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mvrtaiswriting · 1 year

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Wonderland (Part 3) x Reiner Braun.

third and final part finally here! this artwork had me spiralling for months - and i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did. this will be the concluding part of the series but nevertheless, not the last work about reiner eheh. thank you for being part of this journey with me <;3 (part 1 here) (part 2 here). as always, let me know what you think!

Follows AOT timeline, so please be mindful of any spoilers ahead. Specifically, this first part contains spoilers from season 4 (every animated part). The segments and different timezones of the story are divided by quotes from different Taylor Swift songs, which were vital for the formation of this idea. More specifically, the song that served as the backbone for this part of the story was The Great War, from the Midnights album. This part also used Out of the Woods, from the 1989 album, Afterglow, from the Lover album and Renegade, by Big Red Machine and Taylor Swift, from the How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last album.

gn! reader.

usual AOT violence.

2.7K words.

All the the bloodshed, crimson clover .

Forcing you to kneel on the ground, Floch pinned your hands behind your back and quickly handcuffed you, preparing you for the execution planned by Yelena. A small laugh escaped your lips as you realised how ironically your fate had played out. Being held at gun point, gagged by a stupid cloth between your teeth, tied behind your head tight enough to not slip away. What you were leaving behind was a legacy of lies and betrayal, patriotism winning over love. How ironic of Marley to invade Paradise now that you were seconds away from dying - taking away the last ridiculous crumb of hope to see Reiner once again.

It probably didn't matter - he probably hated you by now, you knew very well what it meant to be betrayed by the one you loved the most. It was the type of pain that never really goes away, like an old scar that still burns even after years. You and Reiner were even now, but at what cost? Did he love you as much as you loved him? Was he ever torturing himself for what he did the way that you kept doing since the first night you slept without him?

The first gunshot you heard made you jump a little. It was close to you, enough to momentarily make your ears whistle. Jean always had a good aim, what was this bullshit? The second one followed almost immediately, just a few centimetres away from the other one. When the third shot missed you too, you knew something was off - and before you could realise it, you were pulled away from the whole scene by Mikasa, who was quick to untie you.

Handing you your ODM equipment, Mikasa silently pointed out towards the city. And that's when you saw him - towering even Eren's titan, his golden armour shining through the explosion's smokes. A small smile formed on your lips - you missed him so much, yet you were fighting again. In different fractions, on opposite sides.

It was an endless fight - every second, you saw your companions falling from the sky, shot down like birds. You were doing your best to protect your comrades, soaring through the sky and killing your enemies as if they were annoying flies. There was no time to wonder about morality anymore - it was you against them. Orders from Jean asked you to pay no mind to the titans that were entering the city through the breach on the wall, unless they were a threat to life - and so you did. You kept fighting and fighting, until a screeching scream stopped you in your tracks - a roar so familiar, that you couldn't quite recognise.

When you finally turned around, you saw the Armoured titan's nape being bitten and slowly destroyed by a titan. For the first time in years, an old, paralysing feeling invaded your body. Your muscles stiffened whilst your heart started beating so fast it could have almost burst out of your chest.

Fear.

For the first time in years, you were afraid. It took you more than what you wished it did for you to finally soar through the sky again, using the remains of the surrounding buildings as levers to your ODM gears, running towards Reiner. The normal titan had now changed its target but Reiner was standing still, impaled by one of Eren's fists. Using one of your thunder spears, you aimed at Reiner's nape - it was now or never. In seconds that felt like an eternity, you grabbed Reiner out of his titan body.

"C'mon big boy, wake up!"

You said through gritted teeth\, wrapping one of Reiner's arm around your shoulder and soaring through the sky once again. He wasn't responding, his body was heavier than yours and it was slowing your movements down. This couldn't be the end - not for him, not for you. And if it was, you wouldn't have left him behind anymore. It was you and him now, regardless. And if he had to die tonight, then you would too.

Twenty stitches in a hospital room - when you started crying, baby, I did too.

Finally finding repair in a now abandoned house, you laid Reiner's body on the floor. Searching through the various drawers, you managed to find a blanket and a first aid kit - not the best you could ask for, but definitely enough to save his life. Despite his self-healing abilities, you were still afraid he wouldn't be able to heal properly on his own. His body kept giving off steam, slowly closing his wounds.

Tucking him with a warm blanket and providing him the best pillow you could find, you finally sat back. The war outside was still going strong - at every second, a loud explosion would make the walls tremble. Screams of pain and terror filled the brief moments of silence between gunshots and bombs. You took a second to take a closer look at Reiner, your gaze meticulously scanning the way he was seemingly sleeping like a baby, the usual crouch on the bridge of his nose now finally relaxed. It had been months since the last time you saw him, but it felt like an eternity; he almost looked older - his beard was longer and the lines on his face seemed a little deeper. Scribbling a quick note on a piece of paper which you left next to his pillow, you kissed his temple and fixed your equipment - your friends were still out there fighting as the apocalypse succumbed on Paradise, and it was your duty to fight.

You were on a roof with Mikasa and Armin when the walls started to crumble. One by one, each colossal titan trapped inside the walls was released, marching away from the Island. The earth trembled with every step they took, filling the air with steam and an unbearable rumble. Nonetheless, the city was now invaded by titans - familiar titans, with a name, a life, a story. With Armin co-ordinating the attack once again, you gave one final goodbye to whom was once a fellow cadet, or a captain.

My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in; I'll tell you the truth, but never goodbye.

"Enough!"

You screamed, stopping Jean's arm from landing one more punch on Reiner's face, now covered in blood. Reiner didn't even flinch - he stood still, taking every hit from Jean's angry fists, ignoring every survival instinct he might have had. The usual adrenaline did not kick in - not a fight or flight situation, he just let violence rain over him.

"Enough."

You reiterated with a firmer tone, softening your grip on Jean's arm and letting your hand slide to his shoulder - to comfort him, of course, or to have a better grip if you needed to pin him down to stop him. A sigh of relief escaped your lips when you felt Jean's muscles relax under your touch, his intimidating gaze never leaving Reiner's. Carefully, you moved in front of Jean, your body now acting as a barrier between him and Reiner. Resting your hands on his chest, you gently pushed him backwards, forcing him to take a few steps back. Your steps followed his, never letting your hands slip off his chest. This was always your thing, after all - calming Jean down, dragging him off from the dark places his mind often wondered to. And so did he - you lost count of the amount of times he saved your life, sometimes more metaphorically than others.

Jean's eyes were now piercing yours - his brows were still frowned but he slowly regained his composure. His breathing was still heavy from the adrenaline rush he had experienced, but it slowly became steadier, more regular. As much as you hated to admit it, you were partially responsible for Jean's outburst - his hatred towards Reiner has been fuelled and nurtured for years. He was the one who saved you when Reiner pushed you off the Wall Maria, he was there when you almost got eaten by a titan because you were still grieving Reiner's betrayal to fight properly. He had wiped every tear and saved you every time - yet, at the end of the day, you always ran back to Reiner. Regardless of how bad he had hurt you, regardless of all the times you said you hated him - you always fell back into Reiner's arms. And Jean hated it - he hated the way you would always break your back to surprise Reiner, the way he would always win. Jean hated Reiner because he was still alive after all the shit he had done and Sasha wasn't, he hated him for the way he always managed to somehow redeem himself and have his happy ever after. Even now, the absence of any kind of reaction disgusted Jean - Reiner took every blow, knowing that he would self-heal every wound in a matter of minutes. More than that, Jean was disgusted by Reiner's audacity to give you the silent treatment - if he could have done it, Jean would have probably shoved an hand down Reiner's throat and pull all the words you needed to hear: something along the lines of "thanks for saving my ass out there" or "I don't deserve you".

Yet, all you received was silence. Even when everyone laughed at Hange's reaction to the cart titan, even when you called out his name to ask him if he wanted more soup. It was as if the armour of his titan was still working even now, in his human form - keeping his emotions safe, locking his heart into a silent crypt.

Tell me that I'm all you want, even when I break your heart.

Sneaking out of your tent in the middle of the night, you made your way to Reiner's sleeping bag.

"Can we talk?"

