lust hurts

i thought it was about time i post a little introduction, share some things about me, and maybe keep a record of my wips and current fics in a somewhat organized way? my ao3 is getting a bit out of hand...

so hello! my name is maddie! pronouns are she/her and i'm currently 24 years old <3 you will see me yap A LOT about glee, formula 1, harry potter (the marauders specifically), baseball, and maybe some other things from time to time...i love to complain and analyze media by shouting into the void about shows from 20 years ago. i'm also a feral swiftie and read copious amounts of fanfiction. my biggest special interests at the moment are seblaine & niff, which is the inspiration for all of my fics.

note: no promises but i'm not opposed to prompts..feel free to send them in my askbox and i'll see what i can do!

my fics/wips/finished works!

find my ao3 here!

the slow burn series - a seblaine au where blaine stayed at dalton

How Bright We Burn - a retelling of season 3 where seblaine meet, become friends, then enemies, then fall in love

Brighter Than The Sun - follows seblaine through the summer between junior & senior year in ohio, paris, & saint-tropez

Until We Burn Out - a retelling of season 4 where seblaine are now dating and navigate warblers politics, competition with the new directions, and relationship troubles together (WIP)

Fragile Little Flames - jeff's retelling of the events of the series, specifically regarding his relationship with nick - not a necessary read for the series but has been one of my favorites to write

Sequel (Title TBA) - senior warblers POVs of their summer after high school, 7 chapters each from a different POV

Sequel (Title TBA) - follows seblaine and the warblers through the college years...tbd on what this will look like

one shots:

the things i do (when i picture you) - phone sex, infidelity, season 3 au, canon compliant?

kiss you anyway - warblers christmas party smut, season 3 au, infidelity

'til the veins run red and blue - canon compliant kinda ethereal fic where seblaine drive around together after a halloween party

If We Make It Through December - holidays future fic where seblaine run into each other at the airport on the way home for the holidays

as you kneel, i'll be watching you fix me - smut based on the i want you back scene from canon

11:11 - canon compliant fic where sebastian apologizes for slushygate, probably one of my favorite things i've ever written

The Way I Loved You - exes to lovers featuring background niff where seblaine reunite and hook up at thad's wedding

Champagne Supernova - crackfic where seblaine don't remember anything that happened the night before while drunk and have to retrace their steps to figure it out

invisible string - sebastian gets cheated on and tries to drown his sorrows when he runs into blaine at the bar

Paper Thin - enemies to lovers neighbors au where seblaine live in next door apartments

slipped away like a bottle of wine - season 3 au where blaine visits dalton to celebrate the warblers sectionals win and has a long and healing talk with sebastian

multichapter fics:

yours for the weekend - a tis the damn season songfic where seblaine have a tradition of hooking up at thanksgiving when blaine returns home to ohio (WIP)

something for my soul somewhere - a music & lyrics au where songwriter blaine & washed up popstar sebastian fall in love

Something More - a post-canon future fic where songwriter blaine's daughter befriends lawyer sebastian's niece at school

For Real This Time - my first seblaine fic! not my best work but it's basically a season 4 au where blaine reconnects with sebastian post breakup with kurt

future fics/unpublished wips:

a seblaine/warblers band au

a teachers au where seblaine are both teachers who work in adjacent classrooms and all the students ship them - this is a seblaine week 2025 wip!

a ta/student au where sebastian is the ta for one of blaine's classes at nyu

an infidelity au where season 3 happens the exact same but over time blaine does cheat on kurt with sebastian

a niff future fic where they never got to be in love bc nick couldn't get his shit together

many have suggested a harry potter seblaine au, so i'm thinking about this...would probably be drarry/dramione adjacent bc i think that fits the characters best

seblaine f1 rivals to lovers au

seblaine sex workers au

below the cut, i've written a non exhaustive list of some of my favorite things! i'm happy to yap about any of this literally ever!

resurfacing from the spring trenches to say it's SUMMER !!! happy summer :) have another long ass Tumblr post as a treat

I've selected a song that I think represents each of the main characters in my slow burn series (and some of the side characters too, because I couldn't help myself) as well as some lyrics from that song that best show off that song as a reflection of their character.

