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incorrect-trolls-imagines · 2 months

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Party squad but jealous headcannon (not of each other) love your work 🫶🏽

look i KNOW it was most definitely a typo but "Party Squad" got me giggling and stuff ngl--

♥️🖤💙 Partner Squad Being Jealous Headcanons ♥️🖤💙

❤️ Barb ❤️

How easy is to make her jealous: 8/10

When she gets jealous she tries to not let it show, but, let's be honest here, she's terrible at it and it's very, very obvious. She's this 👌 close from outright snarling at whoever got her jealousy senses going. It not common for her to get jealous but it can sometimes happen and she's too stubborn to admit she's feeling that way, so you have to really talk her through it if you want her to feel more at ease.

Best way to reassure her: Quality time! It's as simple as that. Especially if it's with a lot of nose nuzzles and tiny kisses, those are her weakness and will help her forget about whoever set her off.

🩷 Poppy 🩷

How easy is to make her jealous: 3/10

She knows better than to be jealous (she's one of the hardest to get jealous out of the whole Squad actually), but sometimes she can't help it. There are moments when she sees other trolls outside of the polycule being a bit too friendly with you for her taste and she gets kinda restless about it. She won't be outspoken about it but it's very obvious when she's upset about something because her smile looks way more forced and she laughs a lot to cover up how tense she feels.

Best way to reassure her: Just. Talk her through it, really. Remove yourself and her from the vicinity of the troll that got her feeling jelly and give her some smooches, tell her how much you love and appreciate her and it'll be like night and day in no time at all.

🩵 Branch 🩵

How easy is to make him jealous: 9/10

It is very known already he gets increasingly grouchier whenever he gets jealous, which is not that often but his Jelly-Meter™️ can very easily be triggered. He will pout, he will sulk and he will make a lot of passive aggressive comments about the troll that was getting too comfy with you in his personal opinion. But even if he can be very easily set off in this aspect, he's never been wrong about his assumptions before, and he knows when someone outside the polycule is flirting with you and when the conversation is entirely friendly and harmless.

Best way to reassure him: Distract him first to help him cool off and then let him vent about it, because trust me, he'll have a whole monologue to destress about the situation. Also, validate him so he doesn't feel like he's overreacting, because he will kinda feel bad about it if you don't.

💙 Trollex 💙

How easy is to make him jealous: 5/10

Trollex can be a bit oblivious at times when it comes to this kind of stuff. He's blissfully aloof because more often than not his focus is on you and you only. But, once he catches someone getting a bit too close to you, or making a few out-of-pocket comments about your appearance or personality, that's when he snaps out of Heart Eye Land, that's his "hol' up" moment. He gets pouty, grumbles a lot and he'll be wearing this half pout half scowl look when he talks to the troll that made him jelly. It's comically obvious he's upset.

Best way to reassure him: Stepping away from the situation and talking about it it's the best route to take with this fella, but it'll help his peace of mind a million times over if you blow off whoever was flirting with you yourself. He'll also get super giddy if you add any remarks towards your happy position inside the polycule, so please do add those remarks, please.

💚 Tresillo 💚

How easy is to make him jealous: 7.5/10

Tresillo’s a cool guy, he usually very chill about other trolls interacting with you, not even blinking an eye when someone else hugs you or hangs out around you frequently. But things change once he knows that someone has ulterior motives and it's clearly flirting. He'll get vocal about it right there and then, fuming at the lack of shame the other troll has for daring to act like that right in front of him. To keep things from escalating further than this, you'll have to drag him away while he grumbles and curses in Spanish under his breath.

Best way to reassure him: Once the situation is over, he'll need a lot of hugs and cuddles to help him cool off and go back to his calm persona. He'll be sorta pissy about the whole thing for a few hours but that'll pass eventually, just keep those cuddles coming and he'll be fine.

🧡 Hickory 🧡

How easy is to make him jealous: 2/10

Hickory almost never ever gets jealous. Not even when someone comes up to you to flirt or whatever, because on top of being a calm soul, he's cocky as hell. He knows very dang well you won't give pay the time of day to any attempt at seduction from some rando troll outside the polycule, so he just watches with a knowing smirk, snickering to himself and lets you deal with the situation if you're up for it. He'll only intervene if you too fed up and then he'll simply wrap and arm around your waist and pull you away to go somewhere else. Easy peasy.

Best way to reassure him: In the very, very, very rare case that he does get jealous of someone else, he won't actually need you to do anything at all. He'll keep his frustrations to himself and he'll deal with them on his own and it'll be as if he wasn't bothered at all cuz he's got an image to uphold, okay?

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newtobroppy · 3 years

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A glimpse of what’s going through Creek’s mind at one point in this series.

#dreamworks trolls #broppy #branch #poppy #creek #grey(ish) branch #forever and always series #trolls fanfic #fanfic #poppy and branch are blissfully in love #...and creek is a scumbag

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theshy1sout · 4 years

Text

The day before

It's a one-shot I guess. I just wanted to write about what would happen before Trolls World Tour that Branch wants to confess to Poppy his feelings. I also have to apologize for stopping writing "Poppy's extraordinary playlist" (well, I'm still curious if anybody reads it). I had such a really big exam, but now I can come back to write it.

But now I've written this. I hope you'll enjoy it

Rated: G

Words:1899

Ao3 here

_______________________________

- Poppy, what are you doing?

- Emm... - Pink troll looked at little crepe flower in her hands. She looked really tired, especially when she stopped, trying to remind herself what she was doing.

- I'm just fixing decorations, that's all. - Poppy shrugged, turning back to replace flowers on a tree.

- Poppy - Branch tried not to sound too firmly, but he was really upset. He took a deep breath, starting with a much calmer tone: - You're exhausted. You shouldn't climb up on the ladder.

- I'm fine - She said, tried to focus on her work. - It's my duty to make every single party perfect!

Queen smiled slightly, which made her look even more tired.

- It is actually perfect - Branch said, putting his hand together in the 'explaining' gesture. - You don't have to fix those flowers.

- But there were asymmetrical! - Poppy lifted up her arm with frustration. - Who made them?

- Poppy, come here, please - The blue troll tried his best to get her down. She could fall in every single moment and he didn't want to be a witness of this.

- Why are you so desperate to get me down? - Poppy finally looked at him, just sleepy and tired. She always wriggled her nose, when she was angry at him. It was no end cute, even if it meant nothing but trouble.

- You were singing, dancing, and hugging the whole day and now you're fixing decorations on the party - Branch pointed out clearly. - You worry about everything and everyone but yourself. You just need to sleep.

Poppy groaned out, tilting her head back.

- But I just love dancing, singing, hugging and fixing decorations at the party - She mumbled, closing her eyes. Branch was scared of she could fall asleep just right then, without any warning. He had to make up something quickly.

- Well, if you love hugging - He opened his arms and smiled at her slightly. - You can take one if you climb down.

Poppy looked down at him and smiled warmly.

- Okay then - She said and started climbing down carefully. She looked like she couldn't keep her balance so well, so Branch hopped to the labber and grabbed it tightly. He looked up at Poppy coming down slowly to him, wondered why she strained herself so much. If anything went her way, she had to resolve it instantly, no matter how weary she was. She just wanted so desperately to be a perfect queen and make everyone happy. Branch found it really damaged for her, but, on the other hand, it was also what loved her in her the most: she took care of other's happiness more than her. And, no matter what, she could never give up on anyone.

When Poppy's foot finally touched the ground, she lost her balance a bit, so Branch caught her to not let her fall. She stood up straight, smiling at him, amused by this little fiasco.