You whispered, shaking his shoulder in an attempt to wake him up. Shifting in his sleeping bag, he slowly turned around to face you.

"Reiner, I swear to god.." You mumbled again, this time in a more menacing tone. Anticipating your moves, he instinctively moved away from your painful grip before you could pinch him awake. It was an old habit of yours, a trick you had learned to be very effective when trying to get him out of bed during particularly sleepy mornings. For a brief second, Reiner almost forgot he was sleeping on the ground in the middle of a forest - for a sweet moment, memories of the two you spending all morning in bed came back to him in a blur.

Stepping away from the little camp Hange improvised, you walked your way into the woods. The flickering campfire you had lit hours ago was still burning, allowing you to catch a glimpse of Reiner's face. His tall figure was laying against one of the trees, his muscular arms crossed across his chest.

"I had no other choice. And I'm sure you know how it feels."

You finally spoke, finally breaking that uncomfortable silence that had suddenly settled between the two of you. Your words came out sharper than intended, hitting Reiner exactly where it hurt him the most.

"You're a better liar than I ever was."

Reiner quickly replied, a chuckle escaping his lips as he locked his eyes on yours.

"What's there to talk about? Didn't you say enough already, with all your fairytales about love and forgiveness? "

He continued through gritted teeth; he was furious, but his voice slightly cracked mid-sentence, betraying his stoic façade. There was a subtle irony to the nature of his hurt - you followed his steps, bringing destruction and death upon his country. Reiner shared his tears and nightmares with you, he showed you the depth of his remorse, the sincerity of his regrets - and you had cried with him, you told him that none of it mattered now that you had each other. Days turned into week and before you could even realise it, you were living together. He even bought a ring: he only had a few years to live and nothing to lose; he wanted to dedicate his life to you. Instead, you left without a warning sign and dragged him down to the end of the world, forcing him to be what he hated the most - a weapon, a monster, a cold blooded assassin.

"Why do you think I saved you? I don't want to be thanked for it, but at least dare to look at me? At least try to acknowledge my existence instead of treating me if nothing ever happened, like what we had wasn't real."

You snapped back, raising your voice. Words kept rolling off your tongue, you were speaking faster than you could think and you almost lost your breath.

"I really don't know. I don't know why you saved me, I don't know what that ridiculous love scene with Jean was, I don't know what those months spent together meant to you! Because if they did mean something, then why did you leave? Why did you leave me behind when you knew, you knew! You knew I would have followed you!"

Reiner roared back, the vein on his neck become more and more visible. His body was now only few inches away from yours, his taller figure completely obliterating yours.

Silence dawned between the two of you once again - you had never seen Reiner so mad. There was so much you wanted to say, but the lump in your throat killed every word before it could come out, leaving you like a nervous, silent wreck in front of the man you loved. It was the end of the world and this time, you were defenceless. There were only a few steps between you and Reiner - he was close enough to let his breath caress your face, the scent of his cologne burning in your lungs with every breath.

"I had to." You finally whispered, only causing Reiner to sigh in response, trying is best to not snap at you again. Your voice was weak, troubled by the burning knot in your throat. He brushed on his wide hand against his face, as if that gesture could help him reorganise his thoughts.

"Is it insensitive for me to say get your shit together, so I can love you?"

Reiner replied hopelessly, another sigh leaving his lips. His voice was calmer now, but his words felt heavy, sharp as a dagger piercing through your heart, once inch after the other.

Weakly shaking your head in response and the sound of you snorting your tears away was all it took to melt Reiner's heart. Wrapping his arms around you, he brought you closer to him - your head was now resting against his chest as the tears you were hardly fighting finally streamed down your cheeks. Being into Reiner's arms felt just right - as if all the planets just aligned, as if all your broken pieces were put together again.

When you first agreed to your mission in Liberio, you weren't expecting to fall in love all over again with Reiner. You thought these feelings were buried deep enough to never emerge again, hidden under a carpet of hatred and resentment. You entered Liberio wanting revenge, wanting to be even with Reiner. But when you left, revenge didn't taste as sweet as you expected; rather, it felt like sour liquor burning down your throat, slowly melting away every piece of your being like some kind of corrosive acid. Your relationship with Reiner felt like playing a chess match, each of you using the most unfair techniques, disguising your pawns as queens. It felt like war and it wasn't fair; and now that you were given another chance, you promised yourself would not waste it. Regardless of the future that lied ahead, from that moment you vowed you would spend however time you had left right by his side.

"I vow I will always be yours, if we survive the Great War."

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moonshine999 · 9 months

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The Crows as Taylor Swift albums (pt.1)

because why would we have a sane method of characterisation

Kaz Brekker : Midnights

♟️”And I wake up with your memory over me // That’s a real fucking legacy to leave” - Maroon

♟️”Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism // Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time) // I wake up screaming from dreaming // One day I’ll watch as you’re leaving and life will lose all its meaning” - Anti-hero

♟️”And the touch of a hand lit the fuse // Of a chain reaction of countermoves // To assess the equation of you // Checkmate, I couldn’t lose” - Mastermind

♟️”Do you wish you could still touch…her? // It’s just a question” - Question…?

♟️”Uh oh, I’m falling in love // Oh no, I’m falling in love again // Oh, I falling in love” - Labyrinth

♟️”Spider-boy, king of thieves // Weave your little webs of opacity// My pennies made your crown” - Karma

♟️”Passing by unbeknownst to me // Life is emotionally abusive// And time can’t stop me quite like you did” - Snow on the Beach

♟️”All that bloodshed, crimson clover // uh-uh, sweet dream was over // my hand was the one you reached for // All throughout the Great War // Always remember// Uh-uh tears on the letter // I vowed not to cry anymore // if we survived the Great War” - The Great War

♟️”I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone // You said I have to trust more freely // But diesel is desire, you were playing with fire” - The Great War

♟️”Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness // ‘Cause it’s all over now, all out to sea” - Bigger than the whole sky

♟️”If I was some paint, did it splatter // On a promising grown man? // And if I was a child, did it matter // If you got to wash your hands?”- Would’ve could’ve should’ve

♟️”And now that I’m grown, I’m scared of ghosts // Memories feel like weapons” - Would’ve could’ve should’ve

♟️”Dear reader // Burn all the files, desert all your past lives // And I’d you don’t recognise yourself // That means you did it right “ - Dear Reader

♟️”Dear reader // The greatest of luxuries is your secrets // Dear reader // When you aim at the devil, make sure you don’t miss” - Dear Reader

Inej Ghafa : Speak Now

🪷”Left yourself in your warpath // Lost your balance on a tightrope // Lost your mind tryin' to get it back” - Innocent

🪷”Oh, who you are is not where you’ve been // you’re still an innocent” - Innocent

🪷”My mind forgets to remind me you're a bad idea // You touch me once and it's really something “- Sparks Fly

🪷”Maybe this is wishful thinkin' // Probably mindless dreamin'” - Back To December

🪷”Miscommunications lead to fall out // So many things that I wish you knew // So many walls up I can't break through” - The Story Of Us

🪷”The battle's in your hands now // But I would lay my armor down // If you'd say you'd rather love than fight “- The Story of Us

🪷”But I never thought I'd live to see it break // It's getting dark and it's all too quiet // And I can't trust anything now” - Haunted

🪷”but Sophistication isn't what you wear, or who you know” - Better Than Revenge

🪷”The playful conversation starts // Counter all your quick remarks // Like passing notes in secrecy” - Enchanted

🪷“same old tired, lonely place // walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy // vanished when I saw your face // All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you” - Enchanted

🪷”The crowds in stands went wild // We were the kings and the queens// And they read off our names” - Long Live

🪷”And the cynics were outraged // Screaming, "This is absurd" // ‘Cause for a moment // a band of thieves In ripped up jeans got to rule the world” - Long Live

🪷”Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?” - Dear John

🪷”Well maybe it’s me // And my blind optimism to blame // Or maybe it’s you and your sick need // to give love and then take it away” - Dear John

🪷”Memorise what it sounded like when your dad gets home // Remember the footsteps // Remember the words said // And all of your little brother’s favourite songs” - Never Grow Up

(Nina, Matthias, Jesper and Wylan are already posted)

