I know what you're all thinking--seriously, Chrona? Are you still on this? The answer is I have cried in public about Deja Vu no less than twenty times, if not double that, in the past year. I don't mean in my room, I mean objectively bawling and it's... a little hard to let go. With NaNoWriMo around the corner, it looks like I'll have a clean slate soon, and I want to give these kids a proper send off. Which I totally didn't do by queueing the whole book up but screw it.

My stories tend to twine with my life at the time, and vice versa, but music also has one hell of an impact on my books. I'm not saying I copy song lyrics or anything to that measure, because I don't, but whenever I look back at my stories I definitely feel the ambience of whatever I was originally trying to get across in those songs. Of course, I'll be sharing character tidbits below, but what's really important is that I find out if anyone on Wattpad shares my awful indie music tastes. I had to cut a lot of songs to make this list concise as it is and it's still way too damn long. Enjoy the show.

(RELATIVELY) FEW SPOILERS

I'll be discussing arcs in here as well as ships so this might color your perception of certain characters going into it. I'd recommend just looking at the songs and commenting something like "oh I've seen that" and not looking at the descriptions if you just want to follow along for the music, because it's good music, buuuut I try to be light on the spoilers anyways.

OVERTURES

https://youtu.be/vMHZdfRWF94

Dreaming- Smallpools

I've always had this special place in my heart for upbeat alt-pop songs, especially those with dramatic, kind of depressing lyrics. I think Dreaming definitely captures this mix of camaraderie mixed with "ha ha we could literally die any day now" that originally compelled me to write urban fantasy. Deja Vu also has somewhat of an emphasis on dreams, especially on Will's arc, so it seemed oddly appropriate. 

https://youtu.be/pGbq0mHBlw0

twenty-one pilots- Guns for Hands 

Nothing says hypocritical like claiming to have intensely indie music tastes and then leading with alt-pop and Twenty One Pilots. That said, Guns for Hands is awesome for these kids, for the same reasons as above, but also the more dangerous (literally and metaphorically) aspect of the characters, who are both looking for ways to physically let out steam but are also... all really self destructive? Obviously Adam and Evan are the worst but a lot of the book is really screwed up kids being screwed up together. 

A Children's Crusade on Acid- Margot and the Nuclear So-Sos

There's the juicy stuff. As I said above, shit gets real late book, but also I have a habit of shoving any song that mentions 'lovers' in the plural in the Deja Vu category because I can. I shiver every time I hear this song, especially when the singer hits that second verse. "Leave my wretched soul alone..."

(heck off Anthem) 

https://youtu.be/GWWj6l7aUpU

The Tunnels- Girl, Interrupted OST

This is what I'd call an 'OST' song... okay, it's literally from an OST, but there are certain songs I listen to while doing certain scenes. In particular, this was the music for most of the early Veins scenes. I always think of it as inherently more of a Will song but there's definitely that almost bouncy but ominous (talk about an oxymoron) adventure feel for both of them when they first step in there.

ADAM ROSENBLOOM

Never have I so loved a character who has been so poorly executed. Adam Rosenbloom, as I first created him, was one of my biggest issues with the book... he's a mess of undiagnosed depression (he legitimately derives next to no joy from anything in his life. He's just functional enough that no one notices.) and toxic masculinity. I still think he needs some severe revision, but for a character who was almost too bad for me to write, I  think he's come a long way.

https://youtu.be/ou8gZg3CeEk

Wolf Slaying as a Hobby- Stepdad

This was my linchpin song for early Adam when I was still working him out. (And yes, this is why he has a claymore.) Something about the song always struck me as the right blend of brutal and desperate, and there you go, there he is. 

https://youtu.be/2PBxH568OIE

I'm Not A Hero- Homestuck OST

I think this is really self-explanatory? 

https://youtu.be/ByBpRkrg9SA

Galactic Cancer- Homestuck OST

Okay so this one might be a little more spoilery but any of Adam's later-in-book conversations with Anthem, set to this. 

