dream of a song that she would absolutely sing about animals. And how cool they are. And ohhhh look commentary on the state of humanity

Switchboard

“Kom Susser Tod” - Astrophysics

Idk it doesn’t fit all too well but the mix of utter hopelessness and eurobeat techno is just hercore

TAOCC as a whole

“Something Rotten!/Make an Omelette” - Something Rotten Soundtrack

WHEN I TELL YOU I HAVE AN ENTIRE. FREAKING. ANIMATIC-

”Your Silver Garden” - Madoka Magica OST

I do not know the lyrics literally at all but I could see an OP for TAOCC with this song

#Taocc #i am terrified that people will criticize my choices here lol #Yes they make no sense I know that

[inawearyworld]

little things in the wonka score/soundtrack that get me every time: a post made by a music major with severe brainrot (seriously it’s getting bad)

• even though i’m not sure how to feel abt what they did orchestrally to pure imagination when it was sung in full, i loved the way it was interwoven until then-the opening credits, the clock tower chiming its intro, etc

• when the intro to hatful of dreams ends and the instrumental HITS. that was the moment i was sitting in the theater like “…oh i’m going to be so charmed by this movie huh”

• something abt the way timmy sings “i’ve put everything i’ve got into my choc’late”. see above bullet point

• welcome to scrubbit’s has no right to be that much of a banger

• the low brass in scrub scrub HELLOOOOO?!?!? the chromatic slides. the muted trumpets. abacus’ bass moments (go off king). the song is literally about laundry and yet IT GOES SO HARD

• walk into the club on a friday night like FIRST YOU PICK UP THE APPAREL AND YOU

• the instrumental of ynhclt that plays while everyone’s flying is so cheesy and so golden-age-of-hollywood-children’s-musical and i cannot help but smile

• the cuh-lassic “one instrument at a time” opening of sweet tooth

• mathew baynton’s voice. that’s it that’s the bullet point.

• #GiveTheCartelMoreTight3PartHarmonies2k24

• well we’ve got lots and lots and lots and loTS AND LOTS AND LOWHY AM I SINGINGGGGGGG

• somethin about how the “noodle noodle” countermelody is a sort of arpeggiated outline of each chord, like a vocal warmup, like he’s letting her take the melody bc he knows she will in time. i’m gonna sob they’re literally family

• the orchestration of for a moment, esp while they’re dancing on the rooftop, just SOARS. idk if anyone here has seen mr magorium’s wonder emporium but that movie shaped my childhood, it’s probably my favorite film score ever, and this instrumental bit is SOOOO reminiscent of it

• clock tower. a fifty-second masterpiece

• CHOCOPOCALYPSE. (for those of us who were on the theatre kid side of the internet in 2018, i think chocopocalypse should be the new calculust. hear me out)

• mat’s voice gets a second bullet point bc what the hell man. literally the sonic embodiment of dark mint chocolate. h e l p m e

• …#fickelgruberisathinmint2k24

• noodle’s portion of ynhclt, while she’s teaching willy to read, has a few instrumental nods to mozart’s famous sonata in c, a typical piece for piano beginners-kids-to learn. in the 1971 film mrs teavee incorrectly identifies mozart as rachmaninoff. this MOVIE

• i wish there could have been more, and more involved/complex, ensemble vocal moments

• charlotte ritchie <3 (okay i’m biased sue me)

• the new orchestration for the oompa loompa song is straight fire

• the LEITMOTIFS the fucking LEITMOTIFS!!!!!!!! the opening fanfare that became the basis of hatful of dreams popping up here and there. the melody to a world of your own playing whenever he thinks of his mom. every time we think willy’s safe from the cartel, ope there’s that descending major sixth again.

• (now that i think about it. sweet tooth is in g major of all keys, rather atypical of a villain song. most of the intervals are major too. it’s the trembling strings that give it that “evil” sound. and it fits so well-like, “we’re not completely immoral! time for a fun little tango! there’s colorful lights! killthisguyplsOH LOOK CONFETTI!” they’re so sinister i love it)

• the way that the intro to a world of your own echoes the intro to pure imagination

• THE ORCHESTRATION DURING “chocolate bushes, chocolate trees” etc AND THE WAY IT BUILDS OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD. MY HEART JUST BURSTS. EVERY TIME. I AM NOT IMMUNE TO CHEESY MUSICALS.

• the!! chromatic!! basslines!! in!! that!! song!!!!!!!!

• the fact that the bridge comes before the second verse-name any other songs where that happens i dare you. just another example of willy changing the narrative in every way

• the fact that sorry noodle is AN ENTIRE *OTHER* COUNTERMELODY that then falls back into the for a moment melody at the end what the FUUUUUUUUUUUCK

• the monks chanting “giraffe. a massive giraffe”. so fucking funny

• stripping down pure imagination to its essence while willy sings it to noodle was a thousand percent the right decision. and the lyric changes for the situation are sooooooo clever

• as someone who grew up with the 71 movie and has been utterly enamored with its music her whole life, i’m not the world’s hugest fan of this version’s pure imagination orchestration; i get they felt they had to do something different, it just feels slightly too modern/disneyesque, but it had the vibe that they intended for the end of the movie

• anyway god i love this score

#wonka 2023 #wonka movie #wonka #neil hannon #joby talbot #timothée chalamet #calah lane #mathew baynton #charlotte ritchie

[assortedseaglass]

The Seamstress & The Sailor

[Masterlist]

Warnings: Little bit of language.

Word Count: 1.8K

Note: This is really just to introduce the characters and the tone of the piece. I hope you like this little group as much as I do!

May, 1939

“Will you three get out of the way?” Cora Vaughn nudged her youngest sister, Dot, with her shoe as the cake in her hands slid on its plate. Dot was the first to jump up from the doorstep. Giggling, she grabbed the hands of Lois Bennett and hauled her to her feet. She, in turn, took the cake from Cora’s hands and went to place it on the table assembled in the street. Bunting was strung from a few of the lampposts, and newly laundered white tablecloths fluttered a little in the spring breeze. A few of the neighbours’ children ran by, chasing a leather football down the cobbles. The last to move was the middle of the Vaughn girls. Cigarette between her lips, she leant against the door frame, staring steely eyed across the street. Suddenly, she ran forward.

“Careful!”

The old piano her father and Douglas Bennet were wheeling through the front door teetered. Just as her hands found the piano, another pair did the same. She looked up to see grey eyes twinkling back at her.

“Alright, Bess?”

Tom Bennett braced the piano against his shoulder.

“Alright, Tom.”

“You finished the dress then,” he nodded to her.

“Yeah, though I’m not sure on the red. Think it clashes with my hair.”

“I like it, nice to see you wearing dresses outside the dance hall,” he teased.

“Can you two stop your whispering and help?” Fergal Vaughn was going red in the face. Douglas Bennett looked ready to faint. Together the four of them manoeuvred the old upright through the door, and no sooner had it come to rest was Tom jogging to play football with the little ones. After inspecting the strings, Bess joined Cora and Lois once more on the doorstep of the Bennett’s home. Dot was bouncing around in front of them, her freshly curled hair shining in the sun.

“Yes, Dot, we know you’ve got tongs.” Cora said, clicking her teeth.

“Well it’s better than sleeping in rollers every night.” Dot retorted.

“I’d rather sleep in rollers than get up at the crack of dawn to curl my hair.”

“What time is Albie gonna be here?” Lois asked Bess, keen to stop the burgeoning argument.

“In a few minutes, I should say. Queenie Warren’s taken him for a walk around the houses.” Bess replied, watching Tom pick up one of the little boys to stop him reaching the ball. She smiled.

“Not the first time Queenie Warren’s been round the houses!” Dot laughed. Cora smacked her arm with a shush.

“Shit.” Bess threw her cigarette to the curb and ran to the piano. She played the first few chords of Happy Birthday, and the street stilled their activities to join in the song. Albie Vaughn rounded the corner, an overdressed young woman hanging off his arm. He beamed at the sight of them; his family and neighbours assembled around the table as they sang to him, and laughed brightly when Bess began a chorus of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. Dot swung her arm around her brother’s neck, causing Queenie Warren to stumble out of the way. Cora placed a hand on her back apologetically before kissing her brother’s cheek. Fergal hugged his son, while Douglas shook his hand and Tom clapped him on the back. Bess was the last to greet her younger brother, kissing his hand and smiling.

“My boy is twenty-one!” Fergal shouted proudly to the street. A cheer rang through the afternoon air and people settled at the table, tucking into the sandwiches and cakes that the Vaughn girls had prepared with Lois’ help. Bess lit another cigarette and resumed her place at the piano. Occasionally, while her fingers worked through ragtime and foxtrot, she glanced over the party.

Cora and Lois were laughing together about something, and it joyed Bess to see them leave their worries behind for a few hours. They had both given so much to look after their families. Fergal and Douglas, too, were laughing. A bottle of beer in each hand, their eyes crinkled in the corners as Fergal gesticulated wildly while telling some story about his life back in Cork. Albie and Dot were walking around, chatting to party guests. At the table, Queenie Warren was applying more lipstick. She leaned towards Tom and looked up at him through her lashes. To Bess’ great delight he ignored her, and instead stood to fill a plate with more food. Bess snorted. Greedy guts. She focussed her attention back on the piano, before something was placed atop it. She looked up.

Tom was leaning on the upright, eyes towards the party. When Bess didn’t speak, he looked round.

“I think we can manage without a few songs while you eat your lunch.” The plate he had placed on the piano was piled with sandwiches and a slice of Albie’s birthday cake. Bess reached for out for a sandwich and popped it in her mouth.

“Thanks,” she said through her mouthful. Tom simply smirked and sauntered back to his seat.

The afternoon carried on with much merriment. One of the old Irish dears from down the road brought out a wireless and a bottle of sherry to share with the Vaughn girls. Despite the warmth of the day, and the sherry, a chill descended with the start of the evening. Albie and Tom were sent to the pub while the girls packed away the party. They sniggered as Queenie Warren struggled to keep up with them in her heels.

*

By nine o’clock that evening, the Vaughns and the Bennetts were sat around the fire in the former’s kitchen. Albie had stumbled home not half an hour before and was currently asleep in the rocking chair by the hearth. Cora, Bess and Lois were washing up, while Dot looked through one of Bess’ fashion magazines. Tom was still at the pub. From the kitchen table, Fergal and Douglas watched their daughters.

Fergal was so reminded of his late wife each time he looked at his girls. Their dark, copper hair looked aflame in the firelight, and with each glimmer of their eye and hush of their voice he felt as though she were back there with them. Cora and her gentleness, Bess’ steely confidence, Dot with her joy. Thank God for his girls. He turned to Albie and pride swelled in his chest. With his dark curls and eyes, he was the image of his father. But just like his daughters, he too took after their mother.

“Twenty-one,” he said softly, causing Douglas to look up. “And Dot not long off eighteen.”

“Never thought I’d have a family after the war, let alone see them grown,” Douglas said.

“We were the lucky ones.” Fergal said sadly. They both drank to that and fell silent. After a moment, Fergal spoke again. “It does worry me, him being twenty-one.” He gestured to Albie, now snoring gently. “You know, with all this stuff going on in Poland. Sounds just like it was before.”

Douglas merely hummed. Fergal knew he was thinking of Tom.

“You want me to help you get him to bed?” Douglas asked.  

“No, me and the girls will manage.” Bess turned and rolled her eyes good naturedly.

