#also hozier

[mexicanpadfoot]

Fanfic has done more to make me want to read The Divine Comedy than any of my literature courses ever did.

[bessmarvins]

Ghost of Thornton Hall: A Playlist

I present to you my first Nancy Drew playlist! GTH was the easiest for me, since I just played it and I just love a lot of songs that made me think of it.

Some of these songs were chosen simply for the titles, some for the lyrics, and some just because they fit the ~vibe~ of the game. I tried to order them in a way that would flow with the story line as well.

Keep reading for a track list and some explanations. Warning: Spoilers (duh). 

Hope you guys like it! Let me know which one I should do next.

1. Georgia - Vance Joy

Started with this one simply because the game takes place in Georgia and I think it’s a sorta sad song.

2. Ain’t No Sunshine - Bill Withers

I felt like this had to be included--it could be about Jessalyn or Charlotte; both women were considered the brightest lights in the Thornton family, and they lost both of them (albeit one only temporarily).

3. Work Song - Hozier

This one has themes of death, but also is literally a “work song,” modeled after songs slaves would sing working in the field, which ties into the history of Thornton Hall.

4. Harvest Moon - Lord Huron (cover)

I love this song, and the term “Harvest Moon” reminds me of the deep south and farming too. The Harvest Moon occurs in late September, and this song gives me overall fall vibes. 

5. If I Die Young - The Band Perry

Pretty self-explanatory: Charlotte died young. It’s a sad song, and it’s country-ish which fits the setting. 

“Dear, sweet Charlotte, please come back.”

6. Scavenger Hunt - The Lowest Pair

I discovered this on the “Southern Gothic” playlist on Spotify (which happened to contain three other songs I already had in the playlist, so I must be on the right track) and it caught my eye because of the scavenger hunt Jessalyn and Addison try to complete in the game; Charlotte left a scavenger hunt for us too. Listened to it and thought it fit right in!

7. The Yawning Grave - Lord Huron

More death, surprise! The imagery in this song definitely made me think of the Thornton Family Cemetery. This is a super dark song that just feels like it was made for the Thorntons: 

“Oh, you fool, there are rules I am coming for you Darkness brings evil things, oh, the reckoning begins”

8. Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

This is another eerie song, and it made me think of Charlotte and her final birthday party.

9. Ghosts - James Vincent McMorrow

I wanted something a little softer here. This is another obvious one for the title, but also it’s generally a creepy, sad song. 

10. Devil’s Backbone - The Civil Wars

To be quite honest, I was looking at The Civil Wars for a song for this playlist because of their name and the role the Thorntons played in the Civil War, but this song fit pretty well. It’s creepy af.

11. The Chain - Fleetwood Mac

One of my FAVES-this song has a southern rock sound, and it’s a little dark.

12. Way down We Go - KALEO

I think this song just meshes well with the atmosphere and the other songs. Plus it makes me think of crawling down underground Thornton Hall into the tunnels.

13. Make it Rain - Ed Sheeran

Discovered this one on the “Southern Crosses” playlist on Spotify, which also had some of the songs I chose. The playlist is described as a “collection of songs and stories steeped in struggle, hope, darkness, light, sin and salvation,” so that’s spot on.

A line that stuck out to me:

“When the sins of my father Weigh down in my soul And the pain of my mother Will not let me go”

Made me think of Clara, especially if you subscribe to the incest theory.

14. Arsonist’s Lullaby - Hozier

Fire. That’s it.

Just kidding--there are lines about hearing voices, which made me think of the ghosts, and I really listen to this from Clara’s perspective. Lines that I think are the most relevant are “But my peace has always depended on all the ashes in my wake,” and “Don’t you ever tame your demons, always keep ‘em on a leash.”

I put this towards the end to fit with the fire at the end of the game.

15. Second Chances - Gregory Alan Isakov

Ending on a happy-ish note--Clara gets a second chance to tell the truth and do right by Jessalyn and Harper (if you choose to save her, of course.) Harper gets a second chance to rejoin her family. This song sounds bittersweet and has some folky southern vibes.