https://youtu.be/IBHjJqdEHzg

Growing Up- AJJ

Ah hahahaha. I am so mean to this kid. Adam Rosenbloom's utter apathy towards himself and the world will never be one of the most tragic parts of this book for me. Even when he does attribute any value to the people around him, his self-love... is distinctly lacking? Again, quoting any conversation near the end of the book here (Will- 21, primarily). 

https://youtu.be/84MVOa5Gp0Y

Intransitive Verbs- Wolves of Want

Every lyric of this song is Adam. 

(Personal favorite, though: The hope that all these wounds could be/

the places the light enters me.)

https://youtu.be/vq3mLvnBcTo

Miracle Mile- Cold War Kids

I love this song and it so happens to fit Adam fairly well, at least how he completely invests himself in the group... I think you can trace this song pretty well throughout the whole book, which is rad. I've considered making a PMV to it but I've considered making PMVs to half the songs on here.

https://youtu.be/Ha9ONRC5PZU

Rays- To Kill A King

Optimistic Adam songs are my aesthetic. At least... relatively optimistic? Any song about sunbeams immediately triggers my Adam vibes but something about this song definitely feels post-canon Adam to me. 

https://youtu.be/SW0ulJ5QCcw

The First Day of My Life (Aphex Twin/Bright Eyes Mashup)- Jack Conte

I had to slip one Adamegevan song in here, even if I promised myself I'd space them all out. It's sweet. It's soft. It's peeeeeeerfect. I listened to this while writing to Adam-11 and cried. 

WILL ROSENBLOOM

did nothing wrong. I've actually been pretty shaken by how positive reception has been on Will's character and his arc because I had a lot of trouble writing him and his team... a lot of the 'plot' as it were centered on Adam's team, and I was  having a hard time filling all those chapters with Will Stuff. In the end, there's a lot of room for improvement on his side, especially with Karen and Garrett, but Will's arc was actually... fine? Cohesive? 

https://youtu.be/Vxnqh00Oswc

Brionac (remix)- luminousAegis

Optimism and moonlight. It's Will in three minutes. I wrote a lot of his speeches and pivotal character moments to this.

https://youtu.be/MLRJYDwC0nc

Candles and Clockwork- Homestuck OST

I believe this is the first Will song on my playlist. Instrumental music is always easier to write to but I also love how easygoing and soft this song is while still being engaging (Homestuck has the best music. Universal constant.) Writing the early Will scenes to this kind of fleshed him out for me, I suppose? This is definitely the kind of music he'd listen to.

https://youtu.be/zzpe8MAhq70

fine, great- Modern Baseball 
(yes there will be a few maps on here I apologize... kind of)

Will has no clue what he's doing and is also consistently angsty about Adam. They share no interests and Will has legitimately made maybe three or so friends in his whole life and two of those were through is brother. Adam leans on him. Literally. He puts his shoulder on Will's head and talks over him. Will kind of smiles it off but the last ten years have been him shadowing around his more successful brother and being treated like a poor replica instead of his own person, which probably contributed at least in part to his anxiety. 

https://youtu.be/w68YD-FVQGk

the peak of eternal sunlight- cats millionaire

Now we're talking angsty indie music.

(This is alllll I ammmmm)

Hey guys

Do you know why Will got moon powers

because the moon reflects the sun's light 

https://youtu.be/fvbYQu3zVqo

Second Son- Call Security

I'm allowed to occasionally put happy songs on this playlist :V

Will getting a hang of his powers, himself, and developing as a character is my aesthetic. Even if he's not entirely there by the end of the book he's getting there and that is important to me 

https://youtu.be/8twpQTna_9w

I Wanna Get Better- Bleachers

SECOND VERSE SAME AS THE FIRST

Seriously though this is one of my favorite songs for Will, I also hc it as a pretty damn great platonic Will and Amanda song. Obviously the actual song is romantic but I will defend platonic platonic Will and Amanda to my grave and past that. If you want to fight me on this you will have to reckon with zombie Chrona.

https://youtu.be/9eZWFRgZtro

In The Craters on the Moon- The Mountain Goats 

Third act Will Rosenbloom. A little ironic to put this after two quite positive songs but man, I love the Mountain Goats. Declining years of the long war. Half-broken fighters in that last month. Dramatic tension higher than the romantic tension. Oh boy. 

