#atbt

[goldeneyedgirl]

What are the chances of 150ish words for ATBT or Runaway? 😇

100% certain <3

all these broken things.

The more he watches Alice, the worse Jasper feels.

She's only been back with the family for a few weeks, and it feels like he's the only one that realises she's not staying. Esme and Carlisle seem convinced that Alice will stay with them now. Jasper knows better.

He tries to reach out to her, tries to offer something that might be a touchstone. A friendship. She's sweet at his feeble attempts to make up for all the hurts he's inflicted but it's not enough anymore. He sees it in the way she self-soothes when she's anxious, her arms wrapped tight around herself; the way she doesn't join the family without a direct invitation.

Edward says that her thoughts are gentle. There's no rage or hatred towards Jasper or the family lingering in her thoughts. She's already half-way gone - again.

(He wants things he has no right to hope for.)

[that-is-right]

Sneak preview of chapter 2 of ATBT:

[angst-after-dark]

CW: LADY WHUMP, BBU/BBU-ADJACENT SETTING, BROKEN BONES, DEATH THREATS, DEHUMANIZATION, RECORDED TORTURE, RANSOM VIDEO

Taglist/General Writing Taglist: @flowersarefreetherapy @oddsconvert @siren-of-agony @gottawhump @winedark-whump

The click of boots against damp concrete, the sound metallic, was the first noise to pierce her consciousness, quiet but out of place and therefore startling. Her eyes didn't want to open, heavy like lead. The pounding in her head certainly didn't make the idea of moving appealing. She swallowed, throat impressively dry and clicking. Her tongue sand papery and limp in her mouth, feeling out of place.

“Smile for the camera!” Shorty chirped. 

Kestrel blinked, head swimming once more, and pulled against the ropes that secured her to the chair. The restraint had grown too tight to move, but the shield could still shake her head – for the time being. They responded to her struggle by tightening further.

“No, no, no,” the torturer chided, in the tone of talking to a child. “You have to keep still, or it’ll come out blurry.”

“Smile, Ms. Diaz."

Even immobilized, she could still scowl – there was nothing her captor could do about that – but Shorty seemed to have decided that this was as good as it would get. He’d walked back to slip under the cloth that shielded the back of the camera. 

The flash flared bright magnesium, startling and blinding her. She jerked, instinctively wrenching her head away. Pain shot down her neck. The light from the camera temporarily blinded her with splotches of black, white and red.

Lanky was less than pleased. The bat scraped across the floor as he crossed the room towards her. She stiffened, knowing he was close.

Something hard and merciless connected with her kneecap. She jumped, startled at the noise. It echoed in the wine cellar as loud as a gunshot and for a moment she had half a mind to check if she’d been wounded. She didn't have the chance. Her body flashed hot. 

Cold. Ice filled her veins. Everything froze. 

Her brain, her body, even the air she'd taken to scream seemed to hang suspended in between the shock and the inevitable pain she was going to feel. 

The world spun around her, the concrete floor beneath her feet shifting, and Kestrel strained against the restraints that held her firmly against the chair as she doubled over. What little she’d eaten for breakfast leapt into her throat, threatening to evict itself from her lurching stomach. 

The chair dug into her back, a minute annoyance compared to the searing pain in her knee. She breathed hard, still looking at the concrete floor. 

Lanky’s unoccupied hand shot out and grasped his hair, twisting it painfully before wrenching his head back, forcing her to look directly into the camera.

She flinched.She swallowed and shuddered at the strain on her throat, bracing herself for what would come next.

The red light of a flashing video camera appeared through the curtain of curls that’s fallen over her face. She stared at it for a moment, panting. The sting of tears as they leapt to her eyes and made a trail down her cheeks. 

“Come now, Ms. Diaz. You’re going to have to do a bit better than that. How will your masters know you need rescuing if you keep quiet?”

“I told you,” she rasped. She couldn't bite back a groan. The tears hadn't stopped. Malcolm would be pissed she’d cried. What happened to die quietly? She was supposed to be the best of the best. “They won't pay. We're meant to die.”

We're replaceable. She thought. Expensive, but replaceable.

There was a long, painful moment of anticipation. 

“I fractured your knee cap, “ he said, lifting his foot up and pressing on the aforementioned injury with the toe of his shoe. 

She finally gave him what he wanted. 

A ragged scream escaped her lips.

She closed her eyes when the screams morphed out into sobs and those sobs finally petered out. 

Lanky glared at her. She watched him carefully, the pain filling her brain with a heavy haze. He chewed on the inside of his lip and swallowed hard. “If they don’t pay, I’m going to kill you.”

He hurried out of the basement, slamming the door closed. Kestrel listened to his footsteps as he climbed the stairs outside. With every breath entering and leaving her lungs, she waited for death. 

The little red dot of light bored holes into her skull. Recording every second for later use. Wick would watch this. He'd be discouraged but he'd insist on watching.

