#but no songs that are majorly about it if that makes sense. at least in my opinion

[hella1975]

top 5 dog motif songs?

pausing mid dog motif breakdown to look at this ask. eye twitching. curiosity piqued. okay yeah okkay

i'm your man by mitski. lol. lmao even. the entire song. most dog motif song of all time ever

dogbird by madds buckley. DOG AND BIRD MOTIF AT ONCE. the dabihawks anthem to the enlightened mind. i can't stand you in my bed, you're too gentle. i need you to hurt me back instead.

i'd hate me too by susannah joffe. JUST RELEASED AND IM SO INSANE ABOUT IT. i couldn't run to you so i'd bite til you shoot me dead, i am a coward but first i was a kid.

dog teeth by nicole dollanganger. i like this one bc it's from the pov of being the one loved BY the dog motif character, not from the pov of the dog motif character, and it shows how negative that behaviour can really be. he handed me a pair of pliers and he told me to pull out his teeth, because as long as he had them he'd use them to do bad things.

tongues & teeth by the crane wives. not explicitely dog motif in fact dogs aren't mentioned AT ALL, but it is to me. self-destructive behaviour, teeth, lashing out etc. intricate rituals. i've grown a mouth so sharp and cruel it's all that i can give to you, my dear, and when you come in quick to steal a kiss my teeth will only cut your lips, my dear.

i have a dog motif playlist if ur interested in more recs x

[fruity-fruition]

More Tenma Siblings Headcanons from the top of my head

Ok this one's more hurt/comfort-ish than my last one

--

Tsukasa's first creation in terms of script writing and song is actually a really scuffy lullaby made when Saki first felt really bad in the hospital after THE show (the one that made Tsukasa want to become a star).

Tsukasa decided to put on his first self-made show with a song specially for her.

When Toya first came to them upset (specifically the "Never Give Up Cooking!" Flashback), Tsukasa puts on the exact same show for him as well. In his logic, it's because of how well it worked for Saki, but in a more outsider's sense, it's a Tenma initiation. Toya has no escape now. He's stuck as a Tenma.

While the song is really REALLY awkward and scuffed (he's literally a pre-tween leave him be), it becomes a staple between the three.

Eventually, as they grow up, the song does get less awkward with some tweeks in lyrics, rhythm, etc.

It was a bonding moment between them as well, song-writing together. It helped both Saki and Toya discover their absolute love for creating, just like how the song was Tsukasa's first step to creation.

It became a habit for Tsukasa to at least hum it to them when they're cuddling, or when he's comforting them. Toya came running from home and needs a place to stay? He runs his hands through his hair while voicing out the melody. Saki's gets a sudden hit of separation anxiety? She hears the faintest hum coming from her brother, who doesn't mind at all that she's clinging onto him so hard.

This results is both Saki and Toya humming the song whenever they're stressed. Saki sometimes get scolded in the middle of the test for humming (she didn't even realised she started). VBS silently wonders about the melody Toya sings before shows.

There's an area conversation between Emu, Tsukasa and Kaito, where Emu asks Kaito if the flowers always sing the same song. Kaito responds "No, they sing other songs. But they like to sing this one. This song you're always hearing is a song very special to Tsukasa" (or something along those lines). And Tsukasa snaps his finger and went "oh, so that's why it sounded familiar!"

Yeah. Yeah it's this lullaby.

Tsukasa has a bunch of blank memories from his childhood because of how often he suppressed his emotions,

(Fun fact! Suppressing so much emotions can cause amnesia! A really funny thing considering Tsukasa is canonically really forgetful <3)

But this lullaby is the biggest constant thing from his memories. Basically an anchor that his childhood was actually his if that makes sense.

(This one is a bit incoherent sorry I really didn't know how to word this one out)

--

Saki has separation anxiety due to being ripped away from everything she knew at a young age, and while she thinks she doing better now, she still gets a sudden hit of it randomly.

Days like these, she either asks Leo/Need to hang out, or ask Tsukasa or Toya if she could go with them to practice

The first time the entirety of VBS (-Akito since he's met her earlier) meet Saki, they're majorly confused on why she's there. They're also super confused on why this girl keeps glaring at Akito when Toya's not looking.

Emu is absolutely ECSTATIC that Saki's there. Nene and Rui seem to think having her there offers some sort of improvement too. (Rui's trying to get in her good graces)

--

Hhhh I'll update if there's more. This is an addition to my previous post.

[lovefromivy]

metaphors in hozier's 'would that i'

the song doesn't make a lot of sense until you decode the metaphors he uses in it, but then it all clicks. the use of extended metaphors for his present and previous lovers is really important and significant because it tells the listener a lot about how he experiences these different loves in very different ways, and why his current love isn't 'just another date', but something entirely new that he values very highly and cherishes to the point that he 'worships' it.

hozier compares his past loves to plants - he describes his past lover as having 'hair like the branch of a tree' and calls her a 'willow', and, when talking about forgetting other loves in the wake of his current lover, he says that he watches 'still living roots' be destroyed. plants are beautiful, but they require a lot of care. there's a specificity to each type of plant, because different plants have different needs in terms of water, types of food, mineral content, soil pH, and the list goes on. it's easy to accidentally kill plants with just one misstep. they are delicate and difficult and progress is slow because it takes years and years for trees to grow and reach their full potential, start producing fruit, etc. hozier is saying that his past loves were a lot of work and they didn't give anything back easily, even though he had to give them everything to try and make them work.

by contrast, hozier calls his new love 'the fire', 'flames', and so on. fire is wild, all-consuming, and can be terrifying. but fire is also powerful and free. when we think about fire, we mostly think about destruction - wildfires or burning buildings or similar disasters - but fire is also life. before human ancestors had fire, they were cold and vulnerable and in the dark. but, after fire, their survival was completely revolutionised: it was an entirely new way of life. for the first time, they could control when it was light; they could keep warm in the winter; they could cook food, and, subsequently, their diets were transformed; they could protect themselves much better from predators. fire represented energy, innovation, life. yes, it was dangerous. but it was also majorly useful and ultimately it was something they needed, not just to stay alive, but to live. to call your love not just a fire but the fire - as in, the first fire, the only fire, the fire to rival all other fires - is to call it the introduction of warmth, protection, light, growth, energy, and power; it is to call it the biggest advancement possible in your lifetime; it is to call it the single root cause of a metamorphosis. the speaker is commenting that this newest love has entirely changed the way that he sees and experiences love.

the metaphors also allude to the speaker's own inner turmoil and problems with love and loving. when hozier talks about his prior trysts, he uses precise, controlling language: he's very specific when he talks about exactly what the relationship was and how it worked in his first verse, detailing what was 'under' him and what was 'over' him. then, in the next verse, he repeats the verb 'must', giving that verse a desperate, urgent tone. 'must' is a harsh verb and it doesn't leave much room for debate. the level of control that hozier is exerting (or, at the very least, trying to exert) over this relationship is made clear linguistically, but is also mimicked in that extended metaphor of the willow tree. taking care of them is long, hard, and mostly fruitless work, and maybe he even feels like it's his duty to take control of the relationship because he feels that his lover needs that control, maybe because she isn't giving him anything much back, just like that volatile, hard-to-care-for willow tree. that same verse sees an allusion to the time that he 'fretted fire', and, if the tree is control and stability, then surely fire is the opposite - anarchy and disorder? - except that he comes to see fire as freedom. he manages to let go of the need to be in control. he finds a relationship where he doesn't need to be the one doing everything: he doesn't address his past lover(s) at all (perhaps he knows it's pointless, since they won't respond?), instead talking about them passively, but he does talk a lot about what he does, relying heavily on first person singular pronouns. in the fourth verse, he addresses someone else for the first time - his 'flame' - personally, and the fifth verse is entirely directed at her. he talks about her actually taking action, actually doing things. when he says that she 'licked off the grain', i think that he is alluding to her taking all of his bad memories, all of his felled willow (and other?) trees, and simply taking away the rough, uneven parts (the grain), leaving him with the smooth wood, and that she is able to do this because he no longer has any reason to lament his past failures in love - he has his 'flame', and the trees of his past can't use their roots to trip him up or push their branches in his face any more, and so he is simply left with happy memories, the best of his ex-lovers, whatever is left that he can still appreciate and be thankful for. and that's significant because he's found a love who has helped him let go of the need for control. he doesn't need to control the relationship any more, for his sake or for his lover's, because she is here and she is willing to do things with him and for him and give back to him and help him to be free, and offer him warmth and protection and energy and all these things that fire is, and he doesn't need to do anything except love her back, because fire only needs one thing to stay alive, and everything else simply becomes fuel. if his love is her flames' version of oxygen, then everything else is just flammable material. nothing he does can make her stop loving him because fires aren't difficult to keep alive, they are difficult to put out. fires don't need food with specific mineral ratios or a certain volume of rainfall or the right soil pH. they just burn. she just loves him - that is what she does. and he watches 'in awe' because that kind of unconditional love is so far removed from his carefully-measured, carefully-controlled previous relationships.

and those last two lines of the last verse are so beautiful: "long as amber of ember glows/all the 'would that i'd loved' is long ago". he's saying that even when the flame burns out, even if she stops loving him, even if she is dead and gone and buried, the freedom that she gave him will remain in the 'amber', that beautiful colour linked to energy and the sun and wealth (because isn't that what love is?), of the last, residual 'ember', the dwindling remains of the love and freedom they shared. and as long as he can hold onto that freedom, even if it does dwindle down to embers and ashes - treasured memories and the fears that you'll forget what their smile looked like or the way they scrunched their nose when the disliked something or the cute expression they assumed when focussed - then he never has to go back to feeling like he needs to grip onto a half-hearted relationship, where he must always be responsible and in control and doing.

but yeah i just love that fire metaphor. can you tell??? probably not

[planet-crait]

Episode 9! I think it’s 9. (Edit it’s episode 10) I’m getting confused lolz. How about this the episode I’m watching is called Weird Science. This review tested the limits of my patience with how much tumblr ate it. Forgive me if things are out of order I did my best.

Hazel draws that face criminally quick and I also have to wonder if that buck tooth is another Timmy reference. I’m going to pretend it is.

Either way this seems to be a science project of some sort though I didn’t think you could turn a potato into a light bulb unless I am misidentifying the item Hazel is using.

(Fuck tumblr for eating like half of my post I hate this. I’m sorry if this are out of order or it seems I missed stuff I just. I did the best I could this is so frustrating.)

Okay so I googled it and there is definitely more Hazel needs to do with her potato for it to actually work.

Cosmo how do you not know what a lightbulb looks like??? I’m majorly concerned. Uh wait how does Cosmo know how lightbulbs taste like? Wanda that is so mean. Cosmo!

But oh. Oh I cannot imagine the pressure of trying to follow the footsteps of a sibling who won every year that sounds brutal. I went to the same school as my older sister I looked exactly like and got a lot of the same teachers and that was hell. She’s going to a different school at least but uh. Still a lot of pressure.

Wait wait wait why did you wait til the last minute to do this project if it’s so important? I thought Hazel cared about school so this seems weird to me for her to procrastinate but maybe it’ll be explained? Oh Wanda are you more concerned about Hazel or Cosmo right now I can’t tell.

Cosmo when did you have time to grab the lightbulb again you were in frame the whole time? Okay the jeans comment was funny though.

Okay so now Hazel is uh sort of doing the other stuff to make it work but she didn’t even try and glance over the book? Watch a YouTube video? Sweetie this won’t end well. Uhh wait how is the wish working? This is for a science fair that’s a competition, it’s against the rules to help in a competition? Maybe this will be explained later? Or maybe it will stop working once the competition starts? That could be interesting!

Okay so Jasmines song to remember is silly and oh she can’t remember it that tracks. But VIVA LA PLUTO PLUTO IS A PLANET I WILL NOT ACCEPT OTHERWISE!!!

How does anyone believe Dev actually made a microchip like legit that is. Way too advanced for a ten year old to make. I have a feeling bribery will be at play here.

Wait what is happening with…everything? Why would her wishing her project work screw up all of this stuff? Wait they…had to…rewrite the laws of physics? I. What? Is this to get around the no helping in compensation rule? Wouldn’t that still be helping? Why is Wanda encouraging this behavior or her cheating her project? It might mess with Devs but STILL.

Meditation? Uhh what kind of elementary school is this? Why are their wands NOW making the fart noise? Oh Jorgan is here. So much is happening so fast. How are the wands not working they’re magic not science??? And there is a science fairy!? I mean….I guess?

The laws of physics and the laws of the universe affecting eachother both does and doesn’t make sense and is making my brain hurt as much as when I try and unwind time travel logic.

WHY WOULD IT BEING FOR A SCIENCE FAIR AFFECT IT? I don’t understand. Why did they leave? Weren’t they supposed to help fix it? Oh poor Cosmo he is getting beat up this episode. Shouldn’t Cosmo and Wanda be careful? I would think people would wonder what is making so much noise and I guarantee you raining potato’s will make a lot of noise and cause so much damage. Like so much damage.

Wild speculation, Hazel is going to finally read the book and use the raining potato’s to make more power. Nope she’s going to steal Devs microchip. Once again missing the point. Okay then.

Oh Cosmo and Wanda completely missing the point but oh you two are also so cute lolz.

With how little time is left I imagine they’re going to just chase down the now floating…microchip and use it instead of the potato’s which fine okay whatever miss the point again.