EVAN DRAKE

It is damn near impossible to find a song for Evan Drake that isn't spoilers. Evan listens to mainly Pat the Bunny/Ramshackle Glory, which will come up later, and used to be a huge rock and metal fan. Whatever he listens to, he listens to it loud enough to blow your eardrums out. Loud enough to drown all the noise out of his head. Evan listens to music like an alcoholic drinks, with full intent of self-harm and no intent on stopping.

I wrote this book in part because Evan would not leave me be, so you can blame him for all of this. I have a type... not in real life, but certainly in my books, and he is the archetype of said type. As soon as he entered the picture I knew that this story wasn't going anywhere, specifically for his arc. 

https://youtu.be/CRIx1CP0Lrk

This Kid's Not Alright- AWOLnation

FUCK.

If you ever needed proof I literally just wrote the edgiest character I could muster yeah  I can't think of anything better than AWOLnation. I literally adore AWOLnation no one can scream into a microphone with so much confidence (except maybe Pat the Bunny, I'll get to that in spoiler territory). Early book Evan gels to this really well, for sure, because he's cocksure and edgier than a 3D mosaic. 

https://youtu.be/nx3KD9Xo1fg

A Mask of my Own Face- Neil Cicierega 

Evan is the most blatant about why he needs the Diosite (though everyone has their reasons, even if half of them are obscured by poor execution) and this about sums it up. Evan with a mask. Evan with poor self-esteem. Evan who thinks the entire world is utterly against them and is cool with saving the world but more cool with beating the shit out of things and not hving to be himself for five minutes, because no one wants to be the weird kid in the corner who kisses boys and is failing out of school and kind of wants to set the world on fire. 

https://youtu.be/31QwxRziHjc

Werewolf Gimmick- The Mountain Goats

How much of the Mountain Goats can I put on this playlist because if I could just recommend the band to you that would about sum it up. Anyways Evan, small and anger. There he be. There he go. Definitely the kind of music he listens to, regularly. 

https://youtu.be/dCXaz3RM8aE

Bullfighter Jacket- Miniature Tigers

More Adamegevan? On my playlist?? It's  almost like I was restraining myself from just filling this playlist with cute songs for everyone's favorite love triangle that resolves itself by staying a triangle. It's a little more spritely, so I filed this one under Evan, but damn if I don't die for the rhythm on this one. It's also got those tiny desperate undertones, because Evan.

MEGAN BRIGGS

I have this running joke where in an AU where the two teams stick together from the start (and nothing bad happens because fuck cherubs), Adam holds a team meeting and declares "Who here has a crush on my girlfriend?" into the crowd. Slowly, everyone, including Karen and Garrett, raise their hands Because. It's Megan Briggs. She's not nearly as perfect as everyone thinks she is, but she is remarkably genuine and easy to idolize. Is it healthy? Not... not really? No? Not at all? 

https://youtu.be/QmEZzp7o8i8

Ocean Stars Falling- Homestuck OST

It's Megan 

https://youtu.be/osZtYsR-n6o

Guns and Horses- Ellie Goulding

I can't imagine anyone more excited to be chosen for a Magical Adventure than Megan Briggs. Literally she has been wishing on every star, blowing out birthday candles, opening fortune cookies, you name it, since she was four. Megan being a group mom and hella adventurous- the song. 