When she settled again, she stared long and hard at the camera, trying to think of something more to say. Maybe tell a joke or two, to lighten the mood. Get a grin out of him while she still could.

“......it's okay,” she whispered and then, louder, pushing past the pain. She forced a smile, choked out a laugh. Her voice stayed light - as if she were coaxing him to sleep, as if they were discussing a missed shot in basketball. That's all this was, “It's okay, Mx. It's okay to turn it off.”

Shorty hadn't left yet. 

His grin was sadistic as he picked up where Lanky had left off. He swung the bat, catching her in the ribs, a loud snapping echoing throughout the musty air, accompanied by her strangled, pathetic squeak. Her breath came out in sharp, quick, shallow inhales. It took her almost forty seconds to suck in enough air to begin talking again.

Turning back to face the camera, the man crouched down so Kestrel was in full view. Once again, she fell back on a prayer. One Therese Diaz knew by heart, had memorized in her youth on her grandmother’s knee. One the training program had tried to bury when remaking her into Leigh Kestrel.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t free or even protect herself, but she could do this, she could pray.

Santa María, Madre de Dios,

ruega por nosotros pecadores,

ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte.

Pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death.

[biracy-draws]

Darkness for me is all I know

Doodle I did this morning uwu

[rainbowsandsilverlinings]

Types of music played at my mixer with the 2 acapella groups last night

because music people are weird

~Normal party music: light rap, bops, i dont remember exactly, it was fine

~Songs that the guy’s group have sung in the past couple of years              lots of singing along by both groups. sent snapchats to the members                   who had iconic solos in the songs

~German beer drinking music. Yes. Really.             “why are we playing this? Michael who gave you the aux cord?” *2                         songs later, still listening to this music* “No for real, someone should                   turn this off why are we listening to it?” *nobody turns it off for 10 more                 minutes*

~Songs the girl’s group has sung in the past couple of years             “did we sing this”; “oh hell yes this is such a bop”; “can we bring this                    arrangement back”; “yall got to listen to your old songs. gimme the aux                cord”

~Hayden’s creation... no really. We probably listened to this one the longest.            “who gave Michael the aux cord again?”; *sings along loudly in german*;             *reminisces drunkenly about the tour we did this piece on in choir*; really             confused non-choir members: “are they... are they okay?”

[mrabbrown]

ATBT (S2) - Episode 1; Season 1 Recap

[astoldbytoria]

ATBT: Harry Styles Album Review

ATBT Tuesdays: Harry Styles Album Review!

Hello! Today’s review will be on Harry Styles’ new self-titled album. I’ve always loved Harry tbh and I was excited yet skeptical of how this album would fare, especially since Zayn has already proven that his solo sound is a worthy one. But this album is already breaking barriers, making waves, and soaring on the charts.

Harry’s debut album shows his old soul for sure. I got heavy 60s and 70s classic rock vibes. His inspirations - like Elton John, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones, for example - are channeled through this album with a modern twist. This is an era of rock that many people haven’t replicated in today’s popular music because it is so unique and might come off as inauthentic if not done carefully. But I believe Harry respectfully draws inspiration while still making the music his own. 

I’ll go through my thoughts on each song, highlighting my favorites, things he did well, and things he should improve on:

1) Meet Me in the Hallway

This one has such an eerie vibe to it that I love. It definitely reminds me of the The Beatles, especially with the warped bass guitar. The guitar is definitely the highlight of this one from a musical standpoint. From the lyrics, I like how he’s characterized his feeling for this person as an addiction, because it’s something that people - especially teenagers - can relate to. But this is not the teeny-bopper Harry Styles that we’re getting. This is a mature voice, one that’s really expressing a longing for someone. I love that the song doesn’t follow a strict structure, similar to the ones they were bound to in One Direction. This one just flows and changes with each emotion and action he describes. This is a solid opener to me. It shows his style and it showed his ability to convey emotion lyrically.

2) Sign of the Times

I’ll be honest, when I heard this was his debut single, I was not impressed. I liked the vibe of the song and even his vocals at the end. But should it have been the debut single? Not in my opinion. I do love the instrumentation. There are so many layers and it sounds like a classic rock song. I loved the addition of the choir accompanying his emotional belting toward the end. But you have to listen to the song for like 3 and half minutes to get to any sort of climax. The objective of the song is kind of cloudy too. At first listen, it sounds like he’s talking about the end of the world or some kind of ending that affects a multitude of people. But in an interview, he says the song is from the point of view of a mother that is in labor but was told that she’s going to die from complications from birth? So yeah, lyrically this one is not strong on conveying whatever message he’s trying to send. I love the Bowie and Queen inspo on this one but it just isn’t a strong one for me.