Chip Skylark reference?????!!!?? Nice (Powerline is a way better pop star though lolz)

Wait they’re just sitting and watching and waiting for the ten year old to fix it??? Uhh what? Why come if you won’t do anything for to help? If magic is all screwy how have Cosmo and Wanda been poofing around? I have questions.

The principle ate the- okay. She should be dead but physics are weird so sure fine whatever. But seems I was wrong about not using the potato thing. When did they find such a big potato? And oh now they’re helping okay lazy bums.

Okay Jorgan that is impressive lolz.

No ones going to question how they wound up like that? No one at all? Okay off you go. Principle should definitely be dead though. Like for sure dead.

Okay this is just laziness the potato looks exactly the same as before come on yall. Oh it didn’t work okay. But wow a rare genuine moment of sort of kindness from the principle and the lesson I’ve been begging the show for on not procrastinating? Thats good to see lolz. I do think it’s important for kids to know they did good even if they don’t win these competitions. Thankfully I never had to enter one but still.

OHHH DISABILITY REP I LOVE TO SEE IT!!! We’re seeing so much diversity in the show is really great to see honestly

I almost forgot about Winns project. Should have expected them to win lolz. (It’s literally their name). Aww, I’m glad Hazels parents are supportive. That’s really good to see and maybe a tiny baby nod to Meet the Robinson’s with the message about failure helping learn? Love to see it.

With how many times wishes go wrong because Cosmo and Wanda have to do crazy things to make the wish work why don’t they warn her about this? Thats the main thing I’m wondering right now.

Overall not a bad episode but there have been others I liked more. Onto the next one!

[allyaloe]

LOVE COLLECTIVE READING - DISNEY LIVE-ACTION COUPLE EDITION <3

Hi. This is an exclusive reading just for Tumblr. This is for the collective, so use discernment. Also thank you so much to those who have booked readings with me or followed me in any capacity, it is so greatly appreciated!

Now, scroll down and pick a couple from any of the Disney live action reboots to get a message!

Cinderella and Kit (Prince Charming)

You may be a hopeless dreamer or romantic who has their head in the clouds more than their feet on the ground. Spirit says to “play it cool” with your crush and don’t overthink it! This person is kind, perceptive and adaptable, and could have Scorpio placements. You may meet in a work setting when you least expect it. I got this sense of feminine energy coming through, so maybe you believe in Divine Feminine/Divine Masculine if you’re spiritual yourself, and there could be a twin flame connection in this group. Take it how it resonates! Don’t be afraid to take the first step towards your happiness and always remember to be yourself. The letter L could be significant for someone, too, and Marcy/Marzipan (?).

Ariel and Prince Eric 

Don’t bow to the pressures of conformity and embrace what makes you different! Perhaps you are destined for a love that brings out your adventurous spirits and tames your fears around relationships. You may connect with a like-minded soul or individual, the same way Ariel and Eric bonded over collecting things. For some, you could be in a serious commitment that is headed towards marriage. This person truly is a dream for you guys! The letter G could also resonate for at least one of you, and fire signs (Aries, Leo and Sag.) I’m just getting the cutest vibes and it makes me so happy. There is a genuine, pure and unfaltering love in this group and for some of you, you may already know who this person is. You may also have spent many past lifetimes together, and Akashic Records could be significant, as well as a watch or giving other gifts that have sentimental value.

Belle and Beast

You may have been involved in relationships that were toxic and hard to get rid of, and now you’re defining what you want in a relationship and out of life. It’s truly commendable how you’ve put up with so much, and still you are optimistic about your future, and learning and healing from your past. It’s important not to get too emotionally involved with the first person who shows you kindness, and instead, set strong and healthy boundaries that will aid you in your next serious relationship and help it stand the test of time. Libra placements could be significant (Libra rising, Gemini Venus) and the letters S, K, and A. “Don’t be afraid to love” is the main message to take away for you, but also don’t suffer fools gladly. Someone needs to block that person on Snapchat too, could have a letter H. 

Aurora and Philip

You may just be quite lucky when it comes to love, and you may have a feeling that the next person you’re in a relationship with is someone you’ve met or known in a previous life. It’s as if you manifested or prayed for this person. Similar to the second group, it really is filling me with such a sweetness and zest for life. “Once Upon a Dream” is definitely stuck in my head now so strongly! You could resonate with the letters K and D and Virgo placements for one or either of you. Snakes could be an important symbol or mean something to you. It’s important not to hold on to the past too strongly and know that you’re safe. “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” could be a significant song, and whoever you end up with if you’re single could use music to express their emotions. I get this restless Aries/Sag energy, so that could stand out here, too. Please don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. This person could have been hurt in the past, but with you they see a fresh start. For someone, there is a person on a platform like Discord who is majorly crushing on you and you on them. Don’t wait! Make the first mood. Getting a message from you brightens their day; they could have Taurus placements, too. Take it as it resonates for you!

Thank you so much for checking out this reading! If you would like to support me, you can find my links HERE.

With all that said, I hope you enjoyed and I will catch you again soon!

- Ally :)

[mountain-wire]

September.

Rise raph + Reader (yall are strangers, so.)

Warnings: Guitar.

I was listening to September by Sparky deathcap... enjoy, i suppose!