By the time the Bennetts had said their goodbyes, and the Vaughns had collectively hauled Albie to bed, it was half past ten. Bess always liked this time of day. She loved her family, adored them, but living in a tiny house with five people left her craving solitude. She was just settling in the rocking chair with a small glass of whiskey when the door to the yard clicked open. Hair ruffled, hands in his pockets, gentle smile directed at Bess was Tom Bennett.

“Wrong house.”

He tutted. “I know,” he drew out the last word teasingly. Bess looked him over.

“Where’s Queenie?”

“How should I know?”

Bess shrugged. “She seemed pretty keen on you,”

“She’s keen on anything with a pulse,”

“You’re well suited then.” Bess slouched in the rocking chair and rested her head against its back. She heard Tom sit at the piano stool and pick a few notes at random to play. “Well, where were you?”

“Who put the pennies in you?” Tom laughed. Bess raised her eyebrows at him in question and he sighed. “Met a man down the pub who said he could get me some car parts.” Tom was used to her silence and accustomed to reading her mind. “For me to flog.”

Bess’ eyes never left his as she took a sip of her whiskey. Tom huffed. He knew she didn’t approve, but sometimes he wished she’d tell him this. Just behave like a normal girl and speak, rather than communicate with him telepathically. He didn’t realise how long their silence had lasted until Bess spoke again.

“Are you ok?”

He considered her before speaking. Tom often found himself at the Vaughn’s late in the evening with just Bess for company while the others slept. He found her quiet confidence calming. Tom imagined Lois and Cora knew that he snuck out to talk to her, but they never said anything. Tonight, though, he wasn’t sure why he was here and so simply nodded.

Bess stood and made her way to the piano and lightly played a melody. Tom copied. She did another four bars, and once again Tom followed. When she nudged his shoulder he looked up to find her warm smile.

“I think you’re the only person who understands me sometimes Bess,”

“Get yourself off to bed. Night Tom,” she rubbed his shoulder and made her way up the stairs. He watched her go, grabbed his jacket from the table and left through the front door, tucking his spare key into his trousers. Just as he went to open the door to his own home across the street, he heard the clicking of shoes on the cobbles.

“Here,” Bess thrust something into his hands as he turned around. “We’ve got plenty. Too much. Goodnight.”

Tom opened the tissue paper and found a few slices of Albie’s birthday cake. He watched Bess disappear back into their house. She didn’t look back.

Note: Things will start to pick up in the next few chapters, I promise! Expect unlikely friendships, angst, gossip, letters, maybe a little sauciness…

The Vaughn girls ages are 24 (Cora), 22 (Bess) and 17 (Dot). I’ve put Lois at the same age as Cora, and Tom at the same age as Bess.

Tags: @aemonds-wifey @multiple-fandoms-girl @jessssica1234 @babyblue711 @i-killed-ramsey @anditsmywholeheart @allthefandomtherapy @valerie977 @bookwyrmsblog @phantomontheinternett @chainsawsangel

#ewan mitchell #tom bennett #tom bennett x ofc #world on fire #ewan mitchell x reader #the seamstress & the sailor

[polutrope]

oooh holiday prompts! Can I ask for Maedhros & Maglor, and “singing carols” please? ❤️

Thank you for the prompt! Here we have ~1100 words of Maedhros saving the show -- a little canon fix-it, if you will. Handful of F-bombs, otherwise G-rated brotherly fluff. Posting these to AO3, here. Prompt list. Beleria Cast of Characters.

Maglor flung his hand under the tap and unleashed a string of curses entirely inappropriate for the greenroom of a children’s theatre school. Already blisters bubbled up on the tip of his index finger and the heel of his palm. There was a gash across his thumb joint from the broken ceramic.

Shit. He glared at the microwave as if it had personally injured him. What kind of shit-ass microwave only heats the bowl—! Why was it so damn hot!

“I swear, I could throw you out the fudging window right now,” he grumbled at the appliance.

“Hey, uh, Mr. Finvesen? Are you okay?”

Maglor startled. “What? Oh, hi, Galdor. Yeah yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t sound fine,” said Galdor with all the arch attitude of his thirteen years.

“I just burned myself a bit.” Maglor examined his blisters with trepidation.

“Why is there a shattered bowl and soup all over the floor?”

“Because that’s how I burned myself!” Maglor snapped, then took a deep breath.

“That doesn’t look like a microwavable bowl,” Galdor drawled.

Maglor grit his teeth and did not respond.

“Hey,” said Galdor, “how are you gonna accompany us for the concert if your hand is fucked up?”

“Galdor! Don’t swear!”

At that, Maglor’s eyes flooded with tears and he sank to the ground in front of the greenroom sink, cradling his bleeding, burning hand in his lap.

Galdor huffed and left him to his misery.

*

Relatives and friends filed into the small black box theatre at Lindon Studio. For all the effort that went into the children’s summer musical, it was the Yule concert that the kids’ families looked forward to most. The old metal folding chairs creaked as proud parents took their seats and boasted good-naturedly about their children’s many achievements that year.

Maglor stood in the entrance, greeting each group with forced enthusiasm and hoping no one would notice that his left hand was rammed in his pocket where it clutched an ice pack.

In the background, he listened anxiously to the garbled melodies Daeron was plunking out on the piano. It was not good. It was frankly embarrassing. Maglor had to implement Plan B.

But would he come?

There! Maglor nearly tripped as he wound a path through the press of bodies towards the head of red hair rising above them all.

“Oh thank god you're here,” Maglor said in a breathless rush.

“Whoa, hey. Of course I am,” said Maedhros, pulling him into a hug, which Maglor returned one-armed. His head fell against Maedhros’ shoulder with a pained choking sound.

“Uh, Cáno?” Maedhros pulled back to look at him. “Are you okay?”

“No, no. Not at all,” Maglor gritted through his teeth, aware of the crowd around them.

Maedhros guided him to a bench around the corner of the building.

“What’s going on?” he asked when they were seated. “Why do you have your hand shoved in your pocket like that?”

Maglor took a deep breath and pulled the hand and ice pack from his slacks. Then, eyes shamefully cast to the ground, he showed Maedhros the ruination wrought by his dinner plans.

“Yikes,” said Maedhros. “Still not using a rag to take things out of the microwave, then?”

“Shut up,” said Maglor.

“Sorry. Looks pretty bad.”

“It is bad. I’ve got to lead kids in a concert in twenty minutes and my hand is fucked! I can’t play piano!”

“Oh. Right, shit. What about Daeron?”

Maglor frowned and glared at Maedhros. He waited for the sound of Daeron’s playing inside the theatre to make itself heard.

“Is that him?” Maedhros asked, and grimaced. “I thought he was, like, super talented.”

“He is!” Maglor said, and stuck his throbbing blister in his mouth. “But he can’t read sheet music,” he said around the finger, “and barely knows his way around a piano. He taught himself by ear on a guitar, the fucking hipster prodigy.” He pulled his finger from his mouth and flapped it frantically in front of him. “That was mean. Don’t tell him I said that. Ugh! I’m just—!”

“It’s all right," Maedhros chuckled, "I know you like fucking hipster prodigies.” Maglor groaned. “Okay, so. Surely someone else who works here can play piano though?”

“No! Of course not! The admin is all actors who didn’t make it because they didn’t have these skills. Nelyo,” Maglor pivoted towards him, “you remember how to play, right?”

“Oh,” said Maedhros. “I mean, yeah, I guess, but…”

“Can you do it?” Maglor grabbed him by the shoulder and stared intently. “Please. Please, I am begging you. Save my dignity in front of these theatre moms.”

“I mean, I would, but…” Maedhros showed Maglor his right hand, which was wrapped in a tensor bandage. “The injury has been acting up. I’m down a hand, too.”

Maglor’s eyes dropped to his brother’s hand and back up. “Fuck.”

“Hey, hey,” said Maedhros. “No wait, I’ve got an idea.”

“Please,” said Maglor.

“Well you remember how we used to play duets, when I sucked too bad to do the bass and treble at once?”

Maglor smiled wryly at the memory. “Yeah, you were pretty terrible.”

“So we do that. People will love it.”

Maglor’s racing pulse started to even out. His eyes widened. “Nelyo. You genius. Agh!” He threw his arms around his brother’s shoulders. “I could cry. Again. You saved me.”

A discordant clang slipped through the theatre door. Maglor winced.

Maedhros patted Maglor’s back reassuringly. “Now let’s get your poor boyfriend off that piano bench ASAP.”

*

With his left hand resting on a fresh ice pack, Maglor lifted his right to the keys. Beside him, Maedhros did the same with his left. The house lights dimmed and voices dwindled to a hush. Maglor could sense the buzz of excitement from the choir of children huddled on the stage, holding their breath almost as a single being in their shared anticipation.

As the stage lights came up, slowly bathing the space in soft gold, Maglor looked at his brother beside him. Maedhros’ eyes smiled back.

“I might still suck,” he whispered out the corner of his mouth.

“Too late,” Maglor replied, and struck the first chord to cue the children: Jingle Bells was about to begin.

Maedhros did struggle a little, but Maglor barely noticed, overcome by the warm pride that welled up in his heart whenever he heard a chorus of young voices singing in harmony. Yes, he was terribly underpaid, and terribly overworked, and terribly stupid about handling hot objects —but he loved this job.

By the time they were singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Maedhros was mouthing the lyrics along with them. Soon after, he was merrily singing along to Wonderful Christmastime (“ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding!”) with such performative gusto that Maglor laughed so hard he fumbled his own part.

No one seemed to mind.

#maedhros #maglor #holiday prompts #modern au #beleria au #my fic #can you tell I was a theatre kid? #what of the lords of gondolin are all kids? #if*

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

I can’t stop listening to Scala’s field theme in khml, it’s like crack to me……I don’t have the musical knowledge to explain just how perfect it is, but I’m gonna try!

The first thing that really caught my attention was the piano at the beginning. It’s so beautiful and light, eliciting a feeling of whimsy, like you’re floating up into the sky on a lift or even a ferris wheel, staring at the clouds around you. And the special part is exactly how the notes are played, ascending and descending the notes, perhaps scaling up and down. I don’t think I need to explain how fitting that is for this world.

Then the flute comes in, making that melody all the more lighter and softer. The other instruments support the calming tone really well too, going at an easygoing pace that would match a pleasant stroll. The perfect andante! It’s a bit different from Before the Daylight (Daybreak Town) and even The Afternoon Streets, feeling less sleepy, but still laidback and inspiring. It reminds me lot of Happy Hair Day actually, especially with its playful tone and strong, soaring string section. Even the bit of xylophone adds a special little touch of innocence and joy, reminding me of At Dusk, I Will Think of You where it’s used most prominently.

The whole thing feels like a love letter to music from the Baroque era, like Mozart, Vivaldi, those sorts of pieces (Baroque society, anyone? :) ). It’s really great for walking around and exploring, setting the tone for the town and the game in general. Based on how skillfully layered this piece is and how similar it feels to kh3’s soundtrack in particular, I really wouldn’t be surprised if this was composed by the queen Yoko Shimomura herself. It’s amazing how profound a simple piece of music can be!!

#khml #khml spoilers #potentially #I have to say it every single time; I cried a lil when I first listened to this #maybe mainly out of excitement but it’s also just such a beautiful piece to listen to #my posts

[sugacor3]

Muted Memories

Summary - Y/N suddenly gets taken back to her University days, reliving the hurt and love she went through (?)