#grishaverse #six of crows #SoC #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #kaz x inej #kanej #taylor swift #swifties #midnights #speak now #shadow and bone #the crows as taylor swift albums

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haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll · 3 months

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Tracklist:

Soundcheck • Head Cheerleader • Crying • Second That • Cake • Lux • Crimson + Clover • Red with Love • Forever • Shame Reactions • Drunk Voicemail • This Couldn't Happen • Be Good • Thank You and Goodnight

Spotify ♪ Bandcamp ♪ Youtube

#hyltta-polls #polls #artist: pom pom squad #language: english #decade: 2020s #Indie Rock #Power Pop

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bijouxcarys · 4 months

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I know this is a bit late, but I’ve been meaning to share my Spotify top 100 songs from 2023. So uh… here it is lol

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

Baba O’Riley - The Who

Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream

The Sound of Silence (Acoustic) - Simon & Garfunkel

Let’s Live For Today - The Grass Roots

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin

Paint It, Black - The Rolling Stones

Sweet Emotion - Aerosmith

California Dreamin’ - The Mamas & The Papas

Cherry Bomb - The Runaways

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix

Eat The Rich - Aerosmith

Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult

Wig Wam Bam - Sweet

Kings and Queens - Aerosmith

You Shook Me - Led Zeppelin

Great King Rat - Queen

Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Last Child - Aerosmith

April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel

Tie Your Mother Down - Queen

Barracuda - Heart

Dream On - Aerosmith

Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang

You’re So Vain - Carly Simon

Touch Me - The Doors

Pink - Aerosmith

The Riddle - Gigi D’Agostino

Ramble On - Led Zeppelin

All Day and All of the Night - The Kinks

Dude (Looks Like A Lady) - Aerosmith

Around The World (La La La La) - A Touch Of Class

I Was Made For Lovin’ You - KISS

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 - Pink Floyd

Magic Touch - Aerosmith

Rebel Rebel - David Bowie

My Generation - The Who

EAT ME - Demi Lovato, Royal & the Serpent

Cheese Cake - Aerosmith

Drowse - Queen

Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys

Off To The Races - Lana Del Rey

Walk This Way - Aerosmith

Cum on Feel the Noize - Slade

I Get Around - The Beach Boys

Layla - Derek & The Dominos

Mrs. Robinson - Simon & Garfunkel

The Hustle - Van McCoy

SKIN OF MY TEETH - Demi Lovato

Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin

Super Freak - Rick James

Rasputin - Boney M.

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Love In An Elevator - Aerosmith

You Know You Belong To Me - Queen

Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles

Sedona Sunrise - Aerosmith

You Can’t Hurry Love - The Supremes

Hold the Line - TOTO

Time of the Season - The Zombies

I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

Bass Slut - S3RL

Born To Die - Lana Del Rey

Seven Seas Of Rhye - Queen

Taste of India - Aerosmith

House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones

Son And Daughter - Queen

29 - Demi Lovato

Happier Than Ever - Billie Eilish

Pretty Rave Girl - S3RL

Tarzan & Jane - Toy-Box

The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke - Queen

A Building Panic (Album Suite) - James Horner

Drop Dead Gorgeous - Aerosmith

Oxytocin - Billie Eilish

I Can’t Live With You - Queen

Debil - DJ Blyatman

Big Ten Inch Record - Aerosmith

NDA - Billie Eilish

Now I’m Here - Queen

No More Mr. Nice Guy - Alice Cooper

Janie’s Got A Gun - Aerosmith

Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

The Logical Song - Scooter

Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Crazy - Aerosmith

HEAVEN - Demi Lovato

Alone - Heart

L’Amour Toujours - Gigi D’Agostino

Angel - Aerosmith

All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

FREAK - Demi Lovato, YUNGBLUD

my strange addiction - Billie Eilish

Sight For Sore Eyes - Aerosmith

Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix

Brighton Rock - Queen

Bring It on Home - Led Zeppelin

#classic rock #70s #led zeppelin #queen #Aerosmith #top 100 #Spotify #spotify wrap 2023 #2023 #music #spotify top 100 #songs #playlist #spotify playlist

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mikelogan · 7 months

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pick based on whatever criteria you want, whether it's the color, the song, or the lyric itself!

all albums

#tswiftcolor #taylor swift #my polls #midnights

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foundationhq · 4 months

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all the skeletons as aesthetics?

oooh, fun! obviously, don't feel beholden to these as you prepare your app - these aesthetics are just what came to us as we pondered our open skeletons!

[𝐶𝑂𝑊𝐵𝑂𝑌 𝐺𝑅𝐸𝐸𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺]

the soft reverberation of an acoustic guitar in an empty room; the tingling in the fringes of your mind knowing you’ve forgotten something important but not being able to remember, no matter how hard you try; a tea kettle whistling shrilly on the other side of the house.

[𝐻𝐼𝐺𝐻 𝐹𝐼𝐷𝐸𝐿𝐼𝑇𝑌]

giddy, breathless laughter escaping the confines of a hand clasped over lips; over-sugared coffee sloshing over the edges of a cracked porcelain mug; a kaleidoscope spinning lazily, its patterns esoteric and mesmerizing, meanings locked beyond conscious reality.

[𝐾𝐼𝑁𝐺'𝑆 𝐺𝐴𝑀𝐵𝐼𝑇]

a bright flash of light bouncing off the gleaming edge of a dagger hidden; a shattered glass, a blood-red drop of wine clinging on a sharp piece, crimson pool growing on a pristine, white rug; the tarnished surface of a well-worn silver ring.

[№2 𝑃𝐸𝑁𝐶𝐼𝐿]

handwritten notes crammed into every corner of a far too small desk cabinet; the scratch of a fountain pen, leaving behind mathematical notations on graph paper in crisp loops; the rhythmic, rapid-fire typing on a mechanical keyboard with sculpted caps.

[𝑃𝐸𝑅𝐹𝐸𝐶𝑇 𝑆𝑇𝑅𝐴𝑁𝐺𝐸𝑅]

the first golden rays of sunlight piercing through the veil of night, stirring scuttling creatures into renewed action ; a delicate, downy feather somersaulting in the powerful current of a summer zephyr; the light popping of fizzy carbonation frothing over the lip of a soda can.

[𝑅𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝑆𝐸 𝐸𝑁𝐺𝐼𝑁𝐸𝐸𝑅]

ink-stained fingers flipping through a set of index cards, painting ghostly blue-black marks on stiff, lined card stock; the soft, worn edges of a beloved book, its once stiff cover now curved after countless re-readings; an antique cabinet filled with cherished photo albums and vintage tchotchkes.

[𝑇𝑅𝐸𝐸 𝐻𝑈𝐺𝐺𝐸𝑅]

dried flowers pressed in every page of a scientific tome, their fragile preserved petals, breathing new life into the dense text in pinks and golds; the captivating flash of a sparkler clutched between two fingers, it's scintillating lit end slowly making it's way closer and closer to the digits; the intermittent tings of a wind chime choir singing and dancing in a springtime gale.

[𝑉𝐸𝐿𝑉𝐸𝑇 𝐺𝐿𝑂𝑉𝐸]

a painstakingly tailored wardrobe, every single item free of wrinkles; the homey, lingering sweetness of clover honey; the perfect release of a wax stamp on an envelope, its copper monogrammed seal enclosing personal matters of the heart.

below, you'll find aesthetics for the admin characters (marked with an asterisk) and our reserved skeletons, from their players!

[52 𝑃𝐼𝐶𝐾𝑈𝑃]

the fiery end of a matchstick carrying a white plume of smoke through a starless night; a heart calcified from rage; a stack of documents fastened and meticulously arranged to conceal any vestige of sin; a false smile that does not quite reach one's eyes.

[𝐷𝑌𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐵𝑅𝐸𝐸𝐷]*

the soft and sharp of an owl, tousled feathers so fringed they’re silent, talons and beak that tear like meathooks; a can of so-sweet tinned peaches, eaten slowly, savoured to the last sip of syrup; windblown, cowlicked hair pulled through carefully darned sweaters, smelling of carbolic soap and Camel cigarettes; laugh lines that most people never see used and tattoos patched by scars with untold stories; the comfort of a woodfire - even as the glow of it pools in dozens of eyes, all so close, all so hungry.