Im throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks with this one

~~~

Raph walked... and walked... he was lost, and in kraang territory. His shawl could only do so much to disguise him from the kraangs view...

It'd only been a year or so since the beginning, and he still wasn't as adapted to the apocalypse as much as he would like to say. It was taking it's toll on him, thats for sure.

He was lost, and his brothers should find him pretty easily with Donnies tech, but Raph wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to do in this situation. There wasn't much to hide in, or to go to for sanctuary from the kraang in general. This place was flooded, and Raph was taking his sweet time trying to avoid these new dogs the kraang unleashed... they were freaky, to say the least.

Eventually, he stopped. In front of him was a wall of untouched trees. How...? It didn't make much sense. In fact, it made no sense. It was such a contrast, the burn land Raph was standing in, versus the lively green and brown of the treeline in front of him. Sure, quite a few of the trees were dead and also burnt, but a lot of the trees behind them were alive just as much as a year ago, being mixes of yellows and oranges and even some greens still. September...

Raph decided to test his luck in there, in the forest. Whatever was keeping the kraang out had to be better than the kraang itself... it was from earth, after all. Even that didn't make sense, why would anything from earth keep the kraang out? Nothing about this made sense.

The humidity retained by the trees and their leaves felt nice on Raphs skin, it was so hydrating after how long he'd fought in the kraangs fire.

There was another problem now, though. He was alone. Raph held onto the tails of his mask tightly, breathing in and out, in and out, to calm himself down. His separation anxiety had only gotten worse since the apocalypse started. He knew that he had to be able to be okay without his brothers, especially now, but it was hard. What if something happened to them? What if they got hurt?? What if he wasn't there to help??? Most of these scenarios involved the kraang finding them.

He leaned against a nearby tree, snapping a twig on the ground in the process. This made him feel worse. The kraang were drawn to noise as much as they were movement, he didn't want to have dogs chasing him through the forest. Even worse, what if one of the kraang itself heard and went to check out the snapping twig noise?? Not only would he be in danger, the forest would be too. The kraang would surely realize anybody could be hiding in the forests shadow, and then it'd burn it down! It'd be miserable, even in death, to think that because he stepped on a twig once the last remaining forest in the New York area would be burnt down.

Yeah his anxiety was working double right now. He pulled on the tails of his mask again, trying to ground himself. Get those thoughts out of his mind. He sat down with his shell against the tree, the spikes scratching it lightly.

He worked to calm himself, though it proved to be majorly ineffective.

He closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly together and imagining his brothers okay and looking for him.

But... a few seconds after he heard something. Something very definitively not kraang. A guitar. Who would play a guitar while the kraang were a thing now??? Especially outside! In the open, mostly, where the kraang could come up at any time!

He thought about it for a second, before slowly and quietly getting up and sneaking his way towards the tune. It sounded vaguely familiar... not entirely in a way where he's heard the song before, but just sort of in the way where it's something he used to know. Guitar, that is. Understandably, nobody dared to play anything anymore.

He peeked around trees, looking around to make sure the coast was clear from any incoming threats or dangers. This was a good way to keep his mind off of things...

Soon he reached the source of the noise. A person, sitting next to a tree, that was next to a small pond or something.

Raph stared at them from behind a tree, mostly out of confusion and concern.

They hummed along to the music they played, seemingly where words would have been if they were singing.

"...Hey." Raph said, trying to get their attention while also staying quiet.

They looked up, slowing the movement of their hands and fingers.

"Hey."

They stared at each other for a moment. This felt awkward, in multiple ways. They both were thinking for different reasons.

"You gonna... come out of the shadows, or...?" The shook their head as they spoke, feeling weird that they had to even ask this... stranger to do that. It felt like something out of a movie that had an odd vibe on purpose.

Raph looked around in every direction, along with listening at the same time. He had to make sure that it was clear to go towards the noise.

He walked forward towards them, until he was standing in front of them.

"What are you doing???" Raph questioned urgently, as if this were a total life or death situation. In a way it was.

The person with the guitar shrugged, looking back down at their guitar before putting it down next to them.

"Playing."

"Why??? It's dangerous!" Raph crouched down next to them, trying to be more on their level so that he could get through to them easier.

"It's less dangerous than you think. Relax." They said in return, gesturing towards the ground beneath them.

Raph stared at them with furrowed brows, not believing them.

They seemed calm though... and they weren't freaking out themselves... maybe he could join them for a moment. Just a moment.

He sat down, joining them on the healthy grass, though he didn't look particularly happy about it.

"How can it possibly be less dangerous than i think? The kraang will find you with you making that much noise."

"They follow noise, i know." They nodded as they spoke.

So they knew! They knew and made noise anyway. Did they want to die?

Raph had a bit of a dumbfounded look on his face, his hands resting on his thighs. He just stared at them in disbelief.

"So... you know that and you're making noise anyway??? Why would you do that?" Raphs concern came through his voice unfiltered.

"I've been watching them. I've realized things," they paused, looking to the pond beside the tree. "They haven't come into the forest yet, right? Despite the whole... apocalypse thing. They want to get rid of life, I know I know."

"They seem to be targeting the more populated areas right now... the city. Nip it in the bud, i guess." There was a good chance they weren't using that phrase right. They didn't seem to care, though.

Raph looked to the side, over to the pond that the stranger was looking at as well. He didn't say anything in response, he was surprised.

"My guitar means nothing to them while theres still life in that residential area. The sound doesn't draw them in... not yet, anyway." They didn't seem... bothered.

"I imagine it will soon, though. When most of the life over there is dealt with, they'll either move on to another part of the city, or they'll come here."

The concept of doom and the fate of the forest seemed to weigh uncomfortably little on their mind.

"And you're just... okay with that...?" Raph almost whispered, seeming shocked that anybody would just... be okay with that problem.

"It's not like i can do much about it. I have a guitar, and that's it. I can't fight em so I'm appreciating this while i still can." They leaned their head back against the tree, feeling the bark on the top of their head.

"Oh."

A few beats of silence passed.

"Can I stay here with you for a little...?" Raph questioned. Just speaking with this person seemed to get his mind off of the fact that he wasn't with his brothers.

As short as their conversation was, it did help.

"Of course." They responded, picking up their guitar again and starting to play.

Ah, that's why it was familiar. September by Sparky Deathcap.

This was one of the more positive ways to end the month.

[alister312]

The Path Taken [A Gregstophe Fansong]

Written for Gregstophe Week 2023. Day 5: Devotion/Betrayal.

You read that right— for day 5, I wrote a song! I used to write songs a lot, sometimes based on shows and characters, sometimes based on D&D campaigns I was in, sometimes original. However, in all that time, I’d never written a song for my favorite ship all time. I thought it was about time I remedied that.

Original lyrics by me, written and performed on ukulele. You can find the lyrics and chords in the description of the YouTube video. Explanation of lyrical choices as well as a link to the journey through song drafts below the cut!

Firstly, some reasons I chose the chords I did. Playing around chords early on, prior to any of the drafts, I got really into the Em chord. I was just vibing with how it sounded. I knew I was going for a more melancholy sound since it would be from Christophe’s POV, something very longing. I’ve had experience in sticking the D chord between minor chords to make it sound minor. I decided to do that again, and the Am chord sort of just happened since it was nearby. I didn’t want the song to be too dark though, so I threw the C chord in an attempt to brighten the melody.

For the song opening, I had that pretty solidified early on. I knew God had to be mentioned in there somewhere and I ended up really liking the idea of Christophe comparing and contrasting himself to God. However, he’s not uplifting himself, instead he’s putting God down. I also really wanted to play around with the sound similarities between “leave” and “lead”, two things Christophe associates with Gregory. One he wants, the other he fears.

Onto verse 1! The idea of Christophe being dynamite set off by Gregory, the spark of the revolution, sort of came from a line from a webcomic I really love called Shaderunners. It has two characters that I majorly project Gregory and Christophe onto, both in appearance and personality. One of them has a line at one point about how they’re flames, always burning each other down. It really fits so well for Gregstophe, but it needed a touch more martyrdom. So, Christophe wants Gregory to destroy him.

Continuing with the idea of them as flames, not just in a romantic sense, but flames of the revolution they’re fighting for, I alluded to Gregory’s “La Resistance” line (”You see the distant flames, they bellow in the night”). This is further cemented by the “Flag in fist” image, meant to invoke their Les Mis roots.

Skipping chorus for now, let’s do verse 2. Since v1 opens discussing Christophe, I wanted v2 to open talking about Gregory. While I don’t always think “silver-tongue” is the most apt way to describe Gregory (it has some more negative connotations I don’t quite see him as), it helped transition into the sword imagery for him rather well. It also gave a chance to show Christophe’s self doubt/insecurity in comparison to Gregory’s accomplishments. And since I’d just compared Gregory to his rapier, it only made sense to do the same to Christophe with his shovel.

This continues, Christophe putting himself down while putting Gregory on a pedestal. Almost literally, placing him on his soapbox (morally better than him) and ivory (meant to invoke thoughts of wealth, showing that Gregory is above him in social status as well). However, even though Christophe sees himself as an animal, a lowly mole, Gregory is lifting him up to the same level as him, getting rid of the barriers between them.

Now let’s do the “bridge”. I put that in quotes because often there’s meant to be a shift of some kind for the bridge in a song, but I didn’t do that. It’s more of a callback to the opening, restating the idea of promises and keeping them. I have no specifics in mind for these promises, but more vague ideas of promises of devotion and loyalty to a cause, or at least to Gregory. If Gregory swears to die for a cause, then Christophe will too.

The idea of “deathbed” came from a comment Sara made to me when I was looking for song title suggestions. I immediately loved the imagery and knew it had to be a line, again calling back to the opening idea of Christophe’s mother tucking him into bed and telling him about God. The dogs, of course, are the guard dogs that lead to Christophe’s ultimate demise and the next line is taken directly from his dying refrain (“Now the light, she fades / and darkness settles in”).

The last line of the “bridge” is doing two things. One, it’s the clearest allusion in the song towards Christophe’s cigarette addiction (go up in smoke). It’s also serving as another callback towards the idea of them being flames, destructive but in a valiant way. They might be dying for the cause, but they refuse to go quietly. Their sacrifice, no matter how it is they die, is a blaze of glory for them.

At last, time for the chorus! Gregory has a clear martyr complex, a want to not only fight but die fighting for a cause. Christophe wants to be there no matter what but doesn’t know how, so the best he thinks he can offer is to dig Gregory’s grave, even if it’ll break his heart. He’s unsure if Gregory will permit this though, so Christophe has to ask him while assuring Gregory that this is the right choice for him. Christophe wants to be led, he wants to follow Gregory no matter what, even if at the end of the path is their mutual deaths.

If you’d like to hear the development the song went through, you can listen to rough drafts 1-9 here :)

I hope you enjoyed the song! If you have any further questions about it, feel free to ask me at any time :)

[tavina-writes]

Hii! I am the anon about the world building's informations and thank you! You are very kind! If I am annoying, please say it to me! I would like to ask you about your opinions about two events in mdzs: was really disprectful for wwx and lwj to stay in the Jiang ancestral hall without jc's permission? And nmj was really harsh about wq's punishment and (not counting his feelings), there was a moral conduct that asked them to kill all their enemies? (in historical books I have seen it a lot! Like"we should kill all of our emenies, regardless of everything "! But there's a lot of disagreement in this fandom)

Hi Nonny! You're not annoying at all!

For the first question, re: WWX and LWJ in the Jiang Family Shrine without permission from JC or any other Jiang (though JC is the only bloodline Jiang left so mostly JC) -- yes, that is actually majorly disrespectful. Esp for LWJ because he didn't previously have any relation to the Jiang.

Longer answer on why this is: during most of ancient Chinese history (and in fairly traditional families to this day) ancestor worship is practiced more so or equally to other religions like Taoism or Buddhism, meaning that yes, the family shrine is a sacred space BUT it's also a very private space that stores the memorial placards of your immediate family. It's kind of like if you have a family tomb/crypt and you get sudden uninvited guests in it.

(for the record, WangXian going and poking around in the Nie sect's blade tomb does at least in CQL prompt NHS to say something like "hey that saber is my grandfather" or something similar. It's also equally rude to run around in there without an invitation, it's just less bad for that particular incident because NHS actually did intend for them to come visit if that makes sense.)

For the second question re: NMJ and his thoughts about punishing the Wens (I've written meta about if he wants them all dead here) but your question is mostly about "is it kosher to kill the whole family of your enemies?" and the answer to this is a bit complicated!

in Imperial China at various points throughout history, certain crimes (varying depending on the dynasty) are punishable by the execution of the "nine kindreds" (九族) which is also sometimes included your spouse, uncles and aunts, second and third cousins, in-laws, adult children and grandchildren and their spouses. (wikipedia has a brief discussion of it here)

often, during a regime overthrow during premodern China, the imperial family of the previous dynasty would be persecuted and killed to prevent new political factions from rallying around them to cause civil unrest, though this was often incomplete (see writings on the fall of the House of Zhao which ruled the Song dynasty and the JingKang incident, where most of the Song Dynasty royal family was captured and humiliated/turned into prisoners/slaves by the Jurchen who captured most of the imperial family and court after invading the capital of Bianjing.)

So there is historical precedent for clan extermination in historical China, but I do feel that it's definitely played up in dramas and novels that are set in ~historical fantasy ancient China land~ just because it's not a punishment that was flung around willynilly. At this point it's more a trope than a reflection of the practice in real history, but it was a thing that could've been a kosher punishment in a society like MDZS.

[imagintheworldaway]

Florida

A/N idk with this one, i just could't stop myself.

Warnings: Drugs, memory loss

Requests: Open

Life hasn't been easy. We both got dealt shitty hands, abusive childhoods, absent parents, people only ever caring when the fame and money followed. But that wasn’t for years. We were both broke kids trying to figure it out, only having each other as a comfort blanket. It's so shitty to think about, we were both just kids, two kids who were never given a real chance. That's where it started. At Least that's my theory. What do you expect, kids learn from the adults that raise them, and when the adults are shitty there is no question that the kid will more than likely also turn out to be shitty. Deep down, somewhere in my soul, I knew I had good in me, but what's the point of being good and decent and nice when the world and everyone in it had only thrown it all back in your face? 