WARNINGS - a *little bit of angst*, mostly fluff tho

“Holy crap, I’m gonna kill someone - I swear-”

Y/N’s lifelong friend, Jihyo, sat still, not daring to anger the woman anymore. She simply waited until her friend flopped to the office break-room floor, head in her hands.

“You’re overreacting, no way Taehyung is going to actually fire you!” Jihyos sharp voice cut through the silence. “Besides, it’s not like this is your first time missing a deadline.”

Y/N groaned, knowing her friend was right. Working at one of the most prestigious offices in all of New Orleans was stressful, and she knew what she was getting into when she first applied. Despite that, she didn’t expect it to be this traumatic. Every second there seemed to be a cacophony of phones ringing just for her, another person asking for Y/N's help, piles of work at her feet.

“You think I could finish the article by tonight? I think I’m going to leave early.”

Jihyo gave her a thumbs up, mouthing a silent “*Go for it!*”, her hand already reaching for the company phone to alert them of her early leave. Y/N smiled, murmuring an *“I love you”* while packing her things, grateful to be working in the same office as Jihyo. Nearly tripping as she walked out, Y/N hailed a taxi, hoping that she would be home before Taehyung would call to chide her about her missing work. She cringed thinking about his reprimands before telling the driver the address to her apartment.

The taxi was small, the stench of tobacco ingrained into the seats. The drive was long, giving Y/N the time to drown in her thoughts. Leaning against the window, she closed her eyes, the soft piano playing on the radio pulling her into a dream of her past, of what she could have become.

*“Y/N? Y/N, wake up!”*

Y/N awoke with a start, confusion littering her senses. She looked around, taking in the setting around her. The tender chimes of the wind and gentle rainfall surrounding her was a melody to her ears, reminding her of the times she would play the same for-

*“Y/N!*”

She blinked. Turning her head, she was suddenly met with the face of a boy she thought she would never see again.

“..Yoongi?”

She whispered, not trusting her voice enough to speak clearly.

The boy smiled, his eyes curving into half moons, *her favourite.* He stretched out his hand, beckoning her to clasp it. She did, and he pulled her up, bringing her close. *He still smelled like amber and roasted coffee,* she thought, his scent reminding her of the music room at her old high school.

“Y/N, you alright?” he asked, eyes showing clear amusement at her behaviour.

Her eyes widened. “Yes.” she muttered in a small voice, moving away from him and staring up. A soft smile lit up her face, now realizing that she was under a cherry blossom tree, the ones she would sit under while studying in Seoul. She moved towards the bark, placing her hand against the rough skin. She turned around, wanting to ask Yoongi what this was about, when suddenly her world switched.

The muted keys of the piano surprised her, Beethoven's *“Moonlight Sonata" echoing* the somber notes of her life. Humming along, she began to inspect the room she was in; *the University’s music room.* She winced, memories flooding through her mind. Her fingers glided against the strings of the violas, waiting for him to speak.

“Were you serious?” Yoongi’s voice, filled with heartbreak and distrust, asked. Y/N turned towards him, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. To relive this again, God must be punishing her for something she’d done before.

Before she could answer, the melody suddenly ended, Yoongi pushing the stool away and staring at her. She knew he could see the answers in her eyes, as he did once before. He began to chuckle, wiping his hand across his face.

“Alright,” his voice crackled with emotion,  “Thank you for the last three years Y/N, I hope you truly enjoyed them as I did.”

Y/N reached towards him, wanting to tell him she didn’t mean it, that she loved him more than she loved herself. Yet, it was futile, the scene changed into a black screen where-

“That’s $35, ma'am.”

The taxi driver announced, breaking Y/N out of her trance. Her eyes opened, adjusting to what just happened. Her eyes grew, soon realizing she was still in the taxi. ‘*This poor man probably spent minutes trying to wake me up!’* she thought, face reddening while apologizing to the taxi driver.

“Thank you again!” she waved, mentally beating herself up for letting that happen. She sighed, dropping her hand, the memories of her university years now stuck in her head. Walking blindly, wondering what could’ve happened if she never told Yoongi she wanted to end what they had.

Suddenly she walked into what seemed like a wall, her bag dropping on the floor, all its contents spilling out. She opened her mouth, wanting to apologize, when suddenly the *“wall”* bent down helping gather all her supplies.

“I’m so sorry-” he began, soft black hair falling into strands on his face when he looked up. The recognition on his face was priceless, apology forgotten on his tongue as he stared at the woman in front of him.

“Y/N? Is that you?” The man asked, a smile beginning to form on his face.

“Yoongi?” Y/N questioned, not believing her eyes. He still looked the same, his pale skin gleaming in the sun. The only thing that changed was his hair, now a more natural colour rather than the stark ones he had in university.

*“How does he still manage to look so good?”* she wondered, suddenly conscious of the dark eye bags under her eyes and her dark hair tied up into a messy bun at the base of her neck. Despite that, Yoongi looked at her like she was an angel, holding out his hand for her to take.

“How’s life?” he asked, voice quiet, as if he was afraid of her running away.

“It could be better, you?” she answered.

“It’s pretty good.”

An awkward silence filled the air, both of them looking away onto the floor.

“Listen,”

“I’m sorry-”

They both looked at each other, Y/N with worry and Yoongi with a questioning gaze.

“Why on earth would you be sorry?” he questioned, confusion littering his tone, “You did nothing wrong.”

Now even Y/N was confused. “What do you mean? That day? In the music room?”

“Yea, you did nothing wrong. I mean, it was abrupt but I understand. We were young, and sacrificing everything was scary so-”

Yoongi couldn’t finish his sentence before Y/N broke down crying. Everyday she regretted telling that to him, and now here he was, telling her that it was alright. Yoongi was startled, but still crouched down beside her to comfort her. They sat there for hours, talking about life. What they were doing, how they were - trying to catch up all the lost years together.

By nightfall, Yoongi had walked Y/N home, promising her that he would meet her tomorrow. Deep in their hearts, they knew they would be together again one day.

#bts #bangtan #bangtan sonyeondan #bts x reader #bts fluff #bts angst #bts fanfic #bts suga #min yoongi #min yoongi x reader #min yoongi fluff #min yoongi angst #suga #suga x reader #suga x reader fluff #suga x reader angst #suga fanfic #suga fluff #suga angst #agust d #agust d x reader

[theageoftheunderstatement]

Newsweek Magazine: Arctic Monkeys Change Direction Yet Again on 'The Car'

Written by David Chiu, 24/10/2022

When Arctic Monkeys released their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, in 2018, it was viewed as a dramatic left turn for the British band primarily known for their guitar-charged indie rock and the distinct lyrics of frontman Alex Turner. For that record, the British quartet incorporated ornate psychedelic and lounge-pop influences that leaned toward Burt Bacharach and the Beach Boys, with the piano becoming more prominent than the guitar. Yet, those noticeable shifts didn't appear to alienate the band's diehard fans when Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino became the band's sixth consecutive number one album in the U.K.

After that stylistic detour, fans might have expected Arctic Monkeys—Turner, drummer Matt Helders, bassist Nick O'Malley and guitarist Jamie Cook—to return to the earlier brash rock for their next album. But the band from Sheffield remains determined to evolve and defy expectations, as indicated by The Car, released October 21 via Domino Records. It's a continuation of the trippy and elegant after-hours vibe mined on Tranquility Base, although the music—featuring strings and horns this time—sounds more loose, atmospheric and expansive.

"I think there's this idea of when starting a new record [is the] 'we're-not-gonna-make-it-anything-like-the-last-one,'" the pensive Turner tells Newsweek. "But what I realize more often than not is they all seem to bleed into each other. It's only now when I've got this one under the microscope, I realized how much of that is true. I was probably trying to get away from things we've done on that last record. But I think there's still some of that kind of hanging over here into [The Car], but hopefully not to the extent where it isn't also reaching some new places that we haven't been before as well."

A listen to The Car (produced by longtime collaborator James Ford) immediately draws comparisons to the music of such artists as David Bowie (somewhere between his Young Americans and Station to Station albums), Serge Gainsbourg, Nick Cave and Scott Walker as well as '70s R&B and glam—and yet it still sounds like Arctic Monkeys. "I find it a bit more difficult than I have in the past to draw a line between records of other artists and this thing," Turner says. "I could probably pencil in a few. Perhaps the things I've sort of absorbed for a relatively long period of time now just influenced the process but in a more subtle way than having a discussion saying, 'Let's try and do a song like this' or something. It feels a little more unspoken now. Perhaps I'm just still too close to it in the moment."

Unlike Tranquility Base, whose theme centered on a futuristic hotel on the moon, The Car doesn't primarily focus on a particular subject running through the songs' enigmatic lyrics. "I think there is a theme or feel that runs through this whole record, but I don't think it's exclusive to the words," Turner explains. "It's almost easier to latch on to a theme if I take the words out of it for a minute and focus on what the feel of everything else is doing. I think that the lyrics are sometimes subscribing to that feel. And if there is a theme that runs through it, it's more along those lines than it is about XYZ, if that makes any sense at all."

"The first thing I wrote through it was this instrumental section at the beginning of the album," he continues. "Everything that came after that was written after that. It felt like it has a relationship with what was being evoked in that instrumental section. I wouldn't be leaning into the idea of it's just another 10 songs that aren't connected in any way. But at the same time, I don't think I can pin down a theme, not in a succinct sentence anyway."

The first single released off The Car, "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball," carries an air of melancholy amid the gorgeous strings and prominent piano lines, as Turner sings wistfully: "So if you want to walk me to the car you ought to know I have a heavy heart, so can we please be absolutely sure that there's a mirror ball."

"Obviously, you're describing the lead-up to some sort of goodbye line," Turner says, "and suddenly a mirrorball drops into the middle of that situation, which somehow doesn't seem totally incongruous in my mind. Perhaps on some level, the mirrorball is kind of synonymous with the closing of the show or something like that. But I think what I was imagining is carrying someone's suitcase to the car and then the lighting suddenly changes and the mirrorball drops in the middle of that situation. It's like, 'What's going on there?'I think it does feel like there are a few goodbyes here and there."

Introduced by beautiful acoustic guitar picking, the lyrical setting of "Mr. Schwartz" seems to take place at a movie shoot, which seems appropriate given the cinematic feeling of the song and the album. "There is a feeling of that behind-the-scenes of the production," Turner says. "That idea is not exclusive to or contained within just that song....It feels like there is something going on in the background of all these songs, like sort of a production: There's someone with a clipboard somewhere and somebody's up a ladder not too far from where these things are going on. The character of Mr. Schwartz was something that kind of did present itself to me in very real life, but sort of has been allowed to become a character in a song, I suppose."

The sweeping "Body Paint," the latest single, may be the most brash song of the collection. There are moments of electric guitar bursting through the lush orchestrations, while Turner's vocalizing echoes Bowie's '70s soul boy phase. It opens with a line Steely Dan or Prefab Sprout could have written: "For a master of deception and subterfuge you've made yourself quite the bed to lie in." Explains Turner: "It definitely does get pretty sparkly in the guitar toward the end of that. It's loud...more than I had expected it from the sketches of that song that we had before. I had it down for something that was gentle at the beginning. But during the session, there was something that was more lively that wanted to come out there at the end. I think that songs always continue to reveal themselves even sometimes after they've been recorded. We played the version of that on stage for the first time the other day, and it definitely seemed like it's still got somewhere to go. It's becoming a more exaggerated version of itself."

