#and before that kanade was the one person mizuki thought would always be with them

[chisatowo]

Unit swap au making me feel things. Specifically Mafuyu. Stupid motherfucker who cares too much abt everything all the time

[shibology]

hiii i saw you're hosting an event so i wanna request project sekai's niigo (all of the members) x reader going a beach day together?

platonic!! THANK YOUUUU, HOPE YOU'RE ALWAYS IN GOOD HEALTH!!

- it's possible, can you make reader someone who has a rather quiet and calm personality? if it isn't, then please ignore this!!

beach day w/ niigo + calm/reserved reader (gn!reader)

type : hcs/platonic

cw(s) : none

a/n : listened to cellphone love story while writing this 😭 also, you're all at the beach together! this is just more of your separate interactions w the girls!! i hope i did fuyu justice cause when i was heavy into pjsk i never read any of the group stories LMFAO

learn about the event here~

your personalities clash perfectly, it's funny, mizuki had to stop you both from bringing your devices along with you because you both would be so obsessed with doing things on them. but you both understood, taking the time to spend a beach day with your favorite people. kanade invites you to her tent. she doesn't have much in mind regarding activities, but she prefers to talk to you anyways, so it's okay.

kanade won't go near the water unless she's dragged. not because she doesn't like it, but because she just does not have the energy to swim. she'll make small drawings in the sand with you, though! little stars, music notes, maybe even everybody else there!

but if you want to swim, she'll walk up to the shore with you. she'll let the water hit her feet, but she won't swim. you're okay with it though, you understand. you eventually come up with her and stand next to her, watching whatever shenanigans the others get up to.

she's so excited you decided to join them! but you couldn't help but sigh when she immediately booked it for the water, tiredly trying to keep up with her. she wouldn't admit it, but she was proud of herself for convincing you to come with them. convincing kanade was hard enough, but you? seemed completely uninterested. it wasn't that you didn't want to, you just didn't have the energy for it. but you still wanted to see your friends, but nonetheless, you came.

mizuki loves to splash water on you and watch the way you look at her in disapproval but amusement, quickly planning your next attack on her. she smiles, once again thinking about how proud she was about herself for getting you outside of the house.

she totally sneaks up on you. you head back to shore to sit down, your head in a book, and all of a sudden she's come up to the shore with a water gun in hands, spraying you right in the face. you sigh and grin in amusement, you may be on the more shy side, but around the right people, you loosen right up.

another one who's happy about the beach trip, not about getting you out though. she sees it as the perfect opportunity to make some memories with you in moments she never thought she would see you in. it's perfect! her phone is out constantly, trying to get good photos, but also trying to get some exclusive 'never been seen before' photos of you.

she mostly prefers to get PHOTOS of the water rather than actually going in it, so it's common to see mizuki extending her hand out begging for her to try the water, and for her to refuse and talk about how she's "admiring it from afar" (it's a beach, shinonome 😭)

also the type to make cute sand drawings with you, they just make the cutest photos! she just draws random sea creatures, but i see her as the type that would add unnecessary detail. comparing you to hers it's obvious who's the artist.....

mafuyu would spend most of her time at the shore, she'll sit down and let the water hit her person, and she definitely wouldn't mind if you'd also prefer that. mafuyu doesn't necessarily talk your ear off as much as mizuki or ena, but you two have more of a comforting silence type of thing, occasionally breaking the silence to mention something about the scenery, or how pretty something is.

but she may get up to go a little deeper in the water, much to mizuki's delight. she finds the cold feeling of the water nice in her, especially with how hot it's been lately. she doesn't go too far though, just enough to where she can see shore clearly.

[correctproseka]

A list of every sekai oc from least communist to most communist bc i am bored and my pfp mostly everywhere is a commie miku:

--

20- Akito.

He is probably like a crypto dude until An kicked his ass and convinced him otherwise. He just has the vibes im sorry.

19- Mafuyu.

She just follows whatever her mom does so far, her mom is a big capitalis

18- Kanade

Here we start the neutral ones. Kanade doesn't know a single shit about politics she just wanna nap, valid, queen.

17- Shizuku

She has been an idol with money since as a child, i dont think she knows exactly why people are fighting, but she's on the side of fucking human rights :D.

16- Honami

She's afraid to speak up because of her classmates but she is starting to try and actually be on the side of who she believes in, thanks leoni, Go Honami!

15- Touya

He's going simply against his dad. He doesn't even know if he believes in it that much but he will defend it

14- Haruka

She's a bit confused but Airi is teaching her the ropes

13- Shiho

She's just silently on the commie side and would punch anyone who threatens her but she also kind of grew up rich so she's a bit confused at some things

12- Minori

She's a commie at heart but she's bad at economic and politics so she can't explain her thought very well and her arguments arent thw best

11- Kohane

She's always been against capitalism but not communist… until An. Now Kohane is going in

10- Tsukasa.

He forgets he's bi bc he's chanting for gay rights for Saki i love him.

"Of course i support gay rights my sister is gay"

"Onii-chan, you're also bi"

"... Oh right"

9- Nene

No Rui friend is a capitalist, duh, she hates Elon Musk with all that she have. But she considered investing one time too many to be higher.

8- Saki

Girlie may have lived a sheltered and kinda isolated life but the old ladies at the hospital have a lot of knowledge and some of them include GUILLOTINE

7- Ichika

No idea why just vibes, she doesn't feel like she'd be quiet about politics but i can't explain the reason why shes this high other than she has a lot of communist vibes

6- Mizuki

Does not buy clothes from big chains, they see an outfit from there that they like and recreate it themselves, its canon i know Mizuki personally

5- Airi

Man she would punch a nazi no second guessing. Go go Airi.

4- Emu

She may be rich but she studied economics and she hates capitalism, she had a bit to unlearn but Rui taught her well. Plus like. The wxs storyline is the most commie thing ever

3- Rui.

He literally would arson a bank or a billionaire house if you gave him the idea

2- Ena

Need I say more? She was actually gonna be first place but my friend realized she would fight about it more online then actually be on frontlines

1- An

She literally was created being know by the whole street. Takes a community to raise a child? Yeah thats An, of course she's communist. Leader of the communist rebellion im telling you

-----

This all taken from before main story but on like. 3 cases. Bc its easier.

[sokai-asuki]

Clay Moorington Relationship with Nightcord at 25:00 and their Virtual Singer

The following relationship chart is pre-season 4. I might will be doing the post-season one, but for now, I post the pre-season 3 & 4.

Nightcord at 25:00 with Clay:

Kanade —> Clay: "An understanding and kind person. He seems very patience and always give some of us have time to open up. He doesn't come visit much but if he did, the others and I always notice him laying around the block in the Sekai... He seems to have a hard time..."

Mafuyu —> Clay: "Clay is... A weird adult. He didn't press much on asking me, he didn't scold me unless if it's involved my health. He have a lot of patience dealing with my bluntness, and he can also be blunt. To me, he is the most blunt one between both of us."

Ena —> Clay: "He is very patience to all of us. And very blunt... But that bluntness of his does have an honest.. We don't think he have a Nightcord because he doesn't know about that app or do have knowledge of it. So I always bring my art with me everytime he visits the Sekai, just so I could show it to him. His response is what I want to hear from my dad..."

Mizuki —> Clay: "It may not seem like it, but Mr. Clay seems to understand how my environment work. To my surprise, he have said to me his an orphan and he doesn't even know if his family abandoned him or just to save him. But that didn't stop him with how much he got criticism by other adults that told him he can't be something he dream of. And now, he proves them wrong."