I don't really remember the first time I met Frank. I remember we were kids, well teenagers, we ran in similar crowds, and he always had this smile, this cheeky smile which you just couldn’t say no to. And those eyes. Those emerald green eyes, the way the sunset shone in them when we were lying on top of a building, no cares, no one to answer to, just ourselves. Maybe the silence in knowing that we were both doomed was what comforted me. Maybe it was the fact he was tall and handsome, or maybe because he could do things to me that made my knees weak and screams echo through the city. 

When he suggested, well when he told me he was moving to LA there was no doubt I would follow him. There was nothing holding me down, so why not follow a boy to LA and see how it goes. I think that's when everything truly clicked for the first time. Being homeless, couch surfing, working dodgy jobs just to buy liquor and cigarettes was how we got by. That sunset, nothing really beat the LA sunset, the warm hues and bright rays that glistened in his eyes, illuminating his face reassured me that this was all worth it. 

But LA changed us. Like it does everyone else who gets sucked into the black pit which is the city. As we grew we were able to scrape together some pennies for an apartment. That's when the bug changed. My Frankie was now the sexy Nikki Sixx and I gained the nickname of Florida, or Flo. why? Well I was still as carefree as when I had arrived here. I didn't care where, when or what we did, and everyone we met said I was like a ray of sunshine, meaning I was like Florida. I was also majorly sedated most of the time which only added to the birth of the nickname. Nikki said he always saw Florida as the much more chiller younger cousin to LA, he always wanted to go to Florida, maybe it was the child in him that missed out on such a core memory that so many other kids got to have. So I became his Florida.

We had our own funny little rituals to get by. I would pray for snow and Nikki would produce the white powder that sent shivers down my spine but always brought me a great warmth. Our house was an apartment but our home was on the borderline. We would work these stupid jobs, meet our dealer, then climb on the roof. Heads frazzled in white powder but the same comforting silence that we had as tennagers still there, reassuring us that this was right. 

Sometimes Nikki would hold me so close I could swear that I could hear his thoughts. His hand was always squeezing mine, comforting me, knowing we were at the same place. But bliss cant last forever. 

I was happy that Nikki was finally in a band that made sense. Tommy was such a goofball and always knew the right thing to say, Mick was quiet, but we had a silent understanding, we looked after each other and then there was Vince, he was gorgeous, and always knew how to make my heart flutter and my cheeks red. They would practise and write songs as I would cut the lines. I never got involved with their business and they left me to mine. It was good. So fucking good. Until it wasn’t. 

The more popular the boys got the more money i got a hold of and the more lines, spliffs, pills, tabs and alcohol i consumed. I became the girl always at the show, dancing along on the side, supporting her boys. The music used to create colours, streams of vibrant vibrations would cloud my vision as I swayed and moved to the beat. I couldn’t care about the other girls. Why would i? He always came back to me, no matter what. I was the one in the pictures who he had his arm around, i was the one he brought to the parties, i was the only who kept his supply safe. 

It never stopped. I was the new guy everyone went to. You wanted something, you went and talked to Flo to get it. It was like my own dirty little secret that few people were in on. It was never my intent but it was easy. I kept the gear, he kept me satisfied. What I once thought was love I think was deeper. Nikki and I were the same person, and people knew that, you can't find Nikki? He's with Flo. Need some gear? Florida will be in Nikkis' room. A package deal, two of a kind, dare I say soulmates. 

All good things must come to an end. That's what our first dealer had said to us. How did he know that all the way back then? I don't know, I don't care to know. He always did warn us though. He always said how I was stupid for following a boy because I was in love. Love was only an emotion, so why did I care so much about a silly little feeling? Maybe because, as fucked up as whatever this thing we had was, it was the only form of love either of us had ever felt. 

I was a good girl. The perfect girlfriend, anything he could ever want, but i wasn't enough, i would never be enough. Florida was pretty, Florida was fun, but Florida wasn’t without its demons, it's blotches on its happy go lucky outlook on life, I truly was becoming the worst parts of it all. I took a second to think. When was the last time someone had called me by my real name? What even was my real name?  ‘Hold out your hand’ someone said, easily distracting me from my thoughts. Who was that? I was alone, wasn't i? Maybe not. I felt a light pressure on the back of my head, forcing it down. So that my nose met the white powder that had been lazily sprawled across the side of my hand. I took in the sensation of the powder I had felt so many times before. Don't forget to smile Florida, this is as good as it gets. 

[red-dyed-sarumane]

hello i am also a hiiragi magnetite enjoyer but a casual one (the songs just bang. they're really good. i loop them) and i had no idea until we became mutuals and i looked at your posts that their songs are part of a series. i had never looked into it. i am genuinely interested and if you ever wanted to rattle off to me what it's about i will eat that shit up fr. it's been so long since i was last majorly into a vocaloid song series

hi hi! i hope you dont mind a public answer bc you're far from the only one who didn't know. once u know what to look for tho it starts making a bit more sense.

in short: its a sci-fi, time loop-type story about a group of people trying to stop the world from ending

but i'll get into the songs a bit for u. (this is long)

in long:

yes its absolutely a series with the exception of fabric flower, perfection, nadenna, uni, and rasshaina. everything else so far is part of the same series. (in their personally uploaded songs obviously their commission songs arent part of it)

idk where to throw this in so im sticking it at the beginning all of the characters have names. i asked & they answered me directly. but they're keeping them a secret until they feel like the time is right so i would LOVE to tell u their names but uh. no one knows but hiiragi magnetite.

aru sekai series is actually a fan given name. hiiragi magnetite has never addressed the series out side of the songs themselves unless asked about it. if you called it aru sekai series to them, they dont correct you, so until they want to give it a name themself, i'll be calling it aru sekai series. the name coming from the first song aru sekai shoushitsu of course.

im going to put my proof its a series here first bc i see a lot of eng fans say they didnt know, and even jpn fans that realize theres a series will get it wrong & say theres 2 different series going on. its the same story its one series.

the easiest way & the way that made me realize it is aru sekai shoushitsu opens with "nami no ne no yume wo miyou ame hodo no uruoi wo/ umareyou mou ichido nakuse domo nai keredo" etc which is important in a lot of ways but for right now we're just going to focus on the melody of it.

this same melody occurs in all aru sekai series songs except for kugutsu ashura & laboratory. kyuuyaku hankagai has it in the last chorus at 4:48 as well as the more obvious 5:16. shuuen touhikou has it in the choruses as well at 1:20, 2:34, and 2:46. oumen mokushiroku is the only song so far that has it in lyrics as well instead if mixed into the instrumental, its the last lyrics starting at 2:30 "ah mata aete yokatta ne to itte hoshikatta no ni/ tasogare ga tokete yuku kiete yuku nanimo mienakunaru". unplanned apoptosis its a bit harder to hear & much shorter but its at 0:57, 1:06, 2:16, and 2:26. i dont know why i see people insisting marshall maximizer is a separate series bc its one of the obvious ones with the motif at 2:23 (or at least more obvious than some others). canon has it at 2:20.

theres also the theme most people realize that (kyuu)yaku, (shuu)en, and (ou)men have the same kanji as what starts lines in aru sekai shoushitsu.

a lot of songs also have text in the bg thats basically lore & helps connect & clear up somethings. a lot of these repeat lines from previous songs.

& then we get to kugutsu ashura & laboratory which dont have any of those but they are part of the series your key is in the lyrics using similar themes & concept & wording to other songs.

so what are the songs about

aru sekai shoushitsu

this is a headache of a song that, im so grateful they give us so many songs to expand on bc trying to make sense of it with no context was actually the worst. the absolute most important thing u want to know here is the lines they made into the motif for the series which establishes this tragedy is repeating. the theme of rain/blue is the symbol the current world is coming to an end and they'll later be "reborn" and try again.

no one has any idea what the repeating greek(?) means. i can figure out the words toroid & function & thats it & ive never seen anyone else get any farther with it. if anyone knows please i am begging u to tell me. anyway, from the word toroid alone though i know it has something to do with the world repeating itself.

thats the next main theme i'll get into. the story is a loop of sorts but i hesitate to say its a true time loop bc there is very clear emphasis on the concept of fractals, so repeating but not exactly the same, and toroid shapes, so not a perfect loop like say a sphere or circle would be. instead of a time loop sending them back to the beginning of the day its more like waking up in an alternate timeline altogether. its not a 1:1 learn what the day brings and get out that way. each time's different in its own way. the fractal theme drifts off a bit after a few songs but its still there overall.

the other big one is the concept of things seeming the same when theyre different, and this is easier to miss bc it's actually in the bg text rather than the lyrics. there's a whole paragraph about if a man dies in a swamp from lightning and then miraculously another bolt of lightning in the same area creates a man that's exactly the same in structure, memory, everything, is it still the same man as the one who died. this not only applies to the concept of the world itself, that not only is the world itself not quite the same when everything restarts, but is also a big thing with the characters themselves. there is something that people have that make them "people", something that can be lost, and without that, even though they seem to be the same, they're more of a "thing" than a "person." very big detail that was only a theory until laboratory was posted and confirmed it. aru sekai shoushitsu also says, in lyrics, "however, as long as you exist as people, the old world's legacy will continue on in the toroidal direction." so as long as they still have what makes them a "person" they can still be reborn in the next iteration of the world.

i think those are the most important things. the lyrics are a bit objective overviews of the next songs based on the starting kanji and also a bit more technical detail of whats going on, and the rest of the text is a more subjective view of the events than the lyrics.

kyuuyaku hankagai

this one's the start of our subjective character songs. all the text in it is at the beginning. i won't get too into it bc i dont think there's anything specifically u need to know from it, put it definitely helps put the level of desperation into perspective. theres a bit of play in it with the concept of "people" again, but its more about the lengths everyone will go to to do something about the situation iirc.

quite obviously this is the "past" song and establishes this has been going on for a while. i dont have an exact timeline for you, and im not telling you that because its the "past" that this is the beginning of everything. however. we do get told once again the concept of a "self" is important to the continuation of this. we also get a bit of world description, saying about how the world gets torn up and destroyed at the end.

short overview of it is they've been at this a very long time, everyone is well aware of the stakes, they're desperate & tired, but in the end they know even if they die at the end of the world because they cant save it, they're going to wake up and need to face it all over again. thats why theres so many long notes in this. this song is this characters cry for help. they cant let go bc if they do, if they lose their "self" its all over for them, they know that (although its not blatantly said at this point), so they have to keep going through all the "fractals" hoping that something they do sometime is going to work.

song has a lot of specific terms but its not as impersonal as shoushitsu u can feel the character in this song, especially with all the specific "byebye" written with various forms of regret and pain of separation etc. in an effort to keep this short im going to stop there for now.

shuuen touhikou

song that fits with the "end" (shuu) lines of aru sekai shoushitsu. quite literally an answer to the question of what would happen if they tried to escape instead of facing it.

the first part of text sets up the characters frame of mind, that they've been through this so many times trying to save everything, what if they didn't have to?

also in the text are the "shuu" lines from aru sekai shoushitsu, as well as part of the text from the beginning of kyuuyaku hankagai. and the last text deals with the concept of "ego" a bit instead of a "self".

the lyrics are such that this character is still part of whatever everyone's doing to fix this, but doesn't really agree with how its being handled, constantly being frustrated by how nothing's changing and no one wants to try anything too different. they entertain the idea of just running for it, that theres some town out there that they'll be safe if they can reach, that maybe running is enough to do something that they arent just standing around hoping anymore.

so effectively, no, even if they were to drop everything and run for it, it won't do them any good. (by extension they might also not be able to come back from it, but i cant say that for sure)

oumen mokushiroku

the concave "ou" song. also the only one i can accept the ""official"" english title for since mokushiroku is read as apocalypse in aru sekai shoushitsu.

theres no text in this one! unless u want to count the ou kanji.

this one's interesting bc instead of a part of the human team we have an angel who can't do anything to help them. shes watching over them, she wants to help, but for various reasons she just cant. she cant tell them it's not her fault, she cant affect anything in a way that matters. part of the reason she has the broken umbrella i think is just to really get across shes supposed to be the safeguard but she cant. for reasons beyond her control she cant.

some of the lyrics kind of mirror other songs, "inoru you ni" "omotai kaze furiharau you ni" for example relating to similar phrases in shuuen touhikou, "ima sakenda" like the main lines of kyuuyaku hankagai, starting of with rain similar to aru sekai shoushitsu among other things.

and of course like i said this is the only song that uses the motif in the lyrics & this is a theory but im putting it out there i feel like that implies the others are a part of this but this character in particular can actually do something about it. i dont know if shes actually the one who makes the whole world be reborn or not but i will put that out there.

theres also the line like "we lost something without a shape or feeling" & i think thats another tie into the theme of needing to keep their "self" for any of this to be possible.

unplanned apoptosis

theres a lot going on here. this chara is hilarious to me bc all the others are pretty collected about the whole thing all things considered and shes just acting out the whole time.

she hates it. shes fed up & i think should be considered an unreliable narrator to an extent. she tries to act like fine whatever i dont care but she does. she does. she also doesnt want to take blame for anything.

now, theres the line in here like jibun wo koroshite and this isnt in the way u might immediately think. i also hesitate to say its the same "self" the other songs are talking about considering its jibun rather than jiga. its more like suppressing & denying her true feelings to deal with everything. not that that wouldnt tie in to that big theme if she took it too far but for now shes safe.

theres text in this song this time tying it directly to oumen mokushiroku in case the art wasnt enough for u to know that. its a bit about fate being predetermined for them, a bit about things continuing in the same direction they've been, but shes brought back again

the songs really a lamentation of losing her past and future to this as well as showing how badly shes handling it.

and theres a bit of foreshadowing here in the what with the window(s) behind her being dark and broken while also being the exact same in composition to the one in oumen mokushiroku. which u think initially is because the angel cant help her, but the lines in canon about something causing the glass to break i really think is in reference to this and is saying she's at least part of the reason the angel cant help anyone. whether shes aware of this i cant say bc shes a liar who doesnt take blame for anything & since this is her viewpoint thats a bit unclear.

marshall maximizer

i think its that it's asa's art instead of sena yuta's that people think this is unrelated but honestly arent u people so confused. u look at these lyrics and think its a stand alone song? are u not so confused?

