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scoops-stevie-archive · 1 year

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this was written for @thefreakandthehair's spicy six spring fanworks challenge, for the prompt, "come lie down with me, i'll read it to you"! thank you so much for letting me participate, lex!

April showers bring May flowers, but March comes in like a lion. Winds up to fifty miles an hour with rain and thunderstorms following close behind. Most people would hunker down with preparations to ride it out for however long the weatherman on TV decides, but most people haven't fought an inter-dimensional war for four years in a row and don't equate the rain pelting down on the roof to the sound of beating bat wings, or the violent winds to their devilish screeching. They get pushed around in a gust and don't think about being pinned down and feasted upon by razor sharp teeth.

Most people aren't Steve Harrington.

Unsurprisingly, Family Video stays open during one of these storms. Also unsurprisingly, they haven’t had a single customer since they opened that morning. Steve watches from behind the counter as it rains sideways across the parking lot. The trees are bending in ways that make him nervous and he's imagined a branch snapping off and going through his car one too many times. He taps an erratic rhythm on the counter, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes locked forward.

"If it gets any worse, we're closing early," Robin says from somewhere in the rows of tapes, probably sprawled across the floor. "It's supposed to go on until tomorrow afternoon, and I'm not risking being stranded here."

Steve would argue that it’s already worse, but a particularly harsh gale that sounds like a moaning monster from a D&D session makes his blood freeze in his veins. He nods, his jaw clenched. “Agreed.”

Worse comes when the power starts flickering. It was just once and for barely a second but it was enough for Steve and Robin to shut all the computers and lights off and make a beeline for the breakroom. He's already made his check-in calls with the Party; they're all safe and sound at home with promises to not step foot outside until this all passes.

“Be careful, alright?” Robin says when Steve drops her off at home. The wind is whipping her hair around her face and she’s struggling to hold the door open with the force of it. He waits until she’s safely inside before he pulls away.

There was a lull in the rain during the drive, but now it’s back with a vengeance. His wipers are barely doing anything and he can’t even see five feet in front of him. He pulls over somewhere on the side of the road to wait until it hopefully dies down. There’s thunder in the distance now, and all Steve can think of is Kate fucking Bush and Max lying comatose in a hospital bed. He watches the rain cascade in waves down the windshield and suddenly he’s back on the roof of Starcourt, his Members Only jacket doing absolutely fuck-all to keep him dry in the downpour.

Steve grips the steering wheel and can barely hear the next clap of thunder over the gust of wind that's shaking the car, or the blood rushing through his ears, his head filled with screams – his, Robin's, Dustin's, Eddie's–

Eddie.

Blind panic blooms in his chest and it takes a few tries to get the car started because of how bad his hands are shaking. Finally, the ignition turns and he's speeding off. He doesn't bother to follow traffic laws.

Gotta get to Eddie. Gotta get there before the bats do, he and Dustin can't hold them off on their own, shouldn't have left them behind–

Steve doesn’t remember haphazardly parking the car next to Eddie's van, or throwing the front door open with a strangled shout of his boyfriend’s name.

"Eddie!"

There's a thump coming from the back bedroom and Eddie comes tripping over his own feet in his rush to get to him. Steve wants to cry at the sight of him, but instead his breath gets caught in his throat with another wave of panic as his vision blurs and all he can see is Eddie’s bloodied smile as Nancy desperately tries to stop the bleeding from his torso.

Eddie takes a cautious step forward. "Baby?" His hands are lifted in front of him as if Steve is a frightened animal.

"You - you're-" Steve tries to get out but making words feels like gargling pebbles, deep down in his throat. His hands clench and unclench at his sides, shaking along with the rest of him.

"Where are you right now, Stevie?" Eddie asks gently. He doesn't touch him but he's close enough now that he could.

Steve shakes his head. "I-I don't -" He swallows. "The bats - had to come back, couldn't leave you and Dustin-"

"Can I touch you?"

Steve nods.

Eddie doesn’t pull him in immediately. He curls a steady hand around the knob of his shoulder, his thumb rubbing his collarbone in soothing circles. His other hand goes to his right elbow and then he slowly drags him to his chest in a bear hug. Steve goes limp like a rag doll and lets Eddie hold him tight.

"There we go," Eddie whispers into his hair, arms wrapped around his shoulders and waist. Steve pants raggedly against his neck. “Shh, I gotcha, sweetheart.” Fingers slide up the back of his neck and thread through his hair, gently tugging and scratching at his scalp in a way that makes Steve shiver and press closer. His own hands come up and grab fistfuls of the back of Eddie’s shirt. Eddie kisses his temple. “You don’t have to tell me what made you freak out if you don’t want to, but I don’t think you want the neighbors seein’ you like this.”

Slowly, without pulling away, Eddie kicks the front door shut and walks them back to his room where he undresses Steve slowly and methodically, not like he usually would when he’s trying to get his boy out of his clothes, and replaces them with a worn t-shirt and sweatpants. Steve buries his nose in the collar of the shirt and breathes in the scene of home. There’s a tiredness always present after a panic attack that leaves him weary and aching all the way down to his bones. He kicks his jeans to the side and sends a paperback with them. It isn’t one he’s seen Eddie read before; the dragon on the green cover and the yellow letters are enough to draw Steve’s attention and he flips through the pages after reading the summary on the back.

“Come lie down with me,” Eddie says with a gentle hand on Steve’s hip, “I’ll read it to you.”

Eddie shuffles him toward the bed and Steve all but falls onto the mattress, burying his face in the pillow on Eddie’s side of the bed (because he’s slept here enough times that they have respective sides, now) and inhaling the intoxicating smell that’s pure Eddie – cigarette smoke and the strawberry shampoo he uses. He’s maneuvered until he’s tucked into his boyfriend’s side.

The storm is all but forgotten outside. He can’t hear the harsh winds or the rain pounding on the trailer’s tin roof. Eddie’s bedroom is a bubble of safety and love and warmth. Steve has no nightmares in this place. Here, all he knows is adept fingers running through his hair and the way he slowly starts to drift off at the soothing sound of Eddie’s voice rumbling in his ear as he reads to him, picking up where he left off.

“The Librarian slept on, lulled by the whispering of the rain…”

#cj talks #cj writes #steddie #lexsspringfanworkschallenge #this was gonna be longer but work and real life kinda got in the way #steddie ficlet

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cherrywrites626 · 8 months

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WNGTI Chapter 9 Sneak Peek

Literally just wrote this so it is mostly unedited but

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The remainder of the plan was fairly straightforward.

Use one of the three gates to sneak into the Upside-down, cross their fingers they didn’t run into trouble along the way to Eddie’s trailer as he had insisted that he get a repeat performance of the epic metal concert in literal Hell or nobody was going to hear the end of it; then the girls would continue on to the Creel house while the guys all remained behind to prepare for distraction take two, and hopefully no one had to die this time to accomplish their goal of stopping Vecna for good. Easy peasy.

There may have been a bit more to it—at least, he was pretty certain someone mentioned something about the why’s and how’s of El’s exact method for murdering the son-of-a-bitch for real this time—but what that entailed outside of ‘keep Eddie safe or die trying’ really didn’t register in his brain.

Honestly, it was no wonder to him that it took reliving the full eight months of torture to give the girl an answer to her question. Steve had an attention span the size of a literal gnat on all things he deemed unimportant content.

The gate they finally chose to utilize for the second leg of the plan was surprisingly the one he never put much stock into in the past—although now that it was the only one they had a relative idea of its location and an adequate belief it wasn’t crawling with police given a distinct lack of mention of it despite being smack dab in the middle of a highway, it actually made the most sense.

The woods were simultaneously close to every necessary location they wanted to hit while still remaining hidden enough they’d lost the first swarm inside the relative safety of the trees after Steve’s painful introduction to what made a demobat quite possibly the worst thing the Upside-down had ever produced to date. Not that he was biased, or anything.

Once the majority of the kids had all been dropped off to await the signal to take action much the same way they’d been instructed to the first time—the addition of not one, but five extra walkmen and a boombox at their disposal as well as the additional Kate Bush tape Steve had given to Eddie for safekeeping before everything about his own hairbrained plan spiraled out of control—the arguable adults of the group plus the singular superpowered teen made their way into the forest after leaving their cars in the rear lot of the trailer park.

It would have been the preferred choice for everyone present to drive closer to the gate seeing as how having a quick getaway was never a bad idea, but something about parking two very conspicuous vans on the side of a highway with a portal to an alternate dimension somewhere in its general vicinity really didn’t sit well with any of them. And for good reason, too. The less nosey townsfolk getting themselves murdered in their stupidity, the better.

The only other thing Steve would have maybe liked to do before heading out is wait for Joyce and Hopper to roll into town before they made their move, although he understood the reason both Will and El very quickly nixed that idea in its entirety.

Saying hello only to turn around and say goodbye was far too risky a chance for any of them to take, and not that he was pessimistic about the likelihood of their success rate or anything of that nature, but he himself didn’t want his final memory of the couple to be the one of their haggard return to Hawkins.

The two deserved to believe the worst was behind them. Even if for only one singular night.

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Read the newest update below and buckle up for this chapter arriving soon to an Ao3 website near you: Upside-down shenanigans take three. Or one, depending on how you want to look at it.

#stranger things #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #my work #cherrypiewrites

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roosterbruiser · 9 months

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I want to talk more about CS! 🙋🏻‍♀️

You were clearly very deliberate about what songs you played in which scenes. How did you choose the song and the scene together? Or did you choose the song and base it off of that?

To piggyback off of that— what was your favorite song/scene pairing? I loved the Kate Bush song (which is of course reminiscent of the final fight in stranger things) but would love to hear yours!

yessss songs are so integral to my storytelling and I do very deliberately choose the needle drops!! it tickles me when people want to talk about it!!

for me, it usually starts when I'm driving. I feel like I'm always driving (midwesterner through and through) and I usually listen to music and just think about my stories. and sometimes, when I'm listening, I see a really detailed scene in my head.

but other times, I will write a scene and then based off the vibe, I will go and choose a song. for example, when Bradley comes into the nurses office to get his blood drawn, I deliberately picked Hungry Like the Wolf for.....a reason.

yes! I'm quite inspired by 80s horror in general so Stranger Things is sooooo spot on!

my favorite needle drop has to be A Case of You by Joni Mitchell during the chapter six bonfire scene. not only is that one of my favorite songs ever, but it TRULY encapsulates CS so well

I mean these lyrics:

Oh, you're in my blood like holy wine You taste so bitter and so sweet Oh, I could drink a case of you, darling And I would still be on my feet Oh, I would still be on my feet

I'm frightened by the devil And I'm drawn to those ones that ain't afraid

I met a woman She had a mouth like yours She knew your life She knew your devils and your deeds And she said, "Go to him, stay with him if you can But be prepared to bleed"

it's kind of in a lot of my stories bc I feel like it fits....everything, you know? and that is one song I knew from the beginning that I wanted in CS!!