[koltosaber]

we fell in love in october

needed to write for lana and t’igrea because all their goofy romantically tense conversations make me :). 

--

T’igrea shifted uncomfortably as she leaned on the cold white desk, staring at her boots as the others began to file out. They were on Manaan, and this strike team consisting of both Republic and Imperial forces had almost just been sunk- only barely escaping due to the intervention of a sith. A rather smug looking one at that- T’igrea couldn’t stop staring at her sharp features. 

Lana Beniko was the name of this new thorn in the consular’s side, and it seemed like the sith enjoyed the discomfort she made T’igrea feel. After the group had decided it was best to lay low, the twi’lek planned to confront Lana  and.. clear up some misconceptions. 

“Could you stay, Lana?” T’igrea piped up as the rest of the group started moving. The sith complied, flashing a small smile at Theron and nodding. It was soon just the two of them in the spacious area. 

“Now, what can I do to help you, Barsen’thor?” 

The title made T’igrea cringe, which lit the tiniest of fires in Lana’s eye. The twi’lek huffed, folding her arms. 

“I can’t expect you’re too pleased about working with Jedi, so it might help if you just.. stay out of our way.”

“Did I ever give you the idea that I disliked working with you and your knight friend? Because.. I don’t. Truly.”

T’igrea moved to stand on her own now, brows furrowed as she stepped just a bit closer to Lana. 

“Sith take every opportunity to maim and destroy. It’s part of your code, your culture- to undermine and betray any friendly hand offered to you. You can’t expect me or anyone on this team to believe you’re trustworthy. Even if Theron vouches for you.” T’igrea spoke with iced laced into her sentences, eyes roaming Lana’s expression for any sign of change. Nothing. 

“Now,” Lana began, taking a step closer to the twi’lek in turn, “I’m sure you didn’t mean to hurt my feelings, as I thought any badmouthing was against your rigid little code. I can promise you not all sith are as bloodthirsty as you describe, and it’s very un-jedilike to describe them in absolutes like that. I am a little flattered you’d pull me aside just to insult me, however.”

T’igrea opened her mouth to reply but backed off a little as Lana finished- their sudden proximity to each other was now a distraction. The twi’lek didn’t move, though- just mulled over her words before trying to speak. 

“Just- don’t expect us to be friends anytime soon. The sith have done too much to forgive- and I don’t trust you not to hurt any of the people I care about.”

Lana’s small smirk hadn’t faded- it confused T’igrea even more. She felt her cheeks grow a little warm at the sustained eye contact- it was.. unfamiliar. 

“Barsen’thor, I assure you, our goals very much coincide. If these Revanites tear apart the galaxy, there’ll be nothing left for us brutish, battle-hungry sith to destroy.” Lana paused, breaking eye contact to look at the exit, then back to T’igrea. 

“Besides, I think you’ll come to find that I’m not like ‘most’ sith. I consider you and the rest of your Republic friends my allies now. It’s not up to me to bridge the gap that you’ve inserted here.” 

T’igrea swallowed, heart thumping in her ears. What was going on? She looked up once more- only to find the sith headed for the exit. T’igrea cleared her throat, causing Lana to halt and turn back around.

“I’m- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made generalizations. You seem like a nice sith.”

To the twi’lek’s surprise, this made Lana laugh- not loudly, but it was enough to set off a swarm of butterflies in T’igrea’s stomach. 

“I’ll take that. Thank you, I suppose.” And with that, Lana dipped out the doorway- T’igrea was left to her lonesome in the room. After a beat, T’igrea moved a hand up to feel her burning cheek, massaging her lekku idly with her other hand. 

What just happened?

[girlbossgaslightguillermo]

no grave can hold my body down (I crawl home to her)

yes, it’s a hozier x catradora in save the cat Catra POV because I’m a lesbian

“Sister, why do you protest?” one of the Horde Prime clones says, as they all drag Catra to be “purified.” Catra knows that it is pointless to protest, she knows her fate. She will be brainwashed, made into a perfect machine for Horde Prime, and Adora won’t come for her, but they will meet and Catra won’t even be in control to say goodbye.

