#immediately added both of them to my character playlists

[jittyjames]

my favorite part of being mentally ill is taking personality tests as my favorite characters

[gamerbot-22]

Spending Valentine's Day with the Trigang!

GIF by the-princess-cinnamon

TW/CW: Written with a combination of traits from across Trigun versions, written with the idea that they and reader are in a relationship (separately), lots of pet names!!! (Mayfly, Angel, Honey, Sweetheart), I am aiming to make y'all's teeth rot on how sweet these are, barely proofread and I appreciate spellchecks!

Characters Included: Vash the Stampede, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Meryl Stryfe, Milly Thompson, Millions Knives/Nai

Recommended Listening: my love, mine all mine . a short playlist

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful day, whether you have a partner to spend it with, a friend, or just your lovely self <3

Likes and Reblogs appreciated (reblogs > likes) and Requests are Open! It’s all under the cut!

Dividers in this post were made by @/strangergraphics ☆

🥀 Vash the Stampede

GIF by kvroko

He is the most lovesick man in the world on this day, let me tell you.

You wake up and see him in bed next to you just absolutely whipped. He wraps an arm around your waist and nuzzles in close and his first words are "Happy Valentine's, Mayfly..." before just drowning you in kisses.

Originally the plan was he would get up and make you breakfast in bed but he got all caught up in being close to you. So you're making breakfast together! It turns out nice, even if you two struggle to get it right.

There's not really flowers on Gunsmoke, but he knows what they look like. So you get a drawing of all sorts of flowers, with meanings only half-remembered from books he used to pour over as a kid.

If you got him anything it takes all of his effort not to fall apart on you. (Please get him something sweet, he deserves it!!)

He wants to take you dancing so baaaad. Like serious bad. There is nothing he loves more than getting to just be close to you and spin you around.

Vash spends all day trying to find a place to take you dancing, but it's a little hard to do that when you're an outlaw and an outlaw's partner. The effort is there but it just doesn't pan out.

But you know? There's something special about slow dancing with Vash by the fire out in the desert while he hums a song to you under the stars <333

🍭 Nicholas D. Wolfwood

GIF by mine-loves

I don't think Valentine's Day had been on his radar in a very very long time, so it's probably either day of or immediately upon waking up where he realizes "Oh shit, I need to do something--"

You're about halfway through the morning thinking that you're not getting anything from him when he nearly goes ass over teakettle rushing over to you. He has a half-crushed box of sweets in one hand and a bottle of something bubbly in the other and the most embarrassed look on his face.

He mumbles out a "Sorry, Angel, I almost forgot--" and holds both gifts out to you with his head bowed, like a shy kid or a nervous dog. But you take them in your hands and give him a kiss on the cheek and he doesn't feel as bad.

You two end up sharing, and while the sweets and drinks might be cheap, the time isn't. Hell, maybe you two even end up feeding each other like those sappy couples in those newspaper ads.

He's not a man of flowery words, but he did learn a lot about the saints as a kid. I don't think Wolfwood would frame it as a gift or anything, but when there's a quiet moment he tells you the story of St. Valentine if you're willing to listen.

"He used to perform weddin's for people 'n secret," he tells you, one arm wrapped around your shoulders. "People weren't too big on the Man Upstairs back in the day, so what he was doin' was pretty dangerous. Didn't stop him, though. Or the people he married."

Then he turns his head away from you to save some face. He doesn't want to put too many ideas in either of your heads, but... the idea is kinda nice. For the future.

Once he gets past the nerves though, you get all the kisses you could want. From the crown of your head to your eyelids to your cheeks to your lips. He has a new favorite holiday <333

📸 Meryl Stryfe

GIF by mine-loves

"Ah, honey! My birthday was yesterday! You already got me a gift; you didn't have to get me anything, really!"

She says that, but honestly she's really happy that you would go out of her way to give her a gift a second day in a row. Like! You didn't have to!! But you did!!!

So she takes it and gives you a kiss and when she pulls away her face is so pink. It's precious, and with her soft cheeks she looks a bit like a sweet all on her own.

And you get such a nice gift in turn. I think she's the type to get you something to wear or decorate yourself with, so she gives you this really beautiful pendant on a chain to wear either around your neck or wrapped tight around your wrist.

She also does her damndest to have a nice dinner reservation lined up, if you're in a part of Gunsmoke that allows. She wants to get all dolled up with you and just have a nice evening in whatever luxury an insurance agent/newspaper reporter's salary can get you.

And after dinner, if you still have energy, maybe you can go to a show together! Surely somebody has to be doing something on a stage nearby, right? And if they serve food too, you can share a dessert while you listen.

I think you two end up at a comedy show and have a great time, either laughing until your sides get sore or sharing some amused-if-sympathetic if the person on stage is floundering.

By the end of the night, Meryl's pretty beat and ready to just prop herself up in bed with you. I don't think she even makes it out of her clothes, she just lays her head on your chest and drifts off on the spot <333

💼 Milly Thompson

Breakfast! In! Bed! For! Her! Sweetheart!!!

You get the absolute gentlest wake-up call. She puts her hand on your shoulder, kisses your temple, and chimes "Good morning, sweetheart! Happy Valentine's!"

While you eat she gives you her big plan for the day: Nothing! She just wants to stay in with you and relax all day. And she seems so genuinely excited for that it's nigh impossible to tell her no, especially when she assures you that she still has special things to do in mind.

Once you're both ready to be up and out of bed, she gets the radio tuned to you guys' favorite music station so there's a nice backdrop to all your activities.

Then you spend the whole day just. Making things together. Poetry, stories, silly songs for just the two of you, and all the while there's that lovely music playing and a batch of cookies in the oven for later.

And once the cookies are done and cooled, it's time to ice them! You have so much fun mixing colours and making all these pretty patterns that look absolutely nothing like the book you're using for reference.

At first, Milly is a little upset she's not as good as the pictures, but you help her realized two very important things: no one else could make patterns exactly like she is, and they'll taste delicious either way!

Your evening is spent feeding each other cookies and going over all the things you've made together, and when you kiss each other goodnight you both taste like icing <333

🔪 Millions Knives/Nai

WE'RE PLAYING IN THE SPACE HE'S HERE TOO!! Nai lovers I see you and I love you!!! /p You deserve some time with your man on the holiday, too!

I don't think he would really mention the holiday or observe it in any special way, but like...

If he's playing his piano and you come in and be quiet, he won't stop. Even when he sees you sitting on the floor or leaning against the piano out of the corner of his eyes.

He has that one piece he plays all of the time, Visitation of a Calamity/Memory of a Piano, but it's not the only one he knows. After he's finished with that one for this bout of practice, he shifts into another one.

It's calming by some definition. It's still very powerful, and it reverberates off the ceiling and in your ribs, but it doesn't feel like the usual posturing that the other piece evokes.

It's sweeping still, but less a torrent and more a breeze that catches the folds of your clothes and the air from your lungs. It feels a little like flying, you think.

He doesn't say a word to you until he finishes the suite, then without even looking at you, he asks "Is there something you needed me for?"

And I mean... is there? <333

[sherewrytes]

𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤, ℝ𝕪𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕦𝕜𝕦𝕟𝕒 14

↳ Sukuna x f! black reader

Summary: After the death of his grandfather, Sukuna Ryomen is left to shoulder the weight of his family, caring for his younger brothers, Yuuji and Choso. As he withdraws into grief, his relationship with Y/N, his girlfriend of a year, begins to crumble. When Y/N discovers the truth about his grandfather’s passing during a heated argument, it leads to a painful breakup. Now, both are navigating life apart, but Sukuna’s heart aches for Y/N. Determined to win her back, he must confront his pain and find a way to break through the walls he’s built. Can he rekindle their love, or is it too late?

contents: heavy angst, modern au, 18+, smut, dark romance, drug use, talks of depression and similar topics. (a lil )

fic warnings. ooc, profanity, mental health issues, toxic relationships, cheating, explicit smut, serious drug use, mentions of depression + more to be updated as story progresses.

Please read with proper discretion. this is a work of fiction. all characters are written to portray roles that are necessary to the plot and are in no way a reflection of their canon counterparts.

Taglist: @for-hearthand-home@clp-84@thelightknight21@favvkiki  @helightknight21@dylsw@ria-s-writes@sleepymothafterhours@sukunasstomachtongue@cosmic-lovr@imm0rtalbutterfly@kyo-kyo1

if you wanna be added to the tag list comment

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Masterlist

Chapter 14: New Beginnings

Toji's POV

I ran my fingers over the rim of my glass, staring into it as if it held the answers I was searching for. Why the hell did I sleep with Y/N? I knew damn well how Sukuna felt about her, and I wasn’t some stranger to the guy. He was my best friend, and no matter how much I tried to push it down, I knew it wasn’t right.

Y/N, though... she was like the fucked-up version of everything. She was beautiful, smart, and so damn unpredictable. Just when I thought I had her figured out, she’d pull some move that’d leave me reeling. And it wasn’t like I didn’t feel something for her. But that damn feeling of guilt always came crawling back to me, clawing at my chest.

She was too close to Sukuna, too much of a reminder of who he was—the guy who had a hold over everything, even me. And now, here I was, caught up in a moment of weakness that I knew would bite me in the ass.

Sukuna deserved better than this, I thought. Hell, I deserved better than this.

I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration simmering beneath my skin. I was just playing games with myself at this point, trying to convince myself I didn’t care. But the truth was, I did.

“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, leaning back in the chair. What the hell had I done?

I caught sight of Y/N again, this time laughing with Mei Mei and Shoko. Her smile tugged at me in ways I couldn’t explain. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the reality I had to face.

I wasn’t just caught up in a game anymore. This was real. And the consequences? Yeah, I had a feeling they were gonna hit hard, whether I was ready for them or not.

Geto's POV

I sat down next to Toji, feeling the tension in the air between us like a thick cloud. He was drinking, and I didn’t blame him. Hell, I wanted to drink too. But the atmosphere felt like it was getting heavier by the second. I couldn't ignore the way he was acting—like he had his hands tied in a situation that was just... wrong.

"They're grilling Y/N over there about fucking you," I started, my voice low, trying to keep things casual. "I mean, Sukuna isn’t shit—well, I won’t say that. He's a fucked-up guy, but he's our friend, and we... hmm, you... out of all the girls, Y/N, man?"

Toji didn’t respond immediately, but I could see it in his eyes. That guilt, that confusion. I knew him too well. The guy had always been good at hiding it, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Not me. Not anymore.

I took a drag from my cigarette, letting the smoke curl up between us before turning to face him. “You know what you’re doing, right? I get it. Y/N’s... Y/N. But you don’t want to be the one who messes with her heart. Not when she’s already been through enough shit with Sukuna. And if you think for one second he won’t notice, you’re lying to yourself.”

I looked at him seriously, watching his reaction. There was more to this than just a quick fuck. Toji wasn’t stupid—he knew the implications of what had just happened. Hell, everyone in this damn room probably did.

"You’re gonna have to figure out what the hell you want, Toji," I said, my voice quieter this time. "But don’t drag her into this mess if you don’t plan on keeping her close. Because Sukuna? He’s not gonna let this slide."

I let the silence hang there, hoping he heard me loud and clear. The last thing I needed was more people getting hurt in this fucked-up cycle we had going on.

I leaned back in my chair, the weight of my words sinking in as I watched Toji’s expression shift. There was something in his eyes that told me he was processing everything. I wasn't sure if it was guilt or regret, but it was there, and it wasn't a look I saw often from him.

"Yeah," I continued, my voice steady but firm, "if you guys keep going down this path, someone’s gonna have to tell Sukuna. We don’t need him finding out on his own, randomly."

I paused, feeling the atmosphere around us grow thicker. Toji shifted slightly, his fingers drumming on his drink, but I could see the flicker of concern in his eyes. I wasn’t here to tell him how to live his life, but damn, he had to know what the consequences would be if this went south.

“I mean, you were there when I checked on him that first time, right?” I said, my tone quieter now, remembering the chaos that had unfolded. “When I found him passed out from an overdose... you all saw the state of his room. It wasn’t just the drugs. It was everything. He was spiraling hard.”

Toji’s eyes flickered to the floor, and I could tell he was thinking about it—thinking about what kind of person Sukuna had become, the lengths he’d gone to try to cope with the mess of his life. And the more I talked, the more I realized that even if Toji didn’t say it out loud, he was starting to understand.