[𝐸𝐿𝐸𝑉𝐴𝑇𝑂𝑅 𝑀𝑈𝑆𝐼𝐶]

steady hands glistening with life; kind, intelligent, whiskey brown eyes that so often look far away; faith, maddening and undying, to one who runs from her; a fawn hiding beneath an evergreen branch, waiting in the snow and pine needles.

[𝐹𝐿𝐼𝑀𝐹𝐿𝐴𝑀]

plump peaches freshly picked off the tree; delectable French pastries on a white porcelain plate; the daybreak that allows light to creep in through the night sky.

[𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝑊𝐼𝑅𝐸]

a frayed trail of poorly-managed bandaging that leaks red; the frozen beads of condensation clinging to bare branches in an early winter morning; crows bearing gifts; stretched out cuffs on sleeves too long bunched in hands that have always been clenched; dust motes catching the light through a window; when the appliances click off their idle humming to leave absolute silence in a house that is not a home.

[𝑂𝐿𝐷 𝑆𝑃𝑂𝑅𝑇]*

the first page of a new notebook, unblemished, unassuming, unknown; the end credits on a film reel, little names passing across the screen, recognition in microseconds; white noise blending in and out, the background bleeding into the fore, the oscillating hum of a mechanical cicada — coil whine, the excitation of invisible electromagnetic forces, audile magnetic noises — piezoelectric boogaloo.

[𝑆𝑀𝑂𝑂𝑇𝐻 𝑂𝑃𝐸𝑅𝐴𝑇𝑂𝑅]*

the sharp tang of smoke from an extinguished match; the blend of cool and warm hues in a still healing bruise; the slight static buzz of a voice coming through a payphone speaker; a well-loved traveler’s journal — its pages tattered and warped — held together by a taut rubber band.

#new rp #skeleton rp #original rp #literate rp #lsrpg #fhq.faq

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wingedblooms · 2 years

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midnights, an elriel story in lyrics

the great war - you came for me

We can plant a memory garden

Say a solemn prayer, place a poppy in my hair

There's no morning glory, it was war, it wasn't fair

And we will never go back

To that bloodshed, crimson clover

Uh-huh, the worst was over

My hand was the one you reached for

All throughout the Great War

Always remember

bigger than the whole sky - this was a mistake

Did some bird flap its wings ovеr in Asia?

Did some force take you bеcause I didn't pray?

Every single thing to come has turned into ashes

'Cause it's all over, it's not meant to be

So I'll say words I don't believe

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

You were bigger than the whole sky

You were more than just a short time

And I've got a lot to pine about

I've got a lot to live without

I'm never gonna meet

What could've been, would've been

What should've been you

vigilante shit - a different side

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man

You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

Sometimes I wonder which one'll be your last lie

They say looks can kill and I might try

I don't dress for women

I don't dress for men

Lately I've been dressin' for revenge

Ladies always rise above

Ladies know what people want

Someone sweet and kind and fun

The lady simply had enough

I don't start shit, but I can tell you how it ends

Don't get sad, get even

So on the weekends

I don't dress for friends

Lately I've been dressin' for revenge

sweet nothing - we almost forgot it

I spy with my little tired eye

Tiny as a firefly, a pebble

That we picked up last July

Down deep inside your pocket

We almost forgot it

They said the end is coming

Everyone's up to something

I found myself a-running home to your sweet nothings

Outside they’re push and shoving

You're in the kitchen hummin'

All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing

mastermind - you’re mine

Once upon a time, the planets and the fates

And all the stars aligned

You and I ended up in the same room

At the same time

And the touch of a hand lit the fuse

Of a chain reaction of countermoves

To assess the equation of you

Checkmate, I couldn't lose

You see, all the wisеst women

Had to do it this way

'Cause we were born to be the pawn

In every lover's game

No one wanted to play with me as a little kid

So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since

To make them love me and make it seem effortless

This is the first time I've felt the need to confess

And I swear

I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian

'Cause I care

So I told you none of it was accidental

And the first night that you saw me

Nothing was gonna stop me

I laid the groundwork, and then

Saw a wide smirk on your face

You knew the entire time

You knew that I'm a mastermind

And now you're mine

[all excerpts are lyrics from Taylor Swift’s album, Midnights]

#midnights #elriel vibes #elriel: a story in lyrics #song and memory #elain archeron #azriel spymaster

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hoodienanami · 2 months

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well i gotta know your 49 now

49: is there a cover you like more than the original version?

several!

i'll take the sex pistols version of 'substitute' over the who's original any day. same with joan jett's version of 'crimson and clover'. and ofc my fav band the dead kennedys are great at covers. their version of 'i fought the law' is basically its own original song due to the completely new lyrics

but my favorite cover that i consider better then the original is the dead kennedys' version of 'take this job and shove it'. i love how fast paced it is. listening to jello sing very fast is a lot of fun. them using it as the opener to their final album thats filled with songs bemoaning the state of the mid 80s hardcore scene is both poetic and hilarious in that special dead kennedys way

for me theres really no point in listening to the original 'take this job and shove it' when i can listen to the dead kennedys version thats a million times better

#hoodies q and a #thank you!! very fun question

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kingboolists · 9 months

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have a nice trip! // classic 60s/70s songs to heighten your journey

LISTEN ON: SPOTIFY

White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane // Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd // When The Music's Over - The Doors // Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - The Beatles // Dazed and Confused - Led Zeppelin // Crimson & Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells // See Emily Play - Pink Floyd // Season of the Witch - Donovan // Strawberry Fields Forever - The Beatles // The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix // Space Oddity - David Bowie // Echoes - Pink Floyd // No Quarter - Led Zeppelin // Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles // All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix // The End - The Doors // The Dark Side of the Moon album - Pink Floyd

(best listened to about an hour or so into your journey)

#playlist #pychedelic #lsd #acid trip #60s #70s music #70s #spotify #pink floyd #the beatles #jimi hendrix #the doors #trip responsibly #led zeppelin #acid rock

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transboykirito · 2 years

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the great war is about the kirigaya siblings: more meta nobody asked for

here’s the song - let me explain to you why this song was written specifically for kazuto and suguha. i’m gonna end up doing this for the entire album at this point. oh dear.

“my knuckles were bruised like violets / sucker-punching walls, cursed you as i sleep-talked / spineless in my tomb of silence / tore your banners down, took the battle underground”

this is kazuto talking to suguha. “my knuckles were bruised like violets / sucker-punching walls, cursed you as i sleep-talked” is his ptsd attacks and the night she finds him crying after the incident at the hospital. “spineless in my tomb of silence” is the years he spent isolating himself from her after he found out he was adopted. “tore your banners down, took the battle underground” is him retreating into video games to avoid her.

“and maybe it was egos swinging / maybe it was her / flashes of the battle come back to me in a blur”

this is suguha talking to kazuto. “maybe it was egos swinging” is both of them (mostly her) getting defensive during their fight, making her lash out at him to protect herself. “maybe it was her” is her feeling jealous of asuna. “flashes of the battle come back to me in a blur” is her remembering not only the fight, but the time he spent avoiding her. the emotions and confusion she feels after so much comes back to her and distorts her judgement, making her act more defensive than she needs to

“all that bloodshed, crimson clover / uh-huh, sweet dream was over / my hand was the one you reached for, all throughout the great war”

this is kazuto talking to suguha again. the bloodshed is their fight. “sweet dream was over” refers to the time they spent after sao where things seemed back to “normal” and perfect again being broken by them fighting. “my hand was the one you reached for all throughout the great war” refers to suguha still trying to find comfort from him despite them not talking, or fighting with eachother,

“always remember, uh-huh, tears on the letter / i vowed not to cry anymore if we survived the great war”

suguha talking to kazuto again. “always remember the tears on the letter” is her talking about her crying during their fight and apology. “i vowed not to cry anymore if we survived the great war” is her promising to be stronger if they survive the fight and if she gets her brother back.