The Car marks another maturation and evolution in Arctic Monkeys' sound. Its release falls on the 20th anniversary of the band's formation. The hype surrounding Arctic Monkeys' arrival in the post-Britpop era has since become the stuff of legend: their early recordings were burned on CDs and given away at their shows, which prompted fans to upload them online. After signing with indie label Domino, Arctic Monkeys released 2006's Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, which hit number one in the U.K. and became that country's biggest-selling debut. Since then, it has been hit albums, touring and festival appearances for the band. On his end, Turner has been engaged with a side project, the Last Shadow Puppets, whose elaborate sounds may have been a prelude to the music of Tranquility Base and The Car.

"It was the summer of 2002 when we first got all the way through the same song at the same time together," he recalls. "We still are friends like we were before it started, and still trusting each other and our instincts in the same way. " The fact that Arctic Monkeys never made the same album twice most likely contributed to their longevity and friendship. It's been a progression that was more natural than calculated.

"When I cast my mind back to 20 years ago," says Turner, "there's always been something inherently uncooperative. I don't know if that somehow has translated to each time we've been faced with the task of making something new. There's something about not wanting to kind of cooperate with our perception of what we think that should be. I suppose you can arrive at the idea that if one record was successful, the next one should try and emulate or bark up the same tree as that one was. We're not having the board meeting where we're kind of discussing that out loud to that extent. The whole thing in the first place was done on a hunch, on an instinct, and I think that's something we're just still paying attention to, that same instinct all the way along. That's the through line."

Arctic Monkeys will be touring the U.K., Ireland, North America and South America the rest of this year and into 2023. Having branched out on their last two records, it wouldn't be surprising if their next record tackled another genre, perhaps hip-hop or ambient music. Turner says. "Yeah, why not? I'd have to give it some more thought. When I think about my perception of the way people make dance music, I am interested in that approach to it. I'm not saying that it's something I want to do, but I'm interested in watching somebody do it or something for an afternoon."

#interview #arctic monkeys #alex turner #the car era #newsweek magazine 2022 #it's an interview in october but i think it wasn't posted here? #i love how he described there'd better be a mirrorball and mr. schwartz here

[estrellami-1]

Well that’s convenient for me because I love talking to you🙈 I haven’t heard vultures before I’ll have to look it up, I used to know how to play the clarinet when I was in middle school but I didn’t ever actually want to play it I always wanted to learn the violin and I recently bought one off marketplace but haven’t made much progress with it cause things have been crazy lately, playing instruments is supposed to be really good for your brain though. Your scarf is so pretty! I love the hearts!! It’s very cool that you made the pattern yourself, I can do that with cross stitching and embroidery but I’ve only ever made like a standard scarf knitting and some other random bits and bobs. I’m an investigator, what do you do for work? A poll in a fic could be such a fun use of the medium it could be like a choose your own ending kind of thing! But totally reasonable to not want something interrupting the flow of your stories 💜 as for yarn storage I just have a big storage bin full of craft supplies with my yarn in it, but my cousin has a lot more yarn than me and has done vacuum sealed bags of yarn before for storage lol, do you have a favorite kind? Did you know yarn types like acrylic are just a softened plastic and not a natural fiber? I think that and the fact that most of our clothes are soft plastics like polyester is wild, my cousin has started to spin her own wool yarn which I think is a really interesting process. 😘💜

Aww yay ❤️ honestly I feel like I’m not that interesting so I’m glad you like talking to me! 😂

Yes music is FANTASTIC for your brain I highly encourage you to pick up the violin again if you can! Though I do consider string instruments to be more difficult than percussion… piano and drums have definitely been easier for me to learn!

Aah thank you!!! I’ve actually never done cross stitch or embroidery but I’d love to learn one day! I can sew a little, my abuela helped me make (aka she made for me lmao) a pair of pajamas so that was a lot of fun :) we got a bunch of her stuff when she passed and some of it was the exact material she’d use for her nightgowns, so I’m gonna make me and my sister a nightgown each :)

Uhhhh right now I don’t 😬 I’m a nanny so I’m just in between jobs rn, looking for the next family.

A poll in a fic could be interesting but I think I’d hate being told what to do 😂 and ik that isn’t what it is but it’s how it FEELS so idk. Not for me 😂 plus I don’t want to accidentally write myself into a corner.

Oof I don’t have room for bins and we don’t have any vacuum sealed bags :( but yes I did know acrylic is just plastic! And I very quickly learned polyester is as well when I tried to iron a skirt and melted a hole in it 😅 front-and-center too, no way to fix it… so I ordered another! 😂

I’ve seen people online spinning their own wool which looks SO cool but also not something I can take on at the moment 😂 but I’d love to maybe one day in the future! ❤️

#asks #my asks #thank you nonnie #I love you nonnie

[artficlly]

face the music (chapter 8)

Music College Marvel AU - Chapter 8

!frat!musician!bucky x !frat!musician!steve x !musician!femreader

Warnings: FLUFF, little bit of angst, discussion of past abuse, mentions of drugs/alcohol, lmk if i missed anything

Word Count: 4.8k

A/N: revenge plan is underway!! this one gets kinda heavy in the middle but i tried padding it out w some fluff. not proof read, sorry for any typos!

chapter masterlist | main masterlist

The last string of the guitar fizzles out as you move to grab your bottle of water. Practice had gone overtime and your throat was beginning to feel the effects of it. Hitting those notes over and over again wasn’t too bad, but you could feel your voice starting to strain. 

“Okay. I need a break.” You announce, flopping onto one of the couches. Steve gives you an annoyed sigh, ever the perfectionist with his chords. He had been pushing for ‘just one more try’ for the past hour. Bucky had worked up a sweat on the drums but had been compliant in Steve’s insistence to keep going. Meanwhile Sam looked at you with a thankful expression, he had been begging to leave for the past hour.

“Yup, that’s it. We’re done for the night. Wanda asked me to come over an hour ago, she’s gonna be pissed!” Sam says, unplugging his bass from the speaker with haste. 

“Come on, just one more song!” Steve pleads, you slump further into the cushions to hide. You know you’ll give in if you see his sad little puppy-dog eyes begging you. 

“You said that, like, five songs ago dude.” Sam says, putting his bass back in its stand. He looks at Bucky for back up. Bucky wipes the sweat from his forehead with a chuckle. You groan, already knowing where this is going to go.

“You and Wanda made it official yet?” Bucky asks, a cheeky grin. Sam makes an irritated noise, throwing his hands up in the air and storming out of the room. Sam and Wanda had been dancing around the ‘boyfriend-girlfriend’ thing for a few months now, apparently half your class had bets on when they would make it official. 

“I swear those two are never gonna make it official if you keep teasing them,” You tell Bucky, although you’re laughing at Sam a bit yourself. Bucky just shrugs, a sly smile still over his face. 

“Y/N…” Steve whines from across the room, dragging out your name. You sigh in annoyance, you had forgotten to not draw attention to yourself. Best way to get Steve’s perfectionism off your back was to play dead. 

“No! No more. It’s bedtime.” You plead, now fully laying down on the couch, pressing the water bottle to your forehead in a ‘woe is me’ pose. 

“Give the girl a break Steve, surprised her vocals aren’t fucked.” Bucky chuckles, you can hear the shuffling sound as he gets up from the drum set stool. “Plus, we still have to watch that movie.”

You let out an over-exaggerated groan, you had forgotten you had agreed to watch a movie with them. You enjoyed hanging out with the two of them, but you were exhausted. You had been up early to catch a coffee date with one of John’s exes, and had your piano assignment. That and the fact you’d spent half the weekend pacing waiting for the two of them to text. The two of them laugh at you as they watch you try to squirm your way out of watching the movie. 

“No thanks. I’m just gonna fall asleep right here.” You tell them, closing your eyes with a content sigh. A short silence followed and you almost felt relief. Then you heard some snickering. 

“What are you two giggling about - Hey!” You yelp as a pair of hands lift you from the couch. Your eyes fly open to see Bucky has picked you up bridal style. You squirm briefly, but his well-built arms hold you in place. Steve laughs at you as he puts his guitar in its stand, then follows as Bucky carries you down the stairs. Seemed like you were watching this movie, whether you wanted to or not.

“What movie are we even watching?” You ask defeatedly, leaning your head against Bucky’s shoulder so you can look up at his face. He doesn’t notice your gaze, his eyes focused on the path in front of him. You wonder if he can feel the way your heartbeat has picked up, the way you melt with his touch. 

“Dunno. Clint’s pick tonight.” He responds, carefully placing you onto the couch in the dark lounge. Clint is still watching his mystery sport, mouthful of popcorn as he eyes you with amusement. You thought it was some kind of gun shooting contest, but now looking at the TV it seems to be an archery competition.

“Forget how to walk?” Clint jokes, you roll your eyes at him with a huff. 

“Apparently so.” You respond sourly. 

The couch you’re on is a large L shape, and you’ve been snuggly placed in the middle corner. Grumbling, you adjust yourself into a more comfortable position. It doesn’t last long before Bucky plonks down beside you, grabbing your legs and pulling them into his lap. You don’t get to protest before Steve has sat to your other side, laying down so his head is in your lap. He beams up at you. Any desire to move or complain leaves your body. With a soft sigh, you hesitantly run your fingers through Steve’s soft golden hair. Once again you can only hope they don’t notice the way your brain stutters in their presence, how your body craves their touch.

Clint looks at the three of you and doesn’t say a word, instead turning his attention to the TV. He flicks on some uninteresting looking action movie. You don’t make a fuss, you probably wouldn’t be able to focus on any movie right now. Not with Steve practically purring like a cat in your lap and Bucky’s hands rubbing circles into your lower legs. You lean your head back on the cushion, resisting the urge to groan at the feeling of having them so close to you. 

About five minutes into the movie, Scott wanders from downstairs into the lounge. He takes one look at you, smirks, and goes to sit with Clint. You don’t have the energy or patience to ask him why. Instead, you watch as Bucky eyes Scott for a minute, you can see the cogs turning in his brain before speaking up with a sly smile. 

“How was your ride?” Bucky asks cheekily, knowing exactly what he was implying. You hold your tongue. 

“Depends what you mean, skateboarding or the guy?” Scott replies smoothly. Clint chokes on his popcorn, sending him into a coughing fit. Bucky is just smirking to himself and you hear a snort of laughter coming from Steve. Your eyes roll to the back of your head with a defeated ‘jesus christ’ muttered under your breath.

*

“Siren.” A soft voice murmurs in your ear, you groan and reluctantly open your eyes. You’re snuggled into Bucky’s side, Steve’s head no longer in your lap. You must’ve fallen asleep at some point during the movie, in the dark of the room you can see the credits rolling on the TV. 

Stretching and rubbing your eyes, you fumble around looking for your phone. 

“What time is it?” You ask sleepily. Your pockets are empty, you must have left your phone upstairs along with your bag. That or it had fallen out of your pocket somewhere in the hallway after Bucky picked you up unannounced. 

“11ish,” Bucky responds, his body is so close to yours. He’s so warm and nice smelling, you resist the urge to just fall back asleep snuggled up in his side. As you slowly come to, you realize the two of you are alone in the lounge. 

“Where are the others?” You ask confused, reluctantly pulling yourself from Bucky’s side to glance into the kitchen.

“Something about skateboarding, Steve’s gonna eat shit and moan about it for the next week.” Bucky says with a sigh. You laugh softly, shaking your head at him. Stretching your limbs out like a cat and clambering to your feet. 