She slags, and the clone takes it as a symbol of her love for Horde Prime, for her desire to become better, to become purer.

She does not fight them when they submerge her in the liquid. Lightning arcs across her body, but Catra is used to this sensation of electricity burning up her veins and paralysing her. She does not scream, she refuses to give any of the clones the satisfaction of screaming. It’s eerily quiet, and for some reason they do not chant like they had the last time.

Catra doesn’t know what she’s fighting, but she tries to fight it all the same. Her mind will be hers for as long as she wants it to be. Horde Prime cannot control her. She won’t be another of his mindless clones.

Her name is Catra. She will not become another nameless clone. She’s sorry for everything she has done to Adora. She will not be used to hurt her. Adora. Her best friend, who she’d betrayed time and time again. One good thing will never undo everything bad she has done and she’s hurt Adora too much. She can’t hurt her anymore. She refuses to. She will not become another mindless clone.

“Why isn’t it working?” she hears one of the clones say.

“Is it because her Adora is here?”

Adora? Here? No, no, no! Adora wasn’t supposed to come back, she was supposed to go to Etheria. Catra can feel her control slipping away.

“Adora?” she cries out.

And then there is nothing. There is no pain. She is at peace. The clones take her out, and Catra smiles.

_______________________________________

“Hello, Adora.” The name doesn’t mean much to her. But she knows what she has to say.

“What did you do to her?” the girl in front of her yells, trying to run to her.

“I have made her anew. I saw her mind....so ensnared in grief and rage and pain...and I brought her to the light. Isn't that right, little sister?” Horde Prime says.

“Catra, you have to fight it!” the blonde girl yells at her. She looks devastated, terrified. She doesn’t understand what she has to fight. Why would she fight anything, when she is at peace?

“My place is with Horde Prime, Adora. I don’t want to leave,” she replies.

“Tell her what I’ve done for you,” Horde Prime says, and Catra knows what to do.

She tells the girl that Prime has given her peace. She watches the girl’s face fall, she looks at the anger and the deep sadness etched into her expression and she thinks that perhaps this girl would benefit from Prime’s peace, too.

She doesn’t feel bad for the girl, for Adora.

Adora.

Something isn’t right.

She feels Prime’s heavy, no- his comforting, grip on her shoulder as he continues to talk to the girl, to Adora. He tightens his grip on her and for a second, she feels a rush of memories, of sensations.

And then, nothing.

No, not nothing. She feels peace and a devotion to Horde Prime.

“Ah, but you two must have a lot of catching up to do. I’ll leave you to it. Let me know when you’re ready to make a deal,” she hears Prime say.

She knows her purpose.

Her claws elongate and she smiles sweetly at the girl in front of her.

At Adora.

She punches the girl and vaguely feels it connect.

(She can’t feel anything, not really. She is at peace.)

“Catra, listen to me. I know you’re still in there. I’m not leaving without you.” Catra. But she isn’t Catra anymore, she has been made anew. She strains at the hold the girl has on her and breaks free.

“Everything is already okay. We are with Prime now. There is no need for you to suffer, Adora. Come into the light with me.”

They continue to fight, and there is something so familiar about this, but she cannot quite put her finger on it.

When the girl saves her from falling over the ledge, she claws at the girl’s back. The girl is painfully predictable.

Why doesn’t the girl hurt her more?

But before the thought can even truly form, there is a foreign, no- welcome, presence in her mind and Horde Prime takes over. She feels like she’s paralysed, as she hears Horde Prime’s voice come out of her, as her hands move and she fights.

(Why is she fighting? She is at peace.)

Suddenly, she feels a sharp pain in her neck, the familiar shock of electricity.

She is Catra.

No, there are no names for servants of Prime.

There’s a rush of memories and thoughts and there is a blonde girl in most of them.

Catra can feel Horde Prime in her mind again, but she can feel herself too.