I'm happy to elaborate further, as always ;)

BLAINE ANDERSON: “mirrorball” 

Hush, when no one is around, my dear You'll find me on my tallest tiptoes Spinnin' in my highest heels, love Shinin' just for you Hush, I know they said the end is near But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes Spinnin' in my highest heels, love Shinin' just for you

And they called off the circus, burned the disco down When they sent home the horses and the rodeo clowns I'm still on that tightrope I'm still tryin' everything to get you laughing at me And I'm still a believer, but I don't know why I've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try I'm still on that trapeze I'm still tryin' everything to keep you looking at me

SEBASTIAN SMYTHE: “Mastermind” 

No one wanted to play with me as a little kid So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since To make them love me and make it seem effortless This is the first time I've felt the need to confess And I swear I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care

So I told you none of it was accidental  And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me I laid the groundwork and then saw a wide smirk On your face, you knew the entire time

You knew that I'm a mastermind And now you're mine Yeah, all you did was smile 'Cause I'm a mastermind

JEFF STERLING: “Foolish One” 

You know how to keep me waiting, I know how to act like I'm fine Don't know what to call this situation, but I know I can't call you mine And it's delicate, but I will do my best to seem bulletproof

'Cause when my head is on your shoulder, it starts thinking you'll come around And maybe someday when we're older, this is something we'll laugh about Over coffee every morning while you're watching the news

But then the voices say, "You are not the exception You will never learn your lesson" 

Foolish one, stop checking your mailbox For confessions of love that ain't never gonna come You will take the long way, you will take the long way down

Foolish one, stop checking your mailbox For confessions of love that ain't never gonna come You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin' out

NICK DUVAL: “Anti-Hero”

Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism Like some kind of congressman? (Tale as old as time) I wake up screaming from dreaming One day, I'll watch as you're leaving And life will lose all its meaning (For the last time)

It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me) At tea time, everybody agrees I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

ETHAN MOORE: “Down Bad”

Now I'm down bad crying at the gym Everything comes out teenage petulance "What if I can't have him" "I might just die, it would make no difference." Down bad, waking up in blood Staring at the sky, come back and pick me up What if I can't have us. I might just not get up I might stay down bad

TRENT NIXON: “I Hate It Here” 

I'm lonely but I'm good I'm bitter but I swear I'm fine I'll save all my romanticism for my inner life and I'll get lost on purpose This place made me feel worthless Lucid dreams like electricity, the current flies through me, and in my fantasies I rise above it And way up there, I actually love it

I hate it here so I will go to Secret gardens in my mind People need a key to get to The only one is mine I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child No mid-sized city hopes and small town fears I'm there most of the year Cause I hate it here I hate it here

MEATBOX: “22”

Yeah We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time It's miserable and magical Oh, yeah Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines It's time Uh oh! I don't know about you But I'm feeling 22 Everything will be alright If you keep me next to you You don't know about me But I'll bet you want to Everything will be alright If we just keep dancing like we're 22, ooh-ooh 22, ooh-ooh

HUNTER CLARINGTON: “CANCELLED!”

Good thing I like my friends cancelled I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal Like my whiskey sour And poison thorny flowers Welcome to my underworld Where it gets quite dark At least you know exactly who your friends are They're the ones with matching scars

EMMA DRAYTON: “The Bolter” 

He was a cad, wanted her bad Just like any good trophy hunter And she likes the way it tastes Taming a bear, making him care Watching him jump then pulling him under And at first blush, this is fate When it's all roses, portrait poses Central Park Lake in tiny rowboats What a charming Saturday That's when she sees the littlest leaks Down in the floorboards And she just knows  She must bolt

HATTIE GRISWOLD: “Bejeweled”

Sapphire tears on my face Sadness became my whole sky But some guy said my aura's moonstone Just 'cause he was high And we're dancin' all night And you can try to change my mind But you might have to wait in line What's a girl gonna do? A diamond's gotta shine

Best believe I'm still bejeweled When I walk in the room I can still make the whole place shimmer And when I meet the band They ask, "Do you have a man?" I can still say, "I don't remember" Familiarity breeds contempt Don't put me in the basement When I want the penthouse of your heart Diamonds in my eyes I polish up real, I polish up real nice

JAMES PARK: “Sweet Nothing” 

Industry disrupters and soul deconstructors And smooth-talking hucksters Out glad-handing each other And the voices that implore "You should be doing more" To you I can admit That I'm just too soft for all of it Ooh They said the end is coming Everyone's up to something I find myself running home to your Sweet nothings Outside, they're push and shoving You're in the kitchen humming All that you ever wanted from me was Sweet nothing