- Thanks - The pink troll giggled gently and threw her arms around his neck. Branch stopped, feeling a bit confused. He just forgot he promised her a hug. He chuckled and embraced her tenderly. He couldn't stop himself to enjoy every single hug he got from her. Poppy was really soft and nicely warm. Her hair always scented like vanilla, chocolate and strawberries. He didn't know how it was even possible to always smell like that. But it made him lose his thoughts for a second, just breathing in her perfumes and feeling her smooth hands on his back. For the half minute, he felt so safe and comfortable. He wished he could cuddle her longer. But he couldn't. They weren't a couple.

Branch pushed her away carefully and felt that Poppy was already weak and kinda got flabby. She opened her eyes only partly, smiling sleepily at him.

- Maybe we could go dancing a little more? - Poppy asked calmly like it was an absolutely normal thing to do, being half-sleep.

- No, Poppy - Branch tried to catch her attention, tilting his head a bit down to lock eye contact with her. He held her arms tightly making sure she didn't lose her balance again. - You're exhausted. I get you home.

Queen of trolls was just grinning at him mindlessly, blinking slowly and sleepily. Staring into his eye, she looked like she was processing what he had said. Then her smile slowly faded away. She rubbed her eye and her cheek.

- Okay... - Poppy whispered, quoting to pretend that she wasn't tired. She yawned so loud and instinctively put her head on Branch's chest. He took off his hand from her arm and lifted them up, not knowing what to do. He found this situation so confusing.

- Emm... Poppy? - He asked helplessly, but she didn't answer. She was just breathing calmly on his chest like she fell asleep right then. Branch giggled nervously.

- Okay, c' mere - He said, lifting her head and taking her arm to lead her home. When he started walking with her carefully, trying to keep her straight, she put her head tiredly on his shoulder and embraced his arm tighter by both her hands. Branch felt as his cheeks turning into purple, but then he found it really cozy. It didn't feel unnatural, surprisingly. It felt delightful. He kept the direction to the Poppy's pod, taking a look on her face. She looked so peaceful and comfy. Her cheeks were sparkling slightly as always, a few strands of hair were falling from the crown on her blissful face. He moved gently one of them from her closed eyes and saw as the edge of her lips trembled a bit to form a little heart-warming smile. He could help but adore her sleeping on his arm. She looked just gorgeous when she was sleeping.

Branch started seriously wondering why they weren't a couple yet. They spent every day with each other, doing their duties like they were already joint. He took care of her a lot, didn't let her overwork or be overzealous, and she always knew what to say or do to calm him or make him having fun with others. They danced together, sang together, hugged each other every 'hug time', accepted each other moods and odd ways. Just like couples did. So maybe they were too busy to just stop and think about, they did too many things to just start another one. And it seemed ridiculous. Branch looked at Poppy's peaceful face, wondering if she even knew how important she was for him. How many things he could do for her.

How much he loved her.

He suddenly realized what it meant. If he wanted to be with her, he had to become a king sooner or later. And as much as she wanted to be by her side, he had never thought about himself as a king. It sounded just outrageous in so many ways. Like, come on, the gray grumpy troll from the bunker? Okay, he wasn't that grumpy and he wasn't gray at all... But would the trolls like him? Would his ruling them be likable? They all just loved Poppy, but how would they love him as much as her? He still wasn't that sociable, extrovert, and cheerful. He liked dancing, singing, and hugging like everyone, but he still preferred caring about safety in the village than anything else. He made a lot of traps, he took care so much about hygiene in the locals and restaurants, he visited the hospital very often to make sure that everything was okay, he taught kids how to be safe and survive in the forest, he fixed every single mechanical defect in the village, not only in the public installations but even in the trolls' pods, and he made a group of trolls who could protect the village if something attacked them without any warning, and.....

Branch blinked. He saw what he was thinking about and realized that it was actually what kings usually did. Wasn't it? Was he already a king without any purpose? It sounded even more ridiculous than everything he had thought before. But it calmed him for some reason. Being a king suddenly wasn't that frightening. Branch looked at Poppy once again. She was still blissfully dreaming on his shoulder when they walked slowly to her pod. She was so close, he could kiss her cheek if he wanted. But he didn't. He smiled lovely, staring at her sparkling cheeks.

Branch couldn't look forward just to tell her how much he loved her.

When they finally arrived in the pink royal pod, Poppy slept really deeply. Branch took her up on his arms in the bride's way. Her head fell unconsciously on his chest and he felt her warm breath and touch of her cold nose. He held her tighter to make sure he couldn't drop her and then he threw up his hair, grabbing limb above them. He lifted them up and jumped onto the pink threshold. He kicked the door and went into the pod.

Branch knew where was Poppy's bedroom, he was there so often, almost every day. He laid Poppy carefully on her bed, trying to put her head on the pillow without waking her up. He took off her crown and blue scrunchie - she really didn't like sleep with them on her hair. He put that thing on the bedside table and covered Poppy by her blanket. He hadn't switched on the light so it was so dark, but he still could see peace on her face and gentle smile on her lips. He felt as his lips were lifting up slowly, forming a big lovely smile on his face. He wanted to touch her last time for 'goodnight', like kissing her forehead or squeeze her hand slightly, but he stopped himself from doing that. He could wait till tomorrow. It would feel much more delightful if she let him do that knowingly. So he just whispered "Goodnight" to her and turned around to go out.

But then he heard her voice.

- Branch? - Poppy mumbled quietly, turning to him sleepily in the bed. He saw her pink, bright eyes and gulped. Did he do something wrong?

- Yes? - Branch asked shyly.

- Thank you - Poppy beamed at him tiredly and sweetly, what made her look magically beautiful when the moonlight gently touched her sparking cheeks. Branch blinked, stopped for a sec, just being amazed by her glancing at him in that way. He felt his heartbeat quickened.

- You're welcome - He answered finally, smiling widely and kinda dorky.

- I just dunno what I would do without you sometimes - Poppy added, closing her eyes sleepily. She took a deep sigh and covered her cheek with the blanket.

- Me too - Branch chuckled slightly, couldn't stop adoring her, especially when she smiled tenderly at his answer and whispered to him sweetly:

- G'night, Branch.

He sighed long and blissfully. Her voice made his name sound so lovely and soft. He could hear her wishing him a good night every evening. He wished he could one day.

- Good night, Queen Poppy.

He knew how much she loved being called a Queen. He knew she would smile hearing it and he just stood to stare at this little cute smile he wished could never fade away. He left the room feeling confident and hopeful, his heart was squeezed and warm and his face was filled by a big lovely smile.

Tomorrow would be the day.

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rmg91 · 4 years

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Meant To Be (In Any Form)-3

I have like 50 other AU ideas to write...I chose to write this instead XD But cuddly fluff can't be denied!! So please enjoy this short and sweet piece that may rot your teeth.

Chapter Summary: Branch and Poppy enjoy just being adorably soft one rainy morning.

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter; AO3;FF.net

@writerofberk-Soft Broppy fluff? Soft Broppy fluff.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The morning was an unusual one for Troll Village, for rather than the sounds of happy singing and bouncy music playing, the natural music of rain falling through the trees was what greeted the brightly colored creatures. It was a steady sort of rain, the kind that had some trolls staying inside for longer breakfasts or cuddle time but also light enough for others to venture outside as they normally would, running errands or meeting with friends, all allowing their voices to harmonize with the weather. It was this gentle symphony of sounds, the soft pitter-patter of rain and calm singing, that the queen of the trolls found herself waking up to.