anyway, this is actually another big one in terms of plot

welcome to sunk cost fallacy the song. like literally. thats what it is, admitting they've put everything into what they're doing that it's probably not worth it, but they've been at it this long they can't just stop either. its gotta pay out eventually right-

but if u take anything away from this, its that "people" or at least this character can tell when someone isnt one of them anymore. theres the lines like "observing you acting like a person gone mad" "to you who's pretending to be a person gone mad" where both "person" and "you" are written in katakana much like when the concept of being a "person" is discussed in aru sekai shoushitsu. "you" (kimi) being similar to "thing" (mono) in this case (shout out to hayato in the hiiragima tag on twitter for figuring this out btw)

theres also the iconic lines up to hito de nashi? as though to say, but if you act as a person does, then arent you a person as well?

and then the text. its. heavy. discussing what it means to be a person, if there's something special about it, if it matters to be alive for yourself or because of something else (in a series context. so. being forced to live without the "self" they need for example) it even starts to get into the "mono" versus "hito" concept until both characters talking get too overwhelmed by it. the character they were talking to then "disappears" after admitting they might nit be a "person" which seems to say those that lose their "self" dont get to continue.

for now though, the character narrating the song is still a "person" they still get to try again, and they continue to

canon

another one i see people say isnt part of aru sekai series. it says aru sekai de in the first lyric. whats not clicking.

this ones more on why things arent quite working out.

theres a sense of balance they need to keep in place, presumably, so they can make it out of this, but each time something happens that upsets the balance. again, theres the mention of cracking the glass that i think is a reference to that window in both oumen mokushiroku and unplanned apoptosis. this seems to be their sign if things are working out or not, the chorus of this song seems to being saying if the glass breaks theyve messed up, nothings going to change and they need to try again.

this chara's like the others in that shes also tired of everything, but she still has her "self" so she has to keep trying. only she'll do anything that might work so they dont have to do this again, so they "don't say goodbye" again. which includes lying a bit so people will try her ideas.

theres also the part admitting they didn't want any sacrifices for this, but, clearly, that didn't work out in their favor. this is probably a pretty broad definition of sacrifice, can be everything from time, energy, etc to sacrificing their "selves" for their cause.

theres also text in this song!! its coded in the video but shunnanna in the hiiragima tag decoded it so we know the text! it talks a bit about coming to and realizing the worlds okay, theres pretty flowers, and it smells like it just rained. it also then repeats the nami no ne no lines from aru sekai shoushitsu. the last part talks about a risky experiment that got out of control and ended up destroying everything. which that last part, to me, seems to imply this whole thing was their fault in the first place.

in the end tho, this songs the same they don't accomplish much and have to try again.

kugutsu ashura

tongue twister mantra the song.

this ones interesting bc the character isnt human to begin with (being ashura) so i think thats why the motif isnt here. they get to repeat in their own way tho.

shes just that. a puppet really. she cant do anything to help out, rather she can only do what she's supposed to so to speak.

if u can get through the wording though theres a lot to this!

its a bit more of an outsider's perspective at how needlessly desperate this how thing is. things are awful, everyone's having a bad time, hell, people are actually dying, but no one listens to reason and things keep continuing on in the same way. it places a lot of blame on the place that started the whole thing, the place mentioned in the canon text i believe, honestly for a good reason, and kind of criticizes whats going on.

and then u have the ending that really cements its part of the series for me, the whole thing changes into what feels like almost hope which is a nice change for this series. it talks of moving forward, of getting new starts, it works in the theme of rain especially with urufu as the same base as uruoi wo from aru sekai shoushitsu, and then of course the "mata ibukuyou ni" being thematically similar to the "umareyou mou ichido" also from aru sekai shoushitsu

theres a lot of specifics in the whole thing & a lot of very specific word choice but i think that gets the point across for now

theres no extra text either but honestly the lyrics are quite enough context if u can decipher them

laboratory

this song is so heavy. like. up until now things have been left rather vague and theres room to doubt how dire everything is especially with how subjective the songs are but this.

this girl is losing her "self". thats the whole song. her just terrified and being completely unable to stop it even though she would do anything to change things. all that talk from the other songs about whos a "person" and whos a "thing" this is a "person" whos becoming a "thing" and doesnt have a choice in it. i dont know what she did. but this is her punishment for it. she ignored things she shouldn't've and now she cant be her "self" anymore.

this is telling us directly its not just the world theyre fighting for, theyre fighting for everything that makes them who they are too. it's traumatizing in its own way that they live through the end of the world repeatedly. but now shes living through the end of herself and she wont get another chance. and thats why theres no motif in this one. she is no longer a "person" she can no longer continue. theres also no extra text in this song.

thank u if u read the whole thing thats where we're up to right now!! i hope thats enough to at least get started. theres a lot of deep diving u can do in this series & its a lot of fun to keep up with as it happens bc sometimes a new song just clicks so many things into place.

[mydemonsdrivealimo]

Okay, some questions for the band AU:

How would Jensen meet Bryce in this AU? What would be different and what would be the same?

Why did he go into music? Does he have any special rolemodels in the music world?

Does he keep it national? Or does he have any international concerts?

His favorite and least favorite parts of being a musican?

tysm <3

quick overview so things make sense: aliyah is their lead singer and guitarist, jensen is their bassist, pianist, and backing vocalist, and cyrus (cy) is their drummer and producer (though they all work on production together)

How would Jensen meet Bryce in this AU? What would be different and what would be the same?

i think i answered this before but ive changed it a bit anyway so this is good for an update!! they meet at edenbrook (would be book 2) after jensen smashes his chin open on a mic stand,, (this happens in cannon when he was in the band, but for the au i changed the timeline.) he did a backflip of cy's drumset but aliyah moved her mic stand at the Wrong Time so he didn't see it and stumbled into it on the landing

the timeline is definitely a lot shorter in this one, only about a year for them to get together instead of 3. after the tour, jensen comes out to visit and hang with the group. they dont officially get together during this time, but they're pretty close to it. jensen goes back to chicago for a few months but he and bryce are talking like Every single day and eventually get together long-distance. it takes another year of weekend visits and long phone calls before bryce moves to chicago with him

Why did he go into music? Does he have any special role models in the music world?

he genuinely only got into music because aliyah told asked him to. they were in senior year of hs together, and aliyah had a deal with her parents that if she could have a serious band/music career plan they would get her a really nice, new electric guitar. jensen worked for her dad, and they had talked a few times at school, so even though he didnt play music she knew hed probably be willing to give it a try (her dad had also talked about him a bit at home and how he can pick up on things quickly, so that encouraged her to ask, too).

he really doesnt have any musical role models ig?? there are groups he takes inspo from, of course, but the music industry tends to be fucked up in a lot of places and he doesnt like to put too much weight on bigger artists

Does he keep it national? Or does he have any international concerts?

the band has quite a few international shows!! they primarily focus on the u.s., canada, and latin america, but they have a european run as well. their latin fanbase is only slightly smaller than their u.s. one because a good handful of their songs are in spanish, and, if not, they usually release a spanish version if it sounds good translated (many of which jensen sings on bc he actually speaks it fluently, where aliyah just learned in school and from jensen)

His favorite and least favorite parts of being a musician?

hmmm favorite is probably being able to do something he absolutely loves. making and performing music is one of his favorite things, and on top of that he gets to do it with his best friends. there are always negatives, but he knows how lucky he is to be so well off doing something he actually enjoys

least favorite is being on tour, 100%, no matter how much fun it is. its not so bad before he meets bryce and the rest of the group, but after it can take a big toll on those relationships because hes away for so long. he'll be on tour for almost a whole year, plus another stretch in the next, and shows and timezones put a serious barrier between communication. sure, when hes home, they can be together more than another profession would allow, but when hes away it can suck majorly, especially for his mental health. (the reason he stopped performing in cannon was mental health issues, but in this au he found a healthy solution and got on his meds much earlier, so was able to get back to it quick enough to sign with a record label.) sometimes other musicians can take their partners on tour for a few shows, but because of how much bryce works, it just wouldnt be possible

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary302

7/17-18/24

wednesday - thursday

tired tired tired... up too late rn.

so that means soon i sleep.

some good stuff w/ music today, i got to work on some stuff, another track has been exported so i can listen and see what i think about it, it certainly is a weird one, i want it to be the opener cuz i think the chorus is super catchy in a way that will surprise people, but idk about that honestly. to someone like me though, it is cute and fun. i wanna figure out vocals for that. i also figured out the issues i think with the other song re: drums/ease of understanding it/following what it does. i had to simplify one pattern a bit, make it less idk, offbeat basically.

anyway, outside that, today was errands day... i was able to get pizza too and there are leftovers. my gf was very tired today though, cuz she got in at 3 am yesterday and had to quit the job because they were like, wednesday is a mandatory day, and she was like, i can't do 7 pm to 7 am, and then they were like, well okay. and so that's that. it's not like it would have been too much longer than this anyway. i just feel bad for her cuz she was doing that so much she didn't really have time to process how draining that was for her, so she's kind of crashing today.

anyway, what else. my gf's brother is driving her mother truly coo coo bananas, it's very sad to see. i hope he will become not awful soon. obviously he won't but you know. oh and i felt cute today, at least, or mostly, it's very strange how i will oscillate but part of it really is being able to dress up, i suppose. i didn't take selfies though. idk, i should have, to document it. i feel dumb for not. isn't that so weird? the need to collect proof of feeling cute/ see if i ought to, that's so psycho generally, but the sense i missed out, i feel like i'm lying just putting it in text. something's wrong with me but it just goes too deep to really deal with. or deal with here. it's just me being crazy.

anyway, my gf is doing better now, she'll be even better tomorrow, the whole experience has made her more grateful for the kind of work she already does, she is not used to doing anything very physical, and she did way too much of it in too short a time. i've done more over my whole life but to be like, worked so hard over 4 days is majorly fucked, and it's so hot outside, this warehouse she was in had like little to no ac, probably just some swamp cooler somewhere in the massive thing. maybe i should not have encouraged her to sign up for this because it sounded so crazy and funny... but some parts of it were crazy and funny, but i can't describe those, so do your best to #imagine.

uhmm,, what else. ... too many people dming me on discord right now. it is 3 am... i want to sleep .

it's weird. everything just feels weird. i wish i were not feeling so weird. i don't know what i feel weird about. it's almost like a pregnancy. i dunno. i keep thinking about pregnancy. do i wish i could get pregnant? not really. i wish for other things. if i listed all the stuff i wished for, if i got it all, i think i'd just turn to smoke cuz it's so self negating half the time. i wish my hips were a little wider. i wish i was prettier. i wish i were what i am. i wish i weren't anything. i wish people didn't look at me. i guess people keep wishes so they can have little hypocrisies and discard them just as quick but i hold onto everything . i don't eat all of any animal, but i guess i want to eat all of myself.

why am i thinking about pregnancy though? it's weird. it's been a thing for a while in my head, never before has it been like this. i guess there's something like, can i carry anything to term? am i fertile in any way? i can't imagine myself as anything other than,.. idk, not giving, i'm not motherly certainly, i am very cold, or i think of myself as being cold but i think really i'm sort of just weird emotionally and my gf says i'm sweet and stuff anyway, i'm not giving or warm in normal ways, i think i act too immature to really be warm in a mothering way, but i am, i don't want to say productive or useful, i guess generative is the better word, doing things, i guess i've always, since knowing the word, which has been for a long time cuz i've known it since middle school i imagine, or earlier, the word gestating. i feel things inside me gestating, and have felt that, a resonant chamber inside myself too. i don't know. i don't want a womb, this isn't like, me saying the opposite of how i feel. it's just strange, that this is anything inside my head at all.

final thing before bed, it's also strange how of all people one might need to contend with as a cultural influence, lana del ray is one of them, that she is still the producer of images of what people wish they were, what they are, what they think things should be like, a weird nostalgia which doesn't refuse the present, i guess this fantasy that right now is also the past maybe. i wonder if i'm off in the same ways, or if we all are, if that nostalgic illness is something we're all dealing with. i would like to say no, because i would like to not have to think about anything mark fisher said, not out of hate just cuz i want to move on from that whole moment where everyone was so dour about the idea the past could be strung up like a corpse, carved, repurposed, material, just flatly a material basis and set of methods to dissolve/digest, put those functions to rest and see what rises once again. i also do not care for lana's music, it is weird though that even her visual aesthetic/fans of her aesthetic + pose have crept into producing images / maintaining lines to images/things i like seeing. it feels odd. also a lot of those girlblogging blogs give off such evil vibes, half the time i feel like the ways they are, are just transphobic, i feel as if i am witnessing terfs, i feel fairly certain in fact, it's just all so weirddddd.

anyway , sleepy sleeepy sleepy , so,

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[writing-ca-ira]

NIGHT CHANGES

Dick Grayson x Reader

Yes, this is based off of that One Direction song. It’s kind of long, so I apologize.

The reader is gender neutral.

Contains: team-member reader, possibly a platonic or romantic relationship, mentions of an injury.

“Robin?”

Dick snapped out of his trance, turning to face you. “Uh… yeah? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you answered with an awkward smile. “You just seemed… a bit spaced out, is all.”

He took note of how stiff you looked, rubbing your arm as you stood a few feet away from him. It was obvious you were still a bit nervous around him. Well, not just him, actually. You were brand new to the team, and this was your first ever mission with them. He honestly didn’t blame you for still being shy, even after helping him take down a few Cult of the Kobra members.

“… Oh,” he simply said, returning his attention back to night sky above his head. “I was just looking at the stars, is all.”

You hummed in understanding, deciding to take a gander as well. There was a beat of silence between the two before you finally spoke up again. “It’s a beautiful night.”

It was Dick’s turn to hum as he decided to sit down on the grass. “Yeah…” he softly responded, flipping his cape out of the way so he wouldn’t sit on it. “You should probably make yourself comfortable, since it might take a bit for Miss M to swing by with the Bioship.”