#m answers #cruel summer spoiler alert #cruel summer #que me up scotty

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steelycunt · 10 months

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OH this is fun!! i cannot stand oasis i don't care about morissey taylor swift is mediocre at best music without words (modern music alright not like bach or something) is boring punk wants what rap has kate bush is probably one of the greatest artists in the past few decades too many people claim to like bowie but would demand to have him crucified in the 70s... what else... back to punk too many people claim to be punk even though the most radical song in their library is god save the queen (which WAS punk and radical. in the 70s.) OH and placebo's cover of running up that hill is the only cover of kate bush i will accept. hmmm if i think if any more be prepared......

ooo theres a lot here you understood the brief. right lets sort through this. oasis fairs i dont mind them but i get it. morrissey well everyone does and should hate morrissey obvs. taylor swift hard agree as is no surprise after yesterday...the music without words thing is tricky for me because i dont agree necessarily BUT i must admit i dont tend to listen to much instrumental music. there are some tracks i love but for the most part i dont know i struggle with it. feel like its a me problem though. punk hard disagree sorry modern punk is mostly shite but original punk like 70s punk particularly late 70s british punk im a massive fan of i have to say. kate bush absolutely 100% a musical genius that shouldnt be unpopular...back to punk with you again i see what youre getting at but. what was punk in 70s as a music genre is still punk imo...the sentiments may not be modern but thats because the songs are from. the 70s yknow. if the alternative is to be into modern punk we're in trouble because so much modern punk is soo bad. like pop punk is a scourge on the earth genuinely. havent heard placebos cover and i have personal beef with running up that hill in general BUT i do like suspended in gaffa cover by the figgs i have to confess. in general though people should not cover kate bush i fear they will just embarrass themselves

#this is exactly what we needed you understood the brief thank you dear!!#unpopular music opinions

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myriadof-fandoms · 2 years

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mimi watches the final

i'm literally gonna throw up

i don't wanna see eddie die but i know i will and i fucking hate everything okay he just wanted to graduate

hoppers back :((((

are they gonna fuck. are jopper gonna fuck. they should fuck. they deserve it.

joyce: romance me

hopper: FOOD

oh god they're flirting i'm gonns cry

chianti 😭😭😭

PLEASE FUCK FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THANK YOU WE GOT A KISS PEOPLE

steve landing in the upside down was hot thank you for your time

yes robin i would applaud for hottest landing in the upside down thank u

GET THE FUCKING STANCY OUT OF MY FACE

steve and eddie teamwork helping robin up good soup

omg dusty debut in the upside down

STOP WITH THE NOT HERO BULLSHIT OH GOD I HATE FORESHADOWING

make him pay 😭

i am so bisexual. walk walk fashion baby. all of you three please break my back like a glowstick

i was not prepared for more billy flashbacks you fuckers

argyle <3

kate bush my beloved

NOT THE FUCKING HICK I SWEAR TO GOD

lolololol the murder house nice ahs reference

tom wlaschiha you hot shit i love u

who said this'll do. this'll do just fine. OH STEVE IN S2

where is my surfer boy. i want him back.

they just paid him in weed. canon stranger things plot is a guy being paid in weed.

everyone: preparing for battle

argyle: pizza time

THE MOST METAL CONCERT BRO YEAH LETS GO

"she was made for an alternative dimension"

robin my beloved

STEVE CRAWLED BACKWARDS LOL HE IS ALMOST AS STUPID AS BABY ME I WAS JUST LAZY BUT OH MY GOD

bro you were fine in s1 idk what y'all are on about

(i'm sorry to all stancy shippers you're fine i'm just upset about how this makes no sense in canon)

NO SHE IS IN LOVE WITH JONATHAN YOU WERE NEVER THE PROBLEM STEVE

god fucking damn it i don't want to see this STEVE! WAS! OVER! THIS! i don't fucking care for stancy oh my fucking god

THANK GOD FOR ROBIN BUT MY GOOD GIRL COME EARLIER NEXT TIME I JUST THREW UP IN MY MOUTH

also ich weiß ja nich wie gut er das jetz wirklich macht auf ner skala von 1-10 aber das klingt nach gutem russisch muss ich ihm schon lassen

hi. :) i'm gonna cry

REALLY ANOTHER DATE THAT WON'T HAPPRN ARE YOU SHITTING ME THE DRAWING OH MY GOD

here comes the will and jonathan talk. i just love will so much. he's so soft. just. soft voice. and idc about jonathan otherwise but THAT'S THE BEST BROTHER EVER. and he knows he fucking knows.

bro that was hands down one of the best not even actually coming out- coming out scenes. that's. yeah. jonathan but he's more of a dad to will than lonny ever was.i just love people being accepted for who they are okay i gotta AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

oh jesus christ i dont want max to get more hurt. NO FUCKING HER BROTHER OH NO BRO ARE YOU SHITTING ME THEY ARE NOT SERIOUSLY

this is not the billy content i wanted

my good dudes. did the duffers not watch their own show. bc yes all of this makes a lot of sense. if the relationship of billy and max had still been portrayed as bad as in s2 in s3 but okay.

OH VECNA HAS SHOWN UP OH DAMN HE PLAYS THAT SO GOOD DAMN CALEB

OH THAT'S THE WEIRD SCENE FROM THE TRAILER IT'S A SKATERPARK OH MY GOD

CHRISSY THIS IS FOR YOU

MASTER OF PUPPETS OKAY IT'S METALLICA I CAN LIVE WITH THIS ACTUALLY THIS FUCKING SLAPS

this dude did not touch erica now did he

stop jumpscaring me with billy thank you

oh well you're all fucked.. i still don't care about the russia plot

daddy sorry daddy sorry

MAX WAS ALWAYS A BADASS

oh no max looks so sad at the snowball being ruined 🥺

HOW DARE HE TOUCH A LITTLE KID ERICA IS ELEVEN TAKE YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER

let me at jason. just let me. he won't even expect it. i'm kinda tiny. he won't expect much. and then he'll have 22 years of anger issues that fights dirty on his hands.

YEAH HOPPER YOU BETTER GET BACK TO ELEVEN

ANOTHER KISS WE HAD ANOTHER JOPPER KISS

hey how is this happening at the same time. what the time difference between wherever they are in russia and hawkins. why is it nighttime everywhere.

do i have a combat boots kink. maybe. more at seven.

steve really do be getting choked a lot.

demodog!

"i'm buying more time" you're being an idiot is what you're doing

oh vecna knows well that's. interesting. and now eleven is the surprise

i like max's outfit

BRO ONE MORE WRONG WORD

NORMAL'S JUST A RAGING PSYCHOPATH

I WILL KILL JASON WITH MY FUCKING BARE HANDS THE LAST TIME I FELT RAGE OF THIS SCALE PETER HAD JUST GIVEN THANOS THE CHANCE TO WIN

MUCH BRAVER THAN YOUR BROTHER COME AT ME BRO I WILL END YOU FOR THIS ONE

oh dusty no

bro why did no one tell eddie that running away from danger is a normal response IT'S CALLED FIGHT OR FLIGHT AND FLIGHT IS OKAY

actually i'm just not watching this. eddie will be fine. just like billy is. they are dating steve. and bob is alive too he's dating joyce and hopper. wanna hear about murray and alexei.

elmax <33333

damn jamie spent a lot of time in that costume huh

how is max unconscious.. in her own mind..

"he did not make me into this. you did." insert the got me there meme

BABY DEMOGORGON I REPEAT A BABY DEMOGORGON EM IF YOU'RE READING THIS WE GOT A NEW IF EVIL WHY BABY

god the costume department >>>>

so he made the mindflayer. yeah. okay good that's what it seemed like.

STOP JUMPSCARING ME WITH BILLY

i will end them for misusing my boy's lines like this

damn the byler fandom is gonna have a shitty time. they really did you dirty and i feel very sorry. also my baby boy will is suffering but i expected as much so

god yes lucas punch him from me

yep yep yep eddie is fine as long as i don't look

murray my hero. it wasn't divine intervention it was murray.

sure we shooting machine guns with one arm now. totally not gonna backfire.

"the beginning of the end." stranger things really is in its infinity war era

DO YOU WANT TO FEEL HOW IT FEELS

not to be horny on main but maya hawke's hands

jfc nancy with a shotgun. i'm normal about this

oh god the sound and effects. the sword. the fire. i can't.

do i just skip the next scene. i really don't want to see eddie die.

bro. my good dudes. there was no need to kill this metalhead too. NO NO NO NO NOT THE MY YEAR

I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU TOO WELL EYE LOVE YOU THREE AND THIS FUCKING SUCKS WHY ALWAYS STEVE'S BOYFRIENDS WHY THE ONE CHARACTER THAT ACTUALLY HAD A DREAM THIS FUCKING SEASON

.. you know what. yeah okay killing the one character with a future makes sense bc it's more heartbreaking BUT YOU CAN STILL SUCK MY DICK

I HATE THIS GODDAMN SHOW

THEY FUCKING BLINDED MAX?