”you drew up some good-faith treaties / i drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone / you said i have to trust more freely / but diesel is desire, you were playing with fire”

kazuto talking to suguha. this is about her trying to reach out to him and him still shutting her out and not talking about sao or what was happening with asuna. he’s suffering alone, “poising” himself, because he doesn’t want to hurt her. she wants him to trust her, he wants them to just be a normal family again and stop pushing him to open up about what he isn’t ready for.

“and maybe it’s the past that’s talking / screaming from the crypt / telling me to punish you for things you never did / so i justified it”

suguha talking to kazuto. she lashes out at him because she’s afraid he’s going to abandon her again. this lyric honestly just reminds me of her saying she wishes he’d kept being a jerk so she never realised how she felt. she’s putting the blame on him.

“all that bloodshed, crimson clover / uh-huh, the bombs were closer / my hand was the one you reached for all throughout the great war”

suguha talking to kazuto again. “the bombs were closer” is the threat of him losing asuna getting closer, stressing him out more. “my hand was the one you reached for” is him reaching out to her to ask for help and letting himself be more vulnerable with her.

“always remember, uh-huh, the burning embers / i vowed not to fight anymore if we survived the great war”

this is kazuto talking to suguha. “the burning embers” refers to the raw emotion after the fight. “i vowed not to fight anymore if we survived the great war” is pretty straightforward - if they make it through this fight, he promises to not fight with her anymore. he promises to let her into his life and let things go back to normal.

“it turned into something bigger / somewhere in the haze, got a sense i’d been betrayed / your finger on my hairpin triggers”

suguha talking to kazuto. the feelings and emotions she’d been suppressing and telling herself weren’t a big deal all came out far bigger than she expected it to. “somewhere in the haze i got a sense i’d been betrayed” refers to the dreamlike haze of having kazuto back being broken by her feelings of jealousy and betrayal that kazuto’s heart belonged to someone he’d met in the other world (see: sweet dream was over). “your finger on my hairpin triggers” is her being sensitive to having him back, asuna, etc, and him not realising.

“solider down on that icy ground / looked up at me with honour and truth / broken and blue / so i called off the troops / that was the night i nearly lost you / i really thought i lost you”

this is actually both of them. from suguha’s perspective, this is her seeing how her words hurt her brother, and seeing the pain in his eyes as she’s screaming. she thinks that she’s lost him forever. from kazuto’s perspective, this is the moment he realises how much his isolation hurt his sister. he sees how much the years wore her down and thinks that, when she turns away and goes back into her room, he lost her for the last time.

“we can plant a memory garden / say a solemn prayer, place a poppy in my hair”

kazuto talking to suguha. “we can plant a memory garden” is him offering to put the past behind them when he can finally come home for real. they’re both changed, their relationship needs nurturing while they both recover and the fight won’t disappear (”place a poppy in my hair”), but they can work on it together

“there’s no morning glory / it was war, it wasn’t fair”

this is both of them again. this is the aftermath of their fight, when they dance together after the party. it’s a bittersweet moment. there’s no sense of victory for either of them after their fight. it wasn‘t fair, they hurt someone they love.

“and we will never go back to that bloodshed, crimson clover / uh-huh, the worst was over / my hand was the one you reached for all throughout the great war”

again, this is both of them. they won’t go back to fighting anymore. the relationship still needs work, but the worst of it is done. they won’t be at war with each other again.

“always remember, uh-huh / we’re burned for better / i vowed i would always be yours / ‘cause we survived the great war”

kazuto talking to suguha (though it could go either way tbh). “we’re burned for better” refers to their relationship becoming stronger and more secure because they know that they’ve survived the great war. they can survive anything else as long as they work together. “i vowed i would always be yours because we survived the great war” is kazuto promising that he’s going to come back for real, only this time “the great war” refers to him surviving sword art online and then saving asuna. he completed what he needed to do, he can come home to suguha.

#this is my favourite song on the album can you tell #idk it reminds me of someone very important to me and something that happened and just yeah.#leafa #kirito #i wanna add my bpd sugu tag SO BAD because like this song is exactly what it feels like yknow??#meta #sword art online #sao #you know what i like this so much better than the midnight rain one #taylor.txt #saoxmidnights

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dayurno · 2 years

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bigger than the whole sky from taylor swift‘s new album is andrew after baltimore. i cannot handle this.

i can't tell if this is about neil or kevin and either option makes me want to die thanks. it is true that nothing she's ever written has been more andrew than "everything i touch becomes sick with sadness" but also. "did some force take you because i didn't pray?" is also very. hm. hmhmhmhmhmhnhm. taylor swift psych ward NOW

but also. also!!! Also!!!!!!!!! what if... post-baltimore kandrew... the great war.... THINK ABOUT IT... when i first listened to this song i was flabbergasteddd because it reminded me of kandrew's cold war in tnotg and i was like ngnfntsnf... anyway here's my thesis:

[It turned into something bigger / Somewhere in the haze, got a sense I've been betrayed / Your finger up my hairpin trigger] (!!!!!!!!!!)

[My knuckles were bruised like violets /Sucker-punching walls, cursed you as I sleep-talked]

[You drew up some good faith treaties / I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone / You said I have to trust more freely / But diesel is desire, you were playing with fire]

[And maybe it's the past that's talking / Screaming from a crypt / Telling me to punish you for things you never did /So I justified it / All that blood shed, crimson, clover]

[You looked up at me with honor and truth / Broken and blue, so I called off the truce / That was the night I nearly I lost you / I really thought I'd lost you]

LIKE!!!!!!! the feeling of doing something impulsive and misjudging someone's intentions. harming them when they never meant to harm you. andrew trusting faulty notions from his own past (getting lied to = loss of control), regretting it once the war is over... ..... .... when she says "i justified all that bloodshed" LIKE........ the night i nearly lost you......

also fuck my lifeee "you looked up at me with honor and truth" is such a kevin line...... we never get to know what happened that day but i like to think that for a moment there kevin really did mean to just tell andrew what he knew. he wanted to help. it was misguided and it was innocent but isnt that what kevin is all the damn time!!!!!! truly there was no morning glory, it was war, it wasn't fair :(((((

#asks #kandrew #killing myself in front of taylor swift thus changing the story of her life forever #i dont understand how this album can have songs like the great war and wouldve couldve shouldve #and then she turned around and wrote cat eye sharp enough to kill a man #gotta love that she turned illiterate somewhere along the albums production and then she got it back #anyway i feel INSANE i feel CRAZY the great war seemed right out of tnotg kandrew #truly they break my heart in all the worse ways....... the idea that kevin only meant to help #and he never did know how to not push andrews cruelest buttons like!!!!#later on andrew realizing this and feeling just. Empty. not even terrible #he just feels empty and stupid and too big in that way u can only feel when ur like lol im a monster #truly everything he touches becomes sick with sadness after baltimore #andrew when he realizes he won a game kevin never even knew he was playing: damn i am going to take Years to get over this #neil who knows and understands: yeah u should

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midweastindigo · 2 years

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that moment when you're in the midst of writing a steddie multi chapter fic and taylor swift releases a new album which means gaylor tiktok blows tf back up so you're listening through the album as the pansexual queen you are and then you get to the great war and hmmmm she sings 'all that bloodshed crimson clover' and something in you is like why is this so familiar and you know in the back of your mind it's a song! duh! so you look it up and listen to the original by tommy james and the shondells and remember ah yes this is the song about fucking a woman. a lot. over and over. and then you remember joan jett's gay as hell cover exists because she didn't change the pronouns in the 80s so you start playing that version on repeat and holy shitballs taylor you sly motherfucker why else would you put in that combination of words as if you don't know the implications of the original song and now crimson and clover is the anthem of my steddie multi chapter fic and eddie munson's mom was a lesbian

#steddie #send help #my pipelines are getting stranger #stranger things #taylor swift midnights #mine #becs stuff

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wouldyoudoanythingforme · 1 year

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Hello, hope you're having a good day

I love reading your songs' analysis but I don't get very well your analysis of The great war. What made you think this is the break up song ? Like what lyrics? I think I agree with your pov but I need more details to make my mind

Okay, so, have you listened to hits different? Do you know about the girl who lives in delusion?