Clay with Nightcord at 25:00:

Clay —> Kanade: "A very talented composer... She out of everyone else would be willing to do anything to save someone else, even if it might cost her life. Very soft spoken person and her singing is very soothing... Now I get why Miku think her music can reach Mafuyu over."

Clay —> Mafuyu: "The real reason why the girls here, and also the reason why all of them found each other's feeling the same... I have no opinion about her other than how blunt she is. But to put it simply, whatever her situation was, it better be fixed quickly before it got even worse..."

Clay —> Ena: "A talented artist who think her art may not be able to reach her goal, her validation... She shows me the art that she used for the Nightcord at 25's music video, and also an art she draw just for practice. I am not an artist nor do I understand art,but those drawing and line art, it's beautiful. She's very talented, what's the reason behind her doubt of her talent?"

Clay —> Mizuki: "A designer, Mizuki did tell me their sister is a designer and currently in overseas... I think Lance and them might get along, especially with a talent to make a clothes. They kind enough wanting me to have a clothes design for me. They didn't have to do that, it's not like, I can wear it much."

N25 Virtual Singer with Clay:

Miku —> Clay: "A very kind man. He seems harmless and have no ulterior motive to cause harm... Clay seems so calm and understanding of the situation, and yet, I can spot a bit of a frown on his face everytime he came... I want to help, help him, help everyone... But I know, he will try to dodge the question instead..."

Rin —> Clay: "He seems very understanding and kind towards me and Len. Maybe because he thought we're a kids..? Though, I didn't bother much nor care about it... But I love how gentle and kind he is..."

MEIKO —> Clay: "I don't care or bother much by him. As long as he doesn't bother me with unnecessary questions. But sometimes, he did come forward and ask me, if I ever thought of everything to help Mafuyu and the others. I give an answer and I saw an unreadable expression... He is more reserved than I thought.."

Luka —> Clay: "He seems like an interesting fellow. If I have to give an honest opinion, he is kind and patience but I wonder, how can that patience last long? The last time I tease him about something, I can see how one of his eyes was twitching by the comments I made. Fufufu, another person to tease to doesn't seem too bad~"

Len —> Clay: "He is very kind towards me and Rin. Sometimes when I was having a hard time trying to spoke to him, since his the only one man the first I met, he was very patience and waiting for me to say something. He is kind and always help me try to get along well with the others, especially my twin, Rin."

KAITO —> Clay: "...He is lying. He is lying to them. He is lying to me. He is lying to himself. Everything is off, he is rarely visit, and the only time he did, it's to rest here... It makes me, so angry... At him, at them, at myself..."

Clay with N25 Virtual Singer:

Clay —> Miku: "She seems to really want to try helping Mafuyu find her true feeling. But she doesn't know if she should get involved with her problem. If it's alright to get involved? Or is it better to stay on the sidelines and wait for a turn to see everything herself, to see if she can do something to help Mafuyu. She's a kind person, just need a bit confidence in herself..."

Clay —> Rin: "As bold as she try to be, she's a kind person. From what I heard, she has help Ena before when I was busy. I am very grateful and proud of her. Even if she seems like she doesn't need anyone's praise and compliment, I can't help but give her one."

Clay —> MEIKO: "Forgive my honest opinion, but she's kind of apathetic... Showing no signs of wanting to get involved. And yet, she did try to help in her own way. She can be pretty tough person if someone ever try to strike a conversation with her, she either turn them down, or give a silent treatment..."

Clay —> Luka: "... I have no comments about her... She is a sly, cunning and a playful woman. But at the same time, she did help the girls at some point and did something for them... And yet, why am I the target of her teasing...?"

Clay —> Len: "A very kind and anxious kid. He seems to be careful of what to say and try not to make it awkward with everyone around. He always talk to me ever since he came, maybe because I'm the only man around? But I did try to encourage him to talk with everyone."

Clay —> KAITO: "He is very honest," he sees it, "He can be very blunt and rude at some time," what else did he caught? "But he did try to help, in his own way and thinking that..." He sees through it... "A truth is the right choice." How much lie should I put to make him not see it...?!

[leoneedincorrectquotes]

Thoughts about a second Fes Card for Ichika

So the first round of Fes cards are coming to a close, with only 3 left, and as some have been speculating it's possible we get a second round, starting with Saki's first and Ichika's second. As I am very totally normal about Ichika, I have a few thoughts about how it could look, and potentially tie in to a future character arc/story for her, as well as tie in to the previous Fes trained card. It's gonna be a long post so buckle up. Send in asks if you love it, or absolutely despise it!

The untrained is Ichika passing by other characters in the game, the rest of L/N as well as Kanade and Mafuyu. This directly ties into the side story for these cards. It begins with Ichika in school, talking to Honami and Kohane about how far they've all come. Ichika begins to think about how she really hasn't gone through much in comparison to others, and how she was never able to truly help when they needed it the most (And at this point flashbacks occur relating to the rest of L/N and others she has a close connection to). This plays on her mind throughout the day, and when she gets to Sekai she's early. She notices a fragment, and recognising it after the previous one, decides to head in on her own. The typical blinding light appears before her, and we actually see her in the fragment for a bit. It resembles a long art gallery, but one where the paintings are being worked on that moment. Tins of coloured paint line the floor, and there are spots for the eventual denizens of this Sekai. at that moment, however, there are the 19 other main characters (At this point Ichika has met them all).

This could be the second part of the side story, but there's another good place for it. As she walks past them, they are all absorbed in working on their art, all self portraits. All relate to how they see themselves, and their struggles. So for Saki it's her in the hospital alone, for Mizuki it's being on that rooftop, surrounded by gossip, and for Mafuyu it's nothing but a black void. Some are being secretive and not showing others, some are constantly trying to improve. Ichika arrives at her own spot, inbetween Saki and either Mizuki or Kanade (Last character in the order or last leader). This is the other place I would end the first part.

Miku appears and explains that this is for Ichika to represent herself and her struggles, and show who she is. Once she is happy, she can leave. Ichika struggles for a bit, thinking about who she is and what she want's to show. Looking over at everyone else, though, she has an idea. Flashbacks play of interactions with other characters, how they've helped, and their meaning for Ichika. Ichika collects paints, and begins her artwork. The trained version of this card isn't shown in the story, but is placed here thematically. It's Ichika, or rather her art, with all 20 of the colour's that represent each character, and a 21st for Miku, covering the painting, through her outline. Put simply, it is her made up of everyone else. Miku approaches and asks what it means to her, to which Ichika explains.

She is, more than any other character in the game, someone to who the people around her, and those she cares about, is shaped by. Everyone she is friends with has helped her discover more about herself, understand where to go forward, encourage her. She is made up of the rest of the cast, and will move forward with a small part of each of them. She explains that she will never finish this art, it will always be added to, but that that's okay, that's who she is, someone who is striving to be the best person for others.