“I don’t think anyone here wants to deal with that again,” I said, my voice softer now, almost a warning. "And yet, if we keep pushing this, if we keep letting things spiral... it’s gonna happen again, and none of us are ready for it."

I watched as Toji’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything right away. We were both stuck in a moment of clarity, a brief second where reality settled in.

“I’m just saying,” I continued, dragging on my cigarette before flicking the ash off the end, “we can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine when it's obviously not. Either we handle it like we should, or we let it blow up in our faces. It’s on you to decide what’s next."

I leaned back in my chair, letting the smoke fill the air between us. I knew this wasn’t an easy conversation to have, but if anyone could get through to him, it would be now. Because when Sukuna found out, if he found out in the wrong way—things wouldn’t just get messy. They’d get ugly. And none of us wanted that.

YN POV

It’s 11 PM, and just as I’m about to close my eyes and finally get some rest, there’s a knock on my door. It’s been three days since I saw Toji. Three days of quiet, of nothing happening between us after that night. And honestly, part of me was relieved. I’d been second-guessing everything, wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into. But now, hearing the knock, I felt my stomach flip.

I open the door to find him standing there, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. His eyes are dark, and there’s an edge to his posture. He doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at me for a moment.

“You couldn’t just text?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light, but it comes out a little more harsh than I intended. I step aside to let him in.

Toji walks in without saying a word. He looks... stressed. More than I’ve ever seen him, and that’s saying something. He starts pacing the living room, his fingers raking through his hair like he’s lost his mind.

“I got a call,” he finally says, his voice rough. “Well, Gojo and I both got calls from Sukuna’s therapist. They wanna extend his stay. They think he’s been getting pills from someone. He’s resisting them... in a sense. But it’s bad, Y/N. I don’t know how bad. I don’t think he’s gonna come out of this on his own. Not without help.”

I watch him pace back and forth, his anxiety growing by the second. I know that Sukuna's been spiraling, but hearing it from Toji like this, in such a frantic state, makes the weight of the situation hit me harder than ever.

I stand up slowly, unsure of what to say. The uncertainty of everything we’ve been avoiding hangs thick in the air between us. As I watch him pace, I feel this pull to do something, anything to help him. But I don’t know where to start.

I reach out, my hand instinctively touching his arm to stop him. He freezes, his body going rigid at my touch. He looks down at my hand, and for a split second, our eyes meet.

His gaze is intense, conflicted, and I can see the weight of everything he’s carrying. “What does this have to do with me?” I ask quietly, my heart racing in my chest, unsure if I want to know the answer.

He stares at me, a flash of pain flickering across his face. He opens his mouth like he’s about to say something, but then he just exhales deeply and shakes his head.

“Nothing... and everything.” His voice cracks slightly, betraying the calm front he’s trying to keep. He reaches up to touch his face, dragging a hand down it, clearly struggling to maintain his composure. “I just needed to tell you... needed you to know.”

I’m not sure what he’s trying to say, or why he feels the need to tell me now. But as I watch him, I know something in him is breaking. And it feels like I’m standing on the edge of something dangerous—something that could change everything.

The silence stretches between us, thick and heavy. I want to reach out to him, to say something comforting, but I know I can't fix this. I can't fix him, and I definitely can’t fix the mess that’s been created between us all.

Finally, Toji speaks again, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. And for a moment, I don’t know what to say back. He’s not just sorry about what happened between us. He’s apologizing for everything—for Sukuna, for the situation, for the way things have played out.

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can say anything, I realize that the only thing I really want to do right now is make sure he’s okay. Even if it means stepping into a mess I’m not sure I’m ready for.

“You’re not alone in this, Toji,” I say softly, the words coming out more like a promise than anything else.

I watched him pace again, his movements frantic, like he couldn’t settle. Then, just as quickly, he stopped. His whole body seemed to freeze, tension building in the space between us. He took a few steps closer, and suddenly, he was right in front of me, towering over me.

I barely had time to react before he spoke, his voice low, rough, carrying an edge of something... regret? Pain? I couldn’t tell. “I can’t forget about that night,” he said, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.

My pulse quickened, and for a moment, I couldn’t form any words. I didn’t know how to respond to him, not after everything that had happened. After the way I had kissed him, after the mess we had created.

But he didn’t seem to need a response. He just stood there, looking at me like he was waiting for something. Like he was waiting for me to either pull away or lean in.

“I didn’t mean for it to happen,” he continued, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “But I can’t stop thinking about it. About you. About how everything feels so... wrong right now. This whole situation. What the hell are we doing, Y/N?”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I felt the weight of them pressing down on me, suffocating me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. What was I supposed to say to that? How could I even begin to make sense of the chaos we’d created between us?

“I didn’t mean for it to happen either,” I finally managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. “But we can’t just pretend it didn’t.”

He sighed heavily, raking a hand through his hair, and I could tell he was trying to piece together something that made sense. “I know,” he muttered. “But this—” He gestured between us, “—this isn’t just about what happened. I’m... I’m worried about Sukuna. He’s messed up, Y/N. And I’m just making it worse.”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself steady. "We're all messed up, Toji. But we can't keep ignoring it. We have to figure out what comes next. For all of us."

He nodded slowly, as if processing everything I said, but there was still a heaviness in his gaze. Something unresolved. Something we both knew we couldn’t ignore anymore.

“Maybe,” he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper, “but I can’t keep pretending that that night didn’t mean anything. I can’t just... move on from it.”

I swallowed hard, looking up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "Neither can I."

Toji leaned in, closing the space between us in an instant. His hand gently cupped the side of my face, his thumb grazing my skin in a way that made my pulse race. The air between us was thick with unspoken words, the weight of everything hanging over us, but in that moment, I couldn’t pull away.

When his lips met mine, it was different this time. It wasn’t the frantic kiss from before, the one fueled by confusion and desire. This one was slow, deliberate, like he was trying to make sense of everything that had been building between us. There was no hesitation. No second-guessing. Just the undeniable truth of what we had shared, and what was still lingering in the air.

His kiss deepened, his hands finding their way to my waist, pulling me closer. I let out a soft breath against his lips, feeling the tension that had been building up between us crack and fall away, piece by piece. I couldn’t tell if I was doing this because I wanted it, or if it was the weight of everything—Sukuna, Toji, the mess we had made—that drove me into his arms. But at that moment, it didn’t matter.

I kissed him back, matching his pace, letting him take control of the moment. For once, I didn’t feel guilty. I didn’t feel like I had to choose. I just let myself feel everything—the pull, the desire, the storm that had been brewing inside of me.

When we finally broke apart, both of us breathless, I knew that something had shifted between us. I couldn’t say this was a mistake anymore. The connection between us felt too real, too raw. It was as if we had crossed a line we couldn’t uncross, and neither of us was ready to turn back.

Toji’s forehead rested against mine as he caught his breath, his hands still resting on my waist. “This... we can’t keep pretending, can we?” he whispered, his voice rough.

“No,” I replied softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “We can’t.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the weight of his words settle in. The air between us was thick with everything unsaid, every lingering emotion we had tried to bury. I wasn’t sure what it meant, what would come after this. But the intensity of his gaze, the way his hands felt on me, told me there was no turning back now.

Toji pulled back slightly, his hands still resting on my waist, his eyes searching mine as if trying to read my thoughts. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” he admitted quietly, his voice filled with a kind of vulnerability I hadn’t heard from him before. “I shouldn’t be here. But I can’t stop thinking about you.”

I swallowed, my heart pounding in my chest. “Toji,” I said softly, my voice shaky. “This... whatever this is, it’s not just a distraction for me. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Especially not Sukuna or you.”

He winced at the mention of his name, and for a second, I saw the guilt flash in his eyes. “I know. I know, but fuck, Yn. I can’t stand seeing him like this. And then you... you show up in my life, and all I can think about is you.”

I looked away for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. “Sukuna... he’s not well. And you’re right, he’s been spiraling. But I can’t just forget him. He’s part of this—part of me.”

Toji’s hand gently tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze again. “I know. And I’m not asking you to forget about him. But we can’t keep pretending like nothing’s changed between us.”

I nodded slowly, a knot forming in my stomach. “I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t know what we’re supposed to do.”

Toji’s thumb traced the outline of my lips, his eyes darkening slightly as he watched me. “We don’t have to fix anything right now. We just have to figure out where we go from here.” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “And if you’re not ready for that, I get it. But I can’t keep pretending like this doesn’t matter.”

I felt the weight of his words settle heavily on my chest. This wasn’t just about a kiss anymore. It wasn’t just about the confusion or the mess we were all tangled in. It was about something real. Something raw.

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, but I wasn’t sure if I meant it for him, for myself, or for the situation we had found ourselves in.

He nodded, his lips curling into a small, almost sad smile. “I don’t think any of us are ready. But we’ll figure it out.”

And for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t sure about the future, but I was willing to take the next step forward, whatever it might mean.

His words hung in the air between us, heavy and charged, as his body loomed over mine. The sound of my heart pounding in my chest filled the silence. His green eyes, intense and searching, locked onto mine, awaiting my response. I could feel the weight of his presence, the heat radiating from him, but there was something else too—uncertainty, a need for reassurance that this wasn’t just a momentary lapse, a distraction.

But I couldn’t push him away, not when every part of me screamed for him. I needed this—whatever this was. The confusion, the hurt, the guilt—it was all too much, and in that moment, being close to Toji felt like the only thing that could keep me from falling apart.

I reached up, my hands trembling slightly as they found the back of his neck, pulling him closer. My breath caught in my throat as our lips met again, but this time it was different. There was no hesitation, no waiting for permission. It was raw, desperate—a need to forget everything else, if only for a moment.

Toji responded in kind, deepening the kiss as his hands slid under my shirt, his touch hot and urgent. I gasped as his lips moved down to my neck, the sensation sending shivers down my spine. My hands tugged at his shirt, wanting to feel his skin, to drown out the noise in my head with the heat of him.

"Stop me if you don't want this," Toji repeated, his voice low, rough against my skin.

I didn’t say anything at first. I couldn’t. The words were stuck in my throat, swallowed up by the intensity of the moment. I didn’t know what I wanted anymore, or if I even cared. I just knew that in his arms, I didn’t have to think. I didn’t have to be anything other than this—us, right here, right now.

I pulled him closer, my body responding to him without a second thought. There was no turning back from this, no avoiding the consequences. I didn’t know what this would mean for Sukuna, for Toji, for me. But at that moment, none of that mattered.

I kissed him again, deeper this time, letting go of everything I had been holding onto.

the warmth of Toji’s body against mine was the first thing I felt when I woke up. His arm was draped around me, his fingers lightly grazing the skin of my waist, his breathing slow and steady as he slept. I could feel the weight of his chest rising and falling against my back, his presence grounding me in a way I hadn’t expected.

But as I lay there, staring at the ceiling, a wave of realization hit me. Last night. Everything that had happened—it wasn’t just a blur. It wasn’t just a mistake. I had given in to the moment, to the need to feel something other than the pain, the uncertainty. But now, with the morning light spilling into the room, I was starting to question everything.

I slowly shifted, trying not to wake him, but his grip on me tightened. He mumbled something unintelligible, pulling me closer, his lips brushing against my neck. A shiver ran down my spine, but it was mixed with guilt. What had I done?

Toji had been my friend, and I had known the consequences of what could happen between us. But last night... I had thrown all of that away. For what? To fill the emptiness? To escape from the mess of emotions I had been avoiding?

I wasn’t sure.

I stayed still for a moment, letting the calmness of the morning surround me, but as the seconds ticked by, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of what had happened, what was still to come. Toji was here, tangled in the mess of sheets with me, but there was someone else I had left behind. Someone I had failed in more ways than one.

Sukuna.

But as I glanced at Toji, the one person who had been here for me in ways I hadn’t even realized, I couldn’t ignore the pull I felt toward him. Despite everything. Despite the situation we had both gotten ourselves into.

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. I didn’t know what came next, but right now, I couldn’t change what had already happened.

And when Toji’s hand moved from my waist to my chest, his touch lingering a little too long, I let myself sink back into the warmth of his embrace.

There was no turning back now.