“I should probably head home, I have to get up early.” You mumble. Bucky nods, standing as well with his own stretch. You consciously try to not look as his shirt lifts up a bit, revealing his toned abdomen. Instead you stare hard at the TV as the credits come to an end. 

“I’ll walk you back.” Bucky says, a laugh in his voice. You can’t tell if he’s laughing at your obviously flustered reaction to his muscles or that fact that you’re half-zoned out and sleepy. 

After collecting your belongings from upstairs, the two of you make the short walk back to your apartment. You tried to give Bucky his hoodie back from the other night, but he insists you keep it, making you pull it on before you exit the frat. The night air is chilly as always which helps in waking you up. Bucky throws his arm over your shoulders so you can snuggle into his side for warmth. 

“I spoke to Steve about what happened with Loki. I’m glad that you’re both doing okay.” You speak quietly, Bucky rubbing your shoulder through the fabric as he listens. 

“Thank you. It was strange, but yeah... We came to an agreement.” Bucky replies, you can’t help but feel like he’s dismissing the conversation entirely. Even Steve had been strangely dismissive earlier, but you had just assumed it was his usual nature of avoiding serious conversations. Bucky was different though, you always had the impression that he was the one to go to for deep chats. You frown deeply, had Steve and Loki lied to you about how it went? Was this some kind of elaborate cover-up to make you feel better?

“Why didn’t you text me this weekend?” You ask, and then immediately regret. You cringe internally and speak up to try and cover your tracks. Talk about clingy freak. “Sorry, that came out weird. I just meant that… I wanted to check in and make sure you were both okay and you never texted.”

“We uh... Didn’t want to bug you. You seemed pretty upset, we wanted to give you time to come to us first.” Bucky admits. You freeze a little. You had been worried about coming off as clingy and texting first when they had been waiting for you to reach out? Would you have been able to bypass an entire weekend of stress if you’d just grown a pair and texted first?

“Oh. No, no. I was fine. I am fine.” You explain, pausing your walk to turn and look him in the eyes. He won't even meet your gaze, staring off down the street with a hard swallow. “What is it?” You ask, worry squeezing in your chest.

“You were just… pretty freaked out when Loki yelled at you.” Bucky admits. You feel your heart drop as you pull away from him.  Bucky sighs sharply, brows furrowed as he finally meets your worried gaze. “We didn’t want to crowd you, I noticed that you don’t like people being close when you’re upset.”

You were quiet for a bit. You had theorized that Bucky had noticed all your weird flinches and worried glances, but hearing it spelt out felt like a blow to the stomach. Was your trauma really that noticeable? Did people pity you? Did he pity you? Despite the winded feeling, you keep your calm. Maybe you could just tell him, explain why you were so fucked up. It wouldn’t hurt. 

“Do you know why I get upset when people yell or get violent towards me?” You ask quietly, voice a bit strained. 

“No… but I’m sure it’s not a nice story.” Bucky says with a sigh, you watch him run a hand through his hair. He always seemed to do that when he was stressed. 

“I had an ex,” You start with a sigh. “He was handsome, kind and considerate. We met in my last year of high school, we would do everything together. All my friends joked that we were gonna get married one day, have the suburban house, the kids, everything. We moved into an apartment together, I didn’t have enough money for college so I was just getting by working odd jobs…

My dad was overseas at the time... He didn’t notice the little changes in my behavior, neither did my friends. They just thought I was some snob or too busy to hang out with them. They didn’t notice the way he spoke to me, the way he controlled every aspect of my life. I lost my job, I kept calling in sick because I couldn’t cover the bruises. I was scared of people asking questions. I lost my friends… I lost everything. My body and mind wasn’t even my own. No one came to save me and there was nothing I could do, no way I could escape. I was financially dependent on him, I had nobody… I tried going to the police and they just acted like I was crazy, like I was just some delusional girlfriend who deserved that treatment for not doing what he told me to do…

It was only because my dad dropped by one day to surprise me. He saw the bruises, the cuts, the way I was living. He was horrified, and blamed himself for not checking in on me. He helped move me out, helped me go through all the police reports, restraining orders… I lived with him for a few months before I got offered a scholarship here.”

Bucky is tense, jaw clenched. He still hasn’t looked at you, instead staring down the street with a fierce look in his eyes. All you can see in his expression is a mixture of rage and… sadness. It breaks your heart. It reminds you of the look he had on his face on Friday when he saw Loki, the way he had tried to protect Steve. Did he wish that he had been there to protect you back then? You hope he doesn’t, you hope that this information doesn’t change the way he looks at you. You hope it doesn't eat him alive, the way it eats you alive. 

“I’ll kill him.” Bucky finally speaks, voice gruff. You tilt your head, eyes studying the planes of his face, the way his skin wrinkles as he frowns, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Many have offered. You’ll have to get in line.” You say with a nervous laugh hoping to break some of the tension. Bucky looks down at you, his hard shell cracking a bit. His angry gaze is softened as he takes you in. It was the kind of expression that unspokenly read ‘I would never hurt you’.

“Are you… okay now though? Like obviously he’s no longer in the picture but shit like that…” He sighs through his nose, concern knitted into his brows. 

“I’m better now, much better. I have a support system, I go to therapy… sometimes I do get upset about things other people don’t. But it doesn’t mean you have to worry about overwhelming me, I’ll tell you if I want to be left alone.” You confess. Bucky wets his bottom lip, nodding at you in understanding. 

“Here.” Bucky mumbles, holding out his arms. You sigh contently as you are bundled into a hug, drinking in Bucky’s scent. You feel warm, and most importantly safe wrapped in his arms, cheek pressed against his chest. You can hear his heartbeat slowly thumping away, you close your eyes listening and breathing in his scent. 

“A lot of things make sense now.” Bucky mumbles into your hair as he slowly rubs your back. You can practically feel the tension of the last few days dissolving from your body.

“Yeah?” You murmur into his chest.

“Just… in the way you act. I noticed small things but, fuck. I can’t even imagine what you went through. And to think Steve and I just put you in your nightmare situation with John…” He trails off with a sigh. 

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop blaming yourself-” You mumble your protest into his chest, trying to pull away to look at him. He just squeezes you into his chest tighter, cutting you off. 

“I know, I know.” Bucky says with a chuckle. It vibrates in your chest momentarily. “You’re one of the strongest people I know, siren. Maybe second to my mother, only because she had to raise me.”

You laugh a little at that, withdrawing from the hug with a soft smile. 

“You’re so corny.” You say with a sleepy smile.

“It’s my speciality, darling.” He replies smoothly, taking your hand in his as you walk back to your apartment. 

*

“You want to do what?” Sharon yells in disbelief. 

Some way, somehow you had convinced your friend group to meet after class in one of the practice rooms. You had spent the last two days catching up with John’s exes and organizing plans with Maria Hill. It had quickly dawned on you the size of the revenge plan you wanted to commit. Maria had done her part - gathering all the witnesses - now you had to pull through with your part. 

Sharon was sitting on one of the couches, Peter and MJ to her side. The three of them were gaping at you like you’d grown a second head. Meanwhile, on the other couch, Clint and Scott were seemingly very excited about the plan you had proposed. The two of them excitedly muttering to each other and making plans. Loki lingered by the door, looking extremely uncomfortable and huffing every few seconds. Lastly, Bucky and Steve stood leaning against the wall opposite Loki, eyeing him up and down between encouraging glances to you as you spoke. 

“Couldn’t something like that… get us expelled?” Peter pipes in, looking a bit pale. 

“Oh, come on Parker! Live a little!” Clint groans at him. 

“Hey, he’s bringing up a valid point!” Sharon growls at Clint, who just responds by sticking out his tongue at her. 

“Why am I even here?” Loki mutters from the side of the room. MJ - who now you think about it, is probably stoned out of her mind (you found her round the back with Scott before dragging them to the practice room) - looks at Loki in confusion. 

“He beat your face in, wouldn’t it be weird if you weren’t here?” MJ asks, moving her hands with dramatic effect. Scott just giggles at that, which sets Clint off into a laughing fit  and leaves Sharon scowling. You didn’t expect Clint was sober at that very moment either. 

“Touché,” Loki mumbles, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“This is not going to work.” Peter whimpers, still pale. He looks like he’s shitting himself with anxiety at just the thought of conspiring to go against the college board. 

“Oh come on Parker, grow a pair. Live a little. You’re not living under mommy’s roof anymore bud, rebel a bit!” Clint crones, leaning over the couch to try and squeeze Peter’s cheeks. MJ swats his hand away. 

You just chew the inside of your cheek, watching the scene unfold. It was a strange dynamic of people present, a mix of Group A and Group B. People who swore they hated each other, long forgotten hookups and still present crushes. Even if it was a strange combination, you trusted all the people in the room. You would’ve invited Sam too, but he was too mixed up with Wanda and Natasha, who you definitely did not trust to keep their mouths shut. 

“Peter’s right.” You start, the room goes silent as they all look at you. “We could get expelled, or suspended. If that makes you uncomfortable, then leave. I won’t hold it against you.”

The room is silent, but no one moves a muscle. You continue speaking.

“Realistically if they tried to expel us we could demand some kind of whistleblowers act since the board is taking bribes. Scott, Clint and Loki will help me with filming the interviews, making the petition and setting up the livestream. When are the rest of you free for practicing? I figured it would be best to start after the assignment on Friday?”

“Most of us are already practicing at the same time for Friday's assignment, why don’t we just organize that same schedule?” Steve offers helpfully. You silently thank yourself for insisting they came to this meeting to back you up. 

“Yeah that could work.” Sharon hums in thought. 

“When is the livestream actually going to be?” Peter pipes in. You chew on your lip with a huff. 

“I don’t know yet, it depends how long it takes to film the interviews, and then edit it… I’m going to have to write up all the documents as well…” You explain, trailing off as you try and conceptualize how long this plan would take.   

“You sure you’re not taking on too much?” Bucky murmurs, the energy in the room shifts a bit. You had noticed how weird everyone was acting around you when Steve or Bucky were around. Or if they came up in conversation. It was like everyone was walking on eggshells, like they knew something you didn’t. It seemed all Bucky needed to do was be kind to you, and the entire room acted like they knew something obvious that you didn’t. 

“It’ll be fine. I just need to know you’re all in, that you all know the risks and aren’t going to back out last second.” You say, dismissing Bucky’s worries. You’d have to talk to him later when the others weren’t watching with their knowing little smiles. 

“Think the only one you gotta worry about is Parker over here…” Clint mumbles which is met with a snicker from Scott and a death glare from Sharon. Peter seemingly had recovered from his previous fear and was looking a lot less pale.

“No, no. I’m down. I’m a feminist and all that.” Peter says with a shy grin. You fight the urge to roll your eyes at him, adorable fucker. Clint and Loki groan loudly at Peter, Scott laughing as he rubs his face as if in pain.

“Jesus.” You sigh, “Okay, okay. No more weird political outbursts. Is everyone in?” You ask, to which you are met with a chorus of agreement much to your relief. 

After a quick discussion of the time and place for the next meeting, the group quickly departed leaving you alone with Bucky and Steve. The two of them had remained fairly quiet the entire hour, you had already run the plan by them the day before. If anything, you had wanted some reassurance that you weren’t undertaking something insane before you pulled the rest of your friends into your revenge plan bullshit. 

“Do you think this is going to go okay?” You ask the two of them nervously. There was a piano in the practice room. You could feel it calling you, the ideas of smashing out some songs to relieve stress sounded appealing.