Miku smiles, and says that it's time for her to go. Ichika protests, and says that she needs to help everyone else, some of them don't know what they are trying to make, some are scared to show others their art, and some are focused on bettering their art because they need to be good enough. Miku explains that, they aren't there, really. It's just how they are all doing, and how they are feeling. Ichika tells miku "In that case, I will be the one to help them finish their art. To make them feel happy with what they've accomplished, to allow them to take a break, and to know that they don't need to be scared. I won't leave them to struggle alone. Not again"

She leaves, and ends up back in sekai just as the rest of Leo/Need are beginning to wonder where she is. A small memento of her trip remains, that being the painting she made, hanging up proudly on her wall. The story ends with her beginning practice, with renewed vigor and determination

To me, this would effectively counter those who say Ichika has no personality or is boring. It shows that she is caring for others, and gives her something to explore both in her own stories, and in others, as someone who is perceptive to others feelings, and makes sure they know that they are not alone. In future Fes Cards, have Ichika appear, maybe not as herself, but have the Ichika that other's see do as Ichika said, help them make it through, show them that they have done something truly impressive. Ichika is often seen as an audience surrogate, or someone who is seen as the dev's favourite. So why not show that Ichika is someone more, and is a character to love.

[enamation]

if it’s okay can i request nightcord with a reader who’s peppy yet serious and caring and they want to join the group because they’re friends with kanade and what is their reactions?

Hello hallo hello !! Im literally gonna cry I had written this the second i saw the ask and right before i was going to post it i left the app since my parents had texted me and now its ALL GONE :(((, so this has been rewritten, i hope you enjoy !!

Type: Multiple Headcannons

Warnings: None

❥ NIGHTCORD at 25 + Reader: New Member?

headcannons start utc !!

KANADE YOISAKI

You had known Kanade for a while now, actually

You two had met at the music store, when Kanade was looking for a new CD to get inspiration from, she picked one that was made by your favorite group, and you started a conversation from there!!

You learned about what had been going on with her, and how she can get so immersed in music she forgets to take care of herself sometimes

This causes you to always text Kanade and remind her to do certain things for herself

Once you find out about 25-ji, it takes you a few days, but you decide to ask her if you could possibly join

She hesitates and stiffens up slightly once she reads the message

She compared the sekai, the vocaloids, and Mafuyu, to lively, sometimes serious, caring, well.. you

She first thought it might be a recipe for disaster, but she decides to ask the others first that very night before she makes her own decision

Lets find out how they react to you 🤔

❝ Ah- well, it might be a bit difficult, but I'll make sure to mention you to the others. ❞

MAFUYU ASAHINA

I mean, she didn't think that much of you, just kinda saw you as someone Kanade mentioned

When she first met you, she found you a bit annoying..

But as time went on, she suprisingly didnt mind your presence, you were just sort of something brighter than everyone else, and admired (she obviously doesnt know that) the way you can easily switch and become serious when needed

Mafuyu appreciates how you do your best to take care of Kanade and make sure she takes showers, eats, etc.

She doesnt trust you too much yet, so until Kanade decides to show you the Empty Sekai, you'll have to bear with her and her good girl persona

She doesnt mind you becoming a member at all.

❝ Welcome to 25-ji, Y/N. Its great to have you here. ❞

ENA SHINONOME

When Kanade tells the group about you, she doesnt see a reason for you being there

Whats your role 🤨❓ Kanade already is the songwriter, Mafuyu lyricist, She illustrator, Mizuki the video editor, so..... 🤔

As she hangs out with you more and understands your character, she finds comfort in you

Youre lively, youre serious, youre caring, and most importantly, you willingly act as her reference

Drawing around you calms her down alot more, and she loves talking with you even though sometimes you can get a little too happy for her liking

She would love for you to be in the group !!

❝ Thats amazing to hear !! Welcome to 25-ji Y/N !! Dont let Mafuyu scare you away, okay? ❞

You have no idea what she means by that.

MIZUKI AKIYAMA

Mizuki is the only one that thought it wouldn't hurt to have another member! That doesnt mean they don't need to meet you first, though.

Once you two finally met, they almost immediately took a liking to you!

You didnt eye them weird when they teased you, you two could goof off together, and you could take them and other things seriously immediately. Mizuki sees you as (from what they call) a 'focus point'

When they need a break from the group or the world in general, you're one of the first people they go to.

Similar to Ena, they also find comfort in you

Youre such a great person to be around, it was a yes from them before you even spoke.

❝ Yaha! I'm glad to hear you're one of us now! We're gonna have a good time together, Y/N. ❞

[tsukikoayanosuke]

Twisted Wonderland x Project Sekai - In Which I Put the Proseka Kids in the Seven Dorms

I originally made this before my TWST version, but I didn't have much explanations and only going with the vibes. So, I kinda redo it. It wasn’t as well-thought as my last crossover, but I'll try my best to give some rambles which hopefully make sense. Oh and it might contain spoiler to Ignihyde Episode, so beware when you reach that dorm. Also, this is more based on the English Server of Project Sekai, so future event beyond Scramble Fan Festival won’t be referenced often.

So, enjoy this nonsense. Oh, and imagine NRC is co-ed or something.

Heartslabyul

Founded on the severity of the Queen of Hearts, Heartslabyul is known for having a long list of rules to follow as created by the Queen of Hearts. Each member is expected to follow all 810 of them; failure of even one will result in their beheading.

Believe me when I say that I honestly don’t know who to put here. I don’t want to call this dorm the “vanilla dorm”. So, what does this dorm is known for in the story? I would say they like to “go by the believe in”, whether it is following the Queen of Hearts rule like Riddle, going against it like Ace, or believing for the best for your childhood friend like Trey.

Continue from the TWST version, I have to put Mafuyu Asahina here. She and Riddle is quite similar, especially the relationship between each mother. Their rule is “do everything to please mother dearest”. Mafuyu follows her mother expectation, aiming to be a doctor because that’s what she wanted. She always put on this nice girl persona and only take it off, revealing a broken girl who wants to disappear, when she’s in discord with her fellow music-team. The main struggle for Mafuyu is finding her feeling again with Kanade’s song as her only salvation so far, the same as Riddle post-Overblot who tries to stand outside his mother’s shadow. Housewarden Mafuyu let’s go.

If Mafuyu is the equivalent to Riddle, the Mizuki Asahina is the equivalent of Cater with a little dash of Trey. The rule they always keep is, at least from my interpretation: “always keep your distance because you never know whether they will accept you or not”. Secret Distance shows how Mizuki, despite wanting to be close to their team, still keeps their distance because of the fear they have. Both them and Cater have secrets that they don’t want to spill, mostly about personal feeling and internal struggles, and cover them with this cutesy-cheerful attitude. Mizuki is also more mature than their friends, being the mediator like Trey. Though unlike Trey, they doesn’t really lean toward one side of the spectrum. Their relationship with Ena can mirror Trey’s relationship with Cater where Trey/Ena tries to reach out to Cater/Mizuki and their the latter still steps back. Hopefully they will find happiness one day.

For Shiho Hinomori there is one rule that she’s uphold: “dedication means you have to give your all”. The struggle she has between her and her bandmates is her ambition to become a pro musician in contrast to the others who just wants to have fun. However, she still wants to be with them like they use too. Musical Twilight Parade and Resonating with You shows this conflicting feeling. You know, Shiho wants to be pro for she is being recruit into another band, but she wants to be pro with her friends and stays with Leo/need. She can’t force them to join in, it is their choice in the end. For Shiho, the feeling is not enough, you need the determination and the dedication as well. That’s her rule, her standard. If not, they will get leave behind.

Savanaclaw

Founded on the stubbornness of The King of Beasts, this dorm excels in sports and martial arts. As a result, many of the students tend to be hot-headed. It's important for students of Savanaclaw to be physically fit in order to survive.