NOT THE I'M NOT READY ARE YOU SHITTING ME NO NO NO WHY MY BABIES WHY BILLY AND EDDIE AND MAX LIKE IS THIS A CONSPIRACY AGAINSY ME ARE YOU SHITTING ME

all the awards to caleb

HEHEHEHE JASON IS DEAD ngl that did bring me great satisfaction sorry i know he was a kid too but he did start a witchhunt for eddie and people still act like billy was the problem

THAT'S THE HOLLY AND KAREN SCENE

BRING MY GIRL BACK NOW

YEAH SHE BETTER NOT BE GOING FUCKING HELL

elmax elmax elmax elmax elmax elmax

there's more to life than stupid boys yes there is and not only because mine are all dead

oh damn the people are running huh

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST OKAY

NO FUCKING HELL DON'T BLAME EDDIE NO NONONONONONNONONONONONO HE WAS A HERO

why is anybody smiling

okay steve lives at least i was right about that

why is karen so shocked oh i guess her son okay yeah makes sense

ALRIGHT SEE JONATHAN PICKING NANCY UP IS WHY I WILL ALSO NOT ACCEPT STANCY ALRIGHT

karen wheeler is a good mum sorry

the picture they put the picture up he is reading stephen king to her oh my god that's love

i wanted billy in a hospital not max

i'm gonna throw up

okay at least we can still count on steve harrington and his jeans

they volunteer. babies.

okay you know what i too would have a crush on vickie. and i have a crush on robin. where do i sign up i just AHH I GOTTA GAY

oh jfc they need to date WAS WAS WAS BOYFRIEND AND SHE RAMBLES and fast times it's boobies i need to lay down. this is so cute this is so gay i need to lay down. they are flirting

i am steve steve is me

not wayne oh god not the poster i can't not this sweetheart dustin i just no

[mr munson weeps] yeah so am i

how will i ever move on

alright maybe the el and hopper reunion can fix me

imagine being argyle. like you befriend this dude. and then you end up in this hellhole of a town.

no fucking hell. they're really gonna go stancy. after all. i can't. this is not seriously gonna happen

of course will can feel him HE WAS VECNA'D

HOPPER??? JOYCE CAR PLEASE

oh god it's the coke bottle

I NEED EL AND HER DAD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD HEY KID HE'S SMILING I KEPT THE DOOR OPEN THREE INCHES ARE YOU SHITTING ME I KINDA STOLE YOIR LOOK BITCHIN I CAN'T

MAMA BEAR JOYCE

i never thought i'd be be happy to see mike with hopper

NECK TOUCH WE GOT A NECK TOUCH WITH MUSIC

THE PARTICALS

yep hawkins is fucked

i think henry might be a little pissed off

i fucking said it ends with the gates

alright.. so everyone acted as if we lost half the cast.. and sure this ending is. something. but bro don't scare me like this for nothing

#stranger things #stranger things season 4 #spoilers #stranger things spoilers #st spoilers #mimi watches stranger things

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carkali · 23 days

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throwing you a netzach and carmen for the character quastions thing go crazey my liege.

Yayy These wont be excellent because it is 5am and im using my multiple multi tasking powers

Lets go netzheads

favorite thing about them

this is hard to say.his careless and suicidal swag entranced me

least favorite thing about them

His careless and suicidal swag

favorite line

Probably just his whole spiel in the first part of his 1-1 story in lobcorp.Very straightforward we just got here

brOTP

Like him and roland a lot always fond of drinking buddies personally :) i do fuck with them romantically as well a little bit(Boot to my head

OTP

gotta be netzhod who else..Now tell me who else is doing it like them right now

nOTP

yesod and him is nothing to me :(

random headcanon

Hmm i like genderfluid netzach not that she gives a fuck

unpopular opinion

...yesod and him is nothing to me :( there wasnt a single line that endeared me to them as a duo

song i associate with them

the first that comes to mind issss the one with the guy that looks like him Hold on. Here...grah

favorite picture of them

Stupidddd

Carmen:)

favorite thing about them

Well i dont know for sure..of course the general hauntings entrance me but also her outlook on her world. and the way she gets into peoples minds by playing the part of an awful god therapist.Hee hee

least favorite thing about them

Lack of official art otherwise i have nothing to slansder her so for.

Favorite line

pardon me corniness but "I would want to be a person with a beautiful voice, like the wisest person in the world. Then everyone would pay more attention to what I say." I remember my gut wrenching at my original reading, and with todays context she is even more good.Good line

brOTP

Hmm well basic answer possibly but her and benjamin, if not solely because i want to see what it was actually like.. I actually like to imagine a little bit of tension there, not even necessarily on benjamin's end for his focus on ayin instead or any sort of jealousy, but maybe carmen for her inability to get as devout a following out of him as she does with the others. He's less in her palm hand because he is in anothers, i wonder how she felt about that...

OTP

iErkkk its a big shakeup with carkali and AC. i think what she does for both of them as characters is just so influential and brilliant and i think the dynamics are both fascinating at all points in time in different ways. im big into the potentials of cardante as well but i do it carefully and in the fear that they really do go down the "Guys actually they ARE carmen" route which,i dont think theyll do but we must always be prepared... Sorry self cest heads

NOTP

i cant express enough how i dont care about kromerrr at all in the slightest she is nothing to me and this is nothingburger yuri made from fresh nothing with my beautiful girl slapped on top

random headcanon

let me guess...borderline personality disorder?

unpopular opinion

Uh hmm im not sure right now. maybe in my specific pm niche a lot of people dont like ayin/carmen cuz its cishetero slop to them or think she doesnt give a single fuck.. i dont agree with that :thumbs up:

song i associate with them

i think i find a way to worm carmen into whatever im particularly interested in listening to at the time. The entire tale of the altered beast is highhh up there though alongside kate bush's suspended in gaffa. Of course more but im shy and would feel the need to do more explaining...

favorite picture of them

By god wouldnt it be awesome if we had more to choose from. Not much choices i have

She lays on the grass on the world like us...Shes so human ❤️

#ask #Thank you sury:)

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papa-j · 6 months

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Ontario and back

Week 5

We left Harriston under heavy rain on our way up to Tobermory to take the ferry across to South Baymouth on Manitoulin Islands, a two hour ferry ride. On our way north on Hwy 3 we drove through large farms and flat land. The landscape turned more hilly as we got closer to Georgian Bay. There was more bush and the farms were replaced by cattle ranches, cleared bushland being prepared for farming.

We got into Tobermory to cloudy skies and setup camp at the Tobermory Village Campground. It’s getting colder now and that takes some of the fun out of camping…

We got to the ferry a little late but in time to get on it. The crossing was in blustery conditions and driving rain. We passed by many islands on the first part of the crossing, but no houses on them, probably because these islands are very rocky and no beaches to be seen. The ferry ride was a bit rocky but I have experienced worse on the crossings to Vancouver Island.

We drove straight north on Hwy 6 in the rain to Sheguandah then west on 540 to Gore Bay where we drove out to the lighthouse to take some pictures. The weather got lighter as we drove west with blue skies to the west.

We then continued our drive around the island. Along the way we saw some big flocks of Sandhill Cranes and geese feasting on leftover grains in the fields. The landscape on the island is mostly flat and scrubby, grazing land good for cattle and sheep and a few farms.

We made our way to Batman’s Cottages and Campground on the east side of Bass Lake to setup for the night. Due to the blue skies on the western horizon we enjoyed an amazing sunset here. It was windy and stormy all night, so we hunkered down in the van and played cards, she won :/ The sound of the wind gusts in the trees was similar to the sound of waves crashing onto the rocks at the Oregon coast. Still managed a good nights sleep.

In the morning we drove to Sudbury in the driving rain and snow. After turning off the main highway, we turned onto the road that took us to the Science Center, a great place to escape from the miserable weather. I love science and here is a place that offers a big variety of sciences with an interactive element. This can be a playground for as long as you want.

The architecture of the building is grand and the integration of the rocks of the Laurentian shield is clever and informative. One exhibit is about the geological formation of the area. We ended the visit with an IMAX presentation by Jane Goodall about Hope, inspiring …

We visited my friend Jaylene in the afternoon and evening to share stories about life and our kids. We went for a neighbourhood walk in the misty fall weather. All the sidewalks are shaded by maple trees and they were in full colours, beautiful.

We left Sudbury the next morning in the rain and drove north on Hwy 144 to Geneva Lake where we were met met by Kate, Lindas’ school buddy. Kate and Oscar live on the lake, water access only in the summer and over the ice in winter. This brings along some challenges but I can see the rewards. They live on a bluff overlooking the lake and have all the amenities, great place to be retired with a lot of family nearby. Life is good!

We arrived in the rain, so much of the activity was indoors playing cards and reminiscing, we learned several new Rummy games, a long walk on the mainland & enjoyed a wood fired sauna at 100c and a dip in the lake at 14c :))

We left Geneva Lake under grey skies and drove south on 144 to 17 west to ‘The Sault’. We stopped at Onaping Falls to take some pictures. A.Y. Jackson, the famous Canadian painter, one of the Group of Seven was inspired by this location, beautiful fall colours and the whitewater rushing over the rocks and the falls.

The weather improved as we drove west on 17 and the fall colours still looked awesome in the sunshine. We drove past countless small lakes and small towns along the shores of Lake Huron North Channel. Through Sault Ste Marie and then north along the shores of Lake Superior to Wawa where we camped overnight.

The next morning we left for Thunder Bay. From Wawa to Nipigon there is a whole lot of nothing but bush and rocks, some of it a bit unusual, but it looks all the same after a while. West of Nipigon we came upon the major roadwork projects we saw two weeks ago.

A ways past Thunder Bay we turned onto Hwy 11 west to Fort Frances. There are mostly native communities, with long distances between them along the way on this stretch of the trip. Some of these towns are neat and tidy and some have a lot of ‘yard art’ ;) It was a long day driving, we got into Fort Frances as it was getting dark. We entered the address for the campground into the GPS and it took us to the industrial section of town next to a truckers terminal, not what we were looking for :/ we found an empty lot and parked for the night. In the morning we drove north on Hwy 71 to Kenora.

There are many rest areas and lookouts to take a break. One of the nicest was Sioux Narrows on the Lake of the Woods, absolutely a stunning setting in the middle of nowhere… From Kenora west to Winnipeg we saw the landscape from the other direction. The fall colours are fading fast now, but it’s still very pretty through here.

We arrived in Winnipeg at noon and went to the Museum of Human Rights. This is another amazing and beautiful structure inside and out. The exhibits although disturbing, are very profound and very well done. Walking through these exhibits, it occurred to me how the human race does not learn from history. We seem to allow the politicians and leaders to perpetuate human created tragedies and misery over and over again. Currently it’s in Russia/Ukraine and the middle east. Tomorrow it could be north America.

The exhibits describe how fascists and dictators manage the narrative and the media to take control of a country.

It makes me realize that the Swiss had it right in 1291 when they decided that they would no longer be ruled by anybody and took control with Direct Democracy. This has not changed to this day, even in Switzerland the politicians don’t like it but they can’t change it because the people would have to agree to the change. No Fascist can rise in that system of governing.

On Sunday we had a nice family gathering with Lindas’ oldest brother and his kids and grand kids. They are all living busy lives and the grand kids are all involved in sports and activities, such as hockey, gymnastics and dance. There were no cell phones in sight, nice to see.

We left Winnipeg in the afternoon and drove to Barndon to get a head start the next day. The 100km radius area around Winnipeg is super flat, farm land as far as the eye can see with the occasional cluster of grain silos and the odd clump of trees and bush.

We stayed in the Meadowlark Campground, went for a walk, had dinner and played cards until bedtime. It was a cold night and made us realize that fall is here and winter is coming, the camping days are coming to an end… and we’re looking forward to coming home!