3) Carolina

This one is a fun one. I love the funky run in the background and the melody is not a typical one, but very reminiscent of  late 60s rock. Out of all of the songs, this one is the cute one about the “girl next door.” The closest thing to a One Direction song if there was a trace on the album. I saw the Behind The Music video, and when they recorded this song, they used actual pots and pans, so I thought that was cool. Musically, this one is very rich and I especially love the chord progressions in this one because they are not typical. The music meshes very well with the lyrics and creates an easy going song that is nice to listen to honestly. This is a good one!

4) Two Ghosts

Ugh. This one is definitely one of my top, if not the top, favorite songs from this album. The lyrics are emotional, believable, and relatable. This one reminds me of something John Mayer would make. Especially with the guitar riff during the chorus. It kind of has a country twang to it and the catchy hook makes it memorable. This one has been the one that sticks in my head. In my opinion, I’m glad this is one of the singles on the album, but I could have seen this one being the debut, easier than “Sign of the Times.” He said in his Behind the Music video that this one was an easy one to write and that it was a song that just unraveled. And it really shows.

5) Sweet Creature

This would have been such a strong debut single, which again just makes me upset that it wasn’t. The vocals and lyrics are impressive to me. This one is lyrically and vocally believable to me, compared to some of the other songs on this album. Even though it’s pretty much just an acoustic guitar and vocals, it doesn’t feel this stripped down. It still feels so full. This song is definitely a powerhouse.

6) Only Angel

This one gives me serious classic rock vibes and I’m into it. Lyrically, he’s talking about a girl that he believes is an angel even though she tends to have “devilish” tendencies - being crazy in bed and wearing short skirts, for example. It’s rumored to be talking about Kendall Jenner, maybe indirectly referencing her as a Victoria’s Secret “Angel.” But I don’t really care about that. I love the guitar chord progressions in the chorus as well. This song was lower on the list for me personally, but I really appreciate it at the same time.

7) Kiwi

If Harry ever did a collab with the Artic Monkeys, this would be their baby. I’m sure any of their fans probably jumped on this one hardcore. The “I’m having your baby, it’s none of your business” refrain during the chorus is obviously cheeky, so it definitely helps his edgy “bad boy” vibe that he’s trying to encompass. I vibe with the groove in the bridge and I love how the tempo kind of slows down. Otherwise, this song doesn’t do much for me aside from letting me know that Harry is into bossy chicks lol.

8) Ever Since New York

I attached to this one as soon as I heard it. I love the melody in the chorus and the verses and how it bounces right with the instrumentation and the soft drumming pattern of the song. It is a very comfortable, calming song that you kind of listen to during a long drive or when you’re just in your own thoughts. However, after listening to this one after a while, I noticed that it’s a pretty weak one lyrically. I think that maybe when he wrote it, he was trying to just convey a feeling he had in that moment, but it doesn’t come across well to the listener, and they can’t really piece together the message of the song and relate it to themselves because of it. 

9) Woman

I get heavy Elton John vibes from this one. Musically, this one impressed me a lot. I loved the woozy bass during the pre-chorus and the weird “uh” sound that recurs in every measure. The chord progressions are so boomin’ and the vocals are nice. I kind of cringed at the opening Netflix reference though. However, this song lacks in a lot of things. Because of the music, you almost assume it’s going to go somewhere big, but the song is pretty anti-climactic. The chorus is not creative and it doesn’t make sense to me in the context of the song honestly. The song just kind of fades out and leaves me feeling like nothing is resolved as far as what he’s feeling. I loved the lyrics in the verses, but everything else was just not given the same effort. There’s so much that he could have done with this one. But I love the music and the vocals so much that I just try to ignore it. In the future, he definitely needs to master bringing out a song’s full potential.

10) From the Dining Table

I absolutely love the lyrics on this one. They feel the most personal, emotional, raw, and real. You can feel his frustration and he translated it so matter-of-factly that it almost feels cut and dry (in a good way). His vocals are so close and soft. Compared to Sweet Creature, which pretty much has the same amount of instruments, he successfully made this one sound stripped down. Which is ironic, because the girl he’s talking about seems and feels far away. Additionally, I love the strings because they fit with the vibe of the song and help it grow to a climax. This one contrasts with Meet Me in the Hallway nicely because it seems that he’s in withdrawal. So it’s kind of cool that it ended this way. But in the same token, I feel like this shouldn’t haven’t been the ending because nothing seems resolved. But this one is definitely a fave.

So what’s my conclusion?

If you get to the end of this novel, thank you lol. In conclusion, I really like this album. I love that he didn’t just sell out and make a bunch of structured pop hits that would guarantee him album sales. He went for the sound he wanted. He crafted each song differently. He’s one of the first artists in a while that have embraced rock and have now brought its sacred sound to a popular audience. The instrumentation was great on this album and it clearly embodied his influences while still creating a fresh take on them. Lyrically, there were some good spots and there were some bad ones. Hopefully in his next album, he’ll really make sure he’s driving each and every song to their full potential.

My rating for this album is a 6/10. I’m proud of Harry for jumping into the industry on his own and I think his future is bright and full of potential.

[blubambu]

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