Poppy sighed as she listened to the rain and the distant voices of her people, finding she didn't have the usual urge to get up and start the day with a happy song with her people. No, this morning she was going to take advantage of the weather and stay right where she was, snuggled up warm in bed with her favorite troll beside her, strong arms wrapped around her and his gentle snoring in her ear. And she knew no one would fault her for it, everyone, not just her dad, not just Branch, not just her friends, everyone in the village had been insisting it was okay for her to take time for herself when the need arose for it for years now. And she was finally feeling comfortable with doing so. So yes, today she was taking some time to just be Poppy and to enjoy a lazy morning at home with her husband.

Sighing in contentment, Poppy shifted to sink back into Branch's embrace, thinking she'd let herself fall back asleep before she felt him move. She felt him nuzzle his nose against her shoulder as he gently squeezed her in a brief hug as he began to wake up. Reaching down, she tangled their fingers together as she listened to him yawn before he rubbed his nose up her shoulder to bury it in her neck. Feeling him take a deep breath, Poppy smiled before she felt him began to place soft, slow kisses wherever he could reach without shifting away from her. She sighed happily once more, loving that this was the way Branch woke up beside her and knowing she'd never tired of it.

Branch hummed against her as he began to wake up more before another large yawn escaped him, “Mmm, s'rprised you're not up an' singin' yet.” Not that he really minded getting to wake up with his wife in his arms and making no attempt to leave their warm cocoon of blankets. Maybe he could convince her to sleep in a little today if she wasn't in the usual rush to get up...

Poppy giggled sweetly, squeezing their joined hands, “I've decided we're taking the morning off. It's rainy and all I want right now is some cuddles.”

Branch chuckled, amused his sleepy thoughts were already voiced by Poppy before replying, voice still rough from sleep, “That so?”

“Mm-hmm!” Poppy answered before wiggling around, signaling she wanted to turn to turn over. Once Branch had loosened his hold, she rolled over and wrapped her arms around his waist before tucking her head under his chin and sighing happily as she settled in the new position, “And it's not like we're busy this morning. Your handytroll class and Mandy's craft party isn't until this afternoon. And someone will come find us if there's an emergency before then. So you know, win-win if you ask me~”

“Hmm...Good points.” He murmured before placing another soft kiss on her forehead. Nuzzling his nose into her bangs, he let his hair tangle with hers as he mindlessly rubbed soothing circles on her waist as she sighed softly again and snuggled deeper into his embrace.

Letting the natural music of the falling rain combined with the faraway voices of their subjects fill their room, the royal couple laid there in bed, dozing in and out of consciousness. Poppy's thoughts drifted from upcoming party ideas to how she needed to plan a trip to visit Bridget soon to when to have her next date night with Branch, never staying on topic for long as she rested. Branch's thoughts were blissfully quiet for him as he held his wife close, this morning one of those rare times where he wasn't worrying about things to come or to do, the aquamarine troll just content in the current moment. They stayed there long enough for the rain to fall a little harder before returning to its previously light pitter-patter and would have stayed there until it was time for them to get ready had Poppy's stomach not decided to make itself known.

Chuckling, Branch suggested they get up for breakfast and it was only after he promised to make chocolate chip pancakes that Poppy stopped her pouting. He had even thrown in the reminder they could continue their cuddle session on the couch afterwards. The pink queen had however still been dramatic about getting up which had earned her some of her husband's amused laughter. After pulling Poppy up as they bantered playfully, and a playful seduction attempt, Branch managed to tug her gently out of bed and down the stairs of their tree-house, Poppy giggling the whole way.

Breakfast was made without a rush, Branch taking his time to make sure his batter was well mixed and the pan hot as Poppy sat on the counter, swinging her legs and sipping her morning cocoa. She soon started to sing, a gentle happy song that Branch found himself singing along with, their voices harmonizing flawlessly. Three songs, a quick dance around the kitchen and Poppy doing her best to distract Branch later, there were a stack of semi-perfectly cooked pancakes to be eaten. Sadly there had been a few casualties when Branch had dipped his wife low, getting lost in the deep kiss he had pulled her into when they had been dancing. Poppy quickly whipped up some whipped cream and paired with the fresh berries they had picked yesterday, the two dug into their healthy yet delicious breakfast.

Poppy let out a satisfied sigh after swallowing her last bite and leaning back in her chair, “Mmmm, fantastic as always, my handsome hubby~” She patted her stomach and let out a small burp that had Branch chuckling at her softly.

“Glad you approve,” He replied, finishing up his own plate.

“Always~” She chirped before smirking and placing her elbow on the table to cradle her cheek, “Now, I do believe someone owes me more cuddles.”

Branch rolled eyes, a smirk of his own playing on his lips as he questioned, “Can't a troll finish his breakfast before his beautiful demanding wife monopolizes his time?”

The pink queen placed a finger on her chin like she was contemplating her answer before sighing playfully, “I suppose I can let you do that...But you must repay me in kisses and poetry when you're done. Queen's orders!”

He snickered, “Oh, of course, Your Majesty. Your kindness knows no bounds and your beauty no other. When you-”

“Ah-ah-ah!” Poppy shook her finger at him, trying and failing to look stern, “Poetry after breakfast!”

Branch nodded before the two of them burst into laughter. “You're impossible.” He said, voice warm with fondness.

“And you love me~”

“I do.” He said with a look that never failed to made Poppy feel all tingly and warm and gave her the urge to just kiss him senseless but she resisted...for now.

Once Branch was finished, after making sure he ate the rest of his food slowly just to tease Poppy, and their dishes were in the sink, he playfully hoisted her up on his shoulder and carted her to the sofa. Dropping down dramatically, he let her shift around until their limbs were tangled comfortably together before getting ready to recite some of her favorite poems. However Poppy interrupted him by enacting her plan and commandeering his lips for more enjoyable pursuits. Their lips moved together with ease, Poppy tilting her head just so as she laid on top of him. Pulling away when the need for air became apparent, the pink troll happily took in the dazed look on her lover's face with a giggle. Blinking slowly, Branch lazily smirked up at her before pulling her down for another kiss. She did say she wanted both poetry and kisses after all.

After much kissing, Poppy finally let her husband have his mouth back so he could grace her ears with those sweet romantic words of his. Chuckling quietly, Branch began with a old favorite, the very same one he had used to help Bridget those few short years ago, as Poppy sighed happily against his neck. She felt herself getting sleepy as she listened to his calming voice and snuggled into his warm embrace as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. Gazing tenderly at the troll he loved, Branch carefully pulled the blanket from the back of the couch over them with his hair before humming softly as Poppy fell back asleep. He himself merely closed his eyes and rested there with her comforting weight on top of him, letting the relaxing sounds of the rain wash over him. Yes, he knew he could follow Poppy back into dreamland if he got too relaxed which could make them late for their obligations but...a few more hours of sleep in the arms of his precious wife with falling rain in the background? It was a worthy risk to take if you asked him. And so, Branch shifted deeper in the cushions and held Poppy close as he allowed himself to relax and for sleep to claim him once again.

~*~*~*~*~*~

As I said, something short and fluffy because I wanted to write rainy morning cuddly Broppy XD I was gonna let it be a little longer but then a good ending presented itself so I took the opportunity to end it nicely rather than feel the ending was awkward as I do on other things XP

Anyway! Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more!

#Dreamworks Trolls #Branch #Poppy #Broppy #Fanfiction #Fluff #dreamworkstrolls #rainy morning #Soft

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purkkaklubi-blog · 6 years

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Shoegaze

a Bit background to one of the most underappreciated genres of the 90s, how the revival of the scene has brought a whole new generation of youth to redefine the genre and what impact the woozy, spinning, swirling, distorted guitar sounds has on me.