Toji had been staying over more often these past few nights, though we didn’t call it anything official. It wasn’t a relationship, not really. We just... fucked around. There was something easy about it, something that kept me distracted, kept my mind from wandering to darker places. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t drawn to him—his strength, his presence, the way he seemed to pull me in without even trying. But there was always that gnawing feeling in the back of my mind.

Sukuna. I hadn’t heard from him since our last encounter, and while part of me felt relief, another part of me felt an undeniable worry. I knew he wasn’t doing well. I knew his struggles—he’d made it clear how much he hated being in that psych ward, how much he despised needing help. And now, Toji... Toji said he would talk to Sukuna when he was in a better place, when he had the right words to explain what had happened between us.

But how could he? How could he explain the mess we had made of everything?

I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the television, though I wasn’t watching it. My phone buzzed on the coffee table—another text from Toji, checking in. He’d stayed out late last night, and I had been left alone with my thoughts, pacing around my apartment, replaying the same questions over and over.

Was I wrong for what I had done with Toji? Was it worth it? Would Sukuna ever understand?

I sighed and picked up my phone, typing out a quick response to Toji.

“I’m just worried about him. He’s not doing well, and I don’t think anyone’s taking it seriously enough.”

The text was sent, and I leaned back against the cushions, my fingers tracing the edges of my mug. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, even if I didn’t want to admit it. I had distanced myself from Sukuna for so long, but now it felt like that distance was growing wider every day.

Toji had mentioned that Gojo and Geto had been giving Sukuna a hard time for being around me, which only made me more anxious. I knew that things had always been complicated between us, but now it felt like everything was falling apart in ways I couldn’t control. Toji had reassured me that he’d handle it, that he’d figure out how to talk to Sukuna once he was better, but I couldn’t ignore the worry settling deep in my chest.

I was afraid of what Sukuna might do when he found out. I was afraid of losing him, even though I didn’t know what we were anymore.

The apartment was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that felt suffocating. I could hear the faint hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the clock on the wall, but my mind kept racing with every thought I tried to suppress. The past few days had been a blur of emotions—guilt, confusion, desire—and I couldn’t help but feel lost in it all.

My phone buzzed again, interrupting my spiraling thoughts.

“We’ll talk to him when the time’s right. I’m not worried about Sukuna. I’m more worried about us, YN. About what you want.”

I stared at the message for a long time, unsure of how to respond. What did I want? I wasn’t sure anymore. I didn’t know if I could keep going like this, bouncing between Toji and Sukuna, trying to hold on to whatever connection I had left with either of them. I knew I needed to make a decision, but the fear of making the wrong one kept me paralyzed.

I glanced up at the clock on the wall—11:30 pm. Another hour until Toji would likely show up after his shift at the tattoo shop. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about what had happened between us, how I had allowed myself to get tangled in this web of uncertainty.

I hadn’t intended to hurt Sukuna. I hadn’t meant to betray him. But every time I tried to justify my actions, I felt more and more like I was fooling myself.

The door clicked open, and I turned to see Toji walk in, his usual smirk playing on his lips. For a moment, I almost forgot everything that had been weighing on me. I stood up to greet him, but the doubts in my mind crept back in, taking root once again.

He could see the change in my expression immediately. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft but with that same intensity I was starting to expect from him.

I shook my head, forcing a smile. “Nothing,” I said quickly, though my voice betrayed me. “Just thinking.”

He walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, his gaze softening. “I told you I’ll handle it, YN. Sukuna, the guys... they’ll all understand eventually. But you need to be honest with yourself. About what you want.”

I swallowed hard, his words cutting through me in a way I hadn’t expected. He was right. I couldn’t keep pretending that everything was fine, that I didn’t have to face the consequences of my choices. But even if I did face them... what was I supposed to do?

“You’re not the only one who’s confused,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Toji’s eyes softened as he took a step closer, pulling me into his arms. For a moment, I let myself lean into him, savoring the comfort of his touch, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t stop thinking about Sukuna. What was he doing? How was he feeling?

“Everything’s going to work out,” Toji murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

But as I closed my eyes, I knew that nothing was certain anymore. Not with Sukuna. Not with Toji. Not with me.

And I wasn’t sure I had the strength to fix it all.

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Toji and I had the day to ourselves, and for once, I felt like I could breathe without the constant weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. He was lounging on the couch, his usual relaxed demeanor on full display as he scrolled through his phone. I was getting ready to make breakfast, the quiet hum of the apartment offering a brief moment of peace.

"So, what do you wanna do today?" I asked, glancing back at him.

Toji looked up, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Nothing really, just enjoy the time. We’ve got the whole day."

I chuckled, turning back to the stove. "That’s one way to say you’re lazy," I teased, flipping the pancake on the pan.

He raised an eyebrow. "I’m not lazy, just... selective with how I spend my time."

I laughed, shaking my head. I set the plate on the table and joined him, taking a seat across from him.

Toji’s phone buzzed, pulling his attention away from the moment. He checked the screen and sighed. "Geto and Gojo are gonna visit Sukuna today. They’re going to check on him, see how he’s holding up in that damn place."

I felt a pang in my chest at the mention of Sukuna’s name. I hadn’t seen him in days, and the uncertainty surrounding him weighed heavily on me. I didn’t want to keep avoiding him, but the whole situation was complicated. Toji seemed to sense my hesitation, watching me closely.

"You should go," I said quietly. "Sukuna needs someone who gets him, someone who can really talk to him."

Toji’s gaze softened, but he didn’t respond right away. He ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly uneasy. "I’ll go another time," he finally said, not meeting my eyes. "He’s in a better place now. Geto and Gojo can handle it today."

There was a strange tension in the air. He wasn’t saying much, but I could tell he was conflicted. Sukuna was his best friend, after all, and yet... there was something that kept him from going today. Something he wasn’t saying.

I took a deep breath, trying to push aside the gnawing feeling in my gut. "Okay, but just don’t wait too long. He needs you, Toji."

He looked at me, his expression unreadable for a moment before his usual smirk returned. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll deal with it when I’m ready."

I nodded, but the unease didn’t go away. I wasn’t sure what exactly was stopping Toji from going, but I could feel it. And more than anything, I was scared of what would happen if Sukuna continued to spiral and no one stepped in.

We spent the rest of the day together, trying to forget the heaviness of the situation. Toji kept the mood light, teasing me about everything from my cooking skills to my tendency to overthink. It helped, for a while. But in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but feel like something was slipping out of reach.

At the end of the day, I knew I would have to face the reality of everything eventually. The growing distance between me and Sukuna. The confusing mess that was my relationship with Toji. And the fear that I might lose them both.

But for now, I let myself enjoy the quiet moment, the soft rhythm of the day passing by with him at my side.

Toji ordered Chinese food and I was heckling him for finally ordering something other than pizza. 

I was halfway through my spring rolls when Toji’s phone rang, the familiar tune of Gojo’s contact flashing on the screen. I raised an eyebrow as Toji answered, casually leaning back in his chair, but something shifted in his expression. It was subtle at first—just a quick tightening of his jaw—but it was enough to catch my attention.

“What’s up, Gojo?” Toji asked, his tone still relaxed but with an edge I hadn’t heard before.

I went back to eating, but I couldn’t ignore the way his body tensed. His eyes flicked over to me as he listened, and I could sense something was off. I swallowed hard, trying not to stare, but the feeling of impending tension was hard to shake.

Toji’s calm demeanor began to slip as Gojo spoke, and my eyes narrowed. I caught the words, “What did you say?” and then, “You told Sukuna what?!”

My heart dropped into my stomach.

I didn’t need to hear more. The way Toji’s face hardened, the darkening of his expression—it was enough to know that something big was happening. I leaned forward, mouthing What’s going on? as he continued to listen, his hand tightening around the phone.

“Are you fucking crazy, Gojo?” Toji snapped, his voice low, a mix of frustration and disbelief. He stood up, pacing back and forth, and I was left watching him, my mind spinning.

I tried to steady myself, but the knot in my stomach only tightened. The silence on the other end of the line hung heavy, punctuated by Toji’s muttered curses. I had no idea what was going on, but I had the sinking feeling that it wasn’t good. Not for me, and certainly not for Sukuna.

Toji ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head, still listening intently. His eyes flicked back to mine. “Sukuna said what?” he asked, a sharp edge to his voice.

I stood, unable to sit still any longer. Whatever it was, whatever had just happened, I felt the weight of it crushing down on me. My stomach churned as I waited for Toji to respond.

“Gojo,” he said after a long pause, “you better not be playing with me right now. He said, "What about Y/N?”

There it was. My name had slipped from Toji’s lips like a warning. The tone of his voice was low and serious, a far cry from the carefree man I’d spent the afternoon with. I swallowed hard, the realization slowly sinking in.

I moved closer, now standing beside him, waiting for his next words. Toji’s eyes flicked to mine, the tension in the air palpable as the conversation continued. He didn’t say anything to me, but his expression told me everything I needed to know: whatever had happened, I was right in the middle of it.

Finally, Toji hung up the phone, his face drawn with frustration. “Gojo’s an idiot,” he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But I guess... Sukuna knows now.”

My heart hammered in my chest. “Know what?” I asked, the words barely coming out.

Toji’s eyes met mine, and I could see the guilt swirling in them. “Knows about... you and me. He’s not taking it well, Y/N. Gojo told him everything.”

[ilovepinof]

HI! I’m currently making a Dnp Youtube playlist so I can fully introduce them to my mother (since shes going to TIT with me). Do you have any favorites/recommendations??

I’m adding more post hiatus vids since thats the energy we’re mostly getting on tour, but i’ll take anything :]

A silly bonus: The other day I gave her a short rundown of the timeline, and she pauses me and goes “Oh they live together?”, and I said yes expecting her to inquire further but she just went “Very nice.” 😭😭😭 so either shes completely clueless on the dynamic or understood it immediately, but I found that funny.

(I literally saw a big post about this yesterday I wish I could find it but alas I will try to give my best suggestions)

This post can be useful for anyone who has friends/family going to TIT with them that may not know much about Dan and Phil!

This post could also be useful to share with any friends who want to get into Dan and Phil

Feel free to pick and choose, you obviously don't have to watch every single one of these with your TIT buddy.

Category 1: Dan and Phil Lore - There are a few current videos that can give insight into past&present Dan and Phil lore without having to go super duper in-depth with her about everything.

Dan and Phil React to Every Phil is not on fire! #1 - I feel like anyone whos seeing TIT should be aware of Pinof lore but maybe thats just me because...I mean look at my username. I think watching PINOF react #1 is good enough because its the core trilogy and explains their origins well

Are Dan and Phil Connected? - I'd describe this video as taking a ton of shots of Dan and Phil lore rapidly at once, though she wouldn't understand everything she could at least begin to know stuff!

Both Pizza Mukbangs!! Here is mukbang 1 & here is mukbang 2. I feel like these two videos really encompass a lot of what Dan and Phil have gone through in the last few years and lay a good foundation of the tour.

Halloween Baking - SLIME AND SADDNESS CINNAMON ROLLS - Dan and Phil baking is a core part of Dan and Phil content and cannot be missed. This one doubles as a fun activity! You can bake and watch Dan and Phil together! Me and my (non phannie) partner did this and it was so much fun.

Any WDAPTEO - Heres a link to the most recent one

One final option in this category would be either of the dnp react to phan twt videos because it would explain the fans more but I don't feel as if this is necessary.

Category 2: Dan vs Phil - I feel like Dan vs Phil really shows a lot about their individual characters and dynamics. I'd start her off with these videos to get her into the world of Dan and Phil a little. Here are the ones I suggest.

Dan vs Phil IS BACK! Switch Sports

Is Dan smarter than Phil?

Dan vs Phil - FALL GUYS!

PARTIAL KITCHEN REVEAL SHUFFLEBOARD SHOWDOWN!

Category 3: Misc - Videos that I could not fill a full category for but I think would still be good.

This game ended our friendship - Bread and Fred - In a similar way that I feel like Dan vs Phil shows their dynamics well, I think it's important to also show the chaos of their team work. This one was one of my favs I rewatched it so much.

Who is the liar? Dan Phil or Pj - Whats a better way to get to know someone than Dan and Phil with one of their good friends? I highly suggest any Dan Phil Pj Soph video!!

GOLF WITH SLITS - Dan and Phil Play: Golf with Friends #9 - An iconic channel series.