The road west to to Regina is in good shape (and flat). Between Whitewood and Broadview it showed a ski hill on the map just to the north of us and I’m thinking it can only be for x-country skiing, but apparently not ;)

We arrived in Regina in time for lunch and walk in the waterfront park at Wascana Lake in the centre of the city. We took some pictures of the parliament building across the river and had lunch. Then we went for a visit at the Regina Floral Conservatory. This is an indoor tropical garden setting and the display of plants is changed 4 times, this theme was Halloween, well done. I was told that the favourite is Christmas with a focus on the poinsettias, I can imagine :) The place is run by volunteers, is beautifully maintained, and there was nothing ‘out of place’, with a nice water works and orchids, well done!

After this we moved on to Moose Jaw only an hour away. We arrived in the late afternoon just in time to take in the Chicago Connection walking tour of the underground tunnels used during prohibition 100 years ago and the Al Capone connection of that era. This was a fun interactive tour :)

We took in the mineral pools at the Temple Garden Spa. Nice very large indoor/outdoor pool and Jacuzzis with a nice steam room for a couple of hours. We set up camp at The Prairie Oasis campground, nice and clean and it was a milder afternoon and evening. Nice evening but grey skies morning.

#On #oct 2023 #wk 5

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charlotteswebbbbb · 1 year

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What's the vibe? #7

Politics:

We have a new Prime Minister, haha. Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor under Boris Johnson won the Conservative party vote on Monday 24th October versus Penny Mordant and his former boss Boris Johnson. Just announced today (Mon 31st) is that British people will have to pay higher taxes, meaning less disposable income in the future.

The Met Office has also forecasted that the chances of a colder winter are higher than usual. Meaning that there risk of a blackout is still on the horizon and if/when it does happen it'll be in January + February between 4-7pm. I think if this happens then it'll be a big mood hitter for the nation.

"The U.K. is more vulnerable than some other European countries. It has relatively little stored gas, and over the past decade has come to rely heavily on wind power. A period of still weather can reduce wind power and jack up demand for gas." - WSJ

Elon bought twitter and now wants to charge $8 for verified accounts. Will it crash or fly? (After watching his documentary on the BBC...it's going to be very shaky!) What's the future of social media? I think the reason Twitter works so well is because it's fast moving, images and text, insider culture, access to anyone high and low culture.

A lot of people are moving to Mastodon - I don't think this is the future, it's too decentralised? Maybe these are my first assumptions and I'm wrong. Something to explore.

Update on 9th Nov:

Twitter laying off half of it's staff - the users going into crisis...this week we're preparing for Meta to lay off thousands of workers....

Topics of the week:

Friendship:

This is a really interesting tweet (maybe more so for Gen Z and how they have grown up in a more digital world then other gens)

But also when put into context:

This is an American study but also YouGov has similar stats on friendship.

Have we created a world where because of other economic/social changes, relationships and work is more important than genuine friendship? Sidenote: are there any examples of friendships in popular culture right now similar to Friends, Living Single or even more recently Girls?

Dating:

I think that right now people are looking for deep human connection in real life settings. Dating apps feel very over? Even though in the UK culturally they are how people meet but we're a very socially insular nation so no surprises.

Addition from 9th Nov - more about deep friendships. We're all searching for a deeper understanding. Cue Kate Bush.

Royalty:

Even though, culturally I don't feel they're that important to young people with "41% of 18-24 year olds now say Britain should have an elected head of state, while only 31% would like to see the monarchy continue" (YouGov). This drops to 27% to 25-49 year olds that say that they think that Britain should have an elected head of state.

That grouping in the latter is quite wide and those people would have seen the charity work that Diana, Princess of Wales did and her death, the Queen Mother dying, Charles and Camilla getting married, Prince William and Harry coming of age so it's quite embedded into that generation's memory and into that era of British history.

Here are some stats of who are the most popular royals:

Statista

Ipsos

I honestly think that the staff at Buckingham Palace have studied this and I think also during a cost of living crisis and the mood being quite fraught, they'd make it a more quiet affair. As quiet as a coronation can be? Also Prince Harry's book Spare is coming out next year (10th Jan 2023) which will probably make his popularity plummet more.

Products of the Future! :

Coffee! New sustainable options for coffee include Coffee B which is a brand that sells coffee machines and coffee balls. This new coffee product is available in Switzerland, France and Germany (soon). There is a seaweed material protecting the balls and inside is the ground coffee. The ball is 100% compostable in home gardens and breaks down within weeks in damp conditions.

youtube

At the end of the video James Hoffman mentions about an open system and what they are aiming for - will they open up to other coffee brands in the future? or create a “Walled” system?

Another product is just instant espresso. We've tried instant coffee, and espresso powder but now Blue Bottle Coffee has developed a craft instant espresso. So now you can have quality coffee everywhere with just water (and milk).

Ableton Note - making music on the go. This is probably really helpful for production heads and maybe beginners?

youtube

Homage Year - black owned, vegan leather - homageyear.com

Something fun:

youtube

Reading list:

Interesting brands that actually do use sustainability like Billi London and Bottega's biodegradable rubber boots.

From the article:

"To ensure their products are truly compostable, KENT partnered with an LA composting facility. Results showed they break down in approximately 90 days, and act as a source of nutrients for the soil. Like Billi-Hardwick, Grace focused on items which aren’t likely candidates for being donated or resold at end-of-life, going as far as launching a compost club in partnership with a farm in late 2021. This made the circular system work even for people who don’t have access to it locally."

Things to listen to:

homerradio ep 1 - ft CRYSTALLMESS - amazing French DJ.

#vibe #what's the vibe #Youtube #parsed

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smokeybrandreviews · 2 years

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I Still Love You

Stranger Things IV part II dropped. I’ve watched it. It was f*ckng excellent, better than any right these last two episodes had to be, but i am emotionally devastated. Anyway, here’s some stuff that stood out to me.

The Ranger

Lucas has consistently gotten the short end of the stick in this show. He never really gets to do anything. Not in part two. Caleb McLaughlin does A LOT and is absolutely bad ass doing it. My heart breaks for kid because i, too, absolutely adore Max, and she does not come out of this okay. It’s f*cking devastating and i hate it. I mean, there’s hope, sure, but let’s be honest right now; This sh*t hurts. Putting that aside for now, watching Lucas grow, deciding to side with his Hellfire goons over the psychotic hoop jocks, was everything.

A Deal With God

Once again, Max comes through and absolutely devastated the rest of the cast with her standout performance. Sadie Sink is fast becoming one of the best actresses in her generation and i have been captivated every time she get the spotlight in this season. Max has been my favorite character sine her introduction and to see her get so much love this season was everything. And then it ended and i am broken.

Highs and Lows

There is so much emotion in this season, so many genuine feels. Everyone, and i mean everyone, grows up in a hurry through out what amounts to, what? a week? Bro, this is an entire life’s worth of trauma in less than ten days. How does anyone coming through this sh*t unscathed. I mean, you got the stuff with Will and Mike, Will and Johnathan, Lucas and Max, Eddie and Dustin; Sh*t is packed and just never let’s up. it’s not a tension overload like Uncut Gems but it is not an easy ride, either.

F*ck Brenner

Wait, you telling me this asshole Brenner was just looking for Number One the whole time? All of this was because he wanted to find that first psychopath?? What the f*ck? All of these bodies, all of this torture, all of it was to get back Creel? There's no way you're redeeming Brenner, man. This asshole was a whole ass monster the entire time we've known him. Literally everything is his fault and I'm supposed to care he saved Eleven at the last minute? Man, f*ck that guy! I’m glad he’s dead!

A Nightmare in Hawkins

So, yeah, Vecna is a god apparently. Didn’t see that coming. Here we all thought it the Mind Flayer. Apparently, Creel made that sh*t, just like he made The Upside Down. It’s all him. Vecna is the architect of that entire world, or at least i think he is? I don’t know if the world he was banished to is separate from the real world and the Upside Down. Either way, it’s all Creel. All of it. The Demogorgon. The Demobats. The Mind Flayer; It’s all Vecna. He was the king all along, never the general. Or maybe he is? Either way, he got the W and i hate it.

We Can Be Heroes

Eddie. F*cking. Munson. He didn't run away.

Part one was an exceptional watch and peaked, for me, with episode three. That last scene with Max rushed back toward life with Kate Bush blasting through my speakers? F*cking perfect. Part two has that same energy the entire goddamn time. Even the Russia stuff got better. Sh*t definitely stuck the landing but, let me tell you, i hate it. I hate it so much. It f*cking hurts, bro. This sh*t feels like how i felt when i watched Pete get dusted the first time i watched Infinity War. Still, i loved every second of it. Stranger Things par IV is f*cking brilliant. It’s arguably the best thing Netflix has ever produced, to date. If you’re sleeping on this show, stop it. Go watch that sh*t. Binge all of it but be prepared to hurt. This sh*t is a straight up pain train.

#Stranger Things #Stranger Things 4 #Netflix

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smokeybrand · 2 years

Text

I Still Love You

The Ranger

A Deal With God

Highs and Lows

F*ck Brenner

A Nightmare in Hawkins

We Can Be Heroes

Eddie. F*cking. Munson. He didn't run away.

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deadcactuswalking · 2 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 18/06/2022 (D-Block Europe, BTS’ ‘Proof’, Joji)

So, naturally, the biggest story on this week’s chart is not any of the new arrivals. It’s that ACR has been reset – likely influenced by the label – on Kate Bush’s track “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”, allowing it to spend its first week at #1 and become Bush’s second chart-topper after “Wuthering Heights” in 1978. I mean, it is one of the greatest songs of all time, and the chart rules are arbitrary as all hell in the first place so seeing them being flubbed for the sake of an amazing song having a streaming resurgence and coming back to rule the chart... it’s not surprising or really anything I’m ungrateful for. This would probably be a bigger deal in the US, where older songs don’t as easily top the charts bar Mariah Carey, but given in the past few years in the UK, we’ve seen “Last Christmas” and “Three Lions” at the top, as well as “All I Want for Christmas is You” of course, it’s not exactly a big deal, at least not to me. Hell, “Last Christmas” is even older than Kate Bush’s track, even if Bush does now break their record for the longest a song took to top the chart. These little anomalies are fun, but arguably ever-present in the ongoing weirdness of the UK Singles Chart, which I try my best to document. With that said, welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

This might be a cooler week, in large part because, well, other than Kate Bush, there’s not much to discuss here. I didn’t even find any albums outside of the chart last week that I cared enough about to listen to. To be fair, next week will be a whole lot more stressful considering that there were already many albums I wanted to discuss before you-know-who came around... so this week, I can take it slow and prepare for the inevitable chaos.