Ah Savanaclaw. The game did you so dirty. But let’s see what we have. What can we learn about Savanaclaw from the whole magishift/spelldrive sabotage? Well, they are bullies, they are hotheaded, and competitive. Even if Leona and Jack are complete opposite (Leona will do whatever it takes to reach his goal while Jack still has that sense of justice), their stubborness is almost similar. There’s also a lot of growling.

The lesbian takes over this dorm. This is the only dorm where everyone is new in the roster. Saki was originally in Octavinelle, Minori is Scarabia, and An in Heartslabyul. But because all of them are too stubborn for their own good, they are transferred here.

Minori Hanasato is probably one of of the most stubborn people in the cast and is the biggest lesbian we stand her. Imagine yourself going on 50 idol audition, only passed three of them, but ended up being rejected as well. But she won’t give up, ‘More More!’ as she would say. But you can say she doesn’t learn from her mistake, even doesn’t know she made a mistake during all these audition until a pro (Airi) tells her. Sometimes she let the hate-comment get to her head like in Hear Me! Hopeful Show. While she knows that she’s not in the same level as her idol mates, she still want to prove herself being worthy for the stage.

Sick girl Saki Tenma is here for a reason. It’s kinda ironic to put the one with the worst health to the dorm about all sport. No worries, nobody dare to bully her if they don’t want to face Tsukasa’s wrath. Speaking of Saki, like Minori, she is stubborn as well. She is sick, like chronic illness or something, and has a weak body. And yet, she still push herself to contribute more in the band despite what her bandmate said. Proven in First Star (Stella) After the Rain where she keeps on working and joining in practices despite her tired body, and Unnamed Harmony where he kept making and making songs despite not knowing the basic. She is driven by her desire to spenf more time with her friends because she didn’t get that during her stays in the hospital.

An Shiraishi stubbornness is not as visible as Saki and Minori, but one thing she’s known for is her desire to surpass the legendary event RAD WEEKEND. Unlike Akito but like the rest of the dorm, she doesn’t really think(?) or has planning. She chooses Konahe to be her partner to be her partner in their second meeting (the first one Kohane ran away) and literary pulled her into this music world, even Akito pointed out how An is being ridiculous for dragging a newbie. An is kinda driven by her feeling as in Singing in Sync she thinks she’s protecting Konahe from being panic by singing over her, only for Akito to kinda tell her of that she’s not treating her partner as an equal. At the end of Awakening Beat she even feel sad that Kohane improve so much, thus she will try to catch up with her.

Octavinelle

Founded on the pity of the Sea Witch, students from Octavinelle are known for their intelligence. When not attending lessons, they run the restaurant Mostro Lounge. Rumour has it that their dorm leader can grant any student any desire and if a student wishes for something, a pair of twins will appear before them.

The smart and scheming dorm so I know I won’t be sorted into here. I’m pretty sure Octavinelle Episode is the favorite episode for many of us or at least I know you guys like the mermaid aesthetic. What can we learn? Don’t be stupid before reading a contract, I guess. Azul, Jade, and Floyd is shown to be smart in their own ways and use their strongest charm point to make many (including us) fell into their trap.

Honami Mochizuki doesn't like being in Octavinelle because it highlights her biggest problem: she doesn't want to take sides so she caters to all sides. Octavinelle is known for it shadiness and tax fraud, but that's not what Honami stands for. She doesn't want to get hurt, that's why she tries to please everyone. This only resulted in her being viewed as a two-faced people pleaser. Don't Let Doubts Hold You Back shows the Honami who finally decides to be brave and states her opinion without worries of whatever people thinks of her, because she still have her childhood friends who will always support her.

Kohane Azusawa meanwhile doesn’t seem like your typical Octavinelle. She’s not cunning nor a trickster. She’s a honest, probably innocent student who wants to stand with her teammates but lack the confidence. However, we can see this this way and I’m not trying to downplay Kohane here. Without her, An won’t have the perfect partner to sing in RAD WEEKEND, just like how Akito and Touya are a pair. Kohane shines because of her singing voice, while untrained, is beautiful and An sees this potential. She is An’s wish-granting golden contract, similar to Azul. However, similar to Azul who starts as a shy octopus pot, Kohane grows into a more confident person in her unified dream with her friends.

If we’re going just through aesthetic, Nene Kusanagi is perfect for this dorm. Her Mermaid Admiration event is based on The Little Mermaid, so that’s already a plus point. Relating to Mostro Longue, I can imagine Nene working there as a diva because I know Azul is going to capitalize her singing voice. Nene, like the other Wonderland x Showtime member, loves the stage and is one member who has already an experience in a theater troupe. She also has one of the best voice among the cast (VA-wise). Like Kohane, she’s not really that confident on stage, mostly from being traumatized that one time she forget her line, but eventually she finds her courage during On This Holy Night, I Sing.

Scarabia

Founded on the meticulous planning of the Sorcerer of the Sands, the students of Scarabia are known for being highly resourceful. The students live by the dorm's motto, "Plan with deep anticipation".

I was there when the fandom is still figuring out between Kalim and Jamil of who will overblot (I suggested that both of them would). But putting that aside, Kalim and Jamil are two contrasts, similar to the two magic lamp genies (Robin William the Genie and Jafar). Both Kalim and Genie has this goofy attitude, but have their strength in their relationship with others (for Kalim it’s the Scarabia students, of Genie it’s Aladdin). Jamil and Jafar is straight up the representation of Scarabia: cunning, resourceful, and two-faced.

Emu Otori immediately goes straight here. She's the carbon copy of Kalim. Loud, rather pushy, but still wants the best for the dorm and the embodiment of sunshine. But not always. Her struggle in Smile of a Dreamer shows how she's still holding on nostalgia, wanting to preserve her grandpa ambition to always bring smiles to the people versus her more logical brothers who works in a full-scale reform for Phoenix Wonderland, because the park is struggling. Both Emu and Kalim still hold on to that hope that maybe things can go back the way they are. While in Kalim’s scenario, his and Jamil relationship is tainted a bit, Emu manages to get her happy ending in Wonder Magical Showtime.

Speaking of Jamil, Now, we need someone equivalent to him, and who is a better candidate than Akito Shinonome. I’ve been tossing Akito from dorm-to-dorm (between Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Scarabia, and Pomefiore). He has his own rule that he doesn’t accept someone who’s working half-ass. He is stubborn when in comes to full-filling his goal to the point of long, harsh, almost unhealthy practice in Stray Bad Dogs, but at the same time can be seen as hardworking. Unlike Jamil however who knows that he is better than Kalim, there is a lingering feeling in Akito that he is talentless due to his neglectful father (which also affected Ena), that’s why he does whatever it takes and use whatever he can to be able to stand beside his teammate. 

Now, how about someone in the middle. Airi Momoi is the perfect blend of Kalim and Jamil. She is bright and sunny girl who wants to be an idol, however the industry keep pushing her to become a TV personality instead. She’s bright like Kalim but skilled in various style like Jamil. Like Jamil, she has one ambition: to become an idol, and yet society wants her to be something else. You can say that she rebels by quitting the industry as well, similar to Jamil’s rebellion. However, she still maintains Kalim kindness for always worrying over her fellow idols, like her relationship with Shizuku. She’s the one who suggests to be an essentially YouTube idols, thus proving her being able to think outside the box. Honestly, she’s a good housewarden candidate.

Pomefiore

Founded on the heavy efforts of the Beautiful Queen, students of Pomefiore dorm excel in alchemy and potion-making and carry an exquisite sense of beauty.