I heard about shoegazing first time in 2015. I was listening to quite a lot of Sonic Youth at the time which I guess was the reason on how I found My Bloody Valentine through Spotify algorithm. First thoughts were okay this is nice but doesn’t really evoke any special feelings in me. I just thought it was less poppy and more ’indie’ spin on the 90s alternative rock and grunge scene. Surely now I know I will always go through a small fact and background check on artists, genres, labels and albums before I make any further assumptions on how artistically remarkable something is. Back then I was a bit ignorant on popular-cultures music history. I knew the basics, Elvis and The Beatles, how white men made Disco cool for the white audience, Punk Rock scene breaking out in UK and across the sea beginning of the Rap and DJ scene, synth sounds in your every favorite 80’s aerobic videos, Kurt Cobain’s sudden death shaking the whole rock world, shiny pop stars rising and falling.

I thought back then that good music is good music. Music being boxed into a certain genre didn’t bring any new artistic meaning into it and putting on labels was only limiting and blurring our minds from the actual sounds. Now it seems like the only way I know how to wrap my head around new music is to put labels on them. Maybe i’m not a free soul anymore finding only pleasures in sounds that elaborate with my every unspoken thought and emotion in the comfort of my own bedroom and in the warmness of my bed. Maybe i’ve become and seem to some of you like a boring music square who is ready to start battling you with my non-existing musical knowledge while being blissfully drunk at the que outside the entrance of a club. Maybe I’m overthinking and actually me taking interests in the backgrounds of different music scenes show that i’m passionate and appreciative towards this beautiful art form that has been given to us. In this world where I can’t see sense and find reason behind anything I find it calming that I can analyze and make clear distinctions between different musical styles. That sounds more like this and this sounds more like that. i’m not an absolutist but obviously through history people have always tried to find answers to their questions. We feel anxiety and nervousness when we’re on a mind puzzle we cannot solve. It being possible that music can be pinned down and defined brings me tranquility.

Well, Shoegaze is a bit different for me. I can’t completely pin down what it is cause it feels and sounds that it has gotten influence from so many genres and the origins of where it all began is very blurry.

Shoegaze began to rise somewhere middle of the 80s. In my last post I mentioned about this Scottish ethereal gothic band called Cocteau Twins. Robin Guthrie the guitarist of this certain band began to use the effect pedals in his guitar work. Back in the day he stated that the idea of using pedals came from the lack of sound and texture in electric guitars but later on admitted that it was actually the lack of his own technical skills that made him start to use the effect pedals. Whatever the reason behind it was I’m grateful that he began to use them. Pedals enabled the possibility to create guitar sounds that were atmospheric and otherworldly. Using effects like delay, reverb, distortion, fuzz etc created these layered textures called wall of sounds that combined many genres at the same time. Noise, Drone, Psychedelic, Progressive, Lo-fi even Ambient. Maybe that’s why I’m so fascinated about it. It’s one specific genre but same time you also hear the inspiration coming from the 60s psychedelic bands, Gothic Rock, Noise Rock etc. You get lost because you think it’s a genre on its own balance but then you start to put the pieces together and find out that it has combined all these things together to make it as one. Then again you know it has its own definite style and not just any kind of music made with pedals can be defined as Shoegaze. You need that woozy, head spinning, swirling guitar that takes you on a musical trip. I feel like shoegazers are the ultimate music fans and their process of making something new was looking back at the bands and the music that they loved.

But besides Cocteau Twins or Jesus and the Mary Chain and their noise pop sound it was the defining moment of 1988 debut album Isn’t Anything by My Bloody Valentine and the single You Made Me Realise that a genre was born. From My Bloody Valentine bands like Slowdive, Ride, Chapterhouse, Swervedriver etc got inspiration for their work that on.

So, why is it called Shoegaze? The term was invented by music media, actually specifically by one NME journalist who referred the artists as shoegazers because of their way of performing on stage. They lacked of presence and connection with the audience due the heavy use of guitar effect pedals which led them to stare at their feet all the time so they could switch their pedals right. Often times they were kind of like step dancing through the sets because of the amount of effect shifting. Shoegazer was a slur word in that time and was only used in an offensive way. There wasn't really a lot of appreciation and understanding shown towards the scene. Grunge and Brit pop scenes were hitting hard on that time and music media was praising enormously acts like Nirvana and Oasis. Anything that was considered Shoegaze or related to it was doomed to get bad reviews when it was released. In the end supporters and gigs got smaller and smaller and labels like Creation had to let their Shoegaze artists go.

The history with how Shoegaze was perceived saddens me. To me the music sounds and feels that it was a way ahead of it’s time. Electronica and the so called ’indie pop’ music we have now wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for Shoegaze. Music medias harshness made it hard to be taken seriously and made the scene look like wimpy angsty teens mocking rock music with their amateurish noise playing. Luckily the change of that has come.

Through the whole 00s Shoegaze and Dream pop stayed as an underground scene but in 2010s it began to come back on surface. In 2013 My Bloody Valentine released their 3rd album called MBV, 20 years later when Loveless the 2nd album was released. I think the most significant moment of how Shoegaze is being known again pin points to the digital era we’re living now and social media. Internet and the possibility to access information nowadays is easier and travels faster. You don’t have to go into a record store anymore and spend 8 hours of searching and listening to different albums you have probably picked because of the cover or the name of the artist or band or on what ever genre section it’s in. There is of course nice and authentic feeling into it but all i’m saying is that it takes time and what we have now you can be minutes away from your favorite music. Problem in the 90s was that they didn't have enough promotion and a proper platform to be shown on. Now people can make more decisions based on their own mind and not on what the industry and critics are promoting us. Of course you have to be willing to go searching different informative platforms because the music is not handed to you. Music that is handed has the most radio playing and pop on your recommended page on Youtube, Spotify etc. That music has the most skilled promotion and advertising which means the industry is placing more of their finances in them. It’s strictly business. On Spotify I’m not talking about the recommended artist page which can appear if I listen to a certain artist. That’s based on the algorithm of what other listeners who listen to that specific artist also listen to. I’m talking about the browse page where the first playlists you see are probably something like ”Hits right now!” or ”Top 50 Viral” which are promoted playlists including promoted artists.

Thanks to the internet as a platform Shoegaze has started spreading again without the help of the industry and critique reviews. New bands have come who are inspired of Shoegaze and are making music influenced by that genre. The musical form of the 90s movement has moved on to being Nu-gaze. Nu-gaze is a term to describe a new wave form of Shoegaze. New bands like Wild Nothing and Deerhunter are infusing the old characteristics with other genres and new producing techniques. Also the original form of the genre is very tied to the period it existed in and is a 90s youth scene more than an actual genre so there’s a reason it’s impossible to be a traditionalist in that sense.

Things are looking up. Literally. Because the media can’t crush these new up-comers with their name-calling or ridiculous criticism of being the ”scene that celebrates itself”.

They’re not consistently gazing at their shoes, they’re gazing at something new.

I’ve made a list of 4 essential albums which includes the so called Holy Trinity of Shoegaze. Imagine of having this family tree where these three bands are the founders and when you go up, the branches are separating into other sections of noisier -, dreamier - and ’indie rockier’ Shoegaze. Then there’s a 6 album list recommended by me which contains traditional Shoegaze and Nu-Gaze. The 4 essentials are a must-know if you want to engage with this scene and understand the stylistic features of the music.

4 essential albums

1. Jesus and the Mary Chain - Psychocandy

Psychocandy isn’t actually a Shoegaze album more like Noise Pop and avantgardist Proto-Punk but I listed it here as an essential because of the impact this album did have on this genre that was about to come. The guitar lead blurred by noisiness in the whole album was one of the main

inspirations for Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. Distorted Guitar leads are defining sound of Shoegaze and this album gives a wide spectrum of static sounds like the pixel rain in your old tv.