The great war is kind of like this for me. First, the great war means the FIRST world war. In the context of this relationship, this is the FIRST war they had to fight. In my opinion, it is about kissgate and how she went on twitter to deny kaylor which was the betrayal that she dealt to karlie.

Let me back up, taylor has repeatedly referred to true love as golden. This is how she views her relationship with Joe, because it's not burning red. The way taylor describes falling in love is "flying towards the sun" and so when a relationship goes bad, you've flown TOO close to the sun. You're so blinded by the light that you keep flying towards it even as your feathers are melting off, Icarus.

She says in the bridge that this love was "burned for the better" which we know is incompatible with how she views true love, aka for her that's joe. Burned here implies this is an unhealthy relationship but the war imagery should tip you off to that before you get to the bridge.

So back to the song, she has started the song off with imagery of fighting and the use of the pronoun "her," and remember this is a song off an album where the theme is literally "if one thing had been different, would everything be different today?" So the song starts off with taylor thinking back to how her knuckles were bruised like violets from fighting this war.

Violet is queer coded specifically for sapphics with a whole history there, as well. So, there is another queer flower being used as imagery here.

"Cursed you as I sleep-talked, spineless in my tomb of silence" this is clearly about kissgate to me. She is having nightmares of where it all went wrong and she is tracing it back to kissgate in 2014 (?)

Crimson clover is another gay floral reference, crimson & clover is a song about sapphic love for example. Anyways, sweet dream was over gives me gold rush vibes and I have nothing else to say about it other than this.

Once we get to the chorus, we have already changed history. "Tears on the letter" brings me to closure, where the reality is karlie apologizing to her (maybe?) And taylor resenting that letter because she remembers how it used to be, how it could have been. But in the song, I think she is saying she wrote a letter crying and vowing not to fight anymore if they could survive kissgate.

I think in reality, this actually happened (karlie sobbing with her head in her hands) but taylor said something to push her away and this started the beginning of the end of their relationship.

So, the second verse I can only interpret as Karlie telling her to trust her more (maybe taylor accused her of wanting them to be caught? This is speculation but im giving an ex so u can see my train of thought of what I think the verse represents) but here is like present taylor speaking through past taylor saying "diesel is desire, you were playing with FIRE" so here is the burning imagery again. You can write a whole thesis on this line and the beautiful metaphor it is for unhealthy relationships but I'll just say here that she is saying that the desire between the two women burned up them inside until there was nothing left of what they had.

"The bombs were close" is a reference to the phone call drama that I think signals the end of their relationship for real because Karlie lost interest in her as her reputation tanked and also the way she was treating Karlie was probably not okay because she was valuing fame over the two of them.

And here she is saying "my hand was the one you reached for all throughout the great war" because karlie wanted them to go public but she was too afraid to live her truth. "Always remember the burning embers" is also another hint that she's talking about a past relationship due to that burning red metaphor she likes to use for break up songs.

Then we get into the bridge which solidifies it for me because "it turned into something bigger" feels so my tears ricochet to me. We know Taylor was betrayed by Karlie somehow in the masters situation and she is literally saying that their relationship war turned into "something bigger" because kissgate was the catalyst for karlie betraying her and causing her to lose her masters in the way that she did. "Even on my worst day, did I deserve babe all the hell you gave me" hell is depicted as a burning inferno and "raining hellfire" is what this line references to me.

Somewhere in the haze = the lavender haze

Got a sense I'd been betrayed = masters situation

Your finger on my HAIRPIN trigger = right where you left me, you won't let me come out because of our history, you had to kill me but it killed you just the same because she is queerifying pin triggers, which is a gun term that modifies it to SHOOT FASTER. The brilliance here is *chefskiss*

But remember, we're still in the time period of kissgate so this is where I make the connection to hits different bridge and outro because it feels like a complete shift in tone where Taylor does decide to trust karlie after kissgate but karlie is now falling out of love with her because karlie looked up at her with "honor and truth" during kissgate and so she called off the troops because she was the one hurting Karlie in the kissgate situation and vowed to find a way to leave her record label maybe?

She called off the troops, which I think is her record label, and I think this means she was trying to find a way to leave them for the 2 of them to go public. But we also know that karlie cheated on her during their relationship because of the way she talks about the emotions behind August.

And the most devastating part of this entire song is "that was the night I thought I lost you, I really thought I lost you" for me because it is the thing she is changing about this entire situation. This WAS the night she lost her because in reality, there was 2 great wars in history.

The Great War foreshadows the coming of a second war in the context of this relationship because people really celebrated the end of the war like it was the last bloodshed they'd see on that scale again. This is why I think it's like hits different because it wouldn't make sense for her to be saying "there is no second great war" with the context of the great war not being a break up song.

Like, in order for this to be a happy song, you would have to ignore the historical context that she is referring to specifically by using the name "the great war." And this is why ultimately to me, this is a break up song because this song is about the feeling of believing you've won before walking straight into a checkmate trap.

Then she used funeral imagery here much like she used it in so it goes for the bridge in that song too. She says "we can plant a memory garden" why would they need to plant a memory garden of they are still together.

A memory garden implies remembering someone who died at war, and then the "place a poppy in my hair" and "there's no morning glory" "it was war, it wasn't fair" these all feel like the aftermath of kissgate on their relationship.

Like yeah, they "won" the battle of kissgate but their relationship was altered by the events of this so greatly it caused a greater, bloodier war.

Again, you cannot divorce the historical context she is using in this song from your analysis and the context is "people thought ww1 was the great war because they couldn't foresee how their actions caused a CHAIN REACTION that led to the second world war" like that is the context.

The singer here, taylor, couldn't see how her actions started a domino effect that would cause Karlie to betray her during the masters situation, leading to their metaphorical death as a couple.

They survived the great war and she vowed she'd always be Karlie's but we know that's not true and that's why it's a break up song, anon.

I love you, thank you so much for this.

#ask and you shall receive #anon love #taylor swift #gaylor #kaylor #midnights #the great war

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tobesoquiet · 2 years

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The Great War Song Analysis

Below you will find my 2k+ word analysis of the first 3am track on Taylor Swift’s most recent album Midnights (3am edition). I did utilize Genius, but most of this stuff was just from my own mind and Genius happened to have the same info, lol.

“My knuckles were bruised like violets” This opening line seems to be a clear callback to Lavender haze, a song all about the honeymoon phase of a relationship where there is little to no conflict. But, as we will learn, The Great War is somewhat the antithesis of Lavender Haze as it tells the story of Taylor and her partner’s first colossal fight and how it almost ended their relationship. Personally, I like the symbolism of Lavender Haze being the first track while The Great War is the first of the 3am tracks.

“Sucker-punching walls, cursed you as I sleep-talked” Taylor mentions dreams and nightmares several times across this album and in her previous work. Instances of this in other Midnights tracks specifically would be in Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve, and Anti-Hero where she sings “I can’t let this go, I fight with you in my sleep”, and “I wake up screaming from dreaming one day I’ll watch as you’re leaving”. She also mentions sleep talking specifically in Long Story Short; “Misery, like the war of words I shouted in my sleep”.

“Spineless in my tomb of silence” This lyric reminds me of the line “I lived like an island, punished you with silence, went off like sirens, just crying” from Afterglow, a song that could very well have been written about the same fight Taylor and her partner had. It sounds like she’s depicting herself shutting down emotionally during this fight.

“Tore your banners down, took the battle underground” Appears to be a straightforward reference to Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve where there’s a lyric quite similar; “Years of tearing down our banners, you and I”. I feel as though this could represent Taylor trying, or at least wanting to end the relationship this song is about.

“And maybe it was ego swinging, maybe it was her” In any argument, egos can get bruised. It becomes an issue when the reason you’re still arguing is that you don’t want to admit your faults or wrongdoing and thus the fight continues. As for who “her” is, we aren’t privy to that information, however, I do wonder if this woman could be the character in the Anti-Hero music video who represents Taylor’s self-loathing thoughts and actively tries to sabotage her, and in this case, her relationship.

“Flashes of the battle come back to me in a blur” It’s not unusual for veterans to suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and for those who do have it, flashbacks of their trauma isn’t uncommon. Taylor could be experiencing flashbacks of this nuclear argument, or “battle”, with her partner during current fights.