“Siren. You’ve literally overplanned, you thought of anything and everything that could go wrong. You’re going to be okay.” Bucky says reassuringly, closing the distance between you to hold your face in his hands. You shiver involuntarily at the feeling of his metal fingers brushing against your cheek. 

“I’m never gonna forgive myself if I get us all expelled-” You start, but Bucky cuts you off with a huff. 

“They know the risks, they’ve all agreed. Steve and I have agreed. It’s going to be fine.” He reassures you again. You stare up into his eyes for a moment, almost forgetting that Steve is there in the room with you. You wince as you hear him tapping the keys of the piano off tune. 

“How do you play this thing?” Steve asks with a chuckle. You look over at him with an offended expression. 

“Not like that.” You grumble, walking over to the piano. “Here, I can show you.”

His interruption felt conveniently placed, like he had noticed you eyeing the piano the past hour. You’d mentioned to Bucky before that you played to relieve stress, but you never thought he had taken much notice of your words. You take a seat on the piano stool, leaving some space and motioning for Steve to sit on the other half. He obliges, Bucky watching the both of you with amusement. 

“You press these keys.” You say, leaning into him as you show him the simple repeating tune. It doesn’t sound amazing by itself, more of an annoying repeating pattern. Steve makes a face. 

“Okay? Sorry, darling, but that sounds like shit,” Steve laughs and you kick his shoe with yours. 

“It’s only half the song, dumbass! I play the hard bit. I used to play your bit when I was like, a toddler, you’ll be fine.” You huff, beginning to play your section. Your bit is simple for you, but more complicated than a simple repeating pattern. It had some weight to it’s tune and required you pressing the piano’s pedals. 

“So when do I come in?” Steve asks, hands hesitating over the keys as he watches you work. 

“Now.” You murmur, nudging him with your elbow as you keep playing the melody. Steve begins playing his simple section, repeatedly pressing the same keys over and over to act as the second piece of the puzzle for your section. The two of you sit there for a while, Bucky observantly watching as you successfully play the song together. 

“And it just repeats?” Steve asks after some time, brows furrowed as he listens to the song. 

“Yup. It’s just something they teach kids I guess.” You say with a smile, allowing him to continue playing as long as he wants. You don’t even need to think about pressing your keys, your fingers moving like second nature. Steve is focused hard, making sure to hit the keys in time with you. 

“Huh. You actually taught Steve something. That’s new, half the time he barely had the brain cells to play the guitar-” Bucky starts teasingly only to be cut off by Steve’s death glare. 

“Shut it, Buck.” Steve grumbles, only to be met with a chuckle from Bucky.

“I’m sure I could teach you more. Get a little Beethoven in your system?” You tease Steve with another nudge of your elbow, a smile forming on your lips. Steve just shakes his head, removing his fingers from the keys. 

“No. Nope. No thank you, I’ll stick to the rockstar persona, thank you.” He says, standing to give you space. Bucky laughs at him, throwing an arm over his shoulders. You settle into the center of the seat, letting your fingers skim over the keys as you begin playing Für Elise. 

“Every pianist has to learn Für Elise, it’s like…a pianist rite of passage.” You explain, looking over to the two of them who watch you in awe. It makes you melt a bit, seeing them being so stunned by the simplest of piano songs. You wonder if they felt the same every time you gaped in awe at them. You had seen their solos before, the way they poured so much passion into their work.

“Yeah, maybe Bucky was right. That’s too many keys to press for my brain cells.” Steve jokes, you just shake your head at him and continue playing the song. It felt so peaceful, so removed from the stress you felt just moments before. You weren’t sure if it was the piano or the boys who made you feel that way. Maybe a mixture of both? 

“The assignment is in two days, how are you feeling?” Bucky asks, eyes still watching your fingers moving gracefully along.

“I feel pretty confident,” You say, smiling up at him. “Not as confident as I would with a piano piece, but I suppose I gotta take some risks.”

“That’s good.” Bucky hums, you watch his fingers trace a circle on Steve's shoulder. “I think we’re gonna ace it.”

“Really?” You ask in surprise. If anything their group had downgraded by taking you in. They were Group A, elitest fucking wannabe rockstars. You were some half-experienced vocalist who had never stepped outside the classical sphere before.

“Yeah, of course. With you as a singer? They ain’t gonna know what hit ‘em, Siren.” Bucky says. You laugh nervously at that, turning back to the piano to hide the blush spreading across your cheeks. No fucking pressure then. Bucky’s confidence in you made your heart swell a bit though. 

“Sam was talking about going out for drinks after class on Friday to celebrate. You want to join? I think Clint is throwing another party, so we were gonna use it as a sort of pre-game thing?” Steve asks. You hum in thought for a moment. All their parties seemed to end in disaster for you, one way or another. Being attacked by John or yelled at by Loki. It felt like tempting fate to say yes, but maybe you’d finally have a happy ending.

“Sure, but only if we don’t have a repeat of last weekend. How long did Bucky spend nursing you to sobriety?” You tease to minimize some of your worries. 

“Two hours,” Bucky chimes in with a chuckle. Steve shoves him lightly with an annoyed look

“You guys suck,” He grumbles only to be met with your laughter. 

Chapter 9

#bucky x reader #james buchanan barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #james bucky barnes #bucky x you #bucky fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barns fanfiction #bucky barns x you #bucky barns x reader #bucky barns x y/n #bucky #winter soldier #steve x bucky #steve rodgers x you #steve x reader #steve rodgers x y/n #steve rodgers x reader #steve rodgers fanfiction #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x you #steve rodgers fluff #bucky x steve x reader

[soviets-writing-shenanigans]

Work and Play

Did some of you think I wouldn’t pull this off?

Yeah I don’t blame you. Anywho, there’s the anniversary fic (for ficlet) for Connie! Thanks to @islandgirl5311 for proofreading for me!

WARNING: This contains smutt. You have been warned/you’re welcome.

Connie leaned back in his chair, listening. Through his headphones a soft sound was playing. A piano. His foot tapped to the beat as he listened. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four- there, the violins. They joined with the piano, combining into a gentle melody that stirred Connie’s soul. This was what it was all about. This was why he made-

BWWWWAAAAAAAA-

Connie sighed. “Stupidi bastardi,” he muttered under his breath. Taking the headphones off in frustration and letting them hang off his neck, he stared at the sheet music on the computer screen for what felt like the billionth time just that morning. It was only the second day he had been working on this piece, and yet he still was stuck on that damn opening. That goddamn horn…

A pair of hands placed themselves on his shoulders as someone leaned against his chair. “Still getting nowhere, huh?” A voice asked. Merely hearing it did a lot to soothe the composer. His mood further improved when he looked up. “Hello angelo,” he said with a wry smile.

Freya’s warm and husky chuckle made him smile more. “I’m taking that as a yes,” she grinned back, amusement glittering in her deep blue eyes. She leaned in to kiss him, which Connie returned gladly, then looked at the screen. “Tell me, why did you take this commission again?” Connie heaved another sigh, closing his eyes as Freya lightly massaged his shoulders. “Really just trying to get my name out there. The money is good, don’t get me wrong, but-”

“We don’t need the money,” she finished for him.

“We don’t need the money,” he said anyway, smiling. “What gets me is that they have this great duet, and they insist on having this fucking Inception horn smack you in the face right in the middle of it!” He irritably gestured at the screen and shook his head. “I told them, ‘Hey, this isn’t going to work, it’s gonna ruin what you’re going for.’ If they let the violins and strings fade off, let it pause for a full measure, then let the horn go. I.. I don’t get people sometimes. I really don’t.”

Freya wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Poor Connie,” she pouted, making said composer roll his eyes, “Stuck with heathens with horrid musical composition.” Nuzzling him, she idly traced little hearts on his chest. “How about you take a break, hm? Spend some time with your angelo?~” Connie’s heart beat that little bit faster when her voice dropped down to that purr. “When we woke up wasn’t enough?” he said casually, looking at her with a raised brow. This time she rolled her eyes, taking his chin in her hand. “You think you’re funny when you say that, don’t you?”

“I always am.”

She snorted and shook her head. “You’re delusional, that's what you are.” Kissing him one last time, and holding it for a few seconds, she pulled away, moving her hand to cup his cheek. “You’re also lucky you’re so handsome.”

“And because I’m great at sex?” Connie said with a straight face.

She laughed and shook her head again. “I helped you with that, thank you very much.” She turned and started to walk away, putting a little extra sway into her hips. “If you need refreshers, you know where to find me.~”

Admittedly, it took a lot of willpower not to look as she walked out. “Love you too, Freya,” he said, keeping his eyes firmly on the screen. He kept looking at it for a good long while, trying to ignore the images in his head. You know what… he mused to himself, I’ll just send the mess I got to them. See how they like getting decked like that. He quickly wrote up an email, attached the ‘mess’ and then sent it on its merry way. Letting out a deep breath, he stood up, and oh-so-casually went to find his girlfriend.

She was, of course, expecting him. What little clothes she had were abandoned at the foot of their bed. Freya herself reclined upon it, an impish grin on her lips as she laid there, fully exposed with her legs wide open. “Finally got some sense, hm?” she teased, slowly rubbing her clit with two fingers. Connie stared at her like it was the first time seeing her nude. “I just sent them what I had,” he said, eyes filled with a mixture of both love and lust. “They can decide if it’s good or not.” He started to undress quickly, unbuttoning his vest, tossing it aside, then starting on the shirt beneath.

“Good,” Freya purred, watching him with anticipation. “You know, I still don’t get why you dress up when you work at home. Takes time away from… this…” Upon saying that, she pushed her fingers into herself with a sigh, pumping them with the same measured slowness. Connie bit his lip at the sight, fumbling with his belt. “Then you won’t mind if I don’t waste time explaining… again.” Finally getting the belt off, everything else seemed to slip right off, and he clambered onto the bed. “Aaww, that’s no fun,” she pouted, but that quickly went away as he loomed over her, hands on either side of her head.

There was a pause as the pair stared at each other, losing themselves in each other's eyes with small smiles on their lips. Connie finally lowered himself onto Freya, slightly to the side so as to not squish her arm that was still busy. With her free hand, Freya clasped the back of his head and brought him in for a kiss. It led to another, then another, and became a gentle makeout session, the couple simply enjoying the taste of each other's lips for a few moments, both of them humming gently. Freya then let out a whimper, pulling away from Connie and holding up her slick fingers. Without hesitation, Connie took them into his mouth, humming a little louder as he cleaned them.

Once he was done, planting a little kiss as he pulled away (making Freya smile, as always), he adjusted his hips so could grind his cock against her pussy. She whimpered again, wrapping her arms around him. “Connie… fuck me…” she breathed, running her nails down his back and making him shiver. “Fuck me… please.”

He didn’t need any further encouragement than that. He made another small adjustment, then slowly pushed his tip into her. They both moaned in unison, gripping each other tightly. He started to thrust, leaning in to kiss her neck. She leaned her head back, moaning his name as his throbbing cock slowly filled her. One hand gripping his head, she dragged the nails of the other down his side. It was a weak spot of his and he shivered even more than before.