Vaguely, she can hear the girl, no, Adora, saying that she won’t give up on her. There is a sharp pain in her neck again. But so much worse and someone is grabbing her and something is exploding and-

Adora.

Adora is here.

Catra knows who she is now. She remembers.

“Adora, you should have stayed away. Why did you come back? We both know I don’t matter.” After everything she had done, Adora still came for her. She had done nothing to deserve it. So why would Adora come back?

“You matter to me,” Adora says, and Catra can feel a warm hand on her face. She leans into the touch, desperate for hands she hasn’t felt in years, and she loses her focus.

Prime is back.

She doesn’t want him in her mind. She refuses to let him be there. She feels herself moving pointlessly, and there is a ledge somewhere.

“You have never listened to anyone in your life. Are you really going to start now?” Adora says, and Catra has never heard her sound this desperate, this terrified.

She pushes Prime out again.

“You’re such an idiot,” she says, smiling.

“Yeah, I know,” Adora replies with something between a laugh and a sob. “I’m going to take you home.”

Home? Catra doesn’t have a home anymore. She doesn’t deserve to. The Fright Zone wasn’t a home, not really. And does Catra deserve to call Etheria home when she’s been destroying it her whole life?

But throughout her life, Catra has been sure of one thing. Blue eyes. Blonde hair. A stupid hair puff. The fact that she hopelessly loves Adora. The fact that she always has.  

She may not have a home, but she has a place in the world. She isn’t sure if she deserves it.

“Promise?” she asks, her voice weak.

“I promise!”

Catra reaches out for Adora, but before their hands meet, Prime’s presence is back.

He speaks through her and she tries, she tries so hard to fight him off.

But then there’s electricity arcing across her spine and she’s falling, falling, falling.

This is her ninth life. This was her last chance. At least she will die on the right side.

Everything blurs and then she sees black.

_____________________________________

There is a light at the end.

As Catra walks towards it, she sees Adora. Not Adora as she is now, but when they were younger. They were more carefree, then.

It changes. They’re barely teenagers and Adora is still Catra’s best friend. The lights are dimmed, and they’re whispering about something. Catra can’t see it, but she knows what was happening back then. Catra had always loved Adora, those were the nights on which she realised it.

The scene shifts. Catra asking Adora to come back, Adora leaving her.

Catra refuses to cry. She looks away and moves on.

Princess Prom: dancing with Adora, so calm on the surface while getting completely flustered on the inside. She had been distracting Adora, but for a while, she’d gotten pretty distracted too.

Giving Adora the sword, letting her escape. It’s not because I like you.

(Why hadn’t she let Shadow Weaver brainwash Adora? She knows the answer. She can say it to herself now.)

Letting go of Adora, letting her fall into a chasm, telling her that she’s better off now that Adora’s left the Horde.

Opening the portal. Getting stuck in an alternate universe. Having Adora back only to lose her again.

(Adora always left.)

Catra walks towards the light, but as she nears it, she hears someone calling out to her.

She turns, and she sees Adora. Not the Adora of years ago, but Adora like she was only a few minutes ago, hair falling apart, eyes desperate.

Adora didn’t always leave. Adora had come back for her.

She walks towards Adora, and the memories around her begin to fade away.

All she can see is Adora telling her she’s taking her home, Adora promising her with tears in her eyes.

She takes Adora’s hand.

__________________________________

When Catra wakes up, she’s warm, pressed up against Adora, who holds her so gently. She smiles at Adora.

“Hey, Adora.” Her voice sounds broken, tired.

Adora sobs and clutches her tightly, so tight it almost hurts.

But Catra hugs her back anyway, just as tightly.

She’s home.

[egg-and-cheese]

Oh Hozier we're really yearning now..

No Plan is the vibe once I get home

[yournameisamelody]

so where’s my reeve carney cover of talk by hozier? thx

[of-sunshine-and-sea]

Due to personal reasons I will become the part of a tree and will grow moss and roots

[spacetvv]

“noah kahan up next” gosh i hope so 🙏