“All that bloodshed, crimson clover” In 1986, Tommy James and the Shondells released a song called Crimson and Clover. The song is about the narrator seeing a woman and instantly falling for her and thinking there’s a possibility he could love her. In the context of this song, though, I feel like this could be a reference to the amount of figurative blood that was spilled, hence the ground, and the clover growing there, being stained a crimson red.

“Uh-huh sweet dream was over” The honeymoon phase that Taylor sang about in Lavender Haze has most definitely ended. This also reminds me of the line “Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful” from Snow On The Beach, where she’s singing about falling for someone and being shocked that they like her back.

“My hand was the one you reached for, all throughout the Great War” Taylor is saying that despite how tumultuous her relationship was at the time, her partner was still setting it aside and comforting them both. As for the term “the Great War”, before WWII, WWI was referred to as the Great War. The use of this term is Taylor trying to express how volatile this fight was for both parties involved.

“Always remember, uh-huh tears on the letter” “Always remember, never forget” Is a phrase usually used in reference to a significant tragedy that will go down in history. Thus, in the context of this song and how Taylor is using the metaphor of war to describe this period of her relationship, she is expressing that the fight was so monumental that it will go down in the history of their romance.

“I vowed not to cry anymore, if we survived the Great War” This reminds me of how in some of our more desperate moments, we pray to a god we may or may not believe in with the promise of “If you get me out of this situation/help me in some way, I promise I’ll never do x bad thing again”. Taylor is saying that if by some miracle she and her partner make it through this, she’ll be so grateful that she’ll never allow herself to show her unhappiness again.

“You drew up some good faith treaties” “Good faith” is considered to be one’s honor and integrity when drawing up an agreement between more than one party and how they conduct themselves after said agreement. This hints at Taylor’s partner being very active in trying to come up with solutions and/or compromises to their problem.

“I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone” As I said, Taylor is isolating herself, which she expressed having a problem within the #TSAntiHeroChallenge video she posted, as well as drowning her sorrows in what could be alcohol, which is sometimes referred to as poison. It reminds me of the saying “holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”.

“You said I have to trust more freely” There have been multiple instances in this era alone where Taylor has hinted towards her trust issues, such as in the Anti-Hero music video where the character who acts as a manifestation of her self-loathing and intrusive thoughts is shown giving her a lesson in a school like setting where “Everyone will betray you” is written on the blackboard in large lettering. She also does this in Dear Reader with the lines “Dear reader, you don’t have to answer just ‘cause they asked you” and “Dear reader, the greatest of luxuries is your secrets”. It should also be noted that songs from Reputation, such as Look What You Made Me Do and This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things, both touch on a betrayal she’s faced.

“But diesel is desire, you were playing with fire” A very clear (to me) parallel to the Ivy bridge where she also sings about fire and war in the context of a relationship; “So yeah, it’s a fire, it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark, and you started it. So yeah, it’s a war, it’s the goddamn fight of my life and you started it”.

“And maybe it’s the past that’s talking, screaming from the crypt” Taylor has used the imagery of death to describe her ended relationships in her previous work and in another song on Midnights. In All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) (Taylor’s version) she sings “He’s gonna say it’s ‘love’, you never called it what it was. ‘Til we were dead and gone and buried, check the pulse and come back swearing. It’s the same, after three months in the grave.” and in Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve “If clarity’s in death, then why won’t this die?” as well as “The tomb won’t close, I miss who I used to be”. Both relationships seem to have greatly impacted her and there’s a strong possibility that the toll they took on her affects how she handles relationships to this day.

“Telling me to punish you for things you never did, so I justified it” Another lyric that reminds me of Afterglow, specifically the lyrics “I blew things out of proportion, now you’re blue. Put you in jail for something you didn’t do. I pinned your hands behind your back, oh. Thought I had reason to attack, no.” and “Hey, it’s all me, in my head. I’m the one who burned us down, but it’s not what I meant. I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

“It turned into something bigger” An argument that might have started smaller and about something that wasn’t super important, but now it’d been blown out of proportion and Taylor is possibly realizing that this really could end their relationship.

“Somewhere in the haze, got a sense I’d been betrayed” Perhaps another callback to Lavender Haze, which as we know was written about the blissful honeymoon phase. It sounds, to me, like the metaphorical bubble of peace and calm has been burst by her momentarily thinking that her partner has done something unforgivable. Betrayal isn’t an uncommon theme during times of war, in fact, American general Benedict Arnold became synonymous with the word after he betrayed America during the Revolutionary War.

“Your finger on my hairpin triggers” She’s on the brink of losing it/exploding in a way and how her partner acts will determine her reaction and whether or not she does, in fact, lose it.

“Soldier down on that icy ground” “Soldier down” or “man down” is a phrase meant to signify that a soldier on the battlefield/in action has been injured or taken down, most likely by a bullet or other weapon. In this case, the soldier is Taylor's partner who might have been emotionally wounded by her words or actions. The use of “icy ground” could be a reference back to The Lakes, where Taylor sings, “A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground, with no one around to tweet it”, and while The Lakes might not be a fully autobiographical song, it gives me the imagery of the one sacred space Taylor and her partner had, being marred due to being turned into the battlefield of this metaphorical war.

“Looked up at me with honor and truth, broken and blue, so I called off the troops” Describing her partner as having honor and being truthful is very reminiscent of the lyrics “your integrity makes me seem small” and “it’s like I’m wasting your honor” from Peace. The lyric about them being broken and bruised reminds me of two other lines from two different songs, both from Lover. “I blew things out of proportion, now you’re blue” from Afterglow and “My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue, alls well that ends well to end up with you” from the song Lover. Taylor saying she’s calling off the troops is her coming to her senses and waving the white flag after seeing how hurt her partner is, but also how they are still the person she fell in love with.

“That was the night I nearly lost you, I really thought I’d lost you” In the context of the war metaphor, Taylor is using “lost you” as a metaphor of her partner succumbing to their injuries and dying, another casualty of war, but in all actuality she means she thought they’d left her and ended their relationship.

“We can plant a memory garden, say a solemn prayer, place a poppy in my hair” Memory gardens, or memorial gardens, are places often created to remember and honor the tragedy/death of a person(s). As for the reference to poppies, they are seen as a remembrance of WWI. they were most common on the western front, and they actually thrived in the conditions due to the soil that was turned up as a result of the combat taking place. There’s also a poem titled “In Flanders Fields” by John Mccrae, published in 1915 about war, specifically, the death caused by it, that references poppies twice. In a poem written by Moina Michael (a humanitarian) in 1918, which was a response to Mccrae’s poem, poppies are also heavily mentioned. Moina then campaigned for poppies to be a symbol of remembrance.

“There’s no morning glory, it was war it wasn’t fair” Could just be me, but this very much reminds me of the saying “all is fair in love and war” with the lyric kind of being the antithesis of that. In reality, war isn’t at all fair.

“Always remember, uh-huh, we’re burned for better” Reminds me of the lyric, “and if I get burned, at least we were electrified” from Reputation’s Dress. The implication is that despite the fact that they went through this hardship and very difficult period, they’ll be able to use what they learned in future arguments which will also better themselves as people.

“I vowed I will always be yours, ‘cause we survived the Great War” While this does have the tone of wedding vows/marriage, I think it’s important to keep in mind that relationships don’t need to the title of marriage in order to make them just as serious as a couple who is married. I think this could reference a more personal promise/covenant that Taylor made to herself and to her partner.

#taylor swift #music #midnights #song analysis #the great war #3am tracks #swifties

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roosterbruiser · 1 year

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DUDE MORE LANDSLIDE??? HECK YEAH

anything for you, my darling!!

deleted scene from the bonfire before shit hit the fan.....

I am standing between them now, pulled into myself under my sweater, and we are just far enough away from the fire for the breezy night to kiss my skin. My teeth are on the precipice of chattering and I clutch my paper cup with cold fingers.

“I was a little wild in college,” Phoenix smiles, biting her lip, “it’s actually where I got the name Phoenix.”