DYLAN REDMOND: “Fifteen” 

Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday But I realized some bigger dreams of mine And Abigail gave everything she had To a boy who changed his mind And we both cried

'Cause when you're fifteen And somebody tells you they love you You're gonna believe them And when you're fifteen Don't forget to look before you fall

But I've found time can heal most anything And you just might find who you're supposed to be I didn't know who I was supposed to be At fifteen

PRESTON MOORE: “this is me trying”

Pulled the car off the road to the lookout Could've followed my fears all the way down And maybe I don't quite know what to say But I'm here in your doorway

I just wanted you to know That this is me trying I just wanted you to know That this is me trying

They told me all of my cages were mental  So I got wasted like all my potential And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad I have a lot of regrets about that

I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere Fell behind all my classmates, and I ended up here Pouring out my heart to a stranger But I didn't pour the whiskey

JUNE STERLING: “Slut!” 

Also, just so you know, when i think about your college sequels, the idea of Seblaine being slutty in New York is really appealing to me lol.

haha yeah that is a very seblaine term tbh! I love to embrace their slut eras tbh, and I think a lot of people can really benefit from having a slut era while for others it can pretty irreparably ruin their lives and that's a fun dynamic to explore! trust me the slut eras will continue during college in new and bigger ways <3

I think you wrote a nod towards Maroon in the summer fic before senior year, where Seblaine wakes up on the floor in a party before Seb goes to France.

Now, let's see... for next... tell me about what songs from the Red album, including the deluxe and vault tracks (basically Taylor's version), you think fit Seblaine and Niff (as individuals or about their relationships)?

Even though Red is a breakup album, and i'm pretty sure Seblaine and Niff are endgame in your universe all the way, i think the sentiment of breakup songs can resonate in times where their relationships are in a crisis. And Seblaine did breakup at least once in your universe. (Niff watch your backs, she’s coming for you lol)

Also, i need to point out that Red is THE Seblaine color lmao.

Yay glad you enjoyed it! Haha it wouldn't take me so long to get to my asks if I held myself back from yapping so much, but alas I apparently love to hear the sound of my own voice (or rather typing?) so nevertheless she persisted.

Red is THE Taylor album for me, and I think it's because it's one of the most universally beloved of her albums while clearly being one of her personal favorites as well. I think that's because it's like you said, the songs can really resonate with all different stages of a relationship. This is an album that follows one of the best breakup songs of all time in my opinion (All Too Well) with the upbeat pop classic 22, all while fitting into this perfectly curated Taylor Swift millennial aesthetic? Like, that era is truly just pop girl perfection and I think my favorite album rollout of all time (other than maybe reputation) is the rollout of Red TV.

also yeah, seblaine is red tbh...goes with all the burning metaphors I constantly use ;)

Here is my breakdown of Red songs that I think fit them/the other warblers and ships I write for well!

State of Grace - I kind of see this song as encompassing the idea of love and romance in general. This is one of my all time favorite Taylor songs, and I think that's because A) it fucking rocks and B) it really does encompass so many feelings all at once. I love that repetition of "I never saw you coming and I'll never be the same" because I really think that could fit soooo many relationship arcs. I mean, it fits seblaine - Sebastian quite literally came out of nowhere for Blaine and changed his life. Nick and Jeff are the same. And there's so much in this song about those first sparks, and then the pain throughout the relationship and the absolute joy that comes with it too...I just genuinely think this is a perfect song and 100% Taylor's best ever opening track. It sums up the album so flawlessly. "This is the worthwhile fight/ love is a ruthless game / unless you play it good and right" like yeah !! it is like that!! and especially because I love writing angst, I love this idea that like something can be good and bad and toxic and wholesome and the word that sums it up really is that it's ruthless, for better or for worse. I love the imagery of mosaic broken hearts and the hands of fate, and I love the second verse with "we are alone, just you and me / up in your room and our slates are clean / just twin fire signs, four blue eyes", like it really is such clear imagery to me of like young love and really feeling like you've found your person through all the ups and downs. I'll stop yapping haha idk if this even makes sense. 