Category 4: (some of) ILOVEPINOF's fav comeback videos - These videos were just my personal favorites. Think of this list as kind of "extra things you could watch" because they're all reallly good videos in my opinion.

Dan and Phil's raging Trombones

Trunk Dexting with Pan and Dhil

Dan and Phil Dress Each Other

Forcing Dan to Watch MORE Tiktok Likes

THE BACHELOR PARTY - Dan and Phil play The Sims 4: Season 2 #5

[islandofsages]

darling heart.

summary: in which you are someone who participates in/identifies with jirai kei culture.

characters: heartslabyul boys x gn reader

tags: relationship not specified, fluff, imagines format

warnings: mentions of mental health, mentions of self-destructive tendencies

author's notes: hiiii this is very self-indulgent bc i am a jirai kei babe,, im specifically a jirai danshi <3 i might do for other dorms too, depending on my motivation lol you can find out more by searching up jirai kei tho dont just read the jfashion wiki for it, it's more than just a fashion style. also beware of potentially triggering stuff since it deals with mental health and all

Riddle Rosehearts

He’s intrigued by this subculture that you participate in and he’d ask you more about it, if you don't mind telling him - he’ll do his own research too anyway

When he finds out it's basically a subculture consisting of people with emotion dysregulation issues and is generally controversial, he checks up on you and asks you if you're okay or not

You laugh then – you’ve had your ups and downs but really, so has everyone. You hope reading about it hasn't scared him off

He’d feel like calling you a “landmine type” is too insensitive but you assure him that there's nothing to worry about and that people who participate in the subculture has reclaimed such stereotypes and fully embrace it

He’d really enjoy seeing you decked out in jirai kei fashion; he may want to try it himself but he’d insist that it's not in his place to participate, only support from the sidelines

You do get him to try out clothes that are similar to or inspired by the culture though – he seems to be comfortable in the style and you're happy that something that you enjoy can also bring the same joy to him

You’ll also recommend some songs to him, especially ones that you think would help him in studying despite the sometimes concerning lyrical content

If someone tries to bully you for identifying with the subculture, he’d step in immediately and defend your honor

“What right do you have in deciding what (Y/N) identifies with? That's what I thought. I’m always in the right.”

Through your downs and ups, Riddle will always be there for you.

Ace Trappola

He has heard of it before but he thought it was only a type of fashion, not a whole subculture with more substance to it than clothes

You’d infodump to him all about it and your journey with it, whether you just discovered it or have been identifying with it for a long time – he listens to you curiously all the while

He’s caught off guard for a moment by the more controversial and depressing part of it but he quickly recovers

He’s happy for you and glad that you’re comfortable having such a culture define a part of you

Though he implores not to do all the self-destructive stuff if you could and he’ll look out for you more just in case

He definitely thinks you rock while wearing your jirai kei outfits; it’s not his style but he wouldn’t mind trying it once, just to get a feel for the style

“Yeah, this is definitely not my thing… you, on the other hand, look pretty awesome.”

You’d give him a link for your playlist (or a playlist you’ve saved) and he’d listen to it when he’s bored – ends up adding a few songs to his personal playlist

If he finds anyone stereotyping you unnecessarily, he’ll call them out, saying as if they’re any better

Despite everything, you are still uniquely you in his eyes.

Deuce Spade

He apologizes for not knowing too much about it when you bring it up and you tell him it’s okay because it gives you an excuse to ramble about it

You tell him what it entails and how you’ve come to find out about it, sifting through your past experiences both good and bad

He tries very hard to be understanding, even if he doesn’t really get it. You’re just grateful to have his support

“I don’t really get it but it gives you a sense of community, right? I think that’s pretty cool!”

He’s also a little concerned about the mental illness part so he’d regularly check up on you to make sure you’re doing okay

He’d ask you to tell him more about your experiences with the subculture if you have any more and if anything exciting happens, you go to him first

Such as acquiring a brand new article of jirai kei clothing for example! He thinks the style is super pretty and fits you really, really well

He’d listen to the music together with you, sharing earphones and all – maybe he would even listen to them while he tries to do anything

He’ll be your guard dog and bite back whoever dares to make fun of you for being part of the subculture’s community you’ll have to calm him down sometimes

You couldn’t ask for a better cheerleader than him.

Cater Diamond

He’s always known about the subculture and although he doesn't participate in it, he thinks it's really neat

You tell him more about it and about the misconceptions people have about it so that he doesn't misunderstand

He’s super stoked that he knows someone in real life who actually participates in the subculture since he gets to see how it actually is in reality

He mostly knows about the fashion and when you come rocking up to him wearing the classic jirai kei look, he tries his best not to fanboy

He compliments you then proceeds to ask you where you got it – though cute styles like it aren’t his thing, he feels like he can give this style a try

He’d match with you on days he doesn’t feel too uncomfortable with more cutesy styles and snap pictures of you two to post on Magicam

He’d also go scouring for the music online to add more songs to his already rapidly growing playlist. He’d share some recommendations with you too!

Unintentionally got you more jirai kei friends since some people saw his posts about matching with you on Magicam; even people you already know commented on his post

“Look at us, (Y/N)! We’re totally Magicam-famous now~”

You laugh with him, head thrown back while the seeds of your relationship bloom behind where the two of you sit.

Trey Clover

He doesn’t know too much about it so he’ll ask you to explain to him what it is – to which you excitedly agree to

You tell him everything from the origins to how you’ve come to participate in the subculture – he nods patiently all the while

The mental health part of it has him questioning you a bit but he has no ill intention, he’s simply looking out for you and is worried about you

He’s supportive all the way and thinks it’s nice that you have something you’re passionate about. He’d even do his own research when he has the time

He’s pleasantly surprised when you show up wearing jirai kei fashion one day; he definitely thinks you look striking in the get-up

He wouldn’t mind going with you if you were to shop for more jirai kei-related things – he would joke you’ll have to repay by helping him out another time though

He’ll listen to your song recommendations and if he likes them enough, he’d listen to them while he’s in the kitchen. He likes that they remind him of you

“Oh, this one’s pretty catchy. …These lyrics though…”

Going places with you certainly catches attention sometimes but he doesn’t mind, as long as you’re happy and comfortable in your own skin

His name truly defines him – you sure feel lucky to have him in your life.

[empydoc]

i keep getting miku on my fyp so in honour of that:

which of the redacted boys like, are neutral/unaware of, or dislike hatsune miku?

* all personal opinion. if you disagree that’s completely ok!

forewarning: this post is a mess

who likes miku?

the biggest mf miku fans, in my humble opinion, would be geordi, guy & marcus. all for different reasons.

geordi actively likes miku songs, engages in fan works of miku, and is a generally big fan.

guy isn’t a miku fan because he likes her music or anything, but instead it’s because he finds her incredibly ‘iconic’ & interesting. he’ll sing her praises for the meme and insist she was the one who made minecraft.

marcus is simply a nutcase.

other miku fans include:

• gavin, who was introduced to vocaloid music by freelancer. he likes her a lot. caelum follows this same process.

• asher, who found good vocaloid music in his late teens & never really ‘grew out of it’. even so, i don’t think he’d ever tell other people about liking it unless asked prior.

• flyboi ivan feels like the type to have heard a song involving miku in passing and being like ‘damn this kinda hits’ and later finding it online and going down a rabbit hole (pun).

• lasko moore who’s been a huge fuckin fan for the longest time and, upon finding out freelancer enjoys hatsune miku as well, had to act Incredibly Normal

• elliott, who was introduced to it by his partner as well and started adding certain songs to his playlist over time.

• and anton, who either was recommended certain songs by his lover or heard in passing and found a liking for the ‘genre’.

who’s neutral/unaware of miku?

by neutral I mean ‘has no defined opinion’ & by unaware i mean ‘hasn’t heard/hasn’t identified any vocaloid/miku songs before’.

the biggest ‘meh’ people of miku in my opinion include blake, damien & david. all for different reasons, naturally.

blake has heard vocaloid, but finds since he doesn’t understand it necessarily (both as a language thing & a concept), there isn’t much to look into.

damien knows of hatsune miku, but it’s the case of being overexposed to it which causes him not to want to engage. maybe he just needs a bit of encouragement or recommendations?

angel certainly has listened to hatsune miku & enjoys it, but david isn’t necessarily interested. he doesn’t like or dislike it.

others neutral on miku include:

• camelopardalis, who’s been recommended songs but never really clicked with them

• huxley, who doesn’t really ‘get it’ the way he gets certain other music (but he isn’t opposed to listening more and forming a different opinion!)

• milo greer. man hasn’t found that song for himself

• ollie, who used to be a big fan but now finds that he doesn’t like newer songs compared to older songs.

those unaware of miku include:

• brachium.

• hush

• sam collins

• avior

• morgan kyne

• vincent solaire

who dislikes miku?

the biggest hatsune miku HATERS include hudson, kody & aaron. all for varying reasons.

hudson used to listen to miku songs so much that eventually he got sick of them and cannot listen to one without missing how it used to hit before. if anyone plays one unprovoked he’s immediately outta there.

kody, like the hater he is, just dislikes fun. dislikes miku as a character, as a vocalist, as a music tool, as everything. awful.

aaron never got it, and finds the ‘hype’ unnecessary. he’s never really gotten into that sort of music anyway.

others who dislike miku include:

• james. just doesn’t care, man (would be way different if his spouse liked her)

• adam, who i feel is the type of guy to only like one genre and detest every other genre ever.

• porter solaire, who heard one song & disliked it, so he didn’t delve into anything more

• regulus. idk. he just doesn’t like anything i think.

• vega. who cares???

other

alexis solaire finds a guilty pleasure in vocaloid. especially miku. specifically miku.

one time brian found marcus listening to vocaloid during work hours and just sighed

lasko vs kody: miku wars. who’s winning?????

that’s all 🦉

[audacityofbird]

The second playlist I made today, posting just under the wire for the third day of kindness month that @st-loveconfessions is hosting.

I made a playlist for @katdeerly 's "you remind me of someone (it's probably you)"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47525299/chapters/119772661

I heard one of these songs a week back and it immediately made me think of this fic. I immediately dmd Kat because I'm an obnoxious fan girl for her and this fic. So when this challenge came up I was 1 song down 10 to go lol. ( I edited because I forgot I added the darkness in the final hour leaving the final count to 11)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0lcRXDhncarVQce0Ot4um4?si=X8wYbO17TRebZmEn56aIng&pi=TkJfAQIfR-uaq

Someone new- Hozier

Steve coded. This universe Steve coded. That's all I'll say. Vibes vibes vibes and Steve.

Up all night- the boomtown rats

This is the song that screamed at me. It's Steve. It's ho. Wandering the city with insomnia. I can see it like a movie and if this fic had a soundtrack this being on it would be incredible to me.

Family line - Conan Gray

This felt very Eddie in this fic coded to me. The family dynamic he struggles with and how he relates and doesn't is so poignant in this fic and a big part of what I love about it. The theme woven in this fic about belonging resonated with me deep and is a big reason why I love it so much.

Why am I like this?- orla gartland

Steve coded but I think both characters in this fic struggle in ways that make this song resonate with me in the lens of his fic. It felt very much in line with Steve's inner monologue on page and potentially off page with what's happening around him. Feeling conflicted about the predicaments he found himself and the patterns he falls into having the bleeding heart he does.

Softness as a weapon - kindness

This felt like the moments Steve and Eddie come together and in moments of friendship, authenticity and vulnerability they show parts of themselves to each other and those are the cracks where the love spills out and the fall for one another.

TRY- Madison McFerrin

Again. More vibes. The way their friendship evolves with a love under the surface under a veil of secrecy and a lie. I can't explain it but it fit in my mind in some way and I loved it for this and them.

Sometimes - mannequin pussy

"And why'd you go and take your life

And try to fit it into mine?

I know that it's not right for us

To stay

But sometimes

Oh, sometimes

(Come and leave your lonesome ways behind)

Oh, sometimes"

It's them, your honor. I won't take any questions at this time.

Don't delete the kisses- wolf alice

Oh God, this one. Ok so the whole foundation of Steve in this one is he falls in love with everyone he meets so easily. He's everything to everyone as he puts together the puzzle pieces of a found family together after his own family of origin slipping away.

