Some people read in silence. Some people read with a full cinematic score in their head. And some of us accidentally build entire emotional playlists around fictional hockey players and call it self-care.
Below are two takes on the same fandom — overlapping feelings, wildly different listening styles, and a lot of songs that hit harder than expected.
Angst, Yearning, and the Promise of a Happy Ending
This touches the depression that Ilya feels but can’t explain properly. I don’t know why, but it has that same sadness that you don’t know where it comes from, or why it’s there, but that you can’t shake, even when you are surrounded by people that make you happy.
Harris going home, dust in the driveway, screen door slam, sun low in the sky, and an avalanche of paws. It’s joy that’s physical. You don’t just feel it, you get knocked over by it. You can’t help but smile and want to be part of the happiness.
Ryan gives me “I’m a viking hockey player who is an enforcer, but I’m a scared marshmallow inside who is anxious and scared and I’ve fallen in love with a male musician who could be a fae lord come to life from a story and that just makes me more anxious and terrified because I’ll never be good enough” and if Hozier’s Someone New doesn’t give that same vibe, I’m not sure what does.
Whether you read in silence or with a full internal orchestra, the connection between story and sound is deeply personal — and strangely universal. Sometimes the right song doesn’t just remind you of a character; it reminds you of a version of yourself that needed that story in the first place.
One Response
“On my way, On my way.” Love that Rusted Root song. I’ll have that in my head all day now. Happy feet 🙂