This 1985 debut album by band lead by two brothers Jim and William Reid is a wonder work of teenage I don’t give a fuck how I play, I just play. They didn’t care about the looks and actually about anything. Their style of playing and making music was messy, sloppy and lazy as they wanted it to be, it showed the rebelliousness they had against falling into the same patterns and roles as other musicians, not wanting to be molded as the rockstars with all the booze and women (even though they did get heavily drunk while performing). It doesn’t really contain the real social statements of punk rock but still has that familiar adolescent rebellion. Psychocandy found inspiration from 60s girl groups and was filled with easy poppy 3-chord progressions which were masterfully hid with all the noise.

Favorite tracks: Just Like Honey, Taste of Cindy, My Little Underground, Never Understand

2. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (Holy Trinity, part of the noisy side)

The 2nd studio album they released in 1991 after the Shoegaze pioneering album Isn’t Anything, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless makes you think of the bright vibrant intensive colors and hues burning out, melting and mixing together. It has a tense feeling of abstraction. it’s expressed in a way of mind you can’t express it, not with words at least. Kevin Shields work seems to come from some what sub-conscious mind that is trying to tell you emotions he has. Not with words but with sounds. The whole album is strongly based only on guitar leads and in the engineering of them. Which is probably why Kevin was obsessed with getting the effects and mixing into perfection. In one of Kevin’s interviews he stated that the problem was in the recording sessions, it was nearly impossible the get even the smallest frequencies heard. This album approximately cost 250 000 pounds, it took 2 years to record and the band visited 9 studios in total. After it’s release Creation Records went bankrupt and there has been a bit pointing fingers between both parties on who’s to blame for the downfall. What ever side your on Loveless is a well-deserved masterpiece and all the trouble that went along with it had a meaning into it. I’ll always imagine though if hypothetically financial problems wouldn’t be the issue would’ve there been even more different sound layers and textures? Would’ve it taken even more time to be released? 2 years or maybe even 5? Well we can tell that MBV the 3rd album took 20 years to be released so maybe we can count from that.

Favorite tracks: Only Shallow, When you Sleep, Sometimes

3. Slowdive - Souvlaki (Holy Trinity, part of the dreamy side)

Souvlaki is personally my favorite Shoegaze album. Brian Eno the godfather of ambient worked on three songs here and you can hear the ambient touch he gave into it. This 1993 released 2nd studio album by Slowdive is beautifully made timeless classic that stands out with it’s capability to unite heart-breaking melancholy with the optimistic hopefulness of the future. This kind of music can only come out from a teenagers or young adults mind. It brings that authenticity of emotionality that carries through the younger years when you haven’t build a thick skin yet. The way how the dreamy and hazy sounds and vocals have been tied together with Neil Halstead’s sensitive song-writing builds up into this climax of a cry baby music, in a good way. Souvlaki is a breakup album between the two band members Rachel Goswell, the guitarist and vocalist and Neil Halstead, the second guitarist, vocalist, producer and song-writer. It’s like reading their open diary posts. Their love of writing, playing and producing music was bigger than the personal issues they had so they decided to push them aside and stay professional. All that was kept unsaid transformed into poetic song-writing. Both of them showed truly artistic behavior while noticing the circumstances they were working on. Unfortunately media hated it and called it a soulless and outdated piece of work. After the 3rd album Pygmalion they were signed off and left to pay the rest of the US tour on its halfway. At least they’re getting now the credit they deserved and are back on touring. 2017 they released a new Self-titled comeback album Slowdive which is highly recommendable also.

Favorite tracks: Alison, Machine Gun, When the Sun Hits, Dagger (I could pick them all though)

4. Ride - Nowhere (Holy Trinity, part of the 90s more typical alternative side)

Ride’s 1990 released debut album is a dynamic work of guitar distortion that creates a crashing wall of sound. Like the waves moving upwards and downwards while growing into spirally holes which speed up and eventually shatter when they hit the seashore. And in that same scenery the sounds of the rumbling wind that pierce your eardrums. That is the main feeling that Nowhere contains. It’s an album focused on high energy. It has more melodic and rhythmic patterning and simple song-crafting compared to the other Shoegaze essentials. Ride was signed to Creation Records in 1989 when Alan McGee found interest in them after one of their demos Jesus and Mary Chain’s Jim Reid had a hold on. They were the few Shoegazing bands that had the opportunity of experiencing commercial success and Nowhere hit 11. place in the UK charts. Andy Bell and Mark Gardener had artistic differences between what style direction the band should move on. Their childish arguments and battling with it eventually broke the band in 1996 and the members Bell, Gardener, Laurence Colbert and Steve Queralt moved on to different projects. Bell for example became the bassist of the Brit-Pop band Oasis. In 2015 they reunited on touring and released a new Album Weather Diaries in 2017. Like many other Shoegaze bands Ride wasn’t and still isn’t a fan of being categorized as a Shoegaze band stating that it’s a boring tag. They still have a place on being one of the most influencing and essential bands in shoegazing history.

Favorite tracks: In a Different Place, Vapour trail, Dreams Burn Down

6 albums i recommend:

1. Asobi Seksu - Citrus (Nu-Gaze)

This 2nd studio album released 2006 by the Brooklyn based band is lyrically a smooth mix of english and Japanese language together with poppy candy-colored tunes flourished with happiness. Citrus is a refreshing take on Shoegaze. Yuki Chikudate’s adorably pitched and pretty vocals are a candy topping on a pile of upbeat guitar leads that are washed out with loads of effects and drums which are equally noticeable. In total it’s a catchy album with some jingly-jangle Nu-Gaze pop-tunes.

Favorite Tracks: Red Seas, Exotic Animal Paradise, Thursday

2. Loveliescrushing - Bloweyelashwish (Shoegaze)

Recorded with a simple four-track recorder, 1993 released debut album Bloweyelashwish by Loveliescrushing is an innovative work of otherworldly and precisely structured fuzzy sounds with some interesting choices of additional instruments. Often mistaken of using keyboards Scott Cortes the guitarist and second vocalist used forks, knives, vibrators, paint scrapers and so on to find new creative ways to make his guitar work even more stretched out. His extremely reverbed and lushed guitar leads, thanks to the technical additions, builds up a gothic atmosphere into the sound landscape. The noisy sounds are hectic, evolving and moving towards to this chaotic drone that feels like it’s eating up all the space and becoming a massive blackhole of squeaky static sounds that create a sonic boom. Paired up with softly haunting and beautifully ethereal vocals of Melissa Arpin the duo has made an impressive first album that’s an escape to other world where soothing hypnotizing sounds are waves where you can float on and sink into the bottom of deep ambience.

Favorite Tracks: Moinaexquisitewallflower, Sugaredglowing, Crushing, Darkglassdolleyes

3. Pinkshinyultrablast - Everything Else Matters (Nu-Gaze)

St. Petersburg based band called Pinkshinyultrablast which is named after one of Astrobrite’s albums is a band thats inspiration runs deep in the waters of Shoegaze. 2013 released debut album Everything Else Matters is a strong mix of electronica with extremely delayed vocals of the singer Lyubov Soloveva that bounces between the walls until the ever-growing guitar lead comes in-front of it all with adrenaline pumped kiddy sort of energy. Playful melody and thunderous pop styling of the album makes it one of the many Nu-gaze albums that give a solid ground to it’s genre.

Favorite tracks: Wish We Were, Holy Forest, Umi

4. Medicine - Shot Forth Self Living (Shoegaze)

The noise bottom of shoegazing, Shot Forth Self Living the 1992 debut album by American band Medicine is definitely not suitable for everyone but which has such an intensive and massive static explosion that it has to be noted. The screeching textures of guitar feedback seem to claw their way through your skin until it’s scratched into burning and flaming red rash caused by the noise extremeness. Medicine was the first American band that got a record deal from the British independent label Creation Records. It has been praised of being one of the closest american acts to My Bloody Valentine but I like to think that they brought their own unique touch to the noisy shoegazing scene and weren’t just a follow-ups. They dig deeper into the distorted, fuzzed almost intolerable noise sounds. I shall warn you: do not listen to this album with maximum level of volume. Especially with headphones, i’m pretty sure your hearing would get a bit damaged.