Red - I think this one is a seblaine song to me (aren't they all somehow?) because once again it's very much about the ups and downs and just constant chaos in a relationship where ultimately the overarching feeling is burning red. I am pretty fond of fire/burning/flames etc metaphors as I'm sure you can tell haha and this song is a perfect example of that. I really do see seblaine as being something that burns, and that idea of burning for someone else and burning so bright that everyone else has to watch is so them. "Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you" very much gives that slow burn feeling of finally getting together after all this time of pining and not realizing how badly you wanted it, and "regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong" feels so them, like during the breakup era of almost regretting you ever gave the relationship a chance because now you know how good it can be and it's gone. I also think there's a lot of like, queer coded lines in songs about colors for Taylor, and this is another example where like this person helps you see all these colors you didn't see before, and that can be good feelings and bad ones but either way you're experiencing things you've never felt. I think in that way, it also applies to Nick and Jeff, because Nick I think experiences pretty much everything for the first time through Jeff, who really opens him up to what it means to love, and all the highs and lows that come along with that.

Treacherous - ok come on "put your lips close to mine as long as they don't touch" is so seblaine also like...their entire relationship before they get together is so driven by physical closeness and temptation and getting pulled in despite trying to get away from it and push it away. This whole song to me is about how dangerous yet thrilling it feels to fall for someone, especially someone you shouldn't. "I can't decide if it's a choice / getting swept away" is so seblaine to me...I don't think either of them really would've chosen this given the chaos it caused, but they both were so tempted by it anyway. The bridge in this song is so good and I often kinda forget about it because...tbh I find the chorus kinda boring lol but the bridge is immaculate. The sound of it really does just feel like falling in love and deciding to let yourself fall into it. It could also be niff for that reason, Nick finally giving up the urge to run and letting himself fall even if it's dangerous. It doesn't fit quite as well but I do see the vision! 

I Knew You Were Trouble - I mean yeah...also seblaine I fear...I 100% think this works from Blaine's POV. In my own verse as well as just in canon I think Blaine clocks Sebastian as being bad news in his life pretty much immediately. He chooses to go along with it anyway because the temptation is just so strong, and I think this song can kinda exist as this anthem for when he gets burned and is like I saw this coming so why on earth did I let it happen anyway? Obviously it works out for the best, but there is a lot of turmoil in the meantime. this is lowk my least favorite red song i wasn't even gonna include it but I listened to the full album as I was writing this and couldn't possibly think of a reasonable justification for it not being so clearly a seblaine song haha 

All Too Well - i hate to say this lol but this is college era niff to me <3 i will not be explaining...but there's a reason why I wouldn't chose the 10 minute version and just keep it at this one. I think the 10 minute version touches on more about the age gap and power dynamics and toxic relationships and this version is a little bit more like...just a really fucking hard breakup song. 

I Almost Do - this is one of THE niff college era songs to me! The verses are all giving the vibe of like I know you so well even now that I can picture exactly what you're doing and exactly what you're thinking about and you really are my person, and then the next step of imagining what their reaction would be if you just picked up the phone and called. I think this song is more from the perspective of Jeff than Nick, and I don't want to get into too many details and risk spoiling, but it very much is this vibe of like, I don't want to make things worse and even more painful than they already are by calling or reconnecting in any way, like that will just rip the wound open all over again before it's even had the chance to heal. But even knowing that and how painful it would be to call and that it wouldn't be the best thing, the temptation is always there to do it anyway because they really do love each other so much that they just yearn to talk. Niff is the epitome of constantly doing things that are painful for them just because they can't stand the idea of being apart, even if being apart is the right thing. Like, through all the shit they put each other through during junior and especially senior year, they never break up, because no matter how hard it is to be together, they would always rather suffer together than be happy apart. And I think this song comes down to the idea of like, "I wish you knew how much I want to talk to you, but if I told you how much I want to talk, it would just ruin everything all over again."  Like, I want it just as bad as you do, but I'm trying to be brave and hold off so we don't hurt each other again. And there are elements of this song in the summer too, in Nick's POV of him being like what would Jeff do if I asked him to stay? and in Jeff's POV him thinking I would stay if Nick asked one more time, I would give up Princeton and everything just to stay here so I hope he doesn't ask. But they both ALMOST ask. I love this song so much ugh if you want to get into the vibe of what Nick and Jeff's college era will feel like, I can't lie this is like THE perfect song for it. 