Parts of the song feels like that and how his friendship with Eddie and the Wheelers evolves ... And then when conflict arises ... It all comes crashing down-

"what. If. It's. Not. Meant. For. Me? Love. "

Big black car- Gregory Alan isakov

I hate to say this again but don't say I didn't warn you... This song just felt the way this fic felt. So again. My redundant ass says, vibes.

These days- Nico

After the conflict but before the resolution vibes. Steve wandering the city evolving in the "after".

I believe in a thing called love - the darkness

Last chapter resolution vibes. I also feel like it's end credits magic. ( I know I can't help it, I moviefied it again, I'm sorry. ) And besides that, I thought it was a fun way to end the playlist.

Ok fine I'll read it again. If you havent you should too ❤️

[erinelliotc]

A tip I give as a listener and music lover: don't give up on songs after listening to them for the first time.

You know, one thing I've learned from my experience listening to music (and which I'm confirming even more now that I've started listening to Will Wood) is that sometimes it's not that you think the song is bad or meh, sometimes you just haven't listened to it enough. Sometimes it's not that you don't like the song, you might actually like it and just not be in the mood to listen to it at that exact moment. And especially if you're listening to several songs at once for the first time, you may not absorb them all well, so it's important to listen to them again other times.

This happened to me with a lot of The Living Tombstone songs. I'd listen to a song for the first time and think "That was kind of weird, I didn't like it very much", or "That wasn't bad but it wasn't good either", then I'd decide to listen to it a few more times, usually at other times, and then I'd start to LOVE the song.

Now this is happening to me with Will Wood.

Before going to the main topic I'll contextualize the following: I discovered Will Wood through "I / Me / Myself" on TikTok (don't judge me I'm trans okay 😭 this song means a lot to me. This is still my most listened song of his so far, but "Front Street", my favorite Will Wood song, is almost taking the top spot) because of an edit (made by @flowerpuff09) with Double D from "Ed, Edd n Eddy" (my biggest hyperfixation) and it immediately became a song I listened to every day almost all the time for many weeks and I even made 4 Eddy edits with this song (first I realized that the song on Spotify wasn't exactly the same as the one in the edit, and then I discovered that there was a demo version and an official version, and I ended up loving both equally in different ways). So in another Ed, Edd n Eddy edit on TikTok, this time an Eddy edit, I discovered "The Main Character" and loved it, and then I discovered that it was ANOTHER fucking Will Wood song! At that moment I thought I should listen to the rest of his songs because it was already the second song of his that I loved, and so I did.

The first time I listened to all of his songs (January 30th), I added to a playlist the songs that I felt I really liked from the first time I listened to them. If you're curious to know what songs they were here's the list so you can judge me (observation: I listen to the 2015 "Everything is a Lot" album except Aikido and EIAL / Destroy to Enjoy, and to the 2020 Remastered Version of SELF-iSH):

6up 5oh Cop-Out (Pro / Con)

Skeleton Appreciation Day in Vestal, NY (Bones)

Front Street

Thermodynamic Lawyer Esq, G.F.D.

Chemical Overreaction / Compound Fracture

Cotard's Solution (Anatta, Dukkha, Anicca)

Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In!

Suburbia Overture / Greetings from Mary Bell Township! / (Vampire) Culture / Love Me, Normally

2econd-2ight-2eer (that was fun, goodbye.)

I / Me / Myself [demo]

I / Me / Myself [official]

…well, better than the alternative

Outliars and Hyppocrates: a fun fact about apples

BlackBoxWarrior – OKULTRA

Marsha, Thankk You for the Dialectics, but I Need You to Leave.

Love, Me Normally

Memento Mori: the most important thing in the world

Your Body, My Temple

When Somebody Needs You [Song]

Tomcat Disposables

The Main Character

Against the Kitchen Floor

Willard!

Then I listened to my 23-song playlist non-stop for almost 3 weeks. And even the songs I already liked seemed to get better over time after listening to them more times, like "Marsha, Thankk You for the Dialectics, but I Need You to Leave.".

One day while reading Reddit, I saw some people commenting about not listening to "Euthanasia" because it was too sad, then I decided to watch the "Euthanasia" music video and ended up crying and loving the song, so I added it to my playlist. 2 weeks later, I added "Mr. Capgras Encounters a Secondhand Vanity: Tulpamancer's Prosopagnosia/Pareidolia (As Direct Result of Trauma to the Fusiform Gyrus)" to my playlist too after giving it another listen and really liking it (I was trying to increase the number of songs on this album because I felt sad listening to only 3 songs, even though it's a small album). A few days later I added "Ferryman" and "The First Step" after watching a video compiling the best parts of Will Wood's songs. Almost a week later I decided to give the "Everything is a Lot" album another listen and then I added "White Knuckle Jerk (Where Do You Get Off?)", "(Cover This Song) A Little Bit Mine" and "Lysergide Daydream". I also added "Venetian Blind Man (Song)" after seeing someone on Reddit say it was an underrated song, listening to it again and realizing it really was.

And something unusual happened. Somewhere in the middle of all this I also removed "BlackBoxWarrior – OKULTRA" because even though I liked it the first time I listened to it, it became a song I kept skipping, then I realized I didn't like it that much (please don't kill me. I know a lot of people love this one, but I found it to be my least favorite on "The Normal Album"). Whether I like or dislike a song ends up being about the sound, not the lyrics, mainly because English isn't my first language, so I end up not caring that much about the lyrics. It's not that the lyrics aren't important to me, what happens to me is:

If I like the sound of a song, and the lyrics also talk about something I like, identify with or find important, the lyrics come as a bonus so I like the song even more

If I like the sound of a song, but the lyrics have nothing to do with me, the song is still just as good for me

If I don't like the sound of a song, but the lyrics talk about something I like, identify with or find important, it doesn't change anything for me, it doesn't make me enjoy listening to the song one bit

Basically, the lyrics make songs I already like better for me, but they don't make a song I don't like better, or a song I like worse.

Fun fact involving me not being a native English speaker: besides Will's lyrics being very abstract in general, I'm also not fluent in English and I never made any effort to pay attention to his lyrics either, so I had no idea what "Tomcat Disposables" was about. But every time I heard it, I became inexplicably extremely sad and melancholic and even teared up even without knowing what he was talking about. One day I decided to look for the meaning and now I know that it made perfect sense to be sad about this song, and of course now I feel even sadder than before listening to this song. He did a really good job of making the melody capture the sad feeling of the story.

So from March 15th until the day before yesterday (for 1 month), I listened to this playlist of now 30 songs. So the day before yesterday I decided to listen to his albums again, and now I just added one song after another. The more I listen to his songs, the more I realize that I actually really like them. The songs that were added practically all at once were:

¡Aikido! (Neurotic/Erotic)

Everything Is a Lot

Destroy to Enjoy

2012

The Song with Five Names, a.k.a. Soapbox Tao, a.k.a. Checkmate Atheists! a.k.a. Neospace Government, a.k.a. You Can Never Know

Dr. Sunshine is Dead

Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)

Cicada Days

That's Enough, Let's Get You Home

Um, I Mean, It's Kind of a Lot

Half-Decade Hangover

Vampire Reference in a Minor Key

Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n' Roll

White Noise

Yes, I like "Destroy to Enjoy" more than "BlackBoxWarrior – OKULTRA", leave me alone. And yes, it took me a while to like "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)". It's my second least favorite song on "The Normal Album", but it's still good enough for me to put on my playlist. I swear, I REALLY wanted to like this song more, considering that "The Lorax" and especially the Once-ler were hyperfixations of mine in 2021. And yes, it took me a while, but now I love "The Song with Five Names [etc etc insert 4 more names here ...]". "Cicada Days" also finally got a special place in my heart, but the one I'm listening to most from the album "In case I make it," is "That's Enough, Let's Get You Home", the ending really touches me.

Anyway, now I have a playlist of 44 songs. I may still add more, but in general I'll enjoy listening to all of his songs (except "You Liked This (Okay, Computer)" and generally those that are only instrumental), even the ones I don't consider favorites (the ones that aren't on my playlist).

Then that's it. Give a second, third, fourth listen to that song you didn't like. It might even become a song you love and listen to all the time.

[dragons-and-dwarves-are-nice]

To the Shadows that Cry Witch /// Chapter 23

WELCOME TO PART 3!! AHHHH I'm so excited that we've finally reached the actual hobbit storyline. It's been almost 3 months since I uploaded the last chapter, but I've made it worth it by returning with a double chapter package, so I hope you're around this weekend for when I post chapter 24! Enjoy! <3

Summary: When two girls fell into Middle Earth, excited at the prospects of living through their all time favourite novel, they find things are not as they seem. Something is watching them, as if they're being dared to reveal their secrets. How will they survive the challenges of the journey, dealing with the darkness that follows them, alongside certain two princes who are fascinated at everything they do, and a brooding, grumpy king who begins to suspect that they aren't telling the whole truth.

Where were they from, really? They did take the rabbit hole down, after all.

Tags: Kili x oc/reader - Fili x oc (POV to be written soon) - Thorin's company × ocs/reader (platonic) - fluff - angst - EXTREME slow burn - crack - Bagginshield

Word Count: 4542

Warnings: Swearing.

Taglist - comment or message to be added!

Want some background music? Check out my Soundtrack Playlist!

Now available on Wattpad and AO3 (please let me know if links aren't working)

< Chapter 22 // Chapter 23 // Chapter 24 >

Part 3: Chapter 23 -

The Shaquille O’Neal of Improvisation.

Oneirataxia (Definition): The inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

(Noun / Origin: Derived from the Greek word 'oneiros', meaning dream and 'taxis' meaning arrangement / one-er-tax-ea)

Bag End, Hobbiton, The Shire – T.A. Monday, 25th April 2941 of the Third Age (Monday, 5th Thrimidge, 1341 in Shire-reckoning)

Our eyes widened, a silence falling over the both of us as we stilled. Staring at each other, we remained frozen like statues, listening for the words we had been desperately anticipating for the past 19 months.

And just like that, our prayers were answered.

“What do you mean?” Grumbled an oh-so familiar voice, and I felt the hairs on my arms stand on end. “Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not?” The two of us practically scrambled onto our hands and knees, hovering our ears near the bush to catch every word. “Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning, or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?”

I leant up on my knees, ignoring the sharp sting of a random thistle that Bilbo had forgotten to meticulously weed out. Grasping Kay’s shoulder, I held my breath, preparing for what was about to be revealed in front of us. Something we had been waiting an eternity for.

Slowly raising my head, my eyes immediately locked onto the tip of a pointy, grey hat, and I felt my heart drop to my stomach in nerves and excitement as I rose up further, the hat entering my view inch by inch until it revealed the person wearing it beneath.

Kay grasped my wrist that was still latched onto her shoulder, and I felt myself practically shaking as Gandalf the Grey himself finally came into view. I was almost back in my living room, watching the original scene play out, the shot from the TV coincidentally lining up with the view that was in front of me.

My eyes darted between Bilbo and the tall wizard in front of him, and I felt a tiny bit of relief at the sight of someone taller than me for once. But that didn’t last much longer as the initial shock silenced my spinning mind, taking in the two once-fictional characters with rigorous intensity. Kay and I refused to budge an inch, determined to catch and absorb every second of this moment and keep it seared into our minds for the rest of eternity.

Eyes as wide as owls, our gazes flicked to Bilbo as he squinted up at Gandalf.

“All of them at once, I suppose?” he muttered, waving his wooden pipe around slightly to emphasise.

At this point I could practically hear the soundtrack, the happy Shire tune shifting to one of uncertainty. Gandalf’s expression morphed slightly as he grasped his staff with both hands. Furrowing his brows at the hobbit, he regarded him with a disapproving look, a grumbling hum of unsatisfaction escaping his throat as Bilbo continued to stare up at him in bewilderment.

A moment of silence passed as the two continued their glaring contest, until Bilbo’s usual lack of patience for odd manners got the better of him and broke the quiet.

“I’m sorry, can I help you?” He sputtered out, blinking profusely as if that would help him grasp the situation.

Gandalf’s expression and stance hardly changed as he replied. “That remains to be seen.” He half-muttered, his cryptic wording confusing the poor hobbit further. “I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.” He explained slowly, and we waited patiently for Bilbo’s reply. That was, until Gandalf’s piercing eyes snapped over to where our heads were peeking over the bush, sending a jolt up our spines. “And it’s been rather difficult to find anyone.” He exclaimed, voice raising slightly, almost causing us to cower.