Favorite Tracks: Love You Anywhere, To Your Friends, The Powder

5. Lilys - In the Presence of Nothing (Shoegaze)

Lilys is an interesting band considering the stylistic changes it has gone through the years. First album starting of with the My Bloody Valentine inspired Shoegaze where it took its next direction to another spaces of dream pop, then sudden not-expected obscure change to Mod Revival and the latest releases go back to the bands early roots of more psychedelic rock and shoegazing style. Also it consists only one permanent band member Kurt Heasley and ever-changing visiting members. 1992 first studio album In the Presence of Nothing is characteristically clear Shoegaze album. It has that up-front woozy and distorted guitar with vocals hid underneath that are the main basic shoegazing style My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless defined. It might be a wave rider but it has that alternative rock’s charm that stands on it’s own.

Favorite Tracks: There Is No Such Things As Black Orchids, Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Tone Bender

6. M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (Nu-Gaze)

Unlike the other Nu-gaze or Shoegaze picks I’ve selected in here 2003 released 2nd studio album Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83 focuses on heavy robotic synthesizer sounds instead of more organic and analogically produced guitar effects. French Electronic Group assembled together by producers Anthony Gonzales, Nicolas Fromageau, Nicolas Barlet and Morgan Daguenet have concentrated producing more of instrumental tracks than ones backed up with vocals. The small amount of vocals this album has are filtered with effects that create an artificial human sound. Signature move of creating heavily breath-taking and majestic chord-progressions which overflow into softly tuned harmonic static until peacefully vanishing away Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts is a standout piece of electronic noise producing. Last song of the album Beauties Can Die floats gently into this complete silence near middle of the song and rises back up from the dark void with evolving synth strings. Something that I haven’t heard more in music producing. Don’t know if it’s just the cheap quality of my speakers that can’t capture all the frequencies of the sound waves or is it just meant to be that way, it brings a fascinating structure to the song anyways.

Favorite Tracks: Run Into Flowers, Be Wild, On a White Lake Near a Green Mountain

Last Words:

In this album listing I tried to focus on recommending albums where you can clearly hear the layered guitars. Especially with the Nu-gaze picks where you can tell it’s definitely influenced by shoegazing. This time there was more experimental albums than albums that could reach a pop success. The focus mainly still was on guitar textures and producing. There’s a bit mixed opinions between what is and what can not be considered Shoegaze. I switched up the albums back and forth from the list cause I wasn’t satisfied with the guitar textures and felt like they were too distant from shoegazing after all which is the reason this post took time to come out. Also back a while ago I found this Tumblr post that was a take on one of Kevin Shields interviews where there is revealed that the actual inspiration for shoegazing was drawn from the american grunge scene. I tried to search how legit it was but couldn’t find a source proper enough in my opinion so I decided to stick with the story that media and all the music enthusiasts support. Went through podcasts, interviews with the artists and old concert footage to find more information. I’m obviously not a skillful writer but I focus on giving accurate information and I hope I managed to get to the bottom of this genre in the most simplest way.

Rey

#shoegaze #noise-pop #dream-pop #neo-psychedelia #psychedelic-rock #drone #ambient #nu-gaze #alternative-rock #jesusandthemarychain #mybloodyvalentine #slowdive #ride #asobiseksu #loveliescrushing #pinkshinyultrablast #medicine #lilys #m83

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anotquitedevilishchristmas · 6 years

Text

Secret santa gift from @eecmidford to @lillebittemy , based on a scene from A Christmas Carol.

Rachel Phantomhive stood by the tree, showing off her Christmas dress, which was light blue in color and tastefully understated in design, with a white bow at the collar and a silver star-shaped pin added by Vincent. Her son Ciel, dressed in a darker blue, helped her decorate the tree as best he could, being too small to hang ornaments on the higher branches, while her niece, Elizabeth, her blush-colored skirt nearly twice her size, sprawled on the floor underneath the branches and blissfully inhaled the piney smell.

Edward, who prided himself on being the oldest child present, slowly circled the long dinner table and reverently brushed each setting with his fingers. The names of the guests had been stitched onto their napkins in gold, and the plates were decorated with sprigs of holly and gold-painted pinecones. Then came his parents, Alexis and Frances, arm in arm, the latter wearing a disapproving frown.

“Edward, are you running your unclean hands over the flatware just after touching the Christmas tree?!” she berated.

“I washed them, Mother! Ask Aunt Rachel!”

“Ah, he’s got an eye for fine china just like his dad!” Alexis beamed, ruffling the boy’s hair.

“And Elizabeth, get up off the floor this instant! For God’s sake, you’d think I raised my children in a barn.”

“Jesus was born in a barn, and he turned out okay!” piped up Ciel. “…I think.”

Alexis roared with laughter, while Rachel stifled a giggle. Frances’ lips turned upward against her will.

“Now where could your father and brother be?” Rachel said to Ciel. “This time last year, they were up on the ladder with our tree-topper!”

“They probably stayed behind at church again, Mama,” Ciel said. “Father likes to walk around and make people guess which twin he’s with.”

“And your Auntie An, too—she’s never late to Christmas dinner!” said Alexis, his mustache twitching with a bit of worry.

“I’m he-ere!” came a singsong voice from the foyer. As if on cue, Madam Red’s high heels could be heard clicking on the tiled floor.

“Auntie An!” cried the three children together, and as soon as she crouched to greet them, the woman disappeared into a pile of young Phantomhives and Midfords, squealing and yelling in excitement.

“You’re late,” said Rachel, when the children finally moved aside. The women shared a sisterly hug.

“I had to overbook today,” Madam Red explained. “So much sickness this time of year!”

“FATHER! FATHER’S HERE!” Ciel squealed from the window.

“Hide, Auntie, hide!” Lizzy called, pushing her aunt behind the curtain.

“Never fear, your Patriarch is here!” Vincent called. He bounded into the dining room, his younger son riding joyously on his shoulders, both of them covered in fresh snow and sporting brilliantly pink noses. Just like Madam Red, he found himself immediately covered in happy children, and when the boy climbed off his shoulders he too received a royal greeting.

“Hello, dear,” Vincent pecked his wife on the cheek. “Now, where’s your lovely sister?”

“Not coming today, I’m afraid,” Rachel replied. The children struggled to suppress their giggles.

“Oh no! We’ll miss her so,” said Vincent, and Madam Red, who couldn’t take it any longer, stuck her head out from behind the big curtain and grinned.

“There she is!” cried Vincent, and tugged playfully at her poppy-red hair.

“Aunt An, let me show you what Father gave me as an early Christmas gift!” the youngest boy said, holding out a red lollipop.

“No fair! I didn’t get an early Christmas gift!” Ciel complained.

“He said I get one for being so well-behaved in church,” his twin said with a proud smile.

Rachel touched her husband’s arm, leaning in to talk quietly. “How did he do today?”

“He behaved beautifully,” said Vincent. “Would you believe what he said to me on our way back home? He asked why some children don’t get Christmas gifts, even from Father Christmas, and said that if Santa is too busy to make toys for every child in the world, then he himself would become a toymaker one day and give his best toys to the poor.”

Rachel’s eyes filled. “He’s growing up.”

“Both of them are.”