The Last Time - I can't really explain why, but this song has always felt so seblaine to me. I think I just became obsessed with this song around the same time that I became obsessed with seblaine, so I probably wrote a lot of seblaine while listening to it. I think this idea of "put my name at the top of your list" and like begging for someone to acknowledge you finally and love you and stuff...idk I think that vibe is kinda seblaine, with how they got together being very much Sebastian kinda pining in secret for a while and wanting to be Blaine's person but not getting chosen over Kurt or whatever. But honestly, as I'm relistening to it, I think this song fits Niff even better. I think this fits that vibe of Jeff confessing his feelings and always being the one to want and yearn and then finally being like,, look this is the last time I'm going to be vulnerable and open up to you about all my feelings and how much I love you and the last time I'm going to let myself be physically intimate with you in any way unless you tell me right now that you feel all of this too. Like, I think this is a cry for help for some kind of acknowledgement and recognition from a partner, and the begging for affection really feels like Jeff to me.

Everything Has Changed - this song is my trent + james playlist (which currently only has like three songs on it rip) because it feels like young love to me and this just pure and innocent feeling of falling in love with a friend and slowly realizing you love them...idk it's just a very wholesome and sweet one and that is what they are to me too!

Starlight - I had an intrusive thought at one point about writing a one shot where Sebastian and Blaine sneak into a fancy yacht club type party together lol and ever since then this song has felt like them to me! but yeah that's the main reason why it's seblaine to me...there's no real explanation. I do have an OC in one of the college era fics that's VERY Kennedy coded though lol like comes from my fictional version of the Kennedy family, and the imagery of that is pretty prevalent in this song. It'll be obvious who it is the second you meet him :)

Begin Again - this song really is that vibe of healing from another relationship and meeting someone else who really heals the parts of you that were broken by that. I like the idea of like he laughs at things your ex never thought were funny, stuff like that, and that's really seblaine to me! I think Blaine is really broken by his relationship with Kurt and how toxic it all became, and sure there are aspects of seblaine that are just as toxic, but there are parts that are so much better too, like him cheering Blaine on in performances and stuff, and I love the imagery of like talking about your families and Christmas and stuff and feeling like you don't have to dwell on the breakup anymore because there is this new fresh thing that's happy and nice. 

Come Back...Be Here - i hate to say it because it's devastating but this is another one that is like, THE niff college era song to me. I mean, this is just a long distance anthem to me, an absolutely perfect song that perfectly captures that feeling of you're just so far away and I miss you so much and I don't want to miss you or be far away but this is just how things are, as well as the yearning to just tell them you want them there, even though it won't change anything. I mean, there is literally a scene in the summer fic in Jeff's chapter that's like the exact vibe of "Stumbled through the long goodbye / one last kiss kiss, then catch your flight" and Jeff's experience of being at Princeton is literally "taxi cabs and busy streets / they never bring you back to me / i can't help but wish you took me with you", especially after the fall break when Nick visits him at school. And "But you're in London, and I break down / 'cause it's not fair that you're not around"...yeah long distance pain is so strong with this one. In my head, this song is niff's freshman year of college, and "I Almost Do" is niff's sophomore year.

Nothing New - it's a bit of a stretch in some ways because this song is so inherently about stardom and womanhood to me, but I think this is a Blaine song! I do think he has that fear that he has to be great otherwise the world will forget about him, and I think it's very likely that after being like the star at Dalton he's in for a bit of an awakening when he enters the real world and has this panic that he's nothing new or original or unique and really has to reinvent himself to be something in the industry. And I think he has this fear with Sebastian too that one day he will get bored and want something fresh and new, and it's not a thought he has often yet it's always there way in the back of his mind, this fear that he will leave him because he decides he's not enough or something. And I think Jeff kinda struggles with this thought too of like, are you only into me because it's fun and exciting and the second we settle into it will it become old and boring and you'll move on? All of them kinda have this moment in college or in the anticipation for college that's like, will this person leave me behind when they see what the rest of the world has to offer? Nick probably struggles with it the most tbh, the idea that maybe Jeff will meet smarter people who are more like him in college, and then he'll forget all about Nick. Anyway, this song is devastating. 

Babe - i can't talk about it too much lol but...this is a college niff song lol...like, the bridge?? "Since you admitted it, I keep picturing / her lips on your neck, I can't unsee it / I hate that because of you, I can't love you, babe" yeah...