For now, we should start with – as always – our notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. There’s nothing that detrimental this week, but we do say farewell to “Lemon Tree” by Post Malone, “All for You” by Cian Ducrot, “What Would You Do?” by Joel Corry, David Guetta and Bryson Tiller, “Still Sleepless” by D.O.D. and Carla Monroe, and of course, “Shotgun” by George Ezra and “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols off of their returns last week. That’s not to say Ezra’s album wasn’t successful, of course – he got the #1 – it’s just that his older hit couldn’t last for a second run.

“Levitating” by Dua Lipa is back once again at #75 because of course it is, but otherwise, we do have some notable gains, those being songs that jumped up at least five positions from their chart placement last week. This week, we see gains for “Vegas” by Doja Cat at #52, “Stay the Night” by Sigala and Talia Mar at #40, “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic of all songs at #28, “Anyone for You (Tiger Lily)” by George Ezra at #22 thanks to the album, “Last Last” by Burna Boy at #20, “Je M’appelle” by Benzz at #17 thanks to the remix and that’s pretty much it outside of the top 20... and I’ll be honest, I’m not fussed about any of these gains: some just seem like kind of bizarre ways to fill in the gaps.

In terms of our top five, well, bottom top, we have “About Damn Time” by Lizzo at #5, “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM surging up to #4 – to have a song this subtly weird this high is pretty cool, even if there’s one that’s even more so at the top. There’s also “Go” by Cat Burns at #3, “As it Was” by Harry Styles at #2 and of course, “Running Up That Hill” at the top. Now, since we don’t have an Off the Charts section this week – I know, scandalous – I suppose it’s time to get straight into our new arrivals.

NEW ARRIVALS

#73 – “Cash In Cash Out” – Pharrell Williams featuring 21 Savage and Tyler, the Creator

Produced by Pharrell Williams

So we might just get a new Pharrell Williams solo album after all, and since his Y2K-era Neptunes pop rap is actually in vogue now in terms of the nostalgia cycle, he won’t need to do the plastic “soul” music of his last effort under his own name. Of course, I’m glad about this considering that I never want to hear “Happy” again for the rest of my life, but I do miss the more experimental side of N.E.R.D. Regardless, this new single is a straight-up hardcore rap joint with a blocky, stiff beat made up off of hard-hitting bass and a scratchy vocal loop that is very typical of Pharrell. I actually really like it, and this kind of incoherence can fit both 21, even if his hook is monotonous, and especially Tyler, the Creator. To no surprise, both of them do pretty well here, with 21 keeping a straight-forward flow yet still coming up with some notable flow switches as well as some bizarre lines, like how his bodyguard looks like a horse, and he can turn a third-world country to a million-dollar street, and how he’s Uncle Sam because he’s also taxing. When the flexing is self-aware and clever enough to both acknowledge the violence of his music and compare both his Glock and penis to Kim Jong-un (and it’s not his first time), it’s kind of hard to dismiss it. Of course, it’s easier to forget he’s on the track when Tyler runs away with it, with his level to detail in his bars that address mostly flexing of course but in a variety of ways that both reference his older work and acknowledge his own place in the track (which as he says is to “bring life” to it – if something is Tyler’s best aspect, it’s honesty). A beat this blocky and kind of gross having this smooth and adaptable flow on it honestly feels kind of bizarre on first listen, but the way that Tyler plays with the structure of the verse with his layered ad-libs, hardcore aggression in the final few lines, and the playful sing-songy flows elsewhere is really just effortless. It may not be the most interesting song from any of these artists, but it goes hard, and that’s all it really intended to, especially since Pharrell is actually nowhere to be seen outside of the production. If his next project is really just a DJ Khaled-esque compilation, I’m not sure I’d be complaining if everything is at this level.

#71 – “Sunroof” – Nicky Youre and dazy

Produced by dazy

TikTok strikes again, giving a hit to yet another indie pop artist, this week’s being Nicky Youre, a singer from California who broke out with this song produced by dazy and... I can’t stand this, I’m sorry. The “la-di-da” hook is infectious sure but seldom tolerable, and the plucky acoustic guitars are one step removed from American Authors’ “Best Day of My Life”, except even jerkier over the programmed bedroom pop drums that rid the song of any groove, especially with the shifty reserved percussion in the verses that is such a questionable decision, for such a breezy song no less. Youre is probably the least of my issues, as whilst his delivery isn’t exactly complimentary, he can easily fade in the background when he isn’t not enunciating or whining. Hey, at least there’s a vague excuse for a guitar solo, but it replaces where an actual verse could be because for such a conventional song, it eschews a typical pop structure, in favour of just getting in and out a teenager’s ears as quickly as possible, copping out by fading out instead of resolving tightly or effectively. The fact that this is coming from no-names doesn’t surprise me, but it does just feel like label-manufactured commercial music: you’d hear this, conveniently, in a YouTube advertisement promoting a car which has a you-guessed-it so the song just fits all too snug in that kind of mould. I’m not a fan of this at all, though upon relisten to “Best Day of My Life”, I may want to retract my comparison as “Sunroof” sounds like Pink Floyd with that extra context.

#67 – “So Good” – Halsey

Produced by Tobias Karlsson and Max Martin

Halsey released a really great album last year that I feel not as many people paid attention as they should have, because although it was a bit less accessible thanks to the Nine Inch Nails connection, it was a pretty compelling take on the idea of womanhood that had its fair share of really fascinating songs as well as songs that could have easily been hits – perhaps if Halsey had worn a bra on the cover art, people would be more willing to stream. Sigh, I guess she’s back to making “normal” pop now, but I’m not really complaining as I like this a fair bit too. I don’t really wish to acknowledge the TikTok media garbage tsunami that surrounds the release of it, especially since I hope the label and Halsey know how that was worth a resounding #67 debut (telling) – so I guess I’ll move on and say that whilst Max Martin is a producer, he didn’t write the track and it kind of shows because Halsey has always created characters in their music that speaks for them, even if they are based on people they know, as is done with the bridge here as they mention their friend Maria, and continue to refer to their partner as “the one that got away” even if, ultimately, he came back to them and it’s kind of a unique angle in this kind of cutesy love song. Everything worked out fine in the end, but there is acknowledgement of the frustration that comes with starting a high-profile relationship, and really, the chorus never fully changes: that bitterness about the previous relationship he was in is still there. Halsey themselves may be the weak link here in terms of delivery as they’ve never been able to fully get out of the generic smoky alt-pop delivery, but the glassy instrumental does some heavy-lifting, especially with those flares of synth or guitar that acts as the sparks birthing the relationship. The blend of scratchy acoustic guitars with the uniquely busy drum programming, not too dissimilar from footwork or juke tracks in all honesty, gives the song a sense of driven urgency that by the end feels fully warranted. It’s not that interesting, all things considered, but it’s done really damn well for what it is. That may just be a theme in the good songs this week, but time will tell. Either way, this is a good song and I hope to hear more like this in that next album... perhaps a bit weirder for the deep cuts though because I know they can make that work.

#65 – “Rainfall (Praise You)” – Tom Santa

Produced by Alex Tepper

I always get a sinking feeling when I song I have to review doesn’t have a Genius page... or has a prior hit song in its title and is made by a nobody. “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim is by some levels a plunderphonics track, effortlessly layering many a sample, some from ludicrous sources, to create a track that somehow out of disjointed parts from other forms of human expression, feel a whole lot more human than a lot of the dance music out at the time. It was a breakout hit for Norman Cook and to this day is still the DJ’s only #1. It may not be his best song – “Weapon of Choice” kind of clears – but... oh, okay, this has nothing to do with Fatboy Slim at all. Let’s try this again: “Shackles (Praise You)” is the only worldwide hit by gospel duo Mary Mary, using a gritty guitar, Auto-Tune and contemporary R&B percussion to add a groovy edge to their praise and worship that sounds dated as hell but honestly is kind of better off for it. It peaked at #5 here, and now an Australian DJ under the name of Tom Santa has remixed the track for his only available song on Spotify, speeding the hook up and adding a blubbery bass and some 90s piano house production that should not be unfamiliar to any chart listeners, as well as some live chatter that kind of makes it seem like part of an actual DJ set, even if the looped catchphrases don’t really make him sound exactly like he’s building up audience hype and just sounds like he recorded this to a pre-recorded track. It’s similar to “Afraid to Feel” in terms of how liberally it uses that one sampled hook, but the bridge where he keeps in the dated Auto-Tune and adds some strings that really elevate the track to new heights that I did not think gospel could be taken is actually really well-sequenced. Sure, it leads to a slap-house drop but stakes weren’t risen high enough or with busy enough programming for that to be disappointing so it just ends up working as a relaxed throwback. I was kind of hoping that he’d mash up the song with the Fatboy Slim classic for extra music nerd points, especially considering that before I heard the track I assumed he’d remix the more, you know, feasibly remixable track but this is still pretty good. I wonder where “Tom Santa” will go from here – a Wikipedia page would be a good start.

#62 – “Run BTS” – BTS

Produced by Dem Jointz and GHSTLOOP

These boys, however, need no introduction. BTS released a compilation album before announcing a hiatus. It’s called Proof and naturally already contains their hit “RUN”, so I guess this song, produced by Dem Jointz and with writing credits from Daniel Caesar of all people, needed a new name. Fitting for the production, BTS tackle what is basically a brag-rap song – far from new territory for them – and actually add some decent detail, especially that recurring theme of the crappy old studio that would have leaks in the rain and comparing that to where they are now. All of that is in Korean so without translation, most of the lyrics consist of kind of aimless motifs which I guess is understandable but does make the song sound kind of generic. Now I understand I’m treading on thin ice so for my personal safety, I’ll say that most of my problems with this song come from whatever the hell Dem Jointz is doing. Most of the Bangtan Boys flow as effectively as they can over this gross guitar riff and really chipped, weak percussion that doesn’t fit the gravitas of the sentiment, the charmingly over-the-top delivery or especially the squealing guitars and attempt at having a bassier groove. As always, SUGA’s flow is impressive, and I kind of love RM’s silly little ringtone rap back-and-forth he does before the second chorus, which I don’t think is particularly impressive but I think that really is a result of this beat not clicking with me. The awkward beat switch with j-hope’s Auto-Tuned croon and the trap inflections just sounds really ugly, out of place and lazy, meaning that when the actual intensity, however canned and tinny, comes on that final chorus, nothing feels all that warranted. This isn’t awful, but it could have easily been better.