For many, Pomefiore is the prep dorm. We see their fancy clothes, stuck up attitude and our personal hatred toward Vil when slapping Epel. But we often forget that Pomefiore is the most hardworking dorm among all. The whole Pomefiore Episode is a showcase of Vil’s hardworking effort. Epel’s Lab Coat shows that he’s not all “i want to be manly”, and Rook’s love for beauty is honestly amusing to see.

Shizuku Hinomori is the embodiment of how fandom view Pomefiore is. As Airi put it: a pretty idol that makes people jealous with the strong presence by just standing there and everyone will look at her. This is Shizuku’s struggle in her My Color! event: would she want to cater to her fans who sees her as the perfect idol or be herself as someone who is hardworking to be that hopeful idol. I imagine Shizuku being in Pomefiore would have the same struggle, maybe even her being the housewarden.

On the other side, you have Ena Shinonome. She's almost similar to Shizuku in someway, however I think Ena, being the attention seeker, would really live up to want many seen Pomefiore for. At the same time, like Shizuku, she wants her art skill to be acknowledged as well. There is no doubt that her art is good, but she doesn't think so because it has fewer likes. I might match her with Epel for not seeing what they're actually excel at because they're having the wrong view of what is worth/true (Epel for his masculine view, Ena for her 'more likes = the art is good" mentality). Truly an artist struggle.

And our dearest protagonist, Ichika Hoshino, is the last one to be here. Ichika doesn’t stand out as much as the other two, but she has her strength. Her biggest struggle is wanting to maintain the relationship between her, Honami, and Shiho before Saki returns, but fails to do so. But she never stop wishing in reuniting all their friends. It’s during Singing Among the Cherry Blossoms where she finally find her footing. She realized that there’s something wrong with her self-confidence and she finds the answer for it to increase her singing skill and confidence. It is her who grabs Shiho’s hand during Resonating with You and tells her to her face that they will becomes pro with her. She never stop trying to write the band first song in A Bright Future and always wants to improve her singing as the band leader. If that’s not hardworking, I don’t know what is.

Ignihyde

Founded on the perseverance of the King of the Underworld, the students of Ignihyde specialize in research concerning the integration of magic with technology. However, they're very reserved and don't interact with the other dorms much.

Even putting aside the whole necromancy and kidnapping, the first thing we immediately associate with Ignihyde is technology and introvert. It’s hard because Ignihyde doesn’t really interact with many, so it’s hard to find something special from them. Let’s see from another angle. We all know that Idia built Ortho, right? Technically he’s an inventor. So, imagine the trial and error he had to go through to ‘resurrect his little brother’. The dedication and to never give up from the final product.

This is also the only dorm that doesn’t get any changes, because I’m honestly the most confident with the vibes.

Kanade Yoisaki, our sick Victorian child. You just know that she’s perfect in Ignihyde. She’s basically a nicer version of Idia without the necromancy. Gifted in compossing music while never leaving her room, she has a savior complex thus she won’t just give up after the first failure. Carnation Recollection displays Kanade’s perseverance in creating that one song that can make Mafuyu feel something. No matter how much sleep she lost, she will trudges through the writer block and create a song that will save people. She also has Idia’s depression and drowning-in-guilt attitude because it was her song that lead her father to depression and falls into a coma. 

Rui Kamishiro is not your typical Ignihyde. He’s loud, wacky, and so out-there he would make Idia quiver in fear. His desire to create the most extravagant shows with his probably-dangerous gadget makes people walk away from him and it scares him. Like Kanade, he has a bit of Idia’s drowning-in-guilt. In It’s On! Wonder Halloween he feels guilty when Tsukasa gets hurt from his robot which makes him hold back all the stunt much to Tsukasa disappointment. It is only after the reassurance that Wonderland x Showtime won’t leave him just from this one mistake makes Rui returns to his usual self.

Diasomnia

Founded on the Elegance of the Witch of Thorns, Diasomnia is home to those who excel in general magic.

The only dorm that still doesn’t have the main story but I would argue it’s one of the top three dorm. Everyone hail our Master Malleus (not me tho). But the Diasomnia quartet has an interesting dynamic. As we know, Lilia raises Silver and was Malleus’ caretaker (possibly Sebek’s to an extend), in addition both Silver and Sebek are Malleus personal bodyguard. You can tell they’re close, almost familial. Diasomnia is about loyalty, honor, family, and the bonds between the people. Though, with this description, any of the proseka kids can join here. So, I'll cut to the essential member for those three things

I laughed a lot when I pick the first person in this new roster because it’s the one and only Tsukasa Tenma, the world future star. It's the whole thing about family. The only reason why Tsukasa wants to be a star is because he wants to see his sick sister smile more often. He makes shows for her on the hospital in the attempt to make her laugh. This lead to his teen years when he joins PXL. The bonds between him and Wonderland x Showtime is also another thing. In Wonder Magical Showtime, he sacrificed his want to win the PXL competition in order to help Emu in saving the park. And at the end, he finally see those warm smile from the audience: the main reason of him wanting to be a star. I mean, if we can have Sebek's loud voice, we can have Tsukasa as well. Imagine them gushing over Malleus and Saki would be funny. It’s also funny that the Tenma siblings are in the dorms who are known as being spelldrive rivals.

When it comes to loyalty, I think Touya Aoyagi takes the the spot. We can see this as two things. One, from the whole “classical music ruined my live” side. Touya is a son of a classical musician, Harumichi Aoyagi. Harumichi is a strict in his training, forcing Touya to study classical music to the point that Touya hate it which leads him to street music. This is where the second part loyalty came in: Akito (x 52 times). Akito and Touya immediately click and becomes partner as Bad Dogs. Here’s the thing. You can say that Touya is loyal to Akito to the point he thinks he’s not serious enough to be his partner because street music is just an escapism from classical during their story, but Akito reassure him that he’s a great partner. Touya is also the one who keeps reassuring Akito during Stray Bad Dogs. I think, Touya maybe choosing one genre of music over the other because trauma, but in the end he’s still loyal to music. In Nocturne Interlude, he says to his dad that he still love classical music despite the pain, because he learns many enjoyable things about it and what his father enjoy about it, the same way about his feeling to street music.

The thing about honor is pretty tricky, so we might have to stretch some things. Haruka Kiritani, the former idol who thinks she lost the honor of being one. She is known as the best super idol, bringing hope of a brighter day to many people, like Minori and Mai. When Mai joins Haruka’s idol group ASRUN, she always encourage her junior to practice more. She means well, however this leads to Mai damaging her vocal chord and she blames Haruka for giving her false hope. This leads to Haruka spiraling down until she quits being an idol. That is until Minori, who never lose hope, reach out to her and she gains her honor back. Also it would be funny to see Savanaclaw Minori and Diasomnia Haruka, two most rivalling dorm actually being friends.