Suddenly the four children began to yell and jump around as if Santa Claus himself had entered the room—but it was in fact the head chef, carrying the gigantic Christmas goose on a platter. Lizzy was the last to settle down enough to take her seat and say grace with the others, and at last they began to eat.

“It’s the best goose ever! My favorite!” cried the younger twin, his mouth full and his knife and fork working like a machine to cut more of the tender meat. These manners would usually have been berated, but in the name of Christmas his parents merely smiled at each other and continued their own meal.

“Do you think they have bigger gooses in London?” said Ciel.

“Geese,” Edward corrected.

“Mama, Papa, when next we go to London let’s get the biggest goose we can find, and see if this one was bigger!” Lizzy exclaimed.

“Elizabeth, keep your voice down,” said Frances.

CLANK! Alexis whipped his wine glass with a spoon, so hard he nearly splashed his wife with the Christmas champagne. “Time for a toast! Whose turn is it this year?”

“ME!” shouted all the children at once.

“Me me me!” said Lizzy.

“No fair! You did it last year!” said the younger twin.

“And you did it the year before, and Edward the year before that,” said Ciel. “It’s my turn.”

“So it is,” said Alexis. “Take it away, dear Ciel!”

Ciel stood importantly and raised his glass. “To Christmas, to the goose, and to our great family!”

“And to piglets!” Lizzy piped up, receiving a harsh “shh!” from Ciel.

“And to dessert,” Edward added.

“God bless us, every one!” said Ciel’s twin, the last of all. Everyone decided at once his toast was the best.

#kuroshitsujisecretsanta2017 #kuroshitsuji #black butler #fanfiction #kuro #Edward Midford #elizabeth midford #Rachel Phantomhive #ciel phantomhive #alexis leon midford #francis midford #angelina dalles #vincent phantomhive #madame red #madam red

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carafinn · 6 years

Text

won’t be soon before long

victuuri fairytale AU inspired by a tumblr post, ft. georgi who cannot get a break

It’s a beautiful summer morning, and Georgi’s seated on a large frond in the middle of the magical swamp in his backyard, trying his best to brood dramatically about his beloved Anya despite being silhouetted against a lovely magical forest full of cheerful woodlands creatures rather than the preferred bitterly cold wintery day or a cliff overlooking a tragically fleeting sunset.

“Help!” comes a man’s cry.

Georgi sighs. Dramatically.

It’s not the first time a traveller has wandered into his residence and strayed into his swamp; this is precisely why he’s erected multiple signage around the area to deter people from entering (and disrupting his very precious, very sacred brooding sessions): “DO NOT ENTER” “DANGER KEEP OUT” “WITCH NECROMANCER EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SOUL-SUCKING DEMON CREATURE OF THE DARK’S RESIDENCE” “MILKMAN TO LEAVE MILK UNDERNEATH POPPY PLANT THANK YOU”

Georgi rows himself to the source of the noise with a discarded tree branch and sees a young, silver-haired guy struggling to keep afloat. The man, upon spotting Georgi, immediately reaches his hands out to grab hold of Georgi’s tree branch to keep himself afloat. There’s a moment of silence as the two men tussle for ownership of the branch; Georgi loses his balance and almost falls off the frond.

“Who are you, and how dare you trespass upon my residence,” Georgi demands in his most impressive voice. Next to him, the tiny hatchling perched on his left shoulder lets out a particularly menacing chirrp. Smoke billows out ominously from Georgi’s cottage through the chimney, accompanied by the refreshing scent of freshly baked honeysuckle pie.

“I’m sorry,” begged the man. “I am Viktor Nikiforov, and I am the Royal Prince. My dad, the king, wanted to marry me off to some princess, but I didn’t want to, so I ran away into the forest and got lost.”

A royal scandal? A lost love, never meant to be? Now that’s the tragic backstory Georgi’s always dreamed of. He nods, and Viktor takes it as a sign to continue.

“- and then I was walking along a random path and I didn’t realise where I was going and I caught sight of a beautiful face in the swamp and was so enraptured by his beauty, I walked straight into the pond –”

The halfwit got distracted by his own reflection in the swamp. Everyday Georgi finds new things to be depressed about.

Georgi decides that it’s the last straw; if he’s is to deter other travellers from bumbling into his residence, he’s going to have to set his foot down and punish these wrongdoers, damnit.

“I’ll save you,” Georgi tells Viktor grimly, “In return for your most prized possession.”

Viktor considers the statement for a second. “Seems fair. What do you want?”

Georgi blinks, surprised. Clearly he hadn’t thought through it carefully. “Uh, how much do you have with you now?”

“I’ve, like, three bronze coins,” Viktor confesses. “And an old creaky violin.”

That won’t do. “Any other prized possessions?”

“I’ve a secret family recipe for a blueberry tart that’s famous in certain knitting circles,” Viktor offers.

Tempting, but… “Anything else?”

“I could offer you my virgini-”

“YOUR FIRSTBORN,” Georgi says, loudly. “YOU WILL GIVE ME YOUR FIRSTBORN CHILD.”

“Sure, but how can you make sure I won't lie and run away?” Viktor frowns, concerned.

“We’ll enter a magically binding agreement,” Georgi decrees grandly, pulling out his wand with his free hand and gesturing to the air around them. “You will pass me your firstborn on the pain of death. Until you do, you’re not allowed to leave this forest.”

“Deal!”

A spark of magic flies out from Georgi’s wand, and then fizzes away; now Viktor will have no choice but to obey him.

“By the way,” Viktor says, “Were you trying to brood while sitting on a piece of banana leaf? That’s like, so uncool.”

Georgi lets go of the tree branch.

Days turn into weeks turn into months, and Viktor still hasn’t found a better half to breed a spawn with.

Georgi realises, with a rising wave of panic, that being trapped in the forest as a means of escaping his royal arranged marriage might have been Viktor’s goal all along.

Desperate times beget desperate measures. If Viktor’s not going to actively try to do something about the state of his singlehood, then Georgi is going to intervene.

Georgi’s concept of romance has, thus far, involved a lot of one-sided pining, angst-ridden poetry, and inconsolable weeping.

Trying to get Viktor a partner yields pretty much the same teary results.

“Viktor, look outside! It’s Mila Babicheva passing by with her dad!” Georgi would say, peeking through a gap in the fence surrounding his backyard. Everyone knew Mila, even magical spirits like Georgi who lived in the middle of a forest, for her beauty was truly legendary. “Quick, run out before it’s too late!”

“Not interested,” Viktor would singsong, from his half-reclined position on Georgi’s favourite frond in the middle of the swamp, where he is playing his violin and sipping cranberry juice. “Be a lamb and refill the juice for me, won’t you?”

“Viktor, an exquisite looking young man’s sleeping underneath the toadstool outside with his equally exquisite husky! Didn’t you say that you like dogs?”

“Only fat, woolly ones, Georgi! Try harder!”

“Viktor, look at that beautiful golden-haired sexy beast of a man who’s drowning in the swamp! Naked. Totally naked. You have to save him!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Georgi, it’s low tide today. The water level’s barely at my ankles.”

Georgi’s almost resigned to living the rest of his life in Viktor’s company. At this point, because there is clearly no god, Georgi’s pretty sure that he’s the one being punished.

This goes on until Viktor comes running into the cottage one day in the midst of Georgi’s baking session, butt-naked and dripping wet.

“Georgi, Georgi, I found the man of my dreams,” Viktor breathes.

“What the hell are you doing here, get out of the house and get together with him!” Georgi orders shrilly, dropping the spatula in his hands in favour of jabbing a finger towards the general direction of the door. “Do so at once!”

To his horror, Viktor burst into tears.