 Forever Winter - this is actually very much an Ethan song to me lol, mostly because I think he just has like,, a lot of mentally ill people in his life? Like people just experiencing this like, huge amount of depression, and it's something he really struggles with as well, trying to help them through that and experiencing just really deep empathy for them. This song doesn't even have to be about a romantic relationship for me, in fact it's always reminded me more of my relationship with my brother and stuff? And I think this idea of like I'll be the sun for you, I'll be bright when you're not, etc. is just really relatable. Anyway, could be Ethan's song related to Preston or June tbh! we don't get to see him as much during the college era, but definitely in his chapter of the summer fic which is one of the longest chapters, and we'll see hints of him throughout as well! 

I have a question: What songs from Midnights (including the 3am songs, Hits Different and You're Losing Me) fit Seblaine or Niff or both for the same song?

I'll chime in from time to time to ask about different albums, so we can yap for a long time!

Have a great day!

indeed I am a huge Taylor fan !! and seblaine/niff of course <3 ahhh it's the best to find others who have common interests, thank you for sending the ask!! I would also always love to yap about them, even if it does sometimes take me forever to reply to asks.

and I love midnights! I'll go through the whole album and sort of say any songs that I can kinda see working for these ships/characters! there might be more that I just don't see but these are my thoughts for now :)

Lavender Haze - this one is a very seblaine song to me! I kinda see them as a ship that's not really interested in fitting into your conventional idea of what a relationship is, and I think this song really touches on that idea! It's also this idea of both of them kinda experiencing a lot of noise elsewhere in their lives, and they're kind of this safe place away from all of that.

Maroon - this song immediately made me think of seblaine when it came out and I'm ngl I think the main reason is because I've always had this really specific vision in my head of seblaine sitting on the floor drinking red wine together? like in the Dalton dorms together? I think the vision comes from Sebastian asking advice on how to get red wine out of his blazer or whatever, but I also just think the visuals of the song in general are so distinct and very core to who seblaine are as individuals and as a couple!

Anti-Hero - I think this song could genuinely fit all four characters, but it's also a VERY Sebastian song to me! Like, I think he's aware he's the problem and that probably everyone else knows too, but it's also this like intrinsic part of him he can't get rid of? Like he just makes these huge mistakes or spiteful decisions and hurts people without thinking, and it's just a lot. But I also think it can fit Jeff in the sense that he's very insecure that he is the problem, everyone's talking about him behind his back, no one really wants him around, etc. I think those are for sure the two characters it fits the most!

You're On Your Own, Kid - this is a Sebastian song to me, specifically with the backstory I've written for him in the How Bright We Burn series! He pretty much exactly uses the sentiment of "I didn't choose this town, I dream of getting out / There's just one who could make me stay" in the letter he writes to Blaine in Until We Burn Out - he doesn't want to be in Ohio, but upon meeting Blaine he pretty much immediately realizes this person is someone worth spending time with that can dull the pain of having to be here. Also "I search the party of better bodies / Just to learn that you never cared" is very representative of Sebastian's backstory, though I will not be elaborating! And just the sentiment of "you're on your own, kid" is very real for him, as a kid who often was on his own with parents who treated him like an adult and left him on his own at a very young age.

Midnight Rain - yeah love this song it makes some great edits! This is also very seblaine to me, obviously with Blaine being sunshine and Sebastian being midnight rain, etc. This song just very much gets the idea of one person being the relationship, falling in love type while the other is driven by their own success. And it honestly might fit Nick and Jeff even more in that way because Jeff is very much driven by his future, education, etc. whereas Nick's kinda at the point where the only thing he knows for sure about his future is that he wants Jeff in it.

Question...? - this is another one that immediately made me think of seblaine when it came out! "You painted all my nights a color I've searched for since" evokes strong imagery for me, and it's also a very queer coded line...I think it actually fits Niff more than Seblaine, but for Seblaine it's this idea that the bond they have and this like electricity between them is unlike anything they've experienced with anyone else. With Niff, it's much more the queer coded element of Nick reflecting on how he's never experienced the feelings that he experiences with Jeff with anyone else. Also, both couples have experienced the vibes of all their friends making fun of them and then later cheering for them when kissing in a crowded room lol, very distinct visual there. I see this as very senior year Seblaine during the breakup era or college era Niff :)

Bejeweled - ngl this song is very Jeff during the jeffbastian era haha like this was really his moment to shine and feel like a person again after lowk being taken advantage of by nick for a very long time.