[revelry-in-severity]

So many games nowadays have a 'personal room/house' aspect to them and that's literally what the Sekai are going to be in this case

Just little pocket dimensions for the party members, and only the ones part of the party, are able to hang out in. It'll be a Fire Emblem Fates tree house kind of thing where they don't really interact with anything outside of the dimension and there will be a charge time to enter it so no one can go and randomly pull out a bunch of items from it

The Sekai fragments could even be their own personalized rooms in the house that is the Sekai though I'll be talking about the shared space here since not everyone has a fragment yet

School: Sleepovers all the time, all the star related furniture was probably sold out at one point because of them, because it's dark, quiet, and bugless, they all sleep on the roof, they don't even have proper beds, it's just a mess of mattresses and blankets, there's a classroom dubbed as Ichika's Miku shrine where she keeps all her cds, Honami enjoys the large kitchen for her apple pies, none of them bother with a real map due to having Honami as a walking star chart, Saki always makes sure to have the softest blankets, while Shiho has her instrument room that pull summons from

Stage: The fans are considered pets and Minori and Shizuku will not stop buying them, even Haruka joins in if it's penguin related, Airi's long since stopped trying to keep track of them, not much thought was put into having a stage as they realized they would then need to splurge on soundproofing for their backstage rooms, they're actually pretty good at being able to understand all the equipment and know how to use it, Minori is another one who has a shrine except it's for Haruka this time, everyone has a flower stand that everyone else pitched in to make for them

Street: Kohane would practice her graffiti on the walls before should would take it outside the Sekai, An and Akito are the type of friends who are constantly at each other's throats but they have their own private slumber parties sometimes in when Kohane and Touya want quiet reading time, they all sleep in a room above the cafe when together, budgeting is always a fight because An and Akito actually worked but Kohane and Touya are better at numbers, it's a never-ending game of finding a new apartment to room and they try not to stay in one that's been used before as they try to see how many they can get away with before the paywall comes

Wonderland: It could almost be considered normal when it was just Tsukasa, he's the one who bought the floating piano globe, and then Emu and Rui came along, this is where all the plushies live, Everyone in the party lives in the castle in the background where they hold epic hide and seek games, Tsukasa invested in a bunch of free rooms when he was a kid for all his plushies before they were locked behind a paywall Webkins style, all of their budget now belongs to Nene, Emu leaves so many clouds behind that they kind of just use it as snow, the bear doesn't stay a bear and Rui is the one who built the train so they can get around

Empty: Between Kanade and Mafuyu never wanting to buy anything and Ena and Mizuki wanting to buy almost every single piece of gear in existence, they are simultaneously the richest and poorest group sometimes, enough was saved up for beds and now there's a large pile of equipment lying around, jokes have been made about how far the trail would lead if they were to lay them out in a line, they're all waiting for the moment someone climbs the construction beams, there are three noise options, complete silence, kanade's music box, or absolute screaming from the speakers

[welldwller]

Hello AAAA I saw your ruikasa tma au and if you don't mind can you share a little bit about them?? Are they connected to The Stranger and The Corruption? :0 I Need To Know More (only if you don't mind ofc),,, I love when silly little guys turn into unimaginable horrors and feed on fears or something

OMG!!! I am so happy someone asked this because it has been in my brain for months now! Okay so yeah, as one does I was trying to sort project sekai characters into the fears when it occurred to me that out of all of them, it would make the most sense if tsukasa was corruption(fear of bugs, need to be loved by all, being subjected to lots of sickness as a child even if it wasn't him who was sick, I'm sure that still left a pretty great impression on him) and then a second thing hit me which was: I'd feel so guilty making him corruption lol. So this led me to another train of thought, How can I make the corruption a little less upsetting? And then I remembered that I think about my interests 24/7 and I had already drafted a drawing of a butterfly corruption avatar so I figured I might as well use that idea there. I figured his descent would be sort of similar to jane prentice where he sort of hears the song coming except it's coming from his window and I also think the butterfly thing works here since they're a lot more palatable than other bugs. They promise give him love forever and make his dreams come true and slowly overtime he gives in. I haven't worked out all the details but I know the climax of his transformation would be at the end of a performance, he goes to bow and then sort of turns into a massive cloud of butterflies that fly away and everyone watching is really impressed by the "special effects" but the rest of wxs is horrified.

Okay so next my brain went to rui because my brain always goes to Rui. For Rui, I imagine that he already had been compelled by the stranger before. In tma, why exactly people get taken by the stranger is very vague but I do know the stranger is about otherness, something a little bit off from human. I don't really have confirmation of this in canon but considering how he was treated by his peers most of his life, specifically being excluded and called things like weird and creepy, I'd imagine that would make him feel like an other and the big thing is his machines which he literally makes to take the roll of humans at points are also very stranger. He kind of reminds me of the first account of the unknowing too. I imagine witnessing the whole incident with tsukasa might make him remember a previous account with the stranger and reignite that fear as well as tsukasa, the person who pretty much directly pulled him out of his whole "loner with only machines to support him" thing, suddenly disappearing (because I wouldn't want to kill him off :( ) would probably also contribute. I also haven't thought out all of the details for him but his design is sort of based on old wind up robot toys.

Some other vague things about the au are:

- Ena is the archivist and mizuki sort of takes the roll of martin

- Mafuyu and Kanade both are affiliated with the web

- Nene and Emu aren't associated with fears despite being very involved in my in brain idea of this au

- I think Shizuku would take the roll of the distortion but mainly because I think its funny

Ok I'm sure theres a lot more but this is definitely way to long already so ty sm for giving me the chance to ramble about this!!!!! And sorry this was a lot

[sensiblegh0st]

PRSK Unit Shuffle AU

C/lover

Members:

An Shiraishi

Shizuku Hinomori

Tsukasa Tenma

Kanade Yoisaki

Sekai: Garden Sekai

Untitled: Time Machine

The members of C/lover used to be very close - they all went to the same middle school, and were the best of friends. However, life tore them apart. With Shizuku leaving school to start her idol career, Tsukasa moving with his family to be close to Saki's hospital, and Kanade dropping out suddenly, An was left all alone. Years later, Shizuku retires and returns to school, and An works to bring her friend group back together to make a band.

Shooting Star!

Members:

Honami Mochizuki

Emu Otori

Mizuki Akiyama

Akito Shinonome

Sekai: Planetarium Sekai

Untitled: Icedrop

Honami always dreamed of being an idol, but as soon as she began to apply to auditions, she realized that the industry would eat her alive. Not one to be discouraged, Honami began to work towards making her own indie idol group. Emu joined first, more than happy to help her friend achieve her dream - plus, dancing and singing is fun! Then joined Mizuki, an aspiring costume designer, who was always nervous to step on stage themself. Finally, Akito joined, bringing the crew together to make the best indie idol group the world has ever seen.

Paint the Town

Members:

Rui Kamishiro

Shiho Hinomori

Airi Momoi

Mafuyu Asahina

Sekai: Underground Sekai

Untitled: Forward

A street artist who was homeschooled throughout his childhood and desperate for friendship, Rui encountered Shiho when he went to tag what he thought was an abandoned hideaway beneath Vivid Street. Also present in the hideout was Airi, still not retired and needing a place away from the prying eyes of fans, and Mafuyu, who had run away from home and was currently living in the hideout.

Poetica

Members:

Ena Shinonome

Ichika Hoshino

Kohane Azusawa

Haruka Kiritani

Sekai: Castle Sekai

Untitled: Showtime Ruler

An aspiring set designer and director, Ena needs a troupe. However, she's been pushed aside at her job at PXL and forced to work on the little-loved Wonder Stage, which she's been converting into her own personal design project. She ends up recruiting Ichika (musical director / writer), Kohane (performer), and Haruka (performer).

D1G1TAL

Members:

Saki Tenma

Toya Aoyagi

Nene Kusanagi

Minori Hanasato

Sekai: Computer Sekai

Untitled: Close to gray

Saki, who had been too sick to leave the hospital, turned to producing music online to fill her time. She soon drew the attention of Toya, who was desperate to make music outside of his father's purvey. The two produced music as a duo for a while, before recruiting Nene, an animator who had been isolated for years, and Minori, who had given up on her dreams of becoming an idol but still wanted to sing.