Bilbo continued to squint up at Gandalf, his pipe dropping from his half-open mouth as his brain caught up with what was said. Soon enough, he noticed Gandalf’s gaze had wandered elsewhere, and he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes landing on us. “An – an adventure?” He guffawed, turning back to Gandalf, and his toned shifted to a rather snarky one. “Now, I don’t imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures.” Desperate to do something that would get himself further from the wizard and closer to us, he stood up from the bench and stepped over to the letterbox. “Nasty, disturbing –” He reached inside, grasping the letters. “– uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.” He exclaimed before shoving his pipe between his teeth, absentmindedly sorting through the letters and envelopes in his hands as he made some odd noises to try and convince the wizard his interests were elsewhere. He spared Gandalf a brief glance – though it was more of a glare – and noticed the wizard’s eyes were still on us, observing without saying a word. Stepping in front in an attempt to block his view, Bilbo stuck his thumb behind his braces, opened his mouth to continue, but hesitated, instead giving a curt “Good morning.”, and quickly turned towards the door, where he motioned stiffly with his arm for us to follow suit.

Kay and I glanced hesitantly at each other, before rising to our full heights. I found myself unable to move, continuing to stare at the robed figure stood tall at the tiny gate as he returned it with his own scrutinising and wholly unsettling gaze. Though it barely lasted a second as his gaze shifted to one of frustration as he looked over at Bilbo’s retreating figure.

“To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took’s son,” he called out, raising his voice. “as if I were selling buttons at the door.”

Bilbo’s head swivelled round, his body following not long after with a startled look upon his face. “Beg your pardon?” he sputtered.

Gandalf let out a huff, switching his staff to rest in one hand as he spoke. “You’ve changed,” he breathed, a reprimanding tone of disappointment underlining his words. “and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins.”

Bilbo’s brows furrowed, leaning forward slightly as he seemed to properly take in the wizard’s appearance for the first time. “I’m sorry do I know you?”

I felt quite awkward, standing by the door fiddling with my hands whilst witnessing the exchange, watching with bated breath as Bilbo desperately tried to end the conversation, then also for one to say something that would set the other off. And if my guesses were correct, that was going to happen relatively soon.

At this point Gandalf’s demeanour had shifted from quiet, obvious frustration to one of exasperated amusement. “ Well, you know my name, although you don’t remember I belong to it. I’m Gandalf!” He practically cried. “And Gandalf means…” he gave the hobbit a small but endearing smile. “..me!”

Recognition flashed across Bilbo’s face as his eyes flickered over the tall wizard, and a smile slowly grew on his face. “Not… Gandalf, the wandering wizard who made such excellent fireworks! I remember those! They used to go up like great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight all evening!” He emphasised with a few friendly jabs of his finger. “Hah! Old Took used to have them on Mid-Summer’s Eve!”

From where he was stood almost next to me, I watched as he paused, looking Gandalf up and down. Realising what he was about to say next, I side-eyed him with a warning glare, but he took no notice, his attention far too fixated on the wizard.

“I had no idea you were still in business.” He regarded with a frown, and I let out a small sigh of disappointment. Looking off into the distance for a moment to spare myself the second-hand embarrassment of the exchange to come, I glanced back at Gandalf, only to find he had been staring at me the whole time. My eyes widened, and I suddenly found the grass under my feet extremely interesting.

Feeling the burning intensity of Gandalf’s eyes shift elsewhere, I looked back up to find him giving Bilbo a rather scathing look. “And where else should I be?” He demanded, giving the hobbit a small fright with his tone.

Bilbo stiffened. “Well…” he sputtered, blabbering a few more half-words as he gestured around him with his pipe awkwardly, eyes wide. Trailing off, he decided to instead stuff the pipe back in his mouth, finishing his sheepish parade of sounds with a loud clearing of his throat, taking a deep heave from the smoke.

“Well, I’m pleased to find you remember something about me,” Gandalf regarded with another sigh. “even if it’s only my fireworks.” His expression shifted as swiftly as he passed his staff between his hands. “Well then, that’s decided. It will be very good for you all!” he exclaimed with a grin, wagging his finger at us and the rapidly paling hobbit. “And most amusing for me. I shall inform the others.” He concluded with a small, amused bow of his head.

“Wait, us-?!”  I exclaimed, almost stepping forwards in shock.

“– Inform the who? What? No! No, no!” Bilbo interrupted my sudden exclamation, storming back up the steps to the circular door. “We do not want any adventures here, thank you!” he cried, jabbing at the ground with a thunderous look. “Not today! I suggest you try somewhere over the hill, or across the water!” He continued, waving his finger in every direction that would take the old man far away from his home. Grasping the golden door knob, he swung around, about to yell something else, before deciding to end his tirade early. “Good morning!” He half-cried, and he stormed into the house.

Apart from the usual sounds of the birds and rustling leaves, silence blanketed the front steps of Bag End. Kay and I were leaning forwards slightly, having bent over to watch the hobbit storm through the doorway. However, the noise of someone clearing their throat had the two of us shooting up, straightening our backs as we turned to the wizard still stood expectantly by the gate.

“And here I was wondering about the day I would come across the two of you.” He proclaimed, settling where he stood as he finally spoke to us.

As if waking from a trance, I let out a loud “HUH?”. All Kay could do was lightly whack me on the shoulder as Gandalf blinked in surprise.

“Though…” he trailed off, flickering his grey-blue eyes between us. “You are not entirely what I expected.”

It was Kay’s turn to act confused as she made an odd noise in the back of her throat, and Gandalf swiftly went to reply.

“You look at me as if I am as familiar as an old cousin, yet I only recognise you by your faces alone.” He began, changing the subject. We only got more confused.

“Have you seen us walking around or something?” I blurted whilst my face scrunched in bafflement. Unconsciously, I took a glance around, as if I was about to spot a hiding place that the wizard could have sprung out of.

“No, no.” He chortled, taking his time to admire the scenery around him with a fond eye. “I haven’t been here in quite some time, I’m afraid. But it seems you both have certainly settled in.” He gestured up and down at us. “The last time I experienced a dream where you were present, you were wearing some awfully odd clothes.” We both glanced with wide eyes at each other, and Gandalf raised a brow. “Sometimes you were here, other times in a very strange place – otherworldly, in my opinion.”

All I could do was stare. There was a weird mix of emotions floating around inside me – a mixture of shock, excitement and suspicion. The latter not so much, because this was Gandalf we were talking about here. Except for the dream part, that weirded me out a little. In the end I barely managed a small shrug. I was at a loss for words.

Though that was broken when Kay piped up next to me. “… Youuu could say that.” She replied with a few light nods. Suddenly her face contorted to one of alarm. “Wait, you dreamt about us?!?!”

At this reveal, Gandalf narrowed his eyes. “Why are you here? If I may ask.” He interrogated firmly, avoiding Kay’s question.

I took a moment to consider my next words – and figured only the truth was the best way. “…Honestly? We could ask you the same thing.” I answered, albeit the nervousness in my voice was quite prominent as I wondering if I had done the right thing. “We didn’t really have a choice, nor did we know this would happen. We just, you know, appeared out the blue from the sky.”

“Out of the blue?” Gandalf repeated amusedly, then glanced up at the cerulean sky. “Quite literally, I take it.” He hummed, and gestured to the door with his staff. “Does he know?”

“He does.” I replied, nodding firmly. “We figured it would be a bit unfair hiding things from the one person who kept us alive and has looked after us this whole time. We kinda owe him our lives.”

Nodding with a low hum, Gandalf seemed satisfied. “And what do you know?”

That caught us off guard.

“What do you mean?” Kay questioned, puzzled but wary.

He tilted his head as he looked at us. “You know who I am, despite us having never met in person. And I am yet to reveal what this journey entails, yet you seem calm and I dare say prepared for this. And along with the vague visions that were conjured as I dreamt, I am therefore led to believe,” He levelled us with a look. “that you may know more than you let on.”

My mouth bobbed open and shut, not to similar to a fish as I absorbed the reality of Gandalf’s statement. ‘He knows.’ Was all my mind managed to conjure. ‘Of course he knows, he’s Gandalf, for Christ’s sake!’

Blinking, a moment passed as I attempted to get a word out, until my throat decided to conjure the oddest sounds as I tried to put together the words. “Mmmmmmmnnyyeeeaaaaahummmhaaawwww-HURK!!!” Kay had elbowed me in the ribs – hard.

“The answer isn’t hum and haw, though we may have an overall idea.” Kay stated as I keeled over with a groan. “But we can’t say much without our throats literally closing up.”

Gandalf squinted at her, his free hand reaching up to absentmindedly stroke at his beard. “You cannot say a word?”

“Barely.” I wheezed with a cough, attempting to straighten up despite the protests of my now-sore ribs. “I mean, we’ve managed to say a few things, but most of the time we can say it as long as we don’t think about it too much – if we prepare to tell anyone, it seems to alert something that doesn’t want us saying anything that might change things. But it’s really random and hard to explain without it sounding like there’s a thousand plot holes.” My mouth was moving a mile a minute as the words tumbled out.

At this point I was practically ready to tell Gandalf everything, the words explaining my theories having been ready to spill out of my mouth for months.

“We keep seeing things.” I carried on without a thought, almost relieved at the fact that I could tell someone who had the ability to possibly understand whatever the hell we were saying. “Getting chased by weird creatures, I threw a pillow at a literal shadow creature – that’s appearing more often than not lately – an-and I just want to know what’s going on.” I pleaded, shoulders slumped as I felt the exhaustion of dealing with the last year and a half’s events catch up with me.

The wizard stared. “Intriguing.” He muttered. “You truly haven’t got a clue?”

“No!” I groaned, the frustration of everything flowing over. “And we want to find out why.”

He continued to stroke his beard with a low grumble. “I must say, this is something I cannot leave behind.” He stated, seemingly almost speaking to himself. “But whether I’ll be allowed to take you both with me to figure out why, is an answer we must leave until tomorrow.” He explained with a pointed look, that I thought I somewhat understood.

From deep within Bag End, Kay and I heard our names echo throughout, reaching our ears to the still-open front door. Cringing slightly, we both looked inside at the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

“Well I must be off.” Gandalf announced, and we turned back to watch him readjust the front top of his robe slightly, before gripping his staff. “We’ll see what happens soon enough.” He suggested cryptically, before Bilbo’s frustrated face appeared at the other end of the hallway.

Desperate, I quickly spun towards the wizard. “Can we come?” I breathed, the words escaping quicker than I could think. “We’re not useless despite what they’ll think! There’s a lot we could bring to the table if you just give us a chance?” I pleaded.

Hissing our names, the hobbit strode forward, grasping the door as he hurriedly beckoned us in whilst regarding the wizard with a wary but thunderous look. The wizard paid him no mind, deeply furrowing his brows as he regarded my words with a suspicious glint in his eye.

“We shall see.” Was all I got in response before a raging hobbit seethed my name, Kay already having retreated to his side.

Seeing that this was a battle that wasn’t going to be won, I reluctantly followed, disappointedly glancing at Gandalf before turning our backs. Bilbo called out about the wizard coming for dinner some other time – the two of us figured he was barely aware that he was doing so, and with that, the green door swiftly slammed shut. Bilbo fumbled with the bolt as he slid it into place with a snap. Finally achieving so, he turned to rest his back against the wood, eyes closing with a relieved sigh whilst he leant his head back.

A moment of silence passed, the hobbit settling as he seemed to be in the clear, until a muffled scraping noise near his feet filled the quiet hallway. Moment disturbed, Bilbo’s eyes immediately snapped back open, the tenseness straightening his spine once again. He jerked away from the door, almost like he had been prodded with a hot iron, as he stared down at the source of the jarring noise.

Ears wiggling slightly, he leant over, his back to us, before he shot back up with a furious glimmer morphing over his features. Storming over to the small circular window to the right of the door, he stood up on his toes, peering through the panes to try and catch a glimpse of the assailant.

He got his answer soon enough, when the silhouette of Gandalf sprang into view, casting a shadow into the hobbit hole. Stumbling back in surprise, Bilbo was caught in the arms of Kay before he would send himself sprawling onto the floor. All three of us stared at the window, a hush washing over us as we peered at the distorted image of Gandalf’s face as his gaze glowered through the glass. His eye twitched once, and with a flurry of robes, he vanished from view.