Labyrinth - I don't really have a lot to say about this one other than that to me it kinda feels like Sebastian's POV of the breakup era with Blaine!

sweet nothing - I think this song could fit any ship pretty easily, but I think this is domestic era seblaine, once they really are happy together and come home together at the end of every night :) I love the bit that's like "On the way home, I wrote a poem / you say 'what a mind' / this happens all the time" because I think that's such a sweet visual, but I also see this as very seblaine, with both of them being interested in writing in different ways.

mastermind - I mean yeah Sebastian 100% masterminded getting together with Blaine lol

The Great War - this for me fits seblaine finding their way back together after the breakup, but it also fits a college era niff storyline for me! it is in my college niff playlist haha

Paris - I love this idea of a relationship feeling like you could be anywhere or like you're having these grand adventures when all you're doing is sitting in your living room or driving around the suburbs together, and that's a very Seblaine idea to me. I've written several little fics where they do exactly this, and I think the idea will continue for me long into the future! Although I also think there's a literal interpretation with Paris being one of Sebastian's favorite places in the world and really wanting it to be a place he can share with Blaine.

High Infidelity - This one is complicated haha but...to some extent this is college era niff...I should not say more about that but it is on my college niff playlist <3 I think it can also fit seblaine a little bit, since they have certainly had their fair share of borderline infidelity and fears the other is cheating, etc. But when I first heard the song I definitely was picturing an au where Blaine cheats on Kurt with Sebastian !! and I do think the early days of seblaine in How Bright We Burn work for that as well...the incident when Blaine and Sebastian get high together and fall asleep in the same bed while Blaine is still dating Kurt could very much be the April 29th from the song.

Glitch - This song really fits that friends to lovers idea to me of like, we were just supposed to be friends and I've done everything I can to try to avoid you and avoid it becoming something more but I just can't help it, and that idea is VERY seblaine!

Would've, Could've, Should've - yeah I fear this fits Sebastian's backstory extremely well rip to this man <3 But all the obvious imagery of like a child who was taken advantage of too young and hurt by an older man (which is very much an idea that fits Sebastian's past), there is also A LOT of religious imagery that fits Nick's storyline as well as his relationship with religion and his own sexuality. The line that stands out to me is "The God's honest truth is that the pain was heaven" because like, despite how painful it was to know he wanted Jeff and that he wasn't straight and was thus a disappointment to his family, it felt so good whenever the two of them were together. I think there's something to be said about Nick missing this idea of the kid he used to be before he even met Jeff, when he used to be able to pretend that he was straight and exactly what his parents wanted him to be. The chorus of the song can almost feel like a mantra to himself, holding this grudge against Jeff for being the one to make him realize he wasn't straight and thus wasn't what he wanted to be.

Hits Different - this one is very seblaine breakup, and even more so it's very college niff to me! I think losing the person you considered to be your best friend and the closest person to you in so many ways is devastating, and I love this idea that breakups always hurt but it hits different because it's this person who means more than everyone else. And like the first verse is very fitting of Jeff's college arc and the separation from Nick, specifically with the lyrics "I washed my hands of us at the club / You made a mess of me / I pictured you with other girls in love / Then threw up on the street" like...it's almost crazy how closely it fits what I've written for them but haven't shared yet! And the second verse that's like I used to move on easily, never really fell in love, etc. is very Sebastian post break up with Blaine to me...he's never been the type to just be devastated by a break up before. I also think Sebastian is 100% an argumentative, antithetical dream girl haha

P.S: you said that you picture Arón Piper being Ethan, and like, now it’s easier to picture him on my reads and it’s like perfect, same for your other ones. Dylan as well, he is Justice Smith to me and it is so fun!!!

I'm back with another essay style post about the characters from my fics! I'm a very character focused writer, and the messy, beautiful, devastating flaws of my characters are always the driving force behind the conflict in my stories. I was discussing the latest Until We Burn Out chapter with my fav @crochetcardigan, and we got into a pretty deep conversation about what influenced each character to behave the way they did, how they likely processed these interactions on their own, etc. I love to consider how these characters' flaws influence their relationships with others, and the idea spiraled from there.

This post is about each of the core seven Warblers' "fatal flaws". Rather than just a simple bad trait, I think of a fatal flaw as a survival mechanism that quickly turns into an obstacle. These are the things that keep them from the happiness and the relationships they're looking for, thus driving the plot forward. So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on each of the characters' fatal flaws!

Warning: Spoilers for every fic in the slow burn series through chapter 29 of Until We Burn Out, as well as some teasers for the upcoming summer and college era fics.