https://youtu.be/y0k3Bunzazc

I Want The Sky- Lucy Schwartz

megan's instrument, at least far as songs i pick for her, as always been and will always be the ukelele. let's be real though I don't need to say anything it's just "hey is that an upbeat indie song" yeah she's there megan will butterfly kiss you and serenade you on the ukelele

https://youtu.be/ECW_qfrhiw8

Lost Stars- Keira Knightley cover

I couldn't not put this on here. 

https://youtu.be/sIbZJQcew98

community gardens- the scary jokes

A little bit of the more melancholic side of Adamegevan, especially the Evan/Megan part. Originally, Adam and Megan were the canon couple and Evan admits to aAdam really late in book that he has a crush on him (you're probably thinking of the right scene if your mind just jumped to one) and making  Megan and Evan a thing was the best thing that ever happened to this book. Suddenly everything clicked when I did it. They have so much in common. They're so good for each other. 

https://youtu.be/-1JbefiywEE

in the middle- dodie clark

It's Literally Perfect  

https://youtu.be/W6NqCRYy68s

Little Secrets- Passion Pit 

Another Adamegevan song because I do what I want.

Also recommended: the dodie clark cover of Young Volcanoes. I'd put it in here but I've already put so much media in this chapter that it's physically breaking my computer. No joke. 

AMANDA

Amanda started as a background character and I have no idea, to this day, how she worked out this well. One of the best experiences for an author is when some character comes in, spreads their legs out, and refuses to leave. It's glorious. 

[AFTER THIS POINT MY COMPUTER LEGITIMATELY BEGAN TO GLITCH OUT ON ME ANYTIME I TRIED TO ADD TEXT SO I JUST HAVE TITLES AND THE OCCASIONAL LINE OR TWO OF COMMENTARY.]

https://youtu.be/vXJwVDKbxfo

Secrets- Mary Lambert

https://youtu.be/CQb_qXjGqvQ

Aluminum City- Honeycut

I have no idea how I ended up forming this mental association between aluminum and Amanda, but this song is super swanky. 

https://youtu.be/fiIC83MlGu4

Jackpot- Homestuck OST

https://youtu.be/JE1Gvzxfm1E

Burnt Rice- Shawn Wasabi

Amanda is an internet kid. I tried to refrain from making too many references in book not because it dates it (this book is linked to this time period. The kids grew out of it. That's just the way they are) but because namedropping major brands in my work strikes me as... kind of a lazy reference? It's an author preference for sure but yes in canon Amanda has a crunchyroll subscription, has read Homestuck twice over, and probably almost told her internet friends what was going down. Almost. 

https://youtu.be/QE9XLacoNpg

Girl Talk- Kate Nash

if you don't think I have a soft spot for Megan x Amanda angst you're so wrong 

(These two are on SoundCloud, not Youtube, but I want to talk about them anyways)

Smoky Quartz theme- Steven Universe OST

mother aluminum- 4lung

SERENA

the worst thing that ever happened to serena was that amanda was so much more interesting than her that she got shafted from fifth to sixth favorite character 

Regardless I actually... really like Ser? I wish she did more but she has her moments and her arc is still ten times more cohesive than Karen's if only because the Alpha team as a whole is more cohesive (I literally spent all my planning time on one team and not the other it's amazing that anything worked out on the Omega side) 

https://youtu.be/k1rtFnpz-uo

The Outsider- Marina and the Diamonds

Sometimes you only need one song.