Scrambling to his feet, Bilbo dashed into the parlour over to the larger window, the two of us following suit, bending over to squish our heads together as we all tried to peer out at the wizards retreating back. His humming flowed through the air as he leant down to swing the miniature gate open, strolling down the path with a happy tune, until the edge of his cloak and the point of his hat disappeared round the bend.

I backed up until the ceiling was high enough, and stood to my full height, the events of the last five minutes hitting me full force as I stared blankly at the chandelier hanging in front of my face. Kay was the same, and we watched as Bilbo stared at the windowsill, scrunch his nose up with a loud sniff, then storm off into the kitchen without a word.

As soon as he disappeared, I practically deflated. With a roll of her shoulders and a few clicks of her back, Kay shuffled over to the armchairs that sat by the unlit fireplace, flopping down on it with a loud huff.

“I think I need to lie down.” She half muttered with a groan, barely glancing up at me as I collapsed on the chair opposite. “I cant believe we just met Gandalf.”

Nodding, I remained silent, staring at the small fraying threads of the rug beneath my feet as my mind raced through what just happened. I felt Kay’s eyes on me at my lack of an answer.

“What is it?” She questioned, and I figured she had seen my face cringing at the floor.

Glancing up at her, my eyes filled with worry. “Do you think he heard those weird noises I made?” I asked apprehensively.

She deadpanned. “Yes.” She stated. “I’m pretty sure the most prominent thing he’ll remember from our first meeting is you attempting to sound like every animal on Old McDonald’s farm.”

I groaned loudly, my whole body cringing as I brought my knees up, shoving my face into them as I slapped at my head.

“I mean, you could always Obliviate him once you learn how to?” She offered jokingly.

“I can’t do thatttt.” I whined, voice muffled as I shoved my face further into my knees, not caring if the pressure would leave my face red for the next few minutes. “What if the Middle Earth equivalent of Jesus appears and puts me in Jesus-prison for accidentally completely wiping the memories of one of their mini-gods??”

Kay huffed, unable to contain her laughter as she chucked a cushion at me, the object bouncing off the top of my head as I raised it, watching the projectile ricochet onto the floor.

Hair ruffled and sticking about after being assaulted by the cushion, I squinted with bleary eyes at Kay as weird shapes danced in my vision after being pressed to the bones of my knees. A thought came to mind, and I opened my mouth, before the thuds of large feet sounded through the wooden floor, Bilbo storming through the archway from the kitchen not a moment later.

“…nd what on Earth did I ask him to tea for!” he muttered to himself as he stared at the floor, flushed cheeks puffed out slightly as he chowed down on a seed-cake. Stopping in the middle of the room in front of us, he scoured the room, not acknowledging us in the slightest as he twisted and turned on the spot.

Darting his eyes across our forms, he flinched slightly as he seemed to only then notice our presence, before continuing on his search.

“You haven’t seen my Engagement Tablet anywhere, have you?” He asked, headspace still elsewhere as he marched into the entrance hall. “I need to write everything down before I forget.”

“Can’t you just use the calendar?” I called out, leaning over the arm of my chair as I tried to spot the hobbit behind me. My eyes landed on him, observing as he stopped in his tracks to swivel towards the calendar we had him nail to the wall when we had found it just this morning.

He flailed a bit, raising his arm up and down whilst pointing a finger at it, scanning the paper rapidly before shaking his head distractedly. “No, no.” He muttered, turning away to stride back into the parlour whilst taking another ferocious bite out of the seedcake. “All plans are on my tablet, I need my tablet.” He rambled to himself as he entered the kitchen. Coming to a stop in front of the straw basket that he was yet to empty, he let out a grunt. “Oh, for Yavanna’s sake I forgot the fish! Forget it I’ll go tomorrow. My head’s far too full to run into that damned wizard again.”

Once again, Bilbo frantically disappeared as he ranted to himself, going further this time – presumably to his bedroom, where the sounds of rustling, thuds of things being dropped and drawers being pulled open vibrated through the walls, along with frustrated complaints about Gandalf thrown about as he continued his search.

Kay and I looked at each other, and a moment passed between us, before we scrambled to our feet. Stumbling into the middle of the room, I tried not to trip over the cushion that still laid on the floor. Facing Kay, we both nodded at each other, and swiftly vanished to our respective bedrooms.

Swinging the door shut behind me, I grabbed the last few remains of my belongings that I had left out as to not rouse any suspicion from Bilbo as to why it looked like we were spontaneously moving out. Hauling out the large backpack that I had shoved to the back of my wardrobe, I swung it onto the floor, unclasped the straps and lifted the lid open, loosening the leather drawstring holding the opening together wide enough for me to fit down the steps that looked like they led into the floor.

Once fully opened, I clambered to my feet, and began pulling the clothes the bag had been hidden behind from the hangers, their wooden edges clattering against the back panel of the wardrobe they swung against as I speedily pulled each piece from them, before chucking it all into the awaiting entrance of my bag.

After hearing the thump of the final piece hit the bottom of the steps, I proceeded to scour my room, pulling open drawers and using my wand to light up the underneath of any furniture that something could have rolled or been stored under.

Satisfied that everything had been packed, I climbed down into the bag, hopping over the pile of clothes and random objects that had been thrown on top. The next thirty minutes was spent reorganising, making sure everything had its place.

Just as I was about to hang up the last skirt I had laying around, I jumped slightly at the sound of my name being called. Peering out of the tiny hallway leading to the two tiny rooms, I looked up to see Kay, who signalled with a thumbs-up that she was done and ready.

Giving everything a once-over, I returned the thumbs-up with my own, and held my hands out, catching the bag she chucked down, storing it in the corner of the main room for tomorrow.

Clambering up the ladder and out onto the floor, I sealed my own bag back up, before shoving it back into the corner of my now-barren wardrobe. With a final scan, I turned to Kay, and let out a breath as I gave her a nod. We were ready for tomorrow.

And honestly? I was fucking terrified.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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< Chapter 22 // Chapter 23 // Chapter 24 >

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Taglist:

@opheliasdrowningg @mrsdurin @g1gglef1t @qmabailor @saturnnie-03 @emstar07 @geewoo-ko @phanryesworld @stuckupstucky @rebeccao03 @wiccan-potato24 @ellessecretobsession @thepixiechicks @triostarz @breadbrobin @mamajaxx2511 @marnikula @autumn-euphony @maple-and-bunny

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[nothoughtsjustmhaandotherthings]

"But Daddy I Love Him" - Shuǐ/Jack's Playlist

Full Playlist:

We're back with another playlist analysis post!

When I started drafting (You're In The) Wind and crafting this playlist, I immediately went to my favorite artists and did a listen-through to see what stuck. I was actually kind of disappointed with Taylor Swift at first, because nothing in her discography at the time was really jumping out at me. I had a few vibes-based choices, but nothing that was going to help me steer the plot or build up character, which was what I needed at the time.

A few months later, she announced she was releasing The Tortured Poets Department. A few months after that, I sat down and listened to it for the first time. Not one, not two, but EIGHT new songs were added to the yitw playlist that day. And this is one of them!

I forget how the West was won I forget if this was ever fun

Kind of a reference to our time period, as expansion in the West was underway at this point. Also goes hand-in-hand with the arc this song makes an appearance in, where some of the adventure had fallen away in favor of outrunning adversaries.

I just learned these people only raise you to cage you

Chapter title!! The revelation Shuǐ has when she is fourteen, and again when Sao abducts her in Tortuga.

"Sarahs" and "Hannahs" in their Sunday best Clutching their pearls, sighing, "What a mess"

A transition to how the high-society side of Shuǐ's family views her, especially with the condescending tone of "What a mess."

I just learned these people try and save you 'Cause they hate you

Continuing in that strain, the revelation Shuǐ has during her argument with Isadora.

Too high a horse For a simple girl To rise above it

Sao and Isadora are too arrogant and set in their ways for Shuǐ to ever hope to change their minds about her.

They slammed the door On my whole world The one thing I wanted

Shuǐ's "whole world" being the sea, her freedom being the "one thing" she wants, and Jack being encompassed as part of both.

Now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned Screaming, "But Daddy, I love him!"

The kind of sarcastic, witty tone that this song takes in the chorus is SO Shuǐ to me. Obviously, this is not something she would ever say sincerely, but to prove a point to Sao? Absolutely!

I'm having his baby No, I'm not, but you should see your faces

Once again, this bait and switch is 100% something Shuǐ would do to get back at her parents.

I'm telling him to floor it through the fences

A recognition that Jack is as much Shuǐ's partner in crime as she is his.

No, I'm not coming to my senses I know he's crazy, but he's the one I want

A declaration of love, as close to one as those two will get at this point, and a reinforcement of what this is all about--Jack is what Shuǐ wants, and this whole story has been about her getting what she wants.

Dutiful daughter, all my plans were laid Tendrils tucked into a woven braid

Shuǐ tried to play the parts that Sao and Isadora wanted, but her needs and wants were never considered, her plans being laid by those who did not truly care for her.

Growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all

Shuǐ's love of the sea and piracy has held strong, despite Sao trying to stamp it out.

He was chaos, he was revelry Bedroom eyes like a remedy

Jack is the opposite of plans laid and woven braids, a "remedy" to the opposition Shuǐ has faced.

Soon enough, the elders had convened Down at the city hall "Stay away from her" The saboteurs protested too much

A reference to the ambush by Sao and his sons (Shuǐ's half-brothers) in Nobody's Daughter.

Lord knows the words we never heard Just screeching tires and true love

The "words we never heard" being Sao's call for help lies to the other Pirate Lords.

I'll tell you something right now I'd rather burn my whole life down Than listen to one more second of all this bitchin' and moanin'

Tagline!! Like I said, just SO Shuǐ-coded. I mean, that's pretty much what she does in The Albatross. She's willing to cut all ties, forever, just for a bit of peace.

I'll tell you something about my good name It's mine alone to disgrace

Kind of ironic considering the Feng name is directly associated with piracy and has been for a few generations, yet Sao is still so adamant to keep Shuǐ out of the game. Still, this is pretty much the sentiment she expresses at the end of the arc.

I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing

The "vipers" being Desiree and Isadora, more so Isadora. Where Sao is pretty outright about his intentions, Desiree and Isadora disguise theirs with politeness and the illusion of caring.

God save the most judgmental creeps Who say they want what's best for me Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see

I mean...really, this is just Shuǐ's relationship with her whole family.

Thinking it can change the beat Of my heart when he touches me And counteract the chemistry And undo the destiny

And despite all the opposition, nothing will ever change her relationship with Jack, not even being torn away from him.

You ain't gotta pray for me Me and my wild boy And all this wild joy

I love the use of "wild joy" here, because it really puts into perspective how miserable one has to be to get upset over someone else's happiness.

If all you want is gray for me Then it's just white noise And it's just my choice

Again, the reinforcement that it's not really about Jack, in the end. It's about Shuǐ choosing what she wants for herself without fear.

There's a lot of people in town that I Bestow upon my fakest smiles

Kind of what Shuǐ does as she leaves the Empress, nodding to Davy Jones, not explicitly calling out Isadora.

Scandal does funny things to pride But brings lovers closer We came back when the heat died down Went to my parents and they came around

Since neither Shuǐ nor Jack has parents who necessarily approve of them, I like to view the crew as the stand-in for "parents" in this lyric, specifically when the two kiss at the end of that Empress sequence in The Albatross.

All the wine moms are still holdin' out, but fuck 'em, it's over

The "wine mom" perhaps being Isadora...more on that later. ;)

Now I'm dancin' in my dress in the sun and Even my daddy just loves him

Not true, but the ending of this song really does go with that joyful, celebratory feeling when Shuǐ finally returns to the Black Pearl.

I'm his lady And, oh my God, you should see your faces

Another reference to that kiss in front of Sao, Isadora, and co. I'm glad we all agree their expressions were most likely horrified.

Time, doesn't it give some perspective? And no, you can't come to the wedding I know he's crazy, but he's the one I want

Again, LOVE this outro. It's just so much fun! And perfect for the atmosphere that comes with the ending of the arc.

___

And now, the taglist!!