#31 – “Glimpse of Us” – Joji

Produced by Connor McDonough

I should be over this “Filthy Frank is an alt-pop hit maker” thing now but I really don’t think I have the right to. I never watched the guy but I was a bit too acutely aware of the memes to know that the lack of formal remorse, apology or even acknowledgement before moving onto a new era does bug me just a little. It doesn’t really help that I haven’t found much to consistently like from the moodier stuff outside of the rare single that really hits like “SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK” or “Daylight” with Diplo, but considering that this is his highest-charting single to date, I had some expectations. They were not that it would be an adult contemporary song, but my expectations were within the realm of “pathetic break-up song”. With that said, Joji starts the song by expressing these loving gratitudes towards his current partner... before saying that it doesn’t matter because when he looks into her eyes, all he sees is this past relationship that could have worked. This desperate tone is well reflected both in the lyrics and Joji’s falsetto that can never sound perfect regardless of how many times it’s being multi-tracked, so it expresses “pathetic” pretty well. That doesn’t necessarily mean I like it, given the minimal piano backing doesn’t build up any expectations that it can tug down, which would be the crux of a song like this, and it is bit of a slog, but it’s new for him – even if I’d argue it’s fully an attempt to chase trends, albeit doing them better – so I’ll welcome it with open arms for now, at least before I hear it in album context.

#27 – “Yet to Come” – BTS

Produced by Pdogg

This new BTS album is more than a compilation album: it’s an anthology album that debuted at #8 on the UK Albums Chart, acting as a hesitant farewell and look back on an honestly impressive decade plus of their career and success in Korea and elsewhere. It’s not really a surprise then that this single, subtitled “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life”, comes with a video that references their older tracks as well as lyrics that do feel personal and detailed, even if some of them come off as generic motivation (likely lost with translation). V notes that fame that once felt new and exciting feels like a responsibility or obligation when he says that “unfamiliar names just feel heavy”, SUGA feels that even being called the best or most successful doesn’t stop what he started music for, which is the love of it, that all of the group express without exactly sugar-coating things like their youth and the meaninglessness of industry accolades – “crowns and flowers, countless trophies: we ain’t about it”. Of course, not all of that tone is found in the production, but given that it’s their signature producer Pdogg at the helm instead of people who don’t know what they’re doing, I hoped for some more restraint here... and whilst there’s not exactly “restraint”, this might just be my favourite BTS song so far. The beginning blend of pianos and overlapping vocal samples as well as that driving kick drum remind me a lot of a kawaii future bass song building up tension, so the more down to Earth yet still hard-hitting hip-hop drum pattern that comes in feels like a bit of a relief, and might even parallel the tone that they’re going for. RM interpolating Kanye’s most inspirational hit in the chorus feels nowhere near as forced as it should, and both he and j-hope have some smooth flows and deliveries in that shared third verse. Sure, it’s boy band fluff, but it’s done really well, in the way that I could say that Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC songs had a genuine sense of urgency or reminiscence to them back in the 2000s. This is pretty damn good, and honestly, if this is the last we’re getting from them together, at least it’s ending on a high note and everyone seeming to be – at least on the surface – at some degree of harmony. We, however, do not necessarily end on a high note...

#18 – “Elegant & Gang” – D-Block Europe

Produced by Ghost Killer Track

You know who has never sounded in harmony? D-Block Europe, the UK rap duo that kind of phone it in but put just enough effort in to be funny. They’re teaming up with French producer Ghost Killer Track for their biggest lead single in a while, and it’s honestly not that bad. Young Adz tries his best at being a British Drake, with a fittingly cloudy beat, though he seems to treat his girl better than Drake does his, especially since he makes this fleeting reference to domestic violence that comes out of nowhere, much like that kick drum that’s too loud in the mix and stiff, unfinished trap percussion, which sadly does overshadow some of Adz’s decent melodic flows, especially in the pretty catchy chorus that plays on the “Bad and Boujee” dichotomy. He flows better than Dirtbike LB at least, and kind of shows him up on the second track, but it’s not like either of them are saying anything all that interesting. Once again, I found myself oddly convinced that Dirtbike LB needs some form of therapy, as whilst he says he’s watching Sky Sports, he also mentions a night that he was feeling vulnerable and willing to use substances in a borderline suicidal way just to please this girl and lead her into having sex. This goes beyond the typical rap nihilism right? Get help, man.

Conclusion

D-Block Europe get the Dishonourable Mention here but almost by default and in lieu of being actually bad, just uninteresting with “Elegant & Gang”, whilst Worst of the Week goes pretty easily to “Sunroof” by Nicky Youre and dazy because nothing else was actually all that bad here. Hell, I’d say it was a pretty good week with the best being difficult to decide. I guess I’ll give a tied Honourable Mention to Halsey for “So Good” and Pharrell Williams’ “Cash in Cash Out” featuring 21 Savage and Tyler, the Creator, with Best of the Week going to Tom Santa’s good sample flip on “Rainfall (Praise You)”. Trust me, BTS were close, there was just a lot of competition. For next week, I won’t have to stay as safe – I haven’t exactly sung the praises of this certain Canadian and in the past, and no – it’s not Justin Bieber, I hope he recovers from his condition swiftly. You know who’s coming next week and if you’ve been on Twitter, you might know that there’s not much worth discussing in that regard. For now, however, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

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l1quidsm00th · 2 years

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do i like minao? no

am i doing a 80's playlist about them? yeah

#it'll be just a lot of old rock songs i like to daydream to #i have this very specific scene in my mind of aoba in the back of the motorcycle with theses songs playing on bg #I'm insane don't mind me #prepare to see a lot of kate bush #anyways #dmmd

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yikesharringrove · 3 years

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It’s a book Steve’s actually read.

Well, Nancy kinda mostly read it to him. Which really just makes the whole thing hurt a little bit more.

His speakers were crackling and he had turned the bass up high enough that the song was distorted, vibrating through his car.

It was embarrassing. Scream-singing to Kate Bush while sobbing into your steering wheel in the high school parking lot.

He’s just got a lot of feelings, and Nancy dumped in that alleyway, he can literally see it and Heathcliff, it’s me, I’m Cathy. I’ve come home, I’m so cold.

Which, it’s all just bullshit. Pardon the word.

Because, Catherine and Heathcliff don’t even fucking end up together. There’s something about family difference and he remembers Nancy saying socioeconomic like that word meant anything to him and Catherine winds up dead of bad brain-itis and Healthcliff is a dick so they never should’ve been together anyway.

But, whatever.

He’s feeling very much like Catherine right now. Standing on the moors with a broken heart.

Because fuck Heathcliff. And fuck Nancy.

Kate Bush is the only one he can trust anymore.

Her and her red dress and Steve’s insides feel like that red fucking dress in a way he can’t explain and Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy. I've come home, I'm so cold. Let me in your window-

He just about jumped out of his skin when the passenger door opened.

One too-tan hand reached out to crank the volume down on the song, and a too-pink tongue slid across too-white teeth and

“Harrington, I’m obligated to tell you that you’re acting like a pussy.”

Hargrove.

Y’know, he’s the top of Steve’s Fuck List. Right there with Nancy and Heathcliff, and everyone else who sucks shit and makes people feel bad.

“Can it, dickhead.”

To be fair, Steve was ugly crying to Kate Bush by himself in his car, but he’s allowed to be a pussy by himself in his car.

Hargrove just gave Steve a look that Steve’s pretty sure meant I’m resisting the urge to punch you in the face right now, but was undercut by that stupid fucking tongue of his lolling around like some kinda hyper-sexual golden retriever.

Meanwhile, Kate Bush was still singing and Steve was still Cathy on the moors.

“I’m fucking sad, or whatever. Let me be a pussy.”

“Oh, come on, Harrington. You really this cut up about some prissy little princess? She’s not even the best this town has and that is saying something.”

“Y’know, for a guy that’s constantly calling all the girls in town ugly, you sure do fuck a lot of ‘em.”

“At least I’m getting some. When was the last time the princess put out, eh? Or was she savin’ it for marriage? I could see her bein’ one of those types.”

He said those types like he wasn’t wearing a saint’s pendant around his neck. Like Steve didn’t see his family all sitting uncomfortably silent together in the diner after mass every single Sunday afternoon.

It was weird, seeing Billy in a nice shirt. All buttoned up properly with his hair looking all respectful. Especially since Steve was usually high off his ass and slurping down a strawberry milkshake with cheese fries like he’d die if he didn’t.

“I’m not gonna talk about my sex life with you, Hargrove.”

“Aw, why not, Harrington. Don’t wanna compare body counts? You embarrassed or something?” Billy was grinning that shitty sharp grin of his, still waggling his fucking tongue as he leaned closer to Steve. “You still a virgin, King Steve?”

The song ended. Steve rewound the tape. It started up again.

He needed Kate now more than ever.

“Of fucking course I’m not. I’m just not some gross asshole that goes around telling everyone who’ve I’ve fucked. It’s called being a decent guy.”

“It’s called being a prude. Now, c’mon. Tell me who’ve you fucked. Maybe we’re tunnel buddies.”

Steve wanted to throw up. Kate was on the moors again.

“You’re disgusting. Tunnel buddies. How gross can you even get?”

“I hope that’s a rhetorical question.”

“I don’t know what that means and you’re a shithead.”

Hargrove tossed his head back and laughed, showing off those teeth that looked like they could take a chunk out of Steve’s flesh if Billy got close enough to try.

You had a temper like my jealousy. Too hot, too greedy.

“Seriously, though.” Billy had stopped laughing. “What is this shit?”

“She’s Kate Bush and she speaks to my heart.”

Billy just stared at him.

Yeah, that was a pretty pussy thing to say.

“I just got fucking dumped, dude. Let me be sad about it,” Steve backpedaled.

And then Billy did something very unexpected.

Well, he did something very normal for his character, and then he did something unexpected.

He lit up a cigarette.

And then passed it to Steve.

Steve filled up his lungs with a thick drag of smoke. He held it for as long as he could.

Which was really long.

Swimmer’s lungs. And that.

He blew out the smoke. Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy. I've come home, I'm so cold. Let me in your window.

“Is this fucking song based on Wuthering Heights?”

“Yeah, you dumb dumb. It’s fucking called Wuthering Heights.”

“Okay, dumb dumb, I clearly don’t even know this song.”

“Maybe you’d be less of an ass if you did. Dumb dumb.”

Billy lit a cigarette for himself, letting the smoke trail out of his mouth like he was some kind of dragon.