“Ah,” you awkwardly voiced, taking this as your cue to join him on the grass. He noticed how you still kept your distance, but decided not to say anything about it. There was another beat of silence before he asked, “so, how was your first ever mission?”

“Uh… pretty good,” you answered while picking a blade of grass from the ground. “I actually had fun, I guess. I mean, as much fun as you can have while fighting a cult, anyway.” You snorted at your own words before continuing. “I was kind of scared of messing up in front of everyone, if I’m being honest.”

“Don’t worry about that,” reassured Dick. Despite knowing you couldn’t see it underneath his domino mask, he spared you a glance. “You’re still new to the whole hero thing, so no one’s gonna get on your case about anything. Not yet, at least.” He paused for a moment before fully turning his head towards you. “Besides… you did really good tonight.”

He could’ve sworn you seemed a bit taken aback by his words. Your brows were slightly raised and your eyes face abundant with curiosity. “You really think so?”

“Of course,” he affirmed. “I would never let you hear the end of it if you majorly screwed up the mission, so be glad that you didn’t.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you chuckled, eyes crinkling with amusement. A smile graced his own lips as he noticed your body physically relaxing next to him. His eyes went back up to the sky above him, allowing a comfortable moment of silence to settle between you two.

M’gann was taking longer than expected to show up with the Bioship, but Dick didn’t mind at all. The night was quiet, save for the sounds of night creatures and the distant grumbling of hogtied Cult of the Kobra members (say, he totally forgot about them). Oddly enough, it made himself feel at peace. There was a sense of tranquility that always followed the end of a mission. And tonight — a night under the twinkling specks in the sky — was definitely no exception. With a whimsical sigh, he laid back on the ground and put his hands behind his head for comfort, his eyes still on the sky.

A few minutes passed before he could hear rustling next to him. He slightly turned his head to see that you’ve decided to follow suite, your hands resting on your abdomen as you seemed to be in a trance with the stars. You looked much more relax than a ten minutes ago with your soft expression and lazy gaze. There was barely any tension left in your body, at least from what Dick could see. Perhaps the small conversation you two had helped you feel a bit at ease. He hoped that was the case, anyway.

Or maybe you were just tired after kicking some serious Cult of The Kobra butt.

When the thought entered his mind, he couldn’t help but give out a small chortle. You seemed to snap out of your trance when you heard it, your head turning to face him. He could feel your faze on him, an unvoiced question evident.

All he could do was give you a small smile and say, “it’s a beautiful night.”

You returned the smile.

“Yeah. A beautiful night.”

The quick conversation was dropped in favor of looking at the stars above.

“Have you ever been to the Flash Museum?”

“A couple of times,” Dick answered, not taking his eyes off of the moonlit water. “It pretty much ticks all of the boxes of a superhero tourist trap. Big statues, useless items put on display, overpriced merch, you name it.”

“Sounds like the Hall of Justice,” you said with an amused tone. You lifted up your binoculars to survey the area. “Does Batman have some sort of Bat Museum in Gotham?”

Dick offered you a shrug, then realized you couldn’t see it. “Eh, something like that. In the Batcave, at least. He has this giant penny and dinosaur and—”

You cut him off as you lowered your binoculars. “A giant penny?”

“Yup,” Dick responded, popping the p.

“… And a dinosaur?”

“And a dinosaur.”

He watched as you furrowed your brows. “Okay… uh… why?”

“Think of them as souvenirs,” Dick answered. “Like how Wally collects them after every mission.”

“I would’ve never guessed the Batman collects souvenirs,” you muttered while hesitantly returning to your binoculars. “Speaking of which, what do you think KF’s gonna bring back to the cave this time?”

Dick looked up at the stars as though he was admiring them for a moment, then gave an answer. “Hm… don’t know. I just hope it isn’t anything with mystic powers or gorilla lice.”

“Or needs to be taken out three times a day or else it’ll leave a little present for everyone all over the cave floors?”

“That’s technically Supey’s souvenir,” Dick laughed. “… Speaking of which, I believe it is your turn to take him for a walk this weekend.”

He watched you groan out the corner of his eye, not faltering with the binoculars. “Don’t remind me. Though I don’t understand why we began taking turns…”

“Guess mutant wolves are a team responsibility,” mused the black-haired teen. He heard you chuckle at his statement, though no follow-up comment came from you. That’s what made him decide to lean against the dock below him, getting a full view of the stars. All he could hear was the sounds of the water below you two lapping against the shore, almost like a lullaby.

“Hey, Boy Wonder.”

He hummed.

“Don’t go falling asleep on me,” he heard you tease. Not bothering to get up, he gave his arms a quick stretch. “I’m not gonna, don’t worry. Just providing a bit of sky surveillance.”

“Sky surveillance. Right.” There was a small pause before you spoke again. “How long are we gonna be out here for?”

“Beats me. Aqualad and Miss M have been down there for a while,” Dick answered as he sat up again to look at the ocean. “Wonder if they’re alright… wish the mindlink was up so we could be sure.”

You groaned. “Gotta love psychic enemies…”

A ghost of a headache twinged in Dick’s mind just thinking about past psychic encounters. “Believe me, you don’t know the half of it.”

The air was once again filled with silence. Nothing has happened on land since you and him were told your positions, and he figured it was going to stay that way till the end of this mission. Really, there was no need to keep watch of the horizon, so both of your roles were a bit useless. Not that Dick minded, however. The ocean breeze felt different during the night, not to mention there wasn’t a single boat on the water. He was getting a bit tired of constant action-packed nights, so this moment of downtime was nice for him.

Your voice interrupted the silence once more. “It’s a beautiful night.”

Dick looked over to see that you were no longer using the binoculars to survey the horizon, but to look up at the stars. He turned his head back up towards the sky and admired the twinkling lights.

“Yeah,” he finally agreed. “A beautiful night.”

“Tell me, doctor, will I live?”

Dick let out a dry laugh as he fished around for some sort of disinfectant in his utility belt. “Don’t joke around, (Y/N).”

“(Y/N) and not (H/N),” you dramatically gasped. “That totally means I’m not making it out alive…”

“It does not,” countered Dick, his more stern yet a humored smirk evident on his face. He finally found a small bottle of Bactine and uncapped it. “Now hold still before it gets infected from your nonsense blabbering.”

“Okay, I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works,” you retorted, holding out your scraped up arm so your companion could treat it.

The Boy Wonder immediately got to work. He gently held the underside of your forearm in one hand and held up the bottle of Bactine in the other. “This is gonna sting,” he warned you. It seemed as if you were going to say something, but he immediately poured some of the Bactine on your wound, causing the words to turn into a drawn out wince. He stopped pouring the liquid onto the wound and gave you a worried look. “Traught?”

“Never been traughter,” you spat out between clenched teeth.

He could feel his shoulders relax when it seemed as though you were alright. He went back into his utility belt to see if he could find a gauze of some sort. “Sorry, but you never know what icky stuff could be crawling around on Sportsmaster’s gear.” He grimaced at his own thoughts. “I bet he doesn’t even clean it.”

“Ew, Rob,” you gagged as you retreated your arm. “That is not what I want to hear right now!” You stuck out your tongue and looked at the rough abrasions on your arm. “Not after I almost got my arm taken off by his swinging… ball thingie.”

“I think it’s called a flail. And give me back your arm,” he said, finally pulling out an unused gauze (the last one in his belt, he mentally noted).

“I don’t think I want you to treat me anymore,” you sneered, though complying anyway and extending your arm to him once more.

“Thanks for your cooperation,” Dick snorted.

And with that, the black-haired teen carefully began to wrap the gauze around your arm. He made sure the entire area was wrapped to prevent anything nasty from getting into the wound. There wasn’t too much to worry about— you were lucky enough to only be not-so-gently grazed by Sportsmaster’s ball and chain — but getting a portion of your skin ripped away wasn’t exactly the best condition to be in, and he knew it was a smart idea to get it checked out post-mission.

“I hope everyone else is doing alright,” you voiced, watching Dick finish up his crude medicinal work.

“Wally radioed me a bit ago.” The caped male took a second to make sure the gauze was fastened correctly. “He said Sportsmaster managed to get his copter in the air, but they got the other guys.”

He watched you heave a sigh as you gently moved your patched up arm in circles. “Of course Sportsmaster got away. We can’t seem to catch a break with that guy, huh.” You then flopped down on the ground so suddenly that Dick feared you passed out for a moment. It seemed that you were alright, however, as your gaze was locked with the sky. “Think we’ll be able to see his copter fly above us?”

“He went East,” Dick answered in a somber tone, laying down next to you on the ground. “So… that’s a no.” His eyes found the moon pretty quickly. “But, hey. On the bright side, clear skies as far as the eye can see.”

“Thanks,” you sarcastically scoffed. He recognized the humor in your tone as you continued. “Does that mean you can point out the Big Dipper?”

“Duh,” he cackled. It suddenly dawned upon him that, no, he couldn’t point out the Big Dipper. But he was willing to bluff. “It’s…” his eyes darted around for a random cluster of stars. “Right there.”

Your eyes followed where his finger was pointing. He watched in silence as you squinted skeptically before you sheepishly said, “I honestly don’t know where the Big Dipper is, so I can’t fact check you.”

Ah. Of course. You were bluffing as well.

Laughter bubbled out of his chest at your response. It seemed to be contagious, because you were soon laughing right beside him. What was once a tranquil night was now filled with the sounds of your voices bouncing off the trees. It took a while for your laughter to die down, the forest returning to its once peaceful state.

“… I hope they know where to get us,” Dick randomly admitted.

You crooked a brow at him. “You mean to say you didn’t tell them where we were?”

“Well…” Dick scratched his cheek. “I told them we were in an area with trees.”

“That’s 75% of the area, Rob,” you deadpanned.

“Which rules out the other 25%,” he reasoned. Before you got a chance to open your mouth, he made sure to speak first. “Besides, it’s not the worst night to be stranded in.”

He watched as you gave him an unamused look, but turned your head to the sky nonetheless. “Yeah, I guess so…”

His own head turned back towards the sky while looking at the stars above. The conversation died from there, though he didn’t mind. It’s not like he was lying before; it wasn’t the worst night ever. Not too humid, probably because of all the trees, and the night birds provided a nice background noise.

“It’s a beautiful night,” he heard you utter next to him.

All Dick could do was agree.

“Yeah. Definitely a beautiful night.”

“What are you doing here?”

Dick didn’t even look behind him, his gaze still on the stars. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I mean still at the cave,” you pressed. He could hear your footsteps get closer as you sat down next to him on the sand. Once you were settled, your gaze was on him. “Did… something happen?”

“No,” Dick quickly answered. After a pause, he let out a soft sigh. “No, nothing happened.”

He still felt your gaze on him, the sand shifting underneath of you as you changed your sitting position. “But you’re still not talking to Batman?”

Just the mere mention of his name — well, his pseudonym, rather — made Dick grimace. It was still weird to him that you knew about his problems (even though he was the one that told you about them). He still kept his and Bruce’s identities a secret, but he let you know that Batman and Robin were a bit more closely related than just being crime fighting partners. With Wally being more involved with Artemis, he needed someone who was willing to listen.

And that someone was you.

“Not exactly,” he answered with a saddened tone. His eyes lowered to watch the distant waves dance under the moonlight. “He threatened to fire me as Robin again. Said I was being too reckless, or something like that. I don’t really pay attention anymore. It’s the same lecture every night, just for different reasons.” Admitting this all to you seemed to zap the tension from his shoulders. How long was he bottling that in for? He honestly wasn’t so sure anymore.

“Batman sucks,” you huffed.

Dick let a humorless chuckle escape from his throat. “Yeah, you’re telling me.” He leaned his head against the palm of his hand. “And, on top of that, I’m thinking me and Zee should break up.”

He couldn’t ignore the way your body jolted at his statement. “Seriously? How come?”

“We’re… just not meant to be,” the black-haired teen answered. “Don’t get me wrong, we have amazing chemistry, but we make better partners on the field than partners in romance.” A sad smile crossed his face. “And I can tell she’s probably thinking the same thing.”

“… I’m sorry to hear that, Rob,” you whispered, voice as soft as the crashing waves. “But I’m sure it’s for the best. No hard feelings, right?”

“No hard feelings,” he echoed. Even if it left a bittersweet feeling in his chest, he knew you were right. “So, why are you out here?”

He finally turned his gaze towards you, taking in your unreadable expression. It took a bit before you answered. “Felt like I needed a moment to get away.”

Dick cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Life’s kind of… hectic,” you shrugged. “I just needed to get away.”

“… I get that,” he remarked. If anything, getting away was exactly what he was doing. His eyes turned away from you in favor of looking at the stars. “Guess the night’s a good getaway, huh.”

You nodded. “Ironic, since that’s when most of our missions happen.”

A hum came from him at your statement. He used to think of the team as a getaway — a getaway from Gotham and a chance to be his own hero — but now… he wasn’t so sure. The more involved he was with the team, the more of a burden it became. And with Aqualad’s promise hanging over his head… the promise of being the team’s leader one day… it doesn’t make him all giddy like it used to.

Maybe he was finally old enough to understand what it meant to be a leader.

He was no longer that naive 13 year old, after all.

“Sometimes, it’s good to have a break from missions,” he sighed. “I mean, half of the team’s set for college. And I don’t even know where I want to go…” he trailed off, his frown growing deeper on his face. “If it’s not saving lives, it’s wondering what we’re gonna do with our own lives.”

“We’ve still got time,” you assured him, bumping his side with your elbow. “No need to be in such a rush just yet, y’know?”

All he could do was give a short nod. “I guess so…”

You gave a whimsical sigh next to him, arms crossing over your knees. “We’re still teenagers, man. Barely even started our junior year of high school. And while everyone else’s legal taxpayers, they’re still the same weirdos that still goof around Happy Harbor with us.” Your expression had a hint of nostalgia on it as you thought about past memories. “Don’t feel like we have to grow up so fast, ‘kay, Rob?”

“It’s Dick.”

He immediately sealed his mouth closed after he exposed his real name. Despite being older now, he still followed Batman’s identity rule and felt sketchy revealing it to anyone.

But… you weren’t just anyone, we’re you?

His eyes darted towards you, heart picking up a bit. You two have known each other for a while now. Surely, he could trust you with his real name. And it’s not like Batman necessarily forced that identity rule, anyway.

“I’m sorry.” You blinked dumbly. “What?”

After taking a deep breath, the Boy Wonder elaborated. “Dick Grayson. That’s my name. Well, Richard Grayson, but I go by Dick.”

Your brows rose. “Oh.” There was a quick pause before a small grin pulled at the corners of your mouth. “Dick… Dick Grayson… you look more like a Shawn, honestly.”

He couldn’t help but scoff at that. “I do not.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” You put a finger on your chin. “Maybe a Simon.”

“No way.”

“A Thomas.”

“Not a chance.”

“A Jason?”

“Now you’re just insulting me.”

You both erupted in fits of laughter, needing a few moments to calm down. When it was quiet once more, you offered him a relaxed expression.

“We’re both young, Dick,” you told him, then waved your hand towards the stars. “So let’s just enjoy the night.”

Dick shrugged next to you with a content smile. “I guess it is a beautiful night.”

“It is, Dick Grayson. It certainly is.”

“This place looks familiar.”

Dick stopped tossing his Escrima stick in the air to get a good look at the area. “Does it?”

“Yeah,” you confirmed, scratching your cheek as you looked at the grass. “Maybe we’ve had a mission here before.”