Bob smiles and I know he’s already heard this story before. I take a drink of the cherry wine and Bob leans in closer to me, chuckling. Warmth blooms in my chest.

“Because, like a phoenix, she rises from the ashes.”

It feels like everyone is laughing. The fire has been burning for a few hours now--the sun was still setting when we set the fire up. Everyone has a paper cup in their hands, and the makeshift refill station has had high traffic. Everyone is probably a little tipsy, including me, including Rooster. My belly is aching because I want to be closer to him, want to be tucked up against him.

Phoenix grins, her hair shining under the moon, slicked into a bun. She’s wearing a turtleneck and a pair of skinny jeans with Bob’s canvas jacket slung over her shoulders.

“You think you were wild?” I start, nudging Bob, “Bob let his hair get to his shoulders in college!”

Phoenix grins, almost spilling her beer as she leans forward and pushes his shoulder. Even without the bonfire, I know Bob’s cheeks would still be burning the bright red they are now. He shrugs.

“I was an English major! What English major doesn’t let their hair grow out to their shoulders,” he defends, “they wouldn’t let you checkout poetry books in the library if you had a buzzcut.”

This feels good. That is all I can think. It’s cold, sure, and I wish Rooster was standing beside me and listening to Bob be my best friend. But it’s good. I like these people, these people that are on the edge of their seats and waiting for the ball to drop, but still laugh and kid and sing along to Bon Jovi and Tommy James and drink alcohol from paper cups on the beach. We feel like the only people in the world down here.

“What made you go short?” Phoenix asks, her eyes glassy as she reaches over and ruffled Bob’s pretty brown hair.

He glances at me.

“Got gum in my hair at a party. Crimson cut it out. Clover had to fix it,” Bob laughs, “cut my hair in her apartment kitchen.”

We were hungover when I’d done it. It had been a long time hopping parties at Temple with Maggie--when she visited, she wanted to be out all night and every night. She had cut the gum out of his hair with a pair of nail scissors I carried in my purse. When I’d woken up and seen Bob on the couch, a chunk of hair jaggedly cut from his head, I’d shaken him awake with a pair of scissors already waiting in the kitchen beside a dining table chair.

To soothe the pain of losing the hair he’d grown out for so long, he picked a record. Our heads were pounding--I had to squint at the sunlight I was letting flood my apartment. Maggie was still sleeping in my dark and quiet room, her head under a pillow.

He’d turned on my dusty Aretha Now album and dutifully skipped to the second track. As he sat in the lone wooden chair in my kitchen, as I wrapped a towel around his shoulders, I Say a Little Prayer had played.

“I don’t know who I am without my hair,” he grumbled, wiping his eyes and letting his glasses rest on the counter.

I’d run my fingers through it a few times. He still smelled like a frat house--like cigarettes, cheap beer. But he also smelled undeniably clean, even if he hadn’t showered yet.

“Bob,” I answered.

He rolled his eyes.

But then I’d cut his hair, plastering a smile to my face even though my brain was pounding to be free of my skull. My lungs still felt weak from laughing, from inhaling all the cigarette smoke. I cut his hair carefully, but danced around him to make sure it was even in the front, grinning at him until he had to smile back at me.

“He tipped nicely,” I tease, patting Bob’s chest.

My teeth are chattering now, so I gulp the rest of my cherry wine. My throat is warm and there is a sweet film over my tongue and cheeks. It makes me think of being on this beach with Rooster when we were alone together for the first time. It makes my pulse quicken.

Something heavy and warm falls onto my shoulders and before I can register what it is, I feel a familiar pair of hands on either of my shoulders. Rooster is behind me, draping the leather bomber over my shoulders. It’s very heavy and warm from his body, his sweet and familiar body, and I instantly feel warmer. He’s squeezing my shoulders gently and I know he wants to be closer to me, know that he wants to hold me, but he stands a few inches away so our bodies aren’t flush against each other’s.

“Looked cold,” he says and I can hear his smile.

Phoenix and Bob are smiling their drunk little smiles, eyes beginning to slope in that special way. I know right then and there, somehow, someway, that Bob has told Phoenix about me and Rooster. They look awfully pleased now, watching him touch me, watching my body soften at his touch. My throat feels sticky with admiration.

“Excuses, excuses,” I whisper, teasing, loving.

I look up at him and he is already looking down at me, glowing in the dark. He is smiling beneath his mustache, very soft and pink in the light of the bonfire. His hands are still on my shoulders and I want to kiss him. When I look up at him, it feels like we are the only two people here. Everyone dissipates, everything dissipates. It’s just him and I here in this spot in the sand and he’s just put his dead father’s jacket on me. All I can smell is his sweet, sharp scent and the jet fuel that has permanently stained his skin. And all I can see his eyes and I know, yes I know now, that they are filled with love for me. Yes, yes love for me.

More Than A Woman by the Bee Gees snaps me out of Rooster’s gaze.

“I love this song,” Hangman announces before pointing at me from across the fire.

I bite my lip, can practically taste what he’s about to ask me, heart picking up a faster rhythm. He’s already sauntering over to me, dropping his third or fourth beer bottle in the sand, his cable knit sweater hugging his biceps almost painfully. His hair isn’t gelled either and he looks irregularly soft right now.

“C’mon, darlin’, let’s give ‘em a show!”

He sounds like Texas when he’s tipsy.

Then he’s grabbing my hand and the jacket is falling off and I pause to fix it, but Rooster is faster.

“Hold your horses,” he laughs at Jake, helping my arms in the oversized sleeves.

He pats the spot between my shoulderblades and his touch feels like a warm blanket. His touch feels so intimate, so private even if it is literally just a pat on the back.

So Hangman pulls me to the sand and I am laughing, cherry wine warming my throat, my eyes drooping and glassy. His face mirrors mine except the grin on his face is touching every single part of him.

He does all the work, just like he did at The Hard Deck.

He takes my hands in his and twirls me a few times, remarkably good at giving me butterflies when he wants to. And I know that if I was someone else, in a different timeline, it would be easy to fall in love with him. He is a legitimate good dancer and cute enough to get away with it.

He’s singing, too, laughing and crooning off-tune. He looks very pretty--and less like his face is perfected with a layer of saran-wrap--when he’s tipsy and his cheeks are rosy. His lips are wet and wrapped around his straight teeth, too. He pulls me to him, his hands on my waist and we fall into an easy two-step.

“And if I lose you now, I think I would die,” Hangman sings dramatically.

I feel a different kind of light when I’m dancing with Hangman. He is very strong and I know that he, just like Rooster, could lift me without so much as breaking a sweat. And I know that it might be the country in him, but he worships every single woman that walks this planet, flirts like his life depends on it; there is something strangely admirable about that to me. It feels safe to be in his gaze.

“Make some room!” he calls, reprising his favorite line, even though we are alone by the waves and the beach expands on either side of us for at least a mile.

He brings me close to him and I cross my arms over my body, a waft of Rooster fluttering from the leather jacket and into my nose, and then he spins me out and I dip the same dramatic way I had done before when we danced in The Hard Deck.

“Ow, ow!” Coyote calls.

“Youch!” Phoenix calls distantly, her voice muffled with laughter.

It feels strangely safe to be held by Hangman, but not in the same way it feels to be held by Rooster. It feels like I’m in the company of a friend, a protector. Maybe he will hit on me, but he would also puff his chest up around any man that sniffed me at the bar. Hangman is the type of man that will show you off without expecting anything in return. It almost reminds me of my father. The comparison makes me ache.

“You sure its Bradshaw you want,” Hangman asks, his ego flaring.

Fuck. I furrow my brows, pretending like my feet didn’t stutter when he said Rooster’s last name. Hangman rolls his eyes, but he’s still smiling.

“Darlin’, everyone knows. Even if they don’t,” he says, “they do.”

If I hadn’t drunk half a bottle of cherry wine, I think I would feel more embarrassed than I do right now. I hold onto his sweater and inhale the salt air before I even think about responding. Our bodies move in tandem.

“Knows what?” I say, turning my nose up slightly.

“You could always change your mind,” he sing-songs, twirling me again, “you know where to find me, darlin’.”

#m answes #landslide #directors cut #slumber party

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