Billy probably fancies himself a dragon. Thinks he’s this big scary creature that just goes around breathing fire and ransacking villages for their gold.

Ooh, it gets dark, it gets lonely on the other side from you. I pine a lot, I find the lot falls through without you.

Really, he’s probably like a dog of some kind.

Domesticated.

“You’re staring at me.”

Yeah. Steve was staring at him. Watching him smoke while Kate Bush played loudly. The speakers still sounded like shit even though Billy had turned down the song considerably.

Steve didn’t know when he had stopped crying.

Probably right when Billy had let himself into his cave of self pity, but his face was still wet.

He wiped it off, not pointing out that Billy had been staring at him too.

“Why are you here so late? Practice ended like, an hour ago.”

Billy shrugged lamely. He kinda looked like a little kid.

Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy. I've come home, I'm so cold. Let me in your window.

“Bored. Didn’t feel like being home.”

“So you came to sit in the break-up mobile with me. How nice.”

“Mostly I just wanted to make fun of you for listening to this garbage. I could hear it across the lot.”

And sure enough, Billy’s car was parked a good ways down from Steve, about as far away as their two cars could be from one another.

Steve doubts Billy heard Kate all this way, but what’s he gonna do, bring that up?

No. He’s rather sit in this weird silence that settled between them, feeling awkward about himself and his body and listen to Kate.

I'm coming home to wuthering, wuthering, Wuthering Heights

“She’s not worht it, y’know.”

Steve had to do a double take to make sure it was still Billy sitting in his passenger seat, and not some cheap imposter wearing a Billy-suit and saying almost nice things to Steve in a not-mean voice.

“What’d you say earlier? Plenty of bitches in the sea?” Steve would’ve laughed at that comment when Billy made it if they weren’t naked together.

There’s something things you don’t do while naked with another guy, and laughing just isn’t one of them.

Plus, he had been a little too focused on figuring out why Billy’s nudity had given him that same hot feeling that nearly seeing Rob Lowe’s dick in The Outsiders movie gave him last year.

“I mean, it’s true. Don’t sweat this break-up. She seemed like an uptight bitch anyway.”

“Hey.”

Steve was still a little too sore, a little too fresh from the split to trash talk Nance like that.

“Whatever. Get high. Look at some porn. You’ll be fine.”

Ooh, let me have it. Let me grab your soul away.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Silence again.

Kate was back to the chorus.

The song was almost over.

“You could always go on the rebound. get her out of your mind with someone that’ll actually put out.”

Hargrove had barely even said it before he was yanking Steve forward, giving him no time to prepare as their mouthed smooshed together in something that was very very awkward, and very very sloppy.

Steve still had tears on his cheeks, and his cigarette was getting dangerously close to the filter, threatening to burn his fingers, and Kate was still singing, and Billy was kissing him, and dear God Steve’s at least a little bit gay.

Heathcliff, it's me, I'm Cathy. I've come home, I'm so cold. Let me in your window.

They drifted apart from one another just in time for Steve to rewind the song again.

“So, uh, yeah,” Billy said, and his cheeks were this wonderful shade of red, and Steve couldn’t stop thinking about Kate’s red dress and that fucking kiss and he was on the moors again, but this time he and Billy were making out in the grass and oh fuck, oh fuck-

“Yeah. Good.”

“Good?” Billy raised on of those dark eyebrows at him, his cheeks still burning.

“Good. Very good.”

Billy nodded a few times, sucking on his cigarette. Steve suddenly remembered he had dropped his on the floormates and tried to stamp it out before it got singed to bad.

“Okay then. Good.” Billy opened the passenger door, stepping out and flicking away his cigarette. He seemed to think for a moment, before turning around, leaning his upper body into Steve’s car.

Steve thought they were going to kiss again.

He was ready to go for it, ready to let his eyes close and maybe let it lead to more. He was Cathy and he was ready for some action.

But Billy just grinned again.

And skipped the song.

#yes i know when nancy and steve break up billys only been in town for like three days but its my fic and ill make up a timeline if i want to #yeah i call people dumb dumb all the fucking time so i had to put it in #this idea came from me listening to this song on a loop for fifteen minutes in the parking lot before work and crying before going in to wor #k #also i've never read wuthering heights everything i know abt it is from the song and this one fic i read that mentioned it #also the way that this is probably technically a song fic #i hate it #yikes writes #steve harrington #billy hargrove #harringrove #this is so self indulgent omg

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sunnysviolin · 3 years

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Omotober Day Three- Picnics

If you want to read it on ao3 (now as one singular fic because I am a dum dum) you can do that here

When Hero suggested that the five of them get together and have a picnic, Basil was nervous, but excited. There was a part of him that would always be afraid, but more than anything he wanted things to go back to the way they used to be. A picnic could be the start of that.

But Basil should have known that things could never go back to the way they used to be.

“Forgiveness, reader, is, I think, something very much like hope and love - a powerful, wonderful thing.

And a ridiculous thing, too.”- Kate DiCamillo

Basil wasn’t really sure what to expect when their group decided to get together for a picnic again like they used to, but his first inclination wouldn’t have been that there would be a fist fight about to break out.

After the fight, and the hospital, and everything that came after, things had gotten surprisingly calm and quiet. The guilt that had eaten his insides for all those years was gone, and in its place was peace. Yes, he still felt awful about what they had done, but the secret was over, and he no longer had to hold all of that pain by himself.

Their friends had accepted the truth at varied rates, and Basil was sure it would take a long time before they ever even came close to forgiving him or Sunny. Aubrey was still quick to anger, Hero was still avoidant of the pain, but things had changed. Something about those last few days Sunny had spent with them in Faraway had changed them all, made everyone more open to trying with each other again. Even after they learned everything.

It felt good to be friends again, to be able to look at their faces without the self loathing threatening to crush him. He would take whatever halted measures of friendship they would give, if it only meant not being alone again. So when Hero suggested a picnic, Basil eagerly agreed without thinking twice.

He should have thought twice.

The planning had gone perfectly fine. Kel was a hundred percent on board, and he had even offered to help with making the food. The other boy seemed most pleased that it was Hero specifically who was extending the branch out. Basil knew that, of all of them, Hero was probably going to have the most mixed emotions about what he and Sunny had done. Still, Hero was Hero. Even if he hated them both, he would never reveal it.

Aubrey had seemed unsure, but Kel’s enthusiasm and the promise of getting Sunny back to join them had her agreeing. Basil knew she and Sunny talked on the phone pretty often, maybe even more than Sunny and himself. Aubrey was trying hard to make up for the last four years, and she spent most of her time with Basil or by herself. She said it was to ‘figure things out’ and he didn’t pry. He knew how hard it was to accept things in your past that you didn’t want to think about or the parts of yourself that you didn’t like all that much.

Then there was Sunny. They had all crowded together around Kel’s home phone to talk to Sunny about their idea. He had agreed to come and made plans to sleep at Kel and Hero’s house the night of their picnic. Logically it would have made more sense for him to stay with Basil, there was more room at Basil’s house, but it went unspoken between them why Kel and Hero had extended the offer instead. He would catch the train in and out and be back by dinner the next day, it wasn’t a far journey. None of them had seen Sunny since the hospital, at least not in person, and Basil wondered what it might be like to lay eyes on the other boy now.

The day came and they had split into natural groups. Most of the preparations were already done, but there were a few things to finish up on the morning of. Hero would take care of finishing the food, Aubrey would set up in their spot in the park, and Basil and Kel were going to go pick up Sunny from the train station.

Everything was good. The day was bright and warm with not a single cloud in the sky, Sunny’s train had arrived right on time, and Sunny had even greeted them both with quick but tight hugs and a small smile. He was still wearing an eyepatch (and apparently would always be from now on) but he looked a lot better. The bags under his eyes were gone, and the greying pallor of his skin had vanished. He held himself a little straighter, spoke a little more, and the air of fear that seemed to surround Sunny had dissipated into nothing.

Kel had grabbed both of their hands and swung them through the air as they walked towards the park, chattering about what he and Hero had planned for that day. Basil was content to let Kel do most of the talking and shared a secret amused look behind his back with Sunny. This was something that had happened all the time when they were kids, and the nostalgia of it was easy to fall into.

When they got to the park and saw Aubrey, things were awkward for all of two seconds before she punched Sunny gently on the arm and ruffled his hair, bringing them over to the set up she had created. The picnic blanket was a checkered blue, not red, but it was soft. There was the scent of flowers in the air from the bushes nearby in bloom, and a breeze twirled the pinwheels clustered in the distance. It felt so blissfully...normal. Like they could just fall right back into step where they left off all those years ago.

Basil should have hit himself over the head for thinking that.

It started so innocently. They were waiting for Hero to arrive and sighing about how nice their little corner of the world was, when Aubrey made an offhand comment about her friends potentially joining them next time. Before Basil could even really process what her words, Kel had said no. He hadn’t said it in a joking way or to tease her. Kel had snapped, and the tension in his shoulder and the hardness of his eyes told them all that he was deadly serious.

It was jarring. Of all of them, Kel had always been the friendliest. Hero may have been the most popular, but Kel wasn’t far behind his brother in natural charm. He was sweet and sincere, and almost always willing to get to know people. It wasn’t like him to shut down so quickly or with such force. Kel’s face was stormy and he was avoiding eye contact with all of them, keeping those hard eyes locked with the ground. Aubrey seemed livid, but she sat stony and silent, waiting for more of an explanation. The one that came only made things worse.

“I just don’t see why you would even wanna be around them anymore,”

Aubrey, loyal beyond words, had swooped in to defend the rest of her gang, claiming that they were good people who were great friends. This had only made Kel scoff, which infuriated her even more. Basil was used to Aubrey and Kel getting into arguments, he was even okay with the escalated fight that had happened at the dock (seeing as he blamed himself for causing it), but this was unlike any of those.

Normally it was Kel who kept fairly cool during these things, and Aubrey that went ballistic. Yes, Kel fought right back with her and gave as good as he got, but he had always seemed calm and collected, mostly joking around and poking fun at how red Aubrey’s face would get.

Now it was his cheeks that were tinged, and his throat that was raw from screaming, in a way that Basil had never seen before. He stayed silent and tried to keep himself small, hands clasping together over his chest as he tried to remember the deep breathing techniques Polly had been teaching him. They didn’t seem to be working. A quick glance to the side showed Sunny in a similar state of distress, watching their friends argue with a wide eye and clear panic etched into his features.

Aubrey and Kel’s argument devolved fast, going from something that held worth to just being insults hurled back and forth. They began to advance on each other, clearly done with words and moving past to blows, but a voice cut through, breaking the intensity that had caught them all firmly in its grip.