[ramblingsekai]

I’ve always kinda wondered, but how much exercise do you think each group gets? Assuming the 3DMVs are canon, I tried guessing how fit each group is. I could also be wrong since little details about their lives fly by quick sometimes too lol. And this is also totally 100% my opinion, and not anything serious.

So I think I can safely say the least physically active group is 25ji. The healthiest person in the group is Mafuyu since she probably eats healthy to maintain her good girl image as well as being the only person in the group who is in a sports club (it’s archery but that’s still a workout, esp compared to the others). Ena is an artist and while she does maintain her image bc of her not-Instagram following, I doubt she is that physically fit since she is more focused on her art and doesn’t seem to be in clubs. Mizuki is probably in the same boat. There’s no mention of sports as hobbies and no club mentions as well so they probably don’t exercise that much.(Update: I reread the Secret Distance event and apparently Mizuki mentions that they’re decent at sports so Mizuki is probably more fit than Ena. Though Mizuki could also be lying so who knows, but thought I’d at least add this.) And Kanade. Well we all know that Kanade does not exercise at all. Honestly it’s probably not that surprising that 25ji are the least fit since they don’t do live performances or shows and don’t meet IRL daily or anything like with other groups. So yeah, even though in 3DMVs they do dance, they are the least fit. Like I just have this image of them dancing with Miku or the other Vocaloids in their Sekai and then immediately collapsing bc that was their workout for the week while Mafuyu is just staring down at them like You all should go out and exercise more.

The next group who’s probably not as active physically would be Leo/need in my opinion. During their 3DMVs, they don’t really move around much or dance since they have to play their instruments. Now that is definitely strenuous and would provide some exercise for them, but they are also standing still. They also practice often too. Though I think Saki is the only person who is actually in a sports club (tennis which involves a decent amount of movement), but Saki is also still liable to relapses in her health since she did get sick in that one event. I’m not saying they aren’t physically active, just when you compare to the other groups Leo/need isn’t moving around as much. (I also could be wrong about this since I’ve never played an instrument before).

So 2nd place for most physically active is sort of going to be shared btwn 2 groups. Vivid Bad Squad and WxS. Now hear me out. With WxS, they have to sing, dance, and act on the stage which is definitely not easy to do (from an outsider’s POV, no stage or singing/dancing experience so I could be wrong again). Their 3DMVs involves lots of movement, running around, and exaggerated motions while they’re singing which means they all have to have some stamina. Plus I think they do like multiple shows a day (maybe not everyday but still that’s hard). Emu and Tsukasa are definitely the more active half of WxS and while Rui seems to be average, I think Nene still needs to build endurance (if I remember from the picnic event right or something). Still, overall WxS rank higher for me on the physical fitness scale than Leo/need with all of their activity. With VBS, they actually danced way more than I initially thought they would. But yeah their dances are actually pretty complicated and constantly moving, plus sometimes they jump in their dances. VBS practices a lot (together and individually) and actively participate in multiple live competitions/performances. An and Akito also seem to fill in for the basketball and soccer teams for their school sometimes so they are definitely on the more active side. Toya is on the library committee though so I doubt he exercises outside of practice and he also was forced to practice the violin as a kid so he probably didn’t do a lot of running around and playing. Kohane helps out with the animal committee which also doesn’t seem to be that physically active as well, but she also practices a lot by herself outside of the group practices. . So yeah, this is also assuming the 3DMVs are canon.

So I think the most physically active/fit group is actually More More Jump. They seem to practice dancing and singing on the roof quite often. Haruka seems to have health as a top priority for herself since she controls what she eats and she also seems to run in the mornings, even outside of group practice. Airi has been known to do physical stunts and jumping around a lot during her time on variety shows and is still able to do them so she’s definitely active. Shizuku is in archery club and probably has to take care of herself too since the agents from her last group probably enforced a healthy lifestyle onto her. Minori is average I think. She doesn’t diet but she also practices dancing and singing often, even before meeting the other MMJ members. It also seems like a decent number of their streams are also of them practicing their dancing too.

So this is all my opinion and me just wondering how much endurance each group has. I think this whole idea occurred to me while watching some of 25ji’s 3DMVs and wondering how much endurance they have since 3/4 are either shut-ins or close to being shut-ins. Like idk if the 3DMVs are even canon in universe, but if they are then idk if 25ji would even practice dancing at all since they wouldn’t post a video of it since they probably want to remain anonymous. So yeah it would probably just be for Miku and the other Vocaloids then. I guess maybe the other 25ji members just force Kanade to do it since they doubt she’d get any exercise at all if they left her alone.

But uh yeah. Totally 100% my opinion and just goofing around. Let me know if I got anything wrong and thanks for reading.

[umbry-fic]

existence

Summary: It's a quiet day in the Sekai without a name. Miku wonders where everyone is...

Fandom: Project Sekai Colourful Stage! Characters: Hatsune Miku (Nightcord), Kagamine Rin (Nightcord), Megurine Luka (Nightcord), Meiko (Nightcord), Akiyama Mizuki, Shinonome Ena, Yoisaki Kanade, Asahina Mafuyu Relationships: Everyone & Hatsune Miku Rating: G Word Count: 1930 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 01/09/2021

Notes: Written for Hatsune Miku's 14th birthday! This was not inspired by the official birthday art that Project Sekai released, since I wrote this back in July. What a happy coincidence that the art ended up featuring Nightcord Miku though!