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “B used to send us all over the place, so I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t send us all the way to Bialya just a few days ago, Mister.”

“It’s all for the greater good, (H/N),” Dick teased.

You shook your head, hands placed on your hips. “Guess I can’t argue with that.” Your gaze went up to the moon. It took a moment before you said what was on your mind. “This new team’s doing pretty well.”

“What can I say?” The former Boy Wonder shot you a smirk. “Trained by the best.”

“Only because you were trained by the best,” you mumbled.

“Who, Batman?”

“No, me.”

Dick snorted. “You?”

“Wow. I’m hurt, Grayson.” To further accentuate your feigned sorrow, you put a dainty hand over your heart. “Even after all we’ve been through, you choose to insult me?”

“I do it out of love, my dearest (L/N),” declared Dick with an outstretched arm. He retracted it and dawned a more serious expression. “But… in all seriousness, I guess there is something…”

He trailed off. No, he didn’t want to ruin the mood with his sappy feelings. Besides, they were technically on this mission too and should be ready at the drop of a hat in case something went wrong for one of the newbies.

You, however, weren’t going to let him drop it that easily. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” he immediately blurted, though he saw the look in your eyes and realized there wasn’t anyway around this. He knows better than to keep secrets from you. “Just… you remember that one mission several years ago? I guess it would’ve been one of your first ones.”

He watched as you furrowed your brows. “Depends, what was it?”

“Cult of the Kobra,” he explained. “Rounding up the last of them after our joyride in Santa Prisca. You weren’t there for the Santa Prisca mission, but…” he quickly realized he was about to ramble, so he let a sigh interrupt his sentence. “Point is, I remember us waiting for the Bioship to pick us up after we split up with the team… and… we were just sitting there under the stars.”

“Oh. That’s right.” Your eyes lit up at the memory. “I think that was my very first mission, too. But… what about it?”

Dick didn’t answer your questions and asked one of his own instead. “Do you also remember that night we covered for Kaldur and M’gann while they were dealing with Black Manta in the water?”

“Uh…” you scratched your head. “Was that the one in Florida?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “And there was also another night when you got hurt facing Sportsmaster, and we were waiting for the others to meet up with us while I patched you up?”

“And that was a night mission,” you confirmed with him.

“We talked under the stars,” he wistfully added, a feint smile at the memory. “Just like the night when I revealed my real identity.”

“How could I forget that night,” you assured him. “I can’t believe that was two years ago.”

A nostalgic sigh came from his lips at all of the memories. Had it really been two years since he revealed his identity, four since Florida and the Sportsmaster incident, and five since your very first mission? It all felt like it was only a few months ago; maybe even weeks. But, shooting a quick glance at the blue bird on his chest, he realized a lot of time has passed since those memories. A lot of change has happened since then, but at least one thing stated constant.

Nights like this.

“I… wanted to thank you,” he finally got out. “For all of those nights.”

“But I didn’t do anything,” you reasoned. “I was just… there.”

“And that’s all I could ask for, honestly,” explained Dick. He glanced up at the sky before returning his gaze to you. “Those nights were really special to me. Sitting there under the stars, reminding me that there’s more than just missions…” he shifted his weight from one leg to another. “I know that we’re no longer kids, and we barely have the time sit back and do nothing like we used to during those nights…” he smiled when he heard your humorous chortle, then continued, “but I have no regrets slacking off with you, and I would give anything to go back to those days.”

“Dick…”

Both of you stood in silence for a little bit, enjoying each other’s presence. When was the last time you guys had the privilege of being under the stars, in the presence of no one but the other? It’s been forever since you were even on a mission together… guess that’s one of the many burdens of being a senior team member.

But, even so, here you two were, next to each other during the night sky like so many times before. Dick couldn’t fight the bittersweet feeling that rested in his chest at the thought.

He was snapped out of this thoughts when you plopped yourself down on the ground and tugged at his wrist to join him. It was a big enough surprise to knock him off center and send him careening towards the ground next you you. “Hey,” he yelped. “What are you..?”

“You should probably make yourself comfortable,” you said with a teasing tone. “The freshmen might take a bit to finish the mission.”

Dick was taken aback. He stared at you with an unsure expression, changing his sitting position to a more comfortable one. “We’re supposed to be monitoring them, (Y/N).”

“They’re big kids,” you reasoned, laying down on the grass. “And they know they should radio us if they get into any trouble.”

“So we have to be ready if they—”

“C’mon, Grayson,” you said in a drawn out whine. “They’ll be fine. And besides, we’ve always been prepared for anything, even while goofing off.”

Dick gave your proposal a moment of thought, still unsure about it. He secretly knew he should be attentive should anything go wrong, but… the offer was too enticing to pass up.

“We only goofed off because the older kids had it all covered,” he challenged, though still joining you on the grass and putting his hands behind his head. “And we’re technically the older kids on this mission.”

“We don’t have to be the older kids right now,” you mused, eyes trained on the twinkling display in the sky. He looked up just in time to see a shooting star that passed over both of your heads, which seemed to elicit a content sigh from you. “We’re just two kids admiring the night.”

His smile grew back on his face. “Yeah… just two kids.”

A familiar silence settled between you two. It was then that he noticed the soothing noises of the night, like chirping bugs and hooting owls. The cool breeze rustled some distant branches and felt refreshing against his skin. All of the tension seemed to leave his body in an instant.

“Hey, Dick?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s a beautiful night.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah… a beautiful night.”

[missrubybird]

TS4 Cottage Living Sims Part 2

Here are some more country folk to populate Henford-on-Bagley! Thank you again to the EA Game Changer Program for making this content possible! All these Sims have backstories which intertwine with each other and those of the Sims of Part 1.

Below the cut you’ll find:

Individual Download Links for the Sims

As well as a Zip File containing all the Sims

Sims’ Backstories and Traits

CC Links

All Sims have all 8 Outfits using only CL and Basegame except for those Sims with pets, those require Cats&Dogs as well, obvs..

Note: There is CC included in the Download Files, make sure to put it in your Mods Folder along with the CC linked below! ♥️

Have fun!   🐮 ♥️ 🐇 ♥️ 🐥  

CC LINKS:  Lashes // Skintone // SkinDetails // Jake’s Glasses

Credits: @cienzroza @kijiko-sims @annamsblue @pyxiidis @tamo-sim @squeamishsims @berryconfetti @vibrantpixels @vegantrait @rheallsim @simbience Thank you to @maxismatchccworld for reblogging ♥️

Note: You need the No EA Eyelashes Mod by Cienzroza for the Sims to look exactly like they do in the pictures!

➞ Cottage Living Sims Part 1

DOWNLOAD ALL SIMS HERE or individual Links below

Sim Links from Top to Bottom:

Melanie Koenig

YA // Quick Learner // Cheerful // Bookworm // Clumsy

You might think that being the local nerdy librarian and a former teacher’s pet (which her peers always resented her a bit for) means life wasn’t always easy for Melanie. Granted, she is one smart cookie but her people skills never were the best. And yet, while Melanie definitely is a bit awkward, she also has a very sunny disposition and there is very little that can dampen her spirits. She loves reading and has a huge collection of books that she adds to regularly, although the classics are her favorite. And she does prefer watching old Hollywood films on her couch with Pete her cat but every once in a blue moon when Melanie closes the library for the night, she lets Milly and Sabina drag her to the pub for a spot of karaoke.

Bella Teeluck

YA // Quick Learner // Music Lover // Childish // Neat

Bella, like Melanie, was always a good student but what Melanie lacks in people skills, Bella has in abundance. She’s especially popular with the elementary students she teaches because she starts every lesson with a song and she’s never lost the joy of playing with kids’ toys. Bella loves children and they love her because they sense that Bella is still a kid at heart. Music is very important to her and she will often get out the guitar and play pop songs while her nb kid Robin dances and sings along. And sometimes, when he has closed up the shop, Bella’s brother Jonas comes over and joins in, to the great joy of Robin, because Jonas always brings along a new children’s book.

Jake Rowland

YA // Essence of Flavor // Lazy // Bookworm // Jealous

Oh, Jake.. See, here’s the thing with Jake: Jake is majorly in love with Jonas, the local what’sitshop owner, and they have been on and off for a while but Jonas is just a bit too much of a free spirit to believe in monogamy, much to the dismay of Jake, who, let’s be honest, wants Jonas all to himself. And it could all be so perfect, because they both love to cook and they share a great passion for a good story. But Jonas can’t quite be tied down and Jake spends a lot of his time thinking of ways to convince his friend to settle down together (although Jake does like living with his sister Milly because she doesn’t mind when he slacks on his chores.. yet again). Oh, and Jake is not at all too keen on the looks that newcomer Cai is giving Jonas every time he visits the shop!

Kamilah Sabry

Adult // Domestic // Self-Assured // Ambitious // Family-Oriented

Kamilah is the proud mom of recent university graduate Cai and she’s the mayor of Henford-on-Bagley where many say she’s the best mayor the little town has ever seen. Kamilah is a power house and a doer and ‘impossible’ is not in her vocabulary! There is a lot to be done and, by golly, will it be done, if it weren’t for a certain prominent senior Henford-on-Bagley citizen, the formidable Lilly Lindgren, who seems to fancy herself a bit of a deputy mayor. The two can often be seen around town, with Lilly talking to or rather at Kamilah, giving her (unsolicited) advice and telling her how things should or shouldn’t be run and if Kamilah weren’t such a diplomat, she might just tell Lilly to shove it where the sun.. flowers don’t grow.

Prof. Saatvik Acharya

Elder // Gregarious // Cheerful // Genius // Perfectionist

Ah, yes, what would Henford-on-Bagley be without Professor Acharya, another one of the town’s staples. He still holds the occasional lecture at Britechester University but these days he prefers working in his lush garden where he cultivates the most exquisite roses, envy of many a hobby botanist around, and where he can be found playing chess and contemplating the meaning of life with Sabina or Herbert on many a lazy afternoon. Saatvik has a witty and warm sense of humor and even reclusive Delphine doesn’t mind when he comes by to chat about her roses, not only because Saatvik is so charming but also because he’s gentleman enough to leave a lady’s secrets alone. Quite unlike Lilly, who is always on everybody’s case but Saatvik and Delphine alike know well enough to hide behind their rose bushes when Lilly comes by.

Herbert Birch

YA // Muser // Gloomy // Foodie // Lactose Intolerant

Poor Herbert. Life really did a number on him when it made him lactose intolerant because, see, Herbert is a dairy farmer like his parents before him and their parents before.. you get the drift. Herbert only found out recently about his affliction but at least now he knows why he’s always been so, uhm, bloated. It’s a bit of a tragedy because Herbert loves blue cheese like no one else but he also likes writing poems ~ Herbert is a bit of a sensitive soul ~ and dreams of publishing them as none of his friends have the heart to tell him that they’re not very good. So, clueless Herbert milks his cows, composing in his mind a poem to win over Rosa, the pretty girl with the raven hair and the strawberry earrings. Maybe his friend Milly can put in a good word for him! 

Sabina Buckland

YA // Collector // Animal Enthusiast // Vegetarian // Outgoing

Sabina is a true child of nature, she lives at the edge of the forest and will often be found wandering the woods, talking to the animals and collecting what nature has to offer. You might think she’s a loner but Sabina loves people and she will always stop by the Prof’s cottage for a casual musing about the universe and how the stars are aligning that day, cheer up Herbert as he fusses over his newest tragic poem and have some coffee with Jonas who she sells the crystals and fossils to that she finds on her wanderings. Yet, for all her approachability there is something a little mysterious about Sabina and the town folk sure wonder why the mushrooms around her little house grow so abnormally large, winning the Finchwick Fair Competition five years in a row!

Note: There is CC included in the Download Files, make sure to put it in your Mods Folder along with the CC linked above!

[onceuponastory]

lies - nick fowler x reader

You only ever touch me in the dark Only if we're drinking can you see my spark And only in the evening could you give yourself to me 'Cause the night is your woman, and she'll set you free

Pairing: Nick Fowler x Female Reader Plot: Y/N senses her boyfriend Nick’s sweet words are nothing but lies. Very loosely based on the song Lies by Marina and the Diamonds. Warnings: Small mentions of moaning and love bites. Nothing majorly NSFW though. Also a tiny violence mention. I HAVE seen The 355 (feel free to dm me for my thoughts), but this one shot doesn’t have any plot spoilers for the movie. I did try to make Nick just like his character in the movie as much as I could though, so if that’s a spoiler for you I guess be warned? Hahaha. Notes: My first Nick fic is here! And it’s definitely not the last one either... I hope you all enjoy it! 

“So what’s up with you, then?” Y/N glances up to see her coworker looking down at her. Y/N frowns.

“What?” Her coworker rolls her eyes and gestures towards the corner of the room. 

“Don’t act all shy. I can see you making lovey-dovey eyes at Nick. Actually, I think half of the building has noticed by now. But then again, most of the building has a crush on him too.” Y/N’s cheeks flush slightly, despite how much she tries to prevent it. Of course, given that they work in the CIA, she can’t exactly be surprised she’s been figured out so quickly. Even if they’re both more secretaries than agents. Her coworker grins and leans in closer. “If you want, I can talk to him. Put in a good word and everything.” She whispers.

“No, no, that won’t be necessary, it-” Y/N begins, trying desperately to get her coworker to shut up. Soon, a voice cuts her off. Unfortunately, it’s the voice belonging to the person she least wants to hear from right now.

“What won’t be necessary?” Nick asks, looking between them both. Y/N notices how his blue eyes scan over her body ever so slowly. How his lips part ever so slightly as he makes his way up her body. His glance sends shivers over her entire body, and his eyes soon rest on her face. He gives her a smirk, and she hates how her heart almost stops as he does so. Why must she be so obviously in love with him? Why couldn’t Nick just be a regular person and not so fucking gorgeous?

“Oh, nothing, Nick.” Her coworker grins, looking between the pair. “But I need to go get the reports, so I’ll leave you two to it.”

“No, wait, I’ll go-” Y/N protests, but her coworker simply winks and leaves. Y/N sighs. Dammit.

“Frankly, I’m a little hurt that you’re so unwilling to see me.” Nick remarks. “It’s not very nice, you know.” She can tell he’s just being annoying to try and get a rise out of her, and despite how much her heart and body aches for him, she tries her best to ignore it.

“Nick, I’m busy right now. As I’m sure you are too...if you’d ever show it.” She responds, not looking up from her laptop.

“Oh, yes, I’m sure you are. But I just came to drop something off. See you later, babe.” He hands her a sheet of folded paper, and with one last smile and a wink, he’s gone. Sighing, Y/N opens the paper.

“Come to my place at 7.30pm. Wear something nice. Nick x”

In response, Y/N shoves the note in her desk drawer, resting her head in her hands. Unbeknownst to all of their coworkers, Y/N and Nick have been in a secret relationship for the past three months. And Y/N’s happy about it. Of course, she is. After all, she’s with the love of her life: Nick Fowler, arguably the sexiest agent in the whole of the CIA, and she sees him almost every night, whilst her coworkers are stuck fantasising about him. But despite her happiness, Y/N can’t hide her feelings of insecurity. Insecurities that have been growing stronger for the past few weeks.

From the beginning, Nick had always told her that he wanted to keep the relationship secret from everyone. “Trust me, it’s just because of my job. I haven’t got a choice.” He’d tell her, peppering her jawline with kisses as he did so. Kisses that she swears made her melt and forget her worries for a little bit. And, of course, she agreed. Because, after all, he’s an agent in the CIA. Being with her could blow his cover or put them both in danger. And Nick being hurt because of her is the last thing she wants. So that’s what she tells herself on the days when she wishes that she could introduce Nick to her parents or to her friends, because god, she finally found a good guy this time. She’s just protecting them both. That’s all.