“What’s going on?”

The four of them turned around simultaneously, varying stages of guilt evident on everyone’s faces. Hero emerged from the brush, carrying a large wooden picnic basket on one arm, his mouth turned downwards.

He surveyed the moment and sighed, a tired sound that betrayed a weight that they all knew Hero carried but refused to let them bear with him. The eldest walked over and gently placed the basket down on the blanket, glancing at each of them in turn.

“You okay, Sunny?” Hero asked, and Sunny nodded. He seemed calmer now that someone was intervening, but fear was still there. Hero patted him once on the top of his head and peered around the youngest. “Basil?”

Basil nodded too, his own words caught in his throat. It wasn’t the same as when Something had been squeezing him too tight to breathe, it wasn’t that bad yet, but it was still pretty bad. Nothing he couldn’t handle though, and Basil knew that Hero needed to be focusing on the other two right now. With both of them checked on, Hero stood at his full height and stared at the others.

“Explain,”

Both teens burst into words, voices raising as they tried to shout over each other and interject to disprove what the other had just claimed. Hero listened to the cacophony for a moment and then raised his hands, yelling over them to quiet down. Once it was settled again, Hero turned to Aubrey.

“Aubrey, you go first. You can talk with no interruptions. Then Kel is going to talk with no interruptions, and we’re all going to listen to each other. I want each of you to explain to me why you’re fighting, okay?” Both teens nodded, and Hero sat down, gesturing for the other two to sit back down as well. They did, and then Aubrey began to talk.

“Out of nowhere Kel starts going off about my friends and talking bad about them for no reason,” Kel made a noise here and Hero looked at him. The younger brother rolled his eyes but stayed silent, and Hero waved a hand at Aubrey to continue, “I don’t get why he’s so angry, but I don’t care. He had no right to say all of those things. That’s why they don’t like you, you just assume the worst of them.”

Kel shot a harsh glare towards the girl, something fiery and fueled with a deep rage that was completely out of character for him. Then when he spoke, the oddities only continued.

“I didn’t start ‘out of nowhere’. You started this by saying you wanted us all to hang out with them. Like we’re all pals. Did you forget that the only thing you did when you spent time with them was bully people and act like none of us mattered to you? You keep talking about how you wanna change, but you don’t. You just want to act like nothing you did mattered. They bullied m- Basil for years! If you’re really our- his friend I don’t know why you don’t want to protect Basil from those guys,” Kel finished his speech with a huff, crossing his arms and curling in on himself.

“I apologized to Basil plenty already!” Aubrey replied, a glance to Hero when she began. When he didn’t interrupt her, she kept going, “He forgave me, and now we’re trying to get past it. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Maybe we should listen to what Basil thinks?” Hero suggested, trying to keep the conversation from riding off the rails as it had before, “If you’re both so worried about him, it seems like his opinion would be the most important thing here,”

Then all eyes were on him, waiting to hear what he had to say. Basil twisted his fingers in his lap and laughed nervously, his mouth filling with cotton as both sides of the argument clearly looked for his backing.

“I-I don’t know?” He finally replied, the words sounding small and useless, only making everyone madder, “I wouldn’t mind trying I guess. Seeing if if it works out, ya know?”

Hero perked up here, shooting Basil a grateful smile. Aubrey seemed vindicated and her anger began to melt. The tension eased out of the air, and Basil breathed out. It was all going to be okay now. It was just a regular Kel and Aubrey fight. They would hug the way Hero always forced them to at the end of their arguments, and then the five of them could enjoy the afternoon together.

“Kel, if Basil is okay with it then it’s fine. Why don’t you two hug and make up and then-”

“What if I’m not okay with it, Hero?!” Kel exploded, cutting his brother off, “What about that?!”

Stunned silence coupled with an even stronger tension surrounding the group. Kel and Aubrey fighting he could understand, even Kel and Aubrey dragging Hero in to play referee he could understand, but never before had Basil seen Kel yell at Hero. Kel worshipped the ground Hero walked on, his big brother could do no wrong, and Basil had never seen any evidence that he ever had.

But Kel wasn’t done yet, and he continued his yelling. It was like something had cut into him with those words, and now that something, dark and black, was finally getting a chance to leak out of Kel. Basil knew all about Somethings. About how painful it was to live with them, about how they always eventually burst out and demanded to be seen. He just had never thought Kel might have a Something too.

“It isn’t fair that they get to spend years being terrible people. and then just act like they never did any of it. It isn’t fair that I have to just pretend like they weren’t awful to me. Like I didn’t spend most afternoons crying on my walk home because of them. Like I didn’t have to second guess everything single thing I did because they made me think that I was a bully.”

Basil had remembered hearing them calling Kel that before, and it had confused him then too. Kel had never done anything like bullying to anyone, but Basil had dismissed it. It seemed so ridiculous to him, he thought Kel would have just let it go too. Apparently not

“All I’ve ever done is try to help. I smiled and laughed and pretended like nothing bothered me because that’s what everyone else needed. And what did that get me? A bat to the face and being told by my own bullies that I was the one messing with them. They’re the bullies. Mean, angry bullies who I never did anything to. Except try to be friends with you.” Kel finally pulled his eyes to Aubrey with this final word, cutting his furious ranting off with a half laugh half sob. He brought his knees up to his chest and put his arms on top of them. He wasn’t crying, but the pain in his eyes was enough to make Basil’s own chest ache in sympathy.

“And then you let them call me a bully. When I didn’t do anything except try to help.”

Kel dropped his head against his knees, hiding and breathing harshly. His shoulders rose and fell. Up and down and up and down as he panted with exertion from his outburst of emotion. None of them made a sound. Basil wouldn’t have known what to say after that, and he was sure no one else did either. They also couldn’t have been prepared for the final blow that was about to be dealt.

“You all just wanna pretend like none of it ever happened...like all that time didn’t matter.” Kel’s voice was muffled, but the words hit all of them like a punch to the gut.

It wasn’t just about this one fight, it wasn’t even just about Aubrey’s friends. It was bigger, stretching out for years and years of suffering that had never been addressed. Basil’s breath caught in his throat, and he could see the others were in a similar state of shock. He looked down at his interlocked fingers, his stomach twisting up in knots.

It was so easy to forget with Kel. It was so simple to just get lost in his happy go lucky personality and his endless bounds of optimism. He always had time for them all, always willing to go that extra mile to help out his friends when they needed him.

He hadn’t given up on them. He hadn’t stopped knocking on Sunny’s door, even when he never answered. He hadn’t stopped saying hi to Basil, even when he didn’t say hi back. He hadn’t stopped encouraging Hero, even when Hero had no encouragement left to offer in return. He had even still looked for the good in Aubrey, when she had nothing good to say about him. That was just who Kel was, someone who kept trying.

But Basil knew better than any of them that a person could only be pushed so far before there was a part of them that was cracked and bleeding and needed others to heal it. Kel was a nice person, a happy person, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have his moments of doubt. The times where he needed to rely on them instead of the other way around. He never pushed, so no one ever was forced to notice all the bad thoughts and emotions piling up under that sweet sunshine smile. It was just easy to forget that those things existed behind his joy and his upbeat attitude.

They were the people who should have remembered to look. They were the ones who should have known. They had all wanted things to go back to the way they were, but the truth was they couldn’t.

There was no way to erase four years, no way to let go of what had happened to Mari. It existed, it was real, and all of them had tried to ignore it. All except for Kel, who had done everything he could to hold them all together without so much as a complaint. He was right, instead of acknowledging his sacrifices, they had acted like none of it had ever happened. That was what was unchallenging, that was what took no effort. But that was also what was killing Kel inside.

He didn’t know what they could say that would even start to mend four years of their friend trying and failing and continuing to try against all hope. What could a person say to that kind of dedication? What kind of thanks could be given to someone who took on that burden without a word until it had nearly crushed him?

It turned out that Basil didn’t need to know the answer. There was someone else who did.

Aubrey rose up from her spot across from Kel on the picnic blanket and plopped down next to him, turning her head away from the other boy. Her hand moved to his, settling on his elbow and grabbing his attention. Kel raised his head, staring silently at her as she looked at him from the side.

Basil didn’t know what conversation the two of them had without words, but he suspected he would never know. Things like that were only ever meant for two people, and even asking about it was treading on something sacred. Whatever it was, it was enough for Kel to uncurl from the position he had put himself in. He sat on his knees facing Aubrey, and she turned to do the same. She took a deep breath and raised her head, meeting his gaze fully.

“I’m sorry,”

It wasn’t much, when it came down to it. It wasn’t a long speech filled with tears and impassioned pleas. Aubrey wasn’t on her knees begging for forgiveness, or making promises to be better. She hadn’t even said it in a special tone or in a whisper meant just for the two of them. It was an apology, nothing more, nothing less.

It wasn't really much, but it felt so big. They were all touched by her words, all impacted by the enormity of such a small but profound statement. Sunny edged closer and leaned against Basil, and the weight against his side was warm and grounding. He looked down at the top of Sunny’s head, and the vines looping around his spine eased away once more.

When he turned back, Aubrey and Kel were hugging, sitting up on their knees and clutching hard to one another. He wasn’t sure which one of them moved first, but it wasn’t something he had ever seen. Basil has only ever seen them giving each other quick little hugs, or the awkward side squeezes Hero demanded after their fights. But this wasn’t either of those. It was genuine and real, and they both seemed a little reluctant when they pulled apart.

Hero, ever the older brother, beamed and pulled the basket to the center of their group, changing the subject to the food that he and Kel made. To anyone outside of their group, it might have seemed like a callous way to change the subject, but the other four were grateful for something to switch their minds to.

With the moment over, Aubrey went back to her usual brusque, digging into the basket and pulling out a sandwich and bottle of water. She grabbed the food and Sunny’s hand, dragging him over to one of the corners and demanding to hear about his new house. Sunny obliged her, talking about his room and the renovation plans his mother had begun.

Kel drifted over to Hero, falling against his brother’s side and leaning his head against Hero’s shoulder. Basil didn’t interrupt, but he watched Hero wrap Kel in his arms and whisper in his ear, something that had to be comforting given how Kel nodded and snuggled closer to his brother. Hero squeezed Kel and turned to Basil.

“How’s the new garden coming along?”

#Ugh that ending #Bleh #But I also don't have timme to doubt #anwyays!#omori fic #omori #omori kel #omori hero #omori sunny #omori basil #omori aubrey #angst #picnics #I just #hhhhhhh idk

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