HARPER

Harper totally listens to instrumental music while writing and reading. Soft instrumental kind of gal.

https://youtu.be/T86uquWB9Mw

Even in Death- Homestuck OST

https://youtu.be/fJ9t1kDjPsE

We Move Lightly- Dustin O'Halloran 

KAREN 

I was rereading the earlier Will chapters last morning because a friend of mine is reading the book and I would like to formally apologize for how hard I butchered Karen's arc because every time I go back to it it's worse

honestly I'm never happy with my work even like... a week after finishing. I miss it for years but that's me missing the rush and the characters, not the execution. If I ever do revisions it'll be pretty Karen-centric (although the twins will also get at least a little bit of a do-over).

https://youtu.be/GaVqbS2jWnk

Turqoise- Jake Chudnow
GARRETT

Garrett isn't necessarily more interesting than the above three but he is much easier to find music for. Not mentioned here is any song from any Nintendo OST for the past ten years. 

https://youtu.be/ESRzBMeBUoo

Pumpkin Cravings- Homestuck OST

https://youtu.be/Tc8fC3UQnOI

Gold Mage- Homestuck OST 

https://youtu.be/JBUOqjbe6tY

Traces- Transistor OST

SPOILERS

hoe don't do it

THE FUCKING CHERUBS 

https://youtu.be/Gzea9B0Hbu4

Business of Emotion- Big Data

I can imagine Anthem gleefully singing this if she was capable of feeling or expressing any emotion outside of a cheap facade she uses to placate The Youth as she lures them in so 

The video absolutely REFUSED to load for this, but the other Cherub song I consistently die for is Teen Pregnancy by Blank Banshee. If you've ever listened to chillwave you've probably heard it already but yes there it is, the cherub song

MEGAN BRIGGS/EVAN DRAKE/ADAM ROSENBLOOM 

https://youtu.be/PiqRGJe6Re4

Only As Good As My God- Everything Everything

The good stuff. I'd say we've reached peak indie but they're pretty popular in England. Anyways, this is THE Evan Drake song. As in, this was the song I had down for him before he even had a name. As soon as I knew what the twist was going to be, this was his anthem. I legitimately wanted to post it right after Adam- 16 like "welcome to heck nerds" but I figured that was in bad taste 

Ironically as I progressed with the story he kind of moved away from this manic energy into "constantly tired even in uniform" but hey I'm sure he went manic crazy at least once 

https://youtu.be/wi105P5bX-g

ode to sleep- twenty one pilots

if you're wondering if all these songs are going to be hardcore evan angst the answer is yes and i have more 

https://youtu.be/HPjbloNJQUE

Oceanographer's Choice- The Mountain Goats 

guy in the skeleton costume

walks up to the guy 

in a superman suit

runs through him with a broadsword

(are we talking adam- 16 or will- 21?? up for interpretation here man do I love having characters impale each other and by love I mean I cried for weeks) 

https://youtu.be/1qvYIaneQn4

Song For The Stray Cat on the Fence- Pat The Bunny

I almost did a PMV for this song but it just about sums up Evan's music tastes. He listened to a lot of metal and breakcore-esque electronic music during the Echo Chamber stint to drown out the noise (didn't work and he's probably partially deaf now) but as for music he actually likes, at least afterwards, go find some indie music where the singer is screaming into the microphone and there you go 

also for the no spoilers section: Ocean Stars Falling begins with the sound of a heartbeat flatlining. Ohhhhh. Ouch. 

THE ENDING

https://youtu.be/0qa7yNMVwkM

Look How Far We've Come- Imagine Dragons

I also like "It's Time" but not only does it not fit as well but I'm certain all of you already know what it is. There are some lyrics that fit way too well (look at that sun/moon verse in the beginning, "I think that we're the same", etc.) but Will and Adam fixing their sibling relationship and Will coming into his own as a person is my aesthetic 

https://youtu.be/SuoTjYYqe4c

Lust For Life- Girls

I listened to this song on repeat while writing the last chapters of the book. Everything about it-- the simple lyrics, the beat, the vocalizing that cuts in around the second verse, everything about it makes me think about what I like to refer to as "the summer after the longest spring of our lives" and just Adam in general, probably sitting next to Evan somewhere, listening to music at a volume that won't burn their eardrums.

----

So! NaNo's in a few days. 

Oooooh boy.