And that’s what she continues to tell herself, even when she swears that Nick finished his last undercover mission months ago, but he’s still telling her that they have to keep things a secret just a little bit longer. Even when she sees Nick making eyes at other female agents, or when he comes to her place smelling like someone else’s perfume with lipstick marks that he’s clearly tried to wipe off still smeared on his cheeks. Even when she swears that he’s getting some sort of pleasure from seeing all the women in the office, including her, falling over themselves to talk to him. She can still picture the cocky grin on his face as they follow him down the hallways or into his office. But when she’d protest, Nick would reassure her that she’s the only woman for him by whispering sweet nothings in her ear and by pressing kisses on her jawline again. And she’d fall in love with him all over again and keep quiet for a little bit longer. She knows she’s being stupid for continuing to trust him, but she swears Nick Fowler definitely has some kind of power over her...and one of these days, she’s going to break it. If only he wasn’t so damn good at using it.

But now, she’s starting to grow more and more tired of all his empty promises. More heartbroken by his lies. She wants the world to know that she’s in love with Nick Fowler and that he’s in love with her. Or at least...she hopes he’s in love with her. In all honesty, she doesn’t want to go and spend another night with him and then be a nobody the next day all over again. Sighing, she leans back in her chair, trying to think of something to do. In an ideal world, she’d throw the paper in his face and tell him to fuck off, but her heart aches at the thought of it. She loves him too much for that. But she still has to find answers, so she knows what she has to do.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That night, Y/N arrives at Nick’s place, right on time. She knocks on the door, and Nick opens it almost immediately, grinning as soon as he sets eyes on her. He’s in a sweater and jeans instead of his usual works’ suit that she’s used to seeing him in, but he’s still just as attractive as ever. Unfortunately for Y/N, however, that means her task for the evening isn’t made any easier. Taking her hand, Nick gently pulls her into the house, closing the door behind her.

“Hey, gorgeous. I missed you so much.” He whispers, pressing a kiss to her lips. Once he’s done, he begins kissing her jawline and moving down her neck. She hates how she almost moans as he makes her way down her neck. By this point, it’s like an instinct to her. “It was so tough seeing you at work today. You looked so good in that dress. I just wanted to pull it off of you. But now...I’ve got you all to myself.” He grins before his lips return to her skin.

“Mmm...no, Nick...” She whispers as he continues to kiss her skin delicately. “Stop...” She breathes, and he pulls away from her, cocking his head to the side.

“What is it?” Y/N takes a deep breath. It’s now or never.

“I need to talk to you about something.” Nick raises his eyebrows, and before she can even continue, he speaks.

“Let me guess. You want to know why we’re not official.” He scoffs. “This again? Really?” He sighs. “Babe, I keep telling you this. We can’t compromise my mission. I’ll tell everyone after it.” Y/N shakes her head.

“Oh, that’s bullshit, Nick! You’ve not been on a mission in almost two weeks! I know this because I’m the one who gave you the report from the last one! All you do is wander around the building and annoy me to see if I’ll get a rise out of it, or to talk to all the other women in the building. Again, I guess it’s to see if I get a rise out of it.” She argues. Nick stands and stares at her, his arms folded. “I just...I just want everyone to know that we’re together, that’s all!” She announces defeatedly, throwing her hands into the air. Nick chuckles, and she hates how it makes her feel. He’s laughing at her. She’s just admitted her worries to him, and he’s laughing at her.

“Babe, if you want me to cover you in love bites so everyone knows you’re taken by me, that’s all you had to say.” He smirks at her. He leans in closer, and his eyes scan over her body once again. This time, however, she only feels anger as he does so. Nick leans in closer, as if to start marking her body, and she moves back from him.

“Nick, this isn’t funny. I’m serious. I want...” She trails off, huffing as she feels tears building in her eyes. “...I just want you to want me! To want all of me, everywhere! I want to be a regular couple who has dates in public! I’m fed up of being a secret, Nick! I’m fed up of only being yours at nighttime...just, please, no more secrecy!” She begs. “Do you have any idea how much it hurts to see all these women throwing themselves at you but knowing I can’t do anything about it? Like who would believe me, huh? Who would think that Y/N Y/L/N would be able to date Nick Fowler, the hottest agent in the CIA?!”

“Women throw themselves at me? Really? Hm. I never noticed.” Nick grins, which only makes her angrier.

“Oh please, of course you’ve noticed. I can see it all written over your face. Stop bullshitting me.” She orders. Suddenly, a thought enters her mind. “Wait...is that why you want to keep us a secret? So you can keep getting all the attention?” Nick sighs, shaking his head slightly. She can tell he’s lying right away. “It is! God, I should’ve guessed it from the start.” She scoffs.

“No, you’re wrong-” Nick begins, but Y/N continues, cutting him off.

“Of course! Where would the great Agent Nick Fowler be without all his adoring fans? He can’t handle being the best agent in the CIA, so he has to have all the women in the agency falling over themselves for him too!”

“Y/N...I’m warning you.” Nick speaks, his voice lower. “Shut. Up.” But Y/N is too invested to not be quiet. 

“Or what, Nick? Have I touched a nerve?” Nick’s face slowly starts to turn into a glare. “What is it then? Can’t you handle being called out? You don’t want to lose everything because if you do, everyone will see that without all your fans and your status, you’re really just a nobody?” In an instant, Nick storms forward.

“I said. Shut. Up. Now, do as you’re told, and shut your mouth.” He hisses, sending a shiver up her spine. His blue eyes are cold, and he regards her with a glare. “And besides, you want to talk about nobodies? Really?” He begins, stepping back from her. “You really think I’d bother myself dating some fucking secretary when I could have any woman in the whole of the CIA? Yeah, I wouldn’t. You were just a fun bit on the side, babe. You’re not the first, and you definitely won’t be the last. It was nice spending time with you though, not going to lie. Actually...” He stops himself to chuckle. “I guess nowadays people call that stringing someone along.” Her heart breaks, and Nick continues to smirk at her. Y/N slaps him hard across the cheek.

“Fuck you.” She spits. Nick chuckles.

“I already did fuck you, babe. And it wasn’t that good, to be honest.” He leans in closer. “Now, get the fuck out of my house.” 

“Gladly.” Y/N turns on her heel and walks back towards the door.

“See you at work tomorrow, babe.” He calls after her. She can just picture the smug grin on his face as he says it. A smug grin she wants to punch right off of his face. Instead, she flips him off, causing him to scoff. Once she reaches the door, she turns around, giving him one last glance.

“Go to hell Nick.”

“By the way Y/N, don’t let the door hit you on the ass too hard on your way out. I’m quite fond of it, actually.” He chuckles. “After all, if I’m not able to grab it anymore, I’d at least like it to still stare at it when it’s in good condition” With a roll of her eyes, and one more middle finger directed at him, Y/N slams the door closed.

[kazuchii]

Hihi, can I request hcs for Xingqiu, Venti, Albedo, and Diluc with a gn s/o that seems aloof but they're such an idiot? Like for the first time s/o's bf see's how soft s/o really is and s/o is kinda being a tsundere about how soft they really are. I hope that made sense ashbesjks

Aloof GN!Reader w/ Genshin Boys

A/N: Hellooo! Thank you for requesting! You’ll be my first request so I’ll do my best to fulfill everything! I hope everything seems in character, I really need to get used to writing different personality types.

Synopsis: The Genshin boys discover that their s/o is actually softer than they originally thought.

Characters: Albedo, Diluc, Venti, Xingqiu

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: N/A

Masterlist

Albedo definitely didn’t mind you being distant towards him. I mean, he struggles with interactions in general so he just assumed,

“Oh, they must struggle as well.”

He never saw it as an issue between you since he knew deep down that you deeply cared for him.

He knew you’d always come back to him at the end of the day, he fully trusted that fact about you.

Strangely enough, he found you an intriguing person due to this.

Although the citizens in Mondstadt appear to see him in a positive light, there still are many who fear him deep down. After all, he keeps his secrets zipped up inside him. They know absolutely nothing about him or anything he’s capable of.

But you…you didn’t seem to care about that. And he was thankful for that.

And that brings you to today; a bright sunny day with the rays from the sun gleaming down.

The two of you, along with Klee, were outside the walls of Mondstadt, nearby the lake surrounding the city of freedom.

Today, Klee decided to have a little play date with the two of you. While Albedo was painting away, you and Klee were supposed to play around together.

If he’s being honest, Albedo was a little nervous.

You and Klee had never played together before and due to the distant and cold personality he was used to when it came to you, he wasn’t sure how you’d react with being around a bouncy and hyper child such as Klee.

So when Albedo spotted you playing with Klee, a soft smile on your face, he had a mini heart attack.

Not because he was panicking or anything, but more because he wasn’t used to seeing you smile like this. It made his chest feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Later that day, Albedo made sure to comment on the event.

“Well, it appears you two were getting along fondly.”

“You were watching?!”

“Of course I was watching. How could I look away from that fond smile you had on your face?”

“Shut up!”

“It was very cute.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Diluc and you first met months earlier. You were just another customer at first to him while he was simply a bartender.

Immediately though, he found you interesting.

While his other customers were loud and obnoxious, you would just sit at a table in the corner of Angels Share, minding your own business.

You would only ever speak to ask for another drink, which he would always provide.

“Another glass of apple cider, please.”

He doesn’t know what came over him when he decided he mentally decided to court you. He probably will never know the exact answer either.

It wasn’t the easiest either. Courting you was one of the most difficult things this man has ever done, and somehow he accomplished it in the end.

You were challenging with your distant personality, to say the least. It seemed to him that you wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, that you didn’t see him in the way he saw you.

So when you finally accepted him after weeks, the relief this man felt wash over him in an instant is indescribable.

Now present day, Diluc finds himself heading back to Angels Share in the middle of the night. The moon was directly above him as he silently walked through the city, the only other light source being lanturns.

Due to the drowsiness that he was currently feeling, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he spotted you.

“What in the world are they doing out in the middle of the night?”

But what startled him more than the time on the clock was your facial expression. For the first time, Diluc saw you smile.

Diluc just stood frozen in time as you sat there, rubbing the belly of a stray dog, an empty bowl beside you. He could only assume you’ve been taking care of a stray.

“Who’s a good boy? It’s you, isn’t it!”

“(Y/N)?”

You instantly froze in place, your head creaking towards Diluc’s direction.

“D-Diluc.”

“What in the world are you doing up at this hour?”

“I-I could say the same for you! What are you doing up this late, huh?!”

You shot up from the ground, face beet red.

“I asked you first, love.”

“NOTHING. I WASN’T DOING ANYTHING!”

“That dog below you giving you puppy dog eyes says otherwise-“

“WHATS A DOG??”

Venti was simply just strumming away at his lyre, the sound alluring the Mondstadt citizens around him as he stood at the foot of the Barbatos statue in the plaza.

His eyes were shut as he too, was preoccupied with listening to the soothing sounds.

When his fingers came slowly to a halt, his aqua green eyes peeked open, the sound of the citizens around him clapping filling his ears.

A smile morphed onto his face.

But soon that smile increased in size. Beyond the crowd surrounding him, he spotted you. You weren't doing anything special, just standing there.

“(Y/N)!”

The bard could hardly control the excitement of you watching him doing what he adored.

Although your facial expression read that of a bored person, Venti didn't seem to mind at all at that moment. Instead, he craved your attention.

Soon enough, the bard stood in front of you, his grin somehow getting wider.

"(Y/N)! Did you enjoy the song?"

"It was nice."

Nice? Only nice? Your facial expression said otherwise. Was the song boring to listen to? Did he mess up a note? Maybe it just wasn't your type of song.

Venti's eyes narrowed in thought, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. He wanted you to say something more than just nice, he wanted you to smile for once due to one of his songs.

That is how you found yourself in this situation. Daily, Venti would find you around Mondstadt, play a song for you, and then wait for your response. He wanted you to say something more than the song was nice without a single hint of emotion before leaving.

But each time, that was your answer and Venti was getting annoyed. Not at you of course, but that he lacked the power to make you smile. He’s the Anemo God, but he can't seem to make his s/o smile.

So the astonishment Venti felt when he glimpsed his eyes over towards you after he played yet another song and saw you smiling ever so slightly, he almost dropped his lyre.

"(Y-Y/N)...are you smiling...?"

"Wait what-"

"I saw it! I saw you smile!"

When I tell you Venti was all over the place, I mean it. He was like a bouncy ball with him bouncing in every direction. But he couldn't control it. The pure bliss he felt in that moment took over all his actions.

"I-I didn't do anything. My face twitched."

"You can't lie to me! I saw it with my own eyes!"

The relationship between Xingqiu and you happened almost instantly. The two of you went from total strangers to Xingqiu always dragging you on his little adventures.

It all started with just a single sentence;

"Oh, you like Legend of the Shattered Halberd as well?"

Let me tell you, the look on his face when you said that. He always dreamed of having another person he could converse with when it came to books. So, the moment you said that he wasn't about to let you walk away without learning your name and other books you have read.

A friendship sparked between the two of you. He was one of the only people who would constantly talk with you even if you acted distantly. Soon enough, the two of you became a couple.

He wasn't worried about grabbing you from your home and taking you outside on a little adventure after he just finished reading one of his adventure novels. And of course, he'd always have a book with him during this time. You found that cute about him, but you never showed it.

Whenever the two of you would chat about books, Xingqiu was always shocked whenever you told him you haven't read a certain book.

"You're telling me you've never read The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies?!"

"Never."

That's when he shoved the first volume in your face, an immediate serious expression on his face. Blinking a few times, you accepted the book from him.

"Read it and then tell me how you feel about it. I can give you the other volumes if you enjoy it."

"Okay."

Xingqiu thought you seemed wary at first to read it. He knew you weren't as majorly obsessed with books as he was, so he internally was just preparing for you to end up not reading it.

He didn't mind it though, reading wasn't for everyone after all.

The following day though, he felt the sudden urge to stop by Wanwen Bookhouse. He just wanted to skim some of the books there, maybe purchase one or two.

But those plans immediately ended when he spotted you. You were leaning against the wooden red railings, the book he had let you borrowed flipped open in your hands. And you were a chunk through it already.

Xingqiu could've worn his eyes were bulging out of his eye sockets because the one other thing he saw was the tiny smile located on your face.

You didn't seem to notice Xingqiu before he was standing right in front of you, a huge grin on his face.

"You seem to be enjoying the book I lent you. Would you care for the remaining volumes?"

You almost dropped the book as a shriek left your mouth.

"Where did you come from?!"

"Well, I felt the urge to stop by the bookhouse and saw you. So, about those other volumes..."

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, your cheeks slightly reddish.

"I'll...pick them up later..."