They kept at it for a few moments, their moans filling the air as they fucked. Then, one thrust in particular made Freya gasp and arch her back, with an accompanying loud moan. “There!” She breathed, “Right there… fuck, baby… right there…” Connie grinned and sped up  this thrusts, his hips slapping against hers. Her moans grew louder and louder, egging him on. He sunk his teeth into her neck and bit down. She cried out, digging her nails into his back. “Connie… Connie… fuuuck…” Her legs wrapped around his waist, her body shaking with pleasure, moans growing in pitch. “I’m… I’m getting-”

She did get to finish her words as he kissed her hard. Her body froze for a brief second, then relaxed with a shudder and a loud moan. Connie moaned with her as he came, pumping his load inside of her. His thrusting slowed as he worked them both down from the high, kissing each other and moaning each other's lips. At last he stopped, and she unlocked her legs. Connie then rolled them onto their sides, pulling her close and nuzzling the top of her head. Freya nuzzled his chest, sighing with content. “Good break?~” she asked, looking up at him with a grin.

Connie smiled back and pecked her lips. “Give me just a few more minutes…” he murmured, running a hand through her hair. “Still need a bit more snuggling.” She chuckled warmly, pecking him back, and duly obliged him.

#idk what to tag this as uh #soviet writings #writers of tumblr #constantine aurelius #freya tuchavesky #connie x freya #conya #? new ship name how bout that lol #nsft #smutt #lemons #is that still a thing idk #honestly i'm a bit rusty at the smutt so uh if it's bad just lemme know lol

[justlookatthosesausages]

Inktober 2022 day 31 🦌 "Farm"

Annnnd it's the last drabble of this Inktober adventure! Thank you so much to everyone who supported me. We'll end this crazy challenge (some of the words were impossibleeee lmao) with some sweet Kristanna. Buh-bye!

=======

Anna settled in his lap, and Kristoff was so much taller than her with longer legs that she felt comfortable already, like in a cocoon. She loved sitting here, she could feel his soft and strong arms around her, his chest in her back, and sometimes she would nestle her head right below his chin, and be lulled by his breathing. 

Everything about Kristoff’s natural warmth and care was reassuring her. It placed her in such a state of rest that she gained confidence in her skills.

“Okay, you’re ready?” Asked the blond’s voice above her, and it resounded in his chest. 

Anna responded by a hum, and wondered if she were about to fall into sleep right then in his arms. The night had fallen, and they were both sitting in the straw, Sven sleeping a few meters away. Actually, it felt like the whole farm had stopped living to listen or observe the couple. The only light on them was the dancing and warm orange flame of the lantern on the floor, and the subdued source was soothing.

Kristoff took he lute and brought his arms above Anna, and placed her hands on the right places. The redhead loved how gentle he was in his moves. He cut and lifted ice blocks the size and weight of her body all day, and yet he was so caring at evenings when they spent time together. 

“So… Your left hand goes there, and your right hand- Yeah, you got it.”

Anna was so excited about starting that she had took the same posture than Kristoff when he played lute to her. 

“Your hands are smaller than mine, so I’d suggest that you shift your wrist a little bit more to the right… Like that.”

He was so delicate in his moves that Anna almost forgot she had to actually hold the lute to play. She focused again, and firmly took it in her hands.

“Let’s start with a simple chord.”

“Which one?” Asked Anna, pinching a cord and another and wondering what he meant.

“No, not cord. Chord.”

The redhead turned an overly confused face to him, and he found it so cute it was hard to not melt right away or mock her. 

“There are four strings, and you can make multiple notes with them. If you play some at the same time, it makes a chord. I’m gonna show you.”

Kristoff put his fingers in parallel with each of Anna’s fingers, and showed her what to do. He noticed that she was very focused, and it was adorable.

His fingers slid across the lute frets, leading the princess’ fingers in the process. “Like that. See?”

“Okay. Lemme try.” Smiled Anna.

She did the same thing that he did, but it turned out catastrophic.

“You’re putting two much strength on your hands. Be softer.”

Anna nodded below him, and started over. It was a bit better, but regrettably still bad.

“Yeah, you need a bit more practice”, winced Kristoff with a chuckle.

“Why is it not working? I made the same movements than you!” Pouted the princess.

The mountaineer smiled and kissed the hair on the top of her head to calm her down. “You’re still learning, it’s normal. It takes time.”

Anna agreed, but groaned a bit. “I don’t have time. I want to know how to play now.” She muttered.

“Why the rush, though? I thought you wanted to wait for us to have our hike next week to learn the lute. You said a camp fire would make it perfect.”

Anna lifted her eyes from her fingers she was looking at and turned to him with a smile.

“I still think it will. But I just learned that Elsa knows how to play the piano. I want to make a duet with her. I mean, I’d love to.”

Kristoff held her closer and returned her smile. “You’ll sound wonderful together.” 

Anna’s eyes filled with relief and love. “You think so?”

“You’re a fast learner, I know that.” Assured Kristoff with a soft gaze. “Come on, let’s try it again.”

#kristanna #oh my soft fluff #frozen #disney #inktober #inktober 2022

[vitaminwaterreviews]

IU - Love Poem

I don’t really know what to put here. Song average of 8.3, but this is so much better than that. Let’s say 9.0. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.

The only song that I know from this is Blueming, which Sakura posted on her Instagram story a while ago.

unlucky

This sounds kind of like the first song on Palette

Have I ever mentioned how much I love IU’s voice?

Haha the cute little pops

Yes, I do hear the instrumentation, I hear the clarinet and the saxophone

Cute chorus

Suddenly we’re quiet for a moment, and then we’re back

7/10, very pleasant, barely not an 8

The visitor

Just guitar and vocals so far

Oh, we’re jazzy, are we?

It is interesting how she’s maintained the jazz influence ever since Modern Times. Once bubblegum, always bubblegum; once jazz, always jazz

8/10, barely not a 7

Blueming

OH MY GOD I just realized

“Blueming” in Korean is probably 피어나는 which is romanized as pieonaneun lmao so that’s why Sakura had it on her story

That’s cute

Anyway, I don’t think I’ve seen the MV before so let’s see what we can see

Oh nvm I’ve totally seen this before

God that house is just So bright, i really appreciate that

Her hair is blue, that’s cute

Sakura had blue hair around the time she recommended this song

Hmmmm

It sounds kind of Lilac actually, now that I think about it

8/10 is about right. I like the song, but it doesn’t do anything Special to really earn that 9 for me

above the time

Woah okay, we’re all quiet and contemplative

Piano and strings

Here are the vocals, wow her voice is so Airy

The horns though, this is magical

And now we have drums and a really curious bass sound

I’m curious where this goes

Haha okay, it goes this way

Almost … country?

Nah, it’s like Disney-esque

9/10

Lullaby

This is, in fact, a lullaby

Except it’s a lullaby sung by Literally IU lol

God can you imagine? Her children are gonna be the Luckiest little babies

8/10, it won me over

Love Poem

Oh interesting, no MV?

I’ll listen to the song first, then read the lyrics

Very much a ballad, piano and vocals

A bit more reverb than she usually uses

A bit of guitar sneaking in here, I hear you

Oh okay, now we’ve got drums and a more prominent guitar

Goosebumps when the male vocals come in

Oh my god

10/10

#album #kpop #IU

[newmusicweekly]

Canadian Actor/Musician Atticus Dean releases new instrumental album Plot Armor

Toronto-based actor Atticus Dean shows his musical side with his newly released album, entitled Plot Armor, comprised of original instrumental music that he calls “contemporary classical.” The album, which is out today, consists of eight intimate pieces that ruminate on themes of love, loss, grief and serenity. Stream the album on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms. Originally having aspirations to be a rock drummer, Atticus was redirected by his parents to take piano lessons at age 6. As a teen, he was given the chance to play drums and after getting his first drum kit, he started playing in a rock band in high school. After graduating, he felt himself pulled back to the keyboard and began composing his own music. By 2017, he decided to commit his compositions to recordings, and thus began his journey as a recording artist. After releasing two EPs, two albums and a single, Atticus’ music has evolved from the contemporary classical sphere into something a little more alternative.  Atticus composed and recorded all of the tracks on Plot Armor using an upright piano, gritty digital soundscapes, and haunting strings to create a trance-like effect. In his own words, “I’m constantly looking for new ways to expand my repertoire and challenge the listener a little bit. I feel like contemporary classical music is pretty liberating in its freedom of expression, and I’ll be damned if I ain’t gonna take full advantage and keep pushing the envelope.” Check Read the full article

[bobo-archive]

Y’all don’t understand I WILL be sobbing will the full version of Treasure releases

#LIKE THAT LITTLE BIT OF PIANO AND STRING I’M GONNA #I’M LITRRALLY SCREAMING JUST THINING ABOUT IT #SJDJSNSJEJSJFNSJSNSJ #FUCK FAMILY PROBLEMS #FUXK THEM #AS SOMEONE WHONALSO IS HAVING SEVERE FAMILY ISSUES I LITERALLY UNDERSTAND SO MUCH #AS TO WHY #THIS IS TAKING SO LON #BUT #BUT MAN #FUCK THEM #CAN LIKE #CAN LIKE EVERYONES FAMKLY PROJJ BC LEMS GO AWAY #FXUKKKK #rwby #yang xiao long #rwby yang #blake belladonna #rwby blake #bumbleby #rwby bumbleby

[natromanxoff]

Queen live at Estadio Olimpico de beisbol Ignacio Zaragoza in Puebla, Mexico - October 17, 1981

(x)

This is the first of two nights in Puebla. The government and organizers chose this location at the last minute ostensibly in an effort to avoid the larger crowds of Mexico City, but in reality it was because they never got the proper permits. A lack of experience and infrastructure soon had the entire operation backfiring in all directions. Things went from bad to worse when the band realized upon arrival how poorly everything was organized. Everyone entering the venue was searched thoroughly and all batteries were confiscated, as it seems the authorities wanted to prevent people from recording the show. But then upon entering the venue the ulterior motives became evident, as there was a stall set up inside the venue by vendors re-selling the same batteries at exorbitant prices. However, fans pushed their way into the venue and ultimately overwhelmed security, eventually allowing the tapers to pass through without examination. These three Queen shows were among the first rock concerts in Mexico. Plenty of the people on hand weren't really Queen fans, but fans of rock music in general. Many people drank and misbehaved, and ultimately made this particular show a difficult experience for many - including the band. Backstage there was only one toilet for the band and crew combined. Furthermore, it didn't have a lock, so they had to devise a little system with signs for 'engaged' and 'vacant'. Meanwhile most of the crew got sick from eating the local food. Queen would recall this concert to be one of their worst experiences, not least because various objects were thrown at them throughout much of the show. Since it was so overcrowded, at some point during the show people ended up tearing down the gate into the venue. In some parts of the stadium the tiers collapsed and many people were seriously injured, breaking arms and legs. The band vow to defy the odds and play a fantastic show. Their vocal harmonies in Killer Queen are picture perfect tonight, and Mercury sounds magnificent throughout. As Freddie introduces Brian May on the piano, he says, "Let's get a light on him." After announcing the festivities in Spanish, he quirks, "That's all my Spanish you're gonna get tonight." He then delivers a gorgeous version of Brian's ballad, phrasing the back half of the second chorus like the single version. In the middle of Now I'm Here, Freddie reacts to the rowdy audience throwing shoes at the band: "I've never seen so many shoes on stage. It's like bloody Chelsea Cobbler, I tell you [Chelsea Cobbler is a men's shoe store in London]!" During the vocal exchange with the audience, he urges them, "Come on motherfuckers, let's get the beat!" Just as the band are merging back into the song after Dragon Attack, Mercury does his usual "Think I'll stay around" bit, but adds, "I think I'll go home, right now." More shoes soon hit the stage, and he responds again while the band are finishing the song. "Ah, you're dead, you buggers!" His frustrations are clear. At one point a boot hit John Deacon in the head. Brian has some fun between verses of Keep Yourself Alive. Later, he breaks a string during The Hero, but he manages to keep it in tune with the whammy bar (a huge challenge with floating tremolo). Later, a bag of dirt is thrown at him by an audience member towards the end of the Bohemian Rhapsody solo, and he understandly struggles to the end of it. He gets hit by another bag of dirt later in the song, at "just gotta get out." The band drop several songs to finish the show quicker - Fat Bottomed Girls and Sheer Heart Attack, at least. After the second encore of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions, Freddie says, "Thank you for the shoes! Adios amigos, you motherfuckers! You bunch of tacos, goodbye!" As a result of the atmosphere caused by the uncooperative audience, this may well be Queen's shortest headlining gig ever, next to Hyde Park '76 - clocking in at under 90 minutes. Only one small door was open for fans to exit the venue, and people were still leaving at 3am. Police presence made things even more tense. With large batons they beat people who walked out of line, and they were left on the ground bleeding. Amidst all the chaos the band were locked in an underground room, where John Deacon, who was claustrophobic, was not having a particularly good time. Here the band were forced to sign a legal document ensuring they would return the following night, to prevent riots. Fortunately the second show would prove not to be nearly as problematic.