I refer to 25 ji Nightcord de as Nightcord.

~~~

Miku hummed a tune with no name, the very same one that had left her throat when she’d come to realise her existence in this colourless world, and that had continued to fill this wide space in the months that had passed since then. A song with no lyrics, only a melody that had slowly evolved, from a hopeless, flat loop to one with crests and peaks, able to bring a smile to the girls of Nightcord and elicit a warmth within her heart, which did not beat.

Miku appeared to be completely alone, standing in the middle of the nameless Sekai. Rin was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was hidden in one of the many corners or behind one of the countless walls, as she usually was. No matter the case, there was no sign of her.

But the silence that pressed on Miku’s shoulders was made all the more conspicuous by the lack of Meiko or Luka. The boisterous pair loved to argue, having done so nonstop ever since Luka’s arrival. This place hadn’t been quiet since then, their raised voices carrying all through the Sekai, giving her and Rin no respite from the noise. They’d had to resort to sitting behind a wall, which helped to muffle the sounds somewhat.

Rin had complained many times while in that position, but Miku thought that the other girl likely felt the same as herself - happy, that it was more lively here, the air no longer cold and dead. She just didn’t know how to say it out loud.

Without Meiko or Luka around, the silence that had once been the norm was now rather... overbearing. How had the two put a stop to their arguing for once? Had they simply grown tired of it? What were they doing, then? In fact, what was everyone doing? Rin, Meiko, Luka… Where could they be hiding?

And… why?

Were they hiding from her?

The familiar sound of someone entering the Sekai broke Miku out of her reverie. She stopped her humming, turning to face the visitors, wondering which of the four girls from the real world had come to visit today, and for what purpose. Sometimes they didn’t seem to have a purpose, stating that they were here “just for fun”, as Mizuki liked to say. She didn’t understand why anyone would want to do such a thing, to come here “just for fun”, when she and her companions weren’t what was considered good company.

But she never spoke up. She liked being in the presence of the girls. Surely, her fellow Vocaloids felt the same.

If the girls had come to seek help or assistance, then Miku would render it, to the best of her power. She would do anything that she could, even if she struggled to comprehend the complicated issues and emotions that these girls toiled with. Kanade’s guilt, Mizuki’s uncertainty, Ena’s lack of confidence…

For that was her purpose for existing. In her first second of consciousness, she had held the knowledge that she was meant to give Mafuyu as much comfort as she could. A wish that had come to extend to Mafuyu’s three companions.

She could not save Mafuyu on her own. She did not possess the necessary power, or even a physical body to protect the vulnerable girl. Her own emotions confounded her - it was that rare that she could put a name to the currents of her heart, let alone tell Mafuyu the best course of actions to soothe her pain. She could only give what she deemed was the best advice possible. To truly help Mafuyu, she needed the help of kind Kanade, determined Ena, and sensible Mizuki.

Miku didn’t know why, or how, any of this had come to be. Other than by the strength, or perhaps more accurately, the absence of Mafuyu’s feelings. It did not matter. She would gladly perform her purpose.

Miku expected to see one girl. Perhaps even two. Instead, the sight before her shattered all expectations.

All four members of Nightcord stood before her: Ena, Mizuki, Kanade, and even Mafuyu. Ena and Mizuki were sporting matching mischievous grins on their faces and holding back laughter; Mizuki holding a ribbon-adorned box by the corners while Ena gripped… unfamiliar cone-shaped hats with polka-dots on their surface. Kanade had a small smile on her face, and even with the blank expression on Mafuyu’s face that she always wore, she came off as strangely jovial. Kanade had a giant stack of paper decorations balanced precariously in her arms, while Mafuyu held what seemed to be a folded banner.

Confused, Miku cocked her head to the side. What was all this for? The last time all four girls had come was when Kanade had played her new song for everyone to hear, and Mafuyu had broken into a small, true smile for the first time in a long while.

At that very moment, the memory of Mizuki telling her about birthdays surfaced. She was fairly certain they had mentioned all the “equipment” here were involved in celebrations.

So all of this was presumably to celebrate a birthday… But whose? Nightcord had already celebrated Ena’s, and Mizuki’s, just a few days before… Hm, she supposed she could wait for them to explain, for she didn’t know the dates that everyone’s birthdays fell on.

But none of the four said a word, only continuing to stand there as if waiting for something.

All of a sudden, a ribbon revealed itself over a nearby wall, swaying slightly. It was quickly followed by a familiar head of golden hair, blue eyes blinking as Rin stepped out, black-and-white dress fluttering around her knees. Meiko and Luka were not far behind, the two already glaring at each other, raring to go.

So the three of them had been close-by all this while? Why the need for concealment, then?

What was going on? She couldn’t help but ask that question to herself again.

No answer presented itself, and she could only watch as her three fellow Vocaloids walked up to Nightcord. Materials passed between eager hands, fingers pointing in every direction as everyone split up to the four corners of the Sekai. The atmosphere was festive, conversations held in airy tones to coordinate where to position decorations.

In no time at all, the Sekai was bursting with colour. Banners hung from the remnants of overturned lighting trusses, now fulfilling their original purpose of holding objects, though rippling fabric was a far cry from spotlights. The cone-shaped hats sat securely on everyone’s head except her own, the mysterious box safely stashed by a wall.

She was still frozen in the centre of the hubbub, hands clasped over her heart. A faint thought whispered in her head, tickling the corner of her mind like a feather.

She was the only one not being involved in the preparations. And just days ago, Mizuki had been spared from expending any effort on the day of their birthday, left to lounge in a corner and watch with a smile.

“Here!” The exclamation attracted her attention to a waving Mizuki, who ran up and came to a stop in front of her - the first person to approach her. With the additional height they had on her, Mizuki was easily able to plop what Miku now realised was a pink party hat on her head, gently adjusting the strap so that it ran under her chin. Miku could do nothing but blink and stare at Mizuki, wondering if she was dreaming, if any of this was actually happening, or if the Sekai had somehow collapsed and sent her into an illusion.

“Perfect!” Mizuki commented, grinning and stepping back, their hands clapping together with a resounding sound that knocked Miku out of her speechless daze. “You look so cute, Miku!”

Upon spotting everyone else calmly walking over, she finally opened her mouth, fingers tightening over her chest.

“Is it…?”

Those were the only words she managed to get out before she clammed up. She couldn’t articulate the thoughts racing through her mind, nor the conclusion she had arrived at.

It couldn’t be fake. That was the only thing she was sure of. The colours, the sounds, the people and the expressions on their faces, their true emotions… It was all too vibrant, too real, too much.

Kanade nodded, seemingly understanding everything she wanted to say from her shaking words alone. Ena did the honours of cautiously opening the cover of the box with a steady hand, revealing a beautifully crafted cake, swirls of whipped cream artfully forming the border, strawberries topping the vanilla.

Written elegantly on its surface in red cream were the very words that left Kanade’s lips now.

“Happy birthday, Miku.”

“Yeah! Happy birthday!” Both Mizuki and Ena chirped, reaching into their pockets and throwing out handfuls of confetti that caught in her hair.

“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us,” Kanade continued.

“Yes.” Mafuyu nodded. “Happy birthday,” she said in her usual flat tone, face displaying no sign of emotion. Perhaps Mafuyu was only saying it to go along with what she’d been told to do, to avoid angering Ena. Perhaps she meant nothing by those words, was truly incapable of packing any scrap of emotion into them.

Yet Miku could sense… that same smile from the time before, hidden behind the pale, unmoving expanse.

“I…” Miku murmured. Something was choking up her throat. Her heart both felt like it was soaring, and like an invisible hand was squeezing it, something intangible filling it up to the brim. It was so full that it hurt. Not a sharp pain, but an ache, one that consumed her whole chest.

Something wet slipped down her cheek, salt hitting her tongue.

“You’re… crying,” Mafuyu said, eyes a little wide, just a little hint of awe in her voice, where there should have been none. It was, after all, nothing but an observation.

Miku reached up a trembling hand to press against her cheek, bringing it away stained with tears.

Ah. Mafuyu was right. The impossible had happened, emotions making their sudden, mystical appearance when they should have been kept away, blocked by an unbreakable lock.

“Miku…” Mizuki muttered, gaze sympathetic, a small smile on their face.

“Thank you,” she finally managed to force out, breaking into a smile larger than any that had come before, stretching from one corner of her face to the other, even as tears continued to leak from her eyes.

She knew now, why her heart hurt.

As she enjoyed a wonderful day in the Sekai with those that had become her friends, a day that she would never forget - eating the delectable, sweet slices of her birthday cake; being subject to Mizuki’s hairdressing as they tried their best to tame the unruly tangles of Miku’s massive locks with an assortment of ribbons; receiving birthday wishes and the strangest of presents from everyone... she finally came to understand.

The answer had arisen, making itself crystal clear.

Her heart hurt from happiness. True happiness, which could shatter just as easily as it could uplift, could stab just as much as soothe, when one was not used to it.

True happiness, from her friends remembering her birthday.

True happiness… from someone finding her existence worth celebrating.

And there were still some questions that couldn’t be solved, the answers to which were not in sight, and may never be.

But that was alright.

She would simply eke out her existence, moment by moment, taking what may come and enjoying the company of her friends.