“I tried to,” Viktor says. “I was soaking in one of the hot springs outside and I saw – I saw this gorgeous man, playing his flute to woodland creatures and – and he’s so perfect, Georgi, so perfect – and I just – I didn’t think – and I ran out of the water and started to chase after him.”

“You… chased after him,” Georgi says faintly, after a moment of silence. “Naked.”

“He ran away from me,” Viktor wails, as if that he hadn’t expected that to be the logical conclusion of the story. “I will never find true love again. Never." He trudges into his bedroom – his bedroom, in Georgi’s house – and leaves a trail of sad-looking muddy footprints on the floor. Within a few minutes, the house is filled with the sound of weepy violin music.

And people think Georgi is dramatic. Georgi lets out a long-suffering sigh, and goes to take the mop from underneath the kitchen sink.

In order to ensure that Viktor succeeds in wooing the mysterious flute man, Georgi decides to tap on his witchcraft to gather information about him. Know thy enemy, and so on.

The man’s name is Katsuki Yuuri. He’s the ex-apprentice of one of the most famous musicians in the country, Celestino. He wanders into the forest every other day of the week and plays some sad drippy flute music to woodland creatures, for reasons that largely elude Georgi. He’s soft-spoken, owns a pet dog , and has the sort of fashion sense that makes Georgi wants to scream in pain and anguish.

The woodlands creatures adore him.

Most humans don’t make it out of magical forests alive; Yuuri wanders in and out of the place, blissfully ignorant of the fact, like it’s his own backyard.

Viktor, traumatised from his disastrous encounter with Yuuri, has taken to pining after Yuuri from afar instead.

“I mean, it’s not pathetic at all,” Georgi says in a monotone, because romance is dead. Romance is dead because Viktor Nikiforov killed it. “You’ve only been pining after him for six months.”

“Oh, shut up,” Viktor snaps from his hiding place behind a large magical toadstool.

Katsuki Yuuri is sitting serenely by the river bank, playing his flute. Clearly, Viktor is not the only besotted creature here – as he sits down, the sunflowers within a ten metre radius immediately unfurl to full bloom and turn to face him, basking him in a faint, yellow, ethereal glow. A baby owlet descends shyly upon Yuuri’s shoulders, and is soon joined by what seems to be its entire extended furry family. Two grizzly bears are perched docilely on a large tree trunk, curled up snugly together and pretty as a picture, as if they hadn’t been trying to claw each other’s eyes out fighting over a small rodent just moments ago.

Viktor remains immobile behind the toadstool for the next hour, and then visibly wilts as Yuuri packs up and disappears into the forest.

“Definitely not pathetic,” Georgi repeats himself. The whole pining-after-someone-from-afar routine had been fine when he was the one doing it; Georgi mopes tastefully. Very tastefully. Viktor’s sickening moping, on the other hand, just involves a lot of snivelling, hiding behind toadstools, and binge-eating on pies.

The foolish man is self-deluded enough to insist, “our child will be beautiful and adorable and musical.”

“And imaginary,” Georgi murmurs darkly. Time to take matters into his own hands; he will get hold of Viktor’s firstborn.

The next time Yuuri comes to the forest, Georgi strikes. He summons a gust of wind that lifts Yuuri up from his place beside the river bank, above a few magnolia bushes, across a large willow tree – almost snaring the boy’s pants in the branches in the process – and dumps him in the middle of Georgi’s swamp.

In the middle of Georgi’s swamp where, conveniently, Viktor is practicing his morning yoga on his frond (fully clothed; Georgi had made sure of that before carrying out his evil ploy.)

Viktor turns his head towards the source of the noise in alarm, and visibly pales to realise that it’s Yuuri.

“Go get him,” Georgi whispers furiously under his breath, crouched behind his window in the cottage. He’s not proud of his hare-brained ploy, he really isn’t, but because the alternative is spending the rest of eternity with Viktor Nikiforov, Georgi can’t even bring himself to feel ashamed.

Georgi watches as Viktor gets over his shock and tries, valiantly, to manoeuvre his frond towards Yuuri’s general direction. He makes it about three yards before wobbling dangerously and then promptly falls off the leaf into the swamp.

Georgi is left to gape in horror as the next sequence of events unfolds in slow motion.

Katsuki Yuuri freezes for a moment, before he gathers himself and starts to swim – no, bulldoze – towards Viktor with a few strong strokes, just in time to catch the other man who, overcome by shock, has fainted, face-down, into the muddy waters. He wraps one (beautiful, toned) arm around Viktor and, with the remaining (beautiful, toned) arm, paddles his way to shore within five seconds, with the strength and grace of a motherfucking mermaid.

“Please wake up, wake up!” Georgi hears Yuuri say as he shakes Viktor’s shoulders. Viktor coughs, makes a revolting choked sound reminiscent of a badly constipated troll, and falls limply back onto the ground.

Georgi runs towards the two men and barely makes it in time to watch, agog, as Yuuri takes a deep breath, shuts his eye, and kisses Viktor.

A few unbearable seconds pass as Viktor lets out another series of cough and opens his eyes.

“Am I dead?” Viktor murmurs, peering at Yuuri through his long, long lashes. “Is this why you’re here?”

“It’s okay.” Yuuri lets out a shaky laugh. “You’re okay now.”

Georgi doesn’t cry, but it’s a near thing.

As it turns out, Viktor’s disappearance had triggered off a nation-wide search for their beloved crown prince, who, as rumour had it, seemed to have vanished overnight into the enchanted forest. The reason why Yuuri had taken to venturing into the woods to play his instrument was, in fact, an attempt at seeking Viktor out, as if the latter were some shy, fragile woodland creature to be lured out with sad drippy flute music.

“But you ran away from me,” Viktor says, because he is incapable of getting over the insult. “That time, when I met you at the hot spring.”

Yuuri looks at Viktor in a way that makes his opinion of dubious men who leap out of hot springs to chase after unsuspecting strangers, while being naked, abundantly clear.

“Fine, fine, fair enough,” Viktor concedes. “What did the king promise for my return?”

"Five hundred thousand pounds and a lifetime supply of pork cutlet bowls. But," Yuuri blushes deeply, “that’s not why I’m here, though!”

“Oh, Yuuri –”

“I’ve always,” Yuuri says, blushes even deeper, and looks down demurely at his clenched fist. “Ever since I was a kid – when I saw you play the violin at the royal wedding –”

Viktor takes Yuuri’s hands into his own. “I’m glad you found me, in the end.”

“Yes, yes, very touching,” Georgi interrupts. “Now, Viktor, if you’d remember your promise to me –”

Viktor lets out a soft sigh. “But I can’t go back to the country. The king will just try to marry me off again.”

“We could stay here, in the woods, together,” Yuuri exhales. “Forever.”

Wait, what?

“You’re right,” Viktor gushes. “I like it here. And the cottage is big enough for one more person.”

“No,” Georgi whispers faintly. “No, no it isn’t –”

“That’s it, then,” Yuuri says with a watery smile, completely oblivious as to the way Georgi is clutching onto the tabletop to prevent himself from passing out. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“And when we have children,” Viktor says, eyes sparkling with pure unadulterated joy, “Georgi can be the godfather and the nanny.”

Georgi finally passes out.

bonus:

because georgi's life is one cosmic joke, their firstborn turns out to be yuri fucking plisetsky, which further cements georgi's belief that his life is one doomed to eternal hell. despite all appearances, however, yuri is actually fond of godpa georgi and conveys this by spending a large part of his infancy flinging his booger at him. at the age of three, influenced by his parents' musicality, yuri also picks up a musical instrument; yuri chooses neither the violin nor the flute, and settles for a banjo instead, just to be fucking contrary. they hold regular concerts for the woodland creatures, where georgi acts as the emcee.

#yuuri on ice #victuuri #my fics

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