Most of these pictures were submitted by Hugo Vázquez, Nareg Mikaelian, Daniel Minero, Fabio Minero, and Alessio Rizzitelli.

(x)

Fan Stories

“When I was 12, I attended to the Queen show in Puebla, Mexico. At 1 pm my brothers, my sister, her husband, two uncles and myself were inside a VW Beetle heading east to take the Highway to Puebla which is 130 km from Mexico City, my hometown. We stopped shortly at the toll booth to eat something and we arrived to Puebla at 4pm and at 4:20 we found the Zaragoza Stadium (lots of cars, lots of people) and we couldn't get inside the stadium before 6:50, we splitted inside the stadium and 4 of us decided to find out which place could be the best to see and we went to the left side of the field (right side from the stage point of view) and I could see only about 2/3 of the drums but was able to see the rest. The show was scheduled for 8 pm but it started at 8:35. I'm still impressed by the power of the PA that Queen had (150000 Watts) and still today I have not heard a band that sounded so powerful. The show means very much to me, it was my first time at a major rock show and the images and sound of that special day are still in my memory as if it was yesterday. Unfortunately, there was a security problem and some people (and I emphasize some assholes among crowd of 60000) had a bad attitude throwing to the band shoes, stones, batteries... when Now I'm Here was in the middle section, a guy climbed to the stage but the bodyguard made him fly with only a little push. Also Brian when he was doing the Brighton Rock solo, he got a pantyhose full of sand and got dirty but the group - as professionals - performed as planned. In the end when God Save The Queen was playing, Roger was so pissed off that he took one of the cymbals to throw it away but he turned back and threw it to the drum platform, and Freddie said "Muchas gracias Mexico", "take your shoes" (the ones some people threw to the stage), "Adios amigos you motherfuckers", "Goodbye, ciao" and after that we left the stadium and we could not get out of there until midnight (the show finished by 10:30). Too bad they never came back but for those almost 180000 people (including myself) it's still the best audiovisual experience to be part of the greatest rock band on the face of the Earth. I hope you didn't get bored with my story. P.S. About concerts in Puebla, Mexico - the shows were 17-10-1981 and 18-10-1981, there was no 16-10-1981 show and on both shows the number of sold tickets were almost 60000 per show and adding other 60000 from the Monterrey show (09.10.1981) there were almost 180000 people who attended those Mexican shows. Even now, no show is compared to the Queen shows. The 17.10.1981 was the greatest show I have attended in my entire life.” - Tarkus

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen concerts

[reciprocityfic]

2. from the prompt list with amy x laurie please? i love them so much criminally underrated

2. an expression of love.

“Come here.”

She’s in the kitchen making dinner when she hears his voice. She leans back from where she’s chopping up fresh parsley so she can peer into the small living room where he’s sitting at the piano. He’s been there for at least an hour and a half, fiddling with the keys and the strings on the guitar next to him, jotting down bits of lyrics every once in a while in a notebook. She’s been listening to him on and off - she loves listening to him play - but he does this every day when he’s home, and she can’t give him her full attention constantly, or nothing would get done.

She hadn’t noticed that he’s stopped. His fingers still rest on the piano keys, but he’s looking at her now, a soft smile on his face.

“I’m making dinner.”

“It won’t take very long,” he promises.

She puts down her knife and washes her hands, drying them and then slinging the kitchen towel over her shoulder as she walks to him.

“I have chicken in the oven,” she warns, and he rolls his eyes playfully.

“Just c’mere,” he urges.

He moves over so she can sit on the piano bench next to him. As she situates herself, he picks up his guitar.

“New song?” she guesses.

He hums, and picks at the guitar strings as he re-tunes the instrument quickly. She takes that as a yes, and smiles softly. He never rests. The band just got back from tour late last night, and he’s already writing new songs. His brain is always playing some sort of music in the background. It’s as endearing as it is amazing.

He fidgets slightly, and clears his throat. He almost seems nervous, which confuses her. He’s always excited to show her music; she hasn’t seen him nervous about sharing a song since they first started dating.

“Now, it’s not finished yet.”

“Are you nervous?” she asks, the corners of her mouth turning up in slight amusement.

He blushes slightly.

“You are,” she says softly, bumping him with her shoulder. “You’re nervous.”

“Ames.”

“It’s kind of adorable,” she tells him.

He flushes more brightly, and bumps her back with his shoulder.

“Just listen, Amy.”

She brushes a stray lock of hair from his forehead quickly, and then quiets. He clears his throat once more, and begins strumming the guitar lightly.

After a few moments, he starts to sing.

I want to hurry home to you Put on a slow, dumb show for you And crack you up So you can put a blue ribbon on my brain God, I’m very, very frightening I’ll overdo it

He stops. She waits for more, but he puts the guitar back down.

“That’s it,” he says, fidgeting anxiously again. “I mean, there will be more eventually. But for now, that’s it.”

“It’s beautiful,” she tells him honestly. “I loved it.”

His lips tick up cautiously.

“It’s a little sweeter than the stuff you guys usually write, though,” she notices.

“The rest of the guys didn’t write it,” he tells her. “They haven’t even heard it yet. I just wrote it yesterday, on the plane home.”

He pauses, takes a deep breath, and then looks at her, locks her gaze with his.

“It’s about you.”

His revelation thoroughly surprises her. They’ve been together for three years, and he’s never written a song about her. He told her he didn’t like to write about people he knew. That he thought it invaded the privacy of his relationships.

She brings this up.

“I know, but God,” he says, reaching over and grabbing one of hands, lacing their fingers together. “I was sitting on that plane, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about you, and tour. I always have to perform when we’re out there, and not just during the shows - all the fucking afterparties we have to go to, because that’s apparently where deals with record labels actually get made. It’s so tiring, and I’m always afraid I’m gonna mess up and do something stupid.”

Her grip on his hand tightens.

“So on the plane,” he continues, “I was just thinking about you, and how all I wanted to do was get home and relax and do silly shit with you. Make you laugh. Be myself. I’m always good enough with you.”

“You’re always good enough,” she tells him, dropping his hand and grabbing his face so he looks at her. “Always. Don’t let anyone ever tell you anything different.”

He turns his head slightly, kisses her palm.

“I wanted to be yours,” he says against her skin. “Just yours.”

“You’re always mine,” she tells him softly. “Even when we’re not together.”

He smiles, and then leans down and kisses her. When they separate, she straightens her back, and turns towards the piano.

“You left one of your sheet music books here while you were gone,” she says. “I’ll be honest: I peeked.”

He gasps playfully.

“How dare you, Amy March! I thought Marmee raised you better than that.”

“Well, you know me. Always getting into trouble,” she explains, as she presses down Middle C on the piano. “And I know looking at your sheet music books is like reading a thirteen-year-old girl’s diary, but I couldn’t resist. There was only one line of music in it anyways.”

With that, she begins to play the notes she found. He grins, like he always does when she plays.

“My little Mozart,” he teases fondly, putting his arm around her shoulders.

“I don’t know why this always surprises you,” she tells him as she continues to play that same bar of music, over and over. “You know all four of us took lessons. Beth was the best, of course, but I wasn’t half-bad. I just liked painting more. Also, you know I prefer Debussy.”

“Ah, yes. How could I forget? I played you Clair de Lune on our second date.”

“That’s why you got into my pants that night, you know,” she says, and he laughs. “I’m serious. If you had been a second-rate piano player, you’d have gone home alone.”

“God, I love you, Amy March,” he declares, still laughing.

“As I love you, Theodore Laurence.”

She continues to play.

“Are you gonna tell me what this little tune is for?” she asks.

He slides closer to her still, placing his hands over hers on the piano, guiding her back to the beginning of the song. After a few measures, he begins to sing softly into her ear.

You know I dreamed about you For twenty-four years before I saw you You know I dreamed about you I missed you, for twenty-four years

He was twenty-four years old when he met her.

She’s heard those lyrics before, one night about three weeks ago. They’d been in bed after having sex, and she’d had her eyes closed, on the brink of sleep, when he’d sung the verse in a whisper.

Immediately, she knew what he was referring to. She’d kept her eyes closed, but couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. Suddenly he was on top of her, kissing down her jaw.

“I know you’re awake, you know,” he’d murmured against her.

She’d opened her eyes, smile still on her face, and ran her fingers through his hair.

“Sing it to me again, then.”

He did, and then he sank back into her again, over and over, and she was so full and so happy.

She remembers that moment now, as he moves her fingers on the piano and sings to her. She rests her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes, feeling the same way she did that night. Full and happy. Peaceful.

Content to live the rest of her life just like this.

Suddenly, a loud screeching rings out into the apartment. Both of them jump, staring at each other with wide eyes. They turn towards the kitchen, and see smoke.

“Shit, the chicken!” she exclaims, running to the oven.

He laughs.

“Laurie, come help me! If we don’t get the smoke alarm to stop, the whole building will have to evacuate!”

She takes the food out and turns the oven off, as he grabs a stray stack of mail off of the counter and waves it near the alarm, trying to clear the smoke. A moment more, and then it falls silent.

He’s still laughing, and she kicks his shin gently.

“Stop laughing! That could have been a disaster.”

He doesn’t stop, and instead pulls her into a hug.

“See, this is what I’m talking about. What the song is about.”

Her face scrunches up.

“Burning dinner?”

“And other things. Dancing to dumb music in the living room. Having sex on the couch. Shit, vacuuming on Saturday mornings, I don’t care. And yes, setting off the smoke alarm while making dinner.”

“This is your fault, you know,” she tells him sternly, poking him in the chest with her index finger.

“Yes, it is,” he admits, grabbing the finger and bringing it to his lips, kissing it. “Let’s do it again tomorrow.”

She laughs - she can’t help it. He’s so cute, and she loves him.

“Deal,” she says, and buries her face in his chest.

***

the song referenced is 'slow show' by the national.

send me a number and a pairing (preferably laurie x amy) and i'll write you a mini fic!

#amy x laurie #laurie x amy #little women #little women 2019 #amy march #theodore laurence #anons are beautiful #thank you for the ask!