@dance-in-the-morning-glow, @burymeinmelodies, @firealder2005

[cha-ra-nui]

Part 4: JPop, JRock, and the odd interlopers

I feel like these retrospectives are becoming an exercise in humiliation. Last year I had to put a showtune who’s main hook was “fuck you” up as one of my favorite songs of the year, and this year I have to admit to (unironically) liking Eurovision. This year’s event itself is going to be taught about in PR training as an example for how to fuck everything up, but its one saving grace were the songs, which were unusually strong this year. Normally even one song breaching containment and getting onto my normal playlists is rare, but there were three this year, and that’s not even touching on the number of songs that I added to my Eurovision playlist, which were almost as many as in the last 5 years combined.

Lithuania breached containment because Silvester Belt’s “Luktelk” is basically a KPop song done right. But you know something is up when even Ireland is delivering, and Bambie Thug’s “Doomsday Blue” grew on me so much that I eventually downloaded it. The staging was great too, one of the best in Eurovision history, but arguably not even the best this year. Because as far as I’m concerned, there was never a second of doubt on who I wanted to win.

I think one minute into the semi-final performance of “The Code” I knew it would be one of my favorite Eurovision entries ever. And by now I’m sure it is my favorite, full stop. Nemo’s vocals are insane, the performance is insane, and the song is queer joy incarnate. I didn’t know you could put so many interesting musical ideas into a three-minute, apolitical™, catchy-by-necessity Eurovision song, but here we are. Somehow, this opera-fusion drum-n-bass rap pop song is not a mess, and it overtook “Zitti E Buoni” as my most played Eurovision song within a week after the contest.

Luckily, the bulk of the songs aren’t humiliating, because it’s most just JPop and JRock.

And it’s not even SID. They got three songs in the top 10, but none of them are new. I just didn’t like “Omokage”. I don’t have any specific reason; it just bores me and doesn’t sound particularly good to my ears either. “Shokuzai” was better, but I didn’t listen to it much either. Other artists just released more interesting music this year.

And I have something to make up for with the first one. Because even though I loved “Where Our Blue Is” I just mentioned it off-handedly in a paragraph about the other Jujutsu Kaisen opening. This artist deserves better than that, I simply didn’t know what to say about him. Well, I do now. Tatsuya Kitani has an almost uncanny ability to understand exactly what makes a story connect to its audience, and then write the most poignant lyrics you’ve ever seen about it. “Where Our Blue Is” should’ve been the song to make realize this, it’s a beautifully written tragic love song, and the only way it could be more explicitly about Jujutsu Kaisen’s most popular ship would be by name dropping the characters. But I didn’t notice last year, partly because I was obsessed with “SPEZIALZ” and partly because I just didn’t read the lyrics. That was a failure on my part. I should’ve sung his praises in last year’s retrospective. Luckily, he’s written almost equally poignant Anime openings twice this year. First “Fatale” for Oshi No Ko’s second season, which he recorded together with Kento Nakajima as GEMN, then “Chained”, which features natori, for Ruouni Kenshin’s Kyoto Incident arc. Both of these perfectly capture the essence of the shows they were used for, without ever needing the show’s context to work. That is the magic of his writing, you can absolutely listen to his music without knowing or caring for any of the shows the songs tie into. The imagery in “Where Our Blue Is” is beautiful, the lyrics are stunningly well written, knowing Jujutsu Kaisen only makes them even more gut wrenching. I wasn’t even aware “Chained” was an Anime intro the first time I listened to it, and I loved it immediately. Even “Fatale”, which is the most explicitly linked to its show of all his songs, still works completely without knowing anything about Oshi No Ko. And I never watched the show “Preview Of Me” is tied to but I still like it. It also certainly doesn’t hurt that the songs are more than just well written, they sound good. If there is one common theme for everything I hated about KPop this year it is this: None of it sounds like it exists because someone wanted to write and perform it. I hear a commercial incentive first, a song second. And Tatsuya Kitani is the antithesis of that. It’s not just his Anime tie-ins either, his entire discography is worth checking out. He’s an interesting artist, and an anomaly whose origins I can’t explain. As far as I understand it, he just suddenly spawned two years ago to make all the best Anime openings. And in that sense, he reminds me of a much older anomaly in JPop.

Kenshi Yonezu shouldn’t need an introduction. If you know anything about Japanese music, you have heard his name. The most viewed Japanese music video is one of his ballads. He made the Chainsaw Man opening. And I never understood why he was so popular. Now, that is not to say that I didn’t like his music. Because I did. “Kick Back” is one of the best songs of 2022 for one. But he is not a pop star, he’s just a random guy. A random guy who happens to be a brilliant songwriter with an interesting voice. And once again, if you know anything about Japanese music you don’t need me to tell you that “Lost Corner” is a great album. It would be worth buying by the strength of the singles alone, which include the aforementioned Chainsaw Man opening and my personal favorite “Shinigami”. Honestly, the singles might just be a bit too strong, so much so that they overshadow just how solid an album this is. It’s way too long, is the only criticism I can muster. His neurodivergence does not fit mine in this case. Even starting to name standout songs is a bit of a moot point, because I cannot stress enough that you should listen to the entire thing. Apart from the singles my favorite tracks are “Tomaremiyo” and “Yellow Ghost”, and the lead single “Red Out” is one of the best songs of 2024. If there is one ability I think Kenshi Yonezu stands out for as a songwriter and performer it’s how perfectly he controls the mood of a song, no matter which mood it is, and in “Red Out” that mood is disquiet. The music video pays homage to the horror film “Us”, and it fits well but doesn’t even remotely describe how cool this song is.

Compared to this giant of JPop Ryugujo isn’t even a blip on most people’s radar. And yet, last year, I called them “the group I look forward to the most right now”, because of how much potential I saw in them. But no matter how strong their debut EP and one subsequent single was, they had to prove that they’re the genuinely article through both live performances and further releases. As far as proving their skills as live performers go, they already did so in 2023, but too late in the year for me to add it to the retrospective then as a recording of said proof only popped up on the internet right when the year was over. They had a set at BUZZ RHYTHM LIVE in front of 17.000 people at Yokohama Arena just a couple of months after their debut, and they performed like they owned the place. Not a hint of being intimidated by the huge audience who in all likelihood was not there for them, but for the big established groups headlining the festival. The guts it takes to show up and deliver like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if every single person in the audience looked them up as soon as they got home that day. When Ryugujo takes stage, they demand your full attention. Avu-chan has given them more than just good songs, they gave them a vision, and the members perform the difficult and complex songs you’d expect from Queen Bee, not like it’s easy, but like it’s the most exciting thing in the world. And I want you to keep that in mind, because it would be so easy to look past the members and praise only the creative mind behind them, but none of this would work if the members were unable to bring Avu-chan’s intense visions to live. So, with that praise out of the way, let’s look at the music they released in 2024. “Deep Wave” is Ryugujo’s second EP, and it’s just as excellent as their debut, if not more so. The title track is one hell of a weird one, with tempo changes and a song structure that I guarantee wouldn’t work if their producer didn’t know their shit. I always knew Avu-chan was incredibly talented, but they’re doing some of their best production work yet for Ryugujo and I’m all here for it. “Deep Wave” opens with a stripped-down version of its chorus and then takes almost two minutes to give it to you proper. It’s a risky song structure, and it wouldn’t work if the instrumental track wasn’t one of the strongest I heard all year. And when that chorus finally comes back it’s utterly irresistible, one of my favorite moments in music 2024. And much of the same can be said for the entire EP. There’re two full-group tracks, the punk song “Bloody Lullaby” and an EDM track called “Late Show”, and both are excellent. “Seafood” comes from a three-member unit, and sounds like a spiritual successor to “Mr.Fortune”, if that song had been a shitpost. It’s incessantly catchy. “Boyfriend” is Kent’s solo, and while it’s probably the least memorable of their 11 songs up to that point, there’s some interesting genderbending going on in the lyrics, and Kent knows how to keep a slow song engaging, so it’s not forgettable either. Overall “Deep Wave” is an incredibly strong EP, and the only reason why I didn’t consider it a lock for album of the year immediately the way I did “OO-LI” last time was that I hoped this wouldn’t be all we would get from them in 2024. And it wasn’t, they added six more songs to their discography with the album they dropped in November. And I…have questions. “Urashima” is the most confusing album I’ve heard in a long time. Why is there a school hymn? What the fuck is happening in “Perfect”? Did you lose all your instruments except for one acoustic guitar? Did you at least try to have the sequencing make sense or did you realize that would be impossible and made it as jarring as possible on purpose? “Taboo” and “Hunting Dog” are the best of the new songs, but I’d still put them below every song they released before. I have no idea what to do with this album. I can’t even say that it’s bad, because that’d imply that I understood what it was going for enough to claim that it missed the mark.

But maybe I should’ve expected that, I’m just as befuddled by some of Queen Bee’s songs. If they hit though, they hit. Ever since 2019 they’d reliably sneak up on me with a surprise SOTY candidate every other year, and this time that song is “Super Memorial”. What an absolute banger. As usual with them I don’t even know how to describe what it’s doing. Self-affirming and utterly irresistible fun with a bite?

…

Back to music I can actually describe, there are two JPop debuts that stood out to me. The first of which is Phantom Siita, a girl group produced by Ado. Their mission statement is being Japanese retro horror idols. Great idea, no notes. The effect is similar to what a Visual Kei band like Kiryuu would achieve, in a different genre of course. So far none of their songs have quite hit the mark for me, but there’s some real talent in and behind this group, so if they keep it up that’s only a matter of time. “Zoku Zoku”, “Otome Shinji”, and “Mashou Shojo” are my favorite songs of theirs so far.

The other one is Kento Nakajima, a who left his horribly named Jhonny’s boy group to pursue a solo career. I have no idea how his duet with Tatsuya Kitani came to be, but I’m glad that put him on my radar because his music so far is super solid. He too had no respect for anyone trying to finish their year-end lists and dropped his debut album on Christmas eve, so it’s still too new to properly review it, but first impressions are positive. “Picaresque” and “The Code” are good title tracks, and I like a few of the B-sides too.

[fanaticsnail]

|ω･)ﾉ since I also viscerally need a distraction right now... here's some question answers for you asdlkjglkfdg The entire lower half of the list, as it were >w>;;

What song makes you think of your favourite character?

There are so many songs that make my brain go 'oo, Law' that it'd been endless to list them all 😹 So I'm going to pick the latest three asldkjklgfd Immortal by Reinaeiry, Again & Again by the bird and the bee, and This Isn't The End by Owl City too.

What song makes you think of your OC?

🤔We're still finding songs and vibes for Shiro. Forged by Marskye vibes well with them, but I think the closet fit for them I've found (so far) is Fuck It I'm A Flower by Crying Day Care Choir.

If your favourite character was real and appeared beside you, how would you feel about it? What would you do?

... mildly largely flustered, I suspect. After the initial 'holy shit, Law's in the room right now' there'd be a large degree of 'and he can see my titty mousepad and figure collection and card collection and art prints and standees and 'do it for him' wallpaper all of him' (。_。);;

And then I'd ask him if he wanted a coffee and shuffle him out of this room ( =w=)b ... only to end up exposing him to our keychain collection wHOOPS

What's your favourite trope to read?

Impossible to decide alsdkjlkfdjg The most common troupe-ish tag in my AO3 bookmarks is 'established relationship' so adslkjglfdg I think the troupe that appears most is 'relationship growth and exploration and development together'. So probably... friends to lovers? In terms of well known, established - WAIT NO! I'VE GOT IT!

Relationship reveal ( =w=)b that stuff's delicious. Love a good '... wait you're DATING?! Since WHEN?!'

Would your OC and my OC (Tobiuo) get along? If so/not, why?

Hmm, we think so 🤔 Shiro can be a little clinical when it's not the socially correct time, but ultimately I think they'd both get along. With a shared mischievous sense of humour, along with a shared strong core made out of dedication and love for the Hearts- yeah, I think they'd get along just fine. I can picture them sticking their tongues out at each other childishly over a silly, meaningless argument alsdkjklgfdg

In a modern au setting, what would your OC do if not piracy, marines, or civilians?

Shiro would be a therapist and foster parent, I think! Not a full psychiatrist, I don't think they have the patience for that much academics- we think they'd want to get around to Helping People well before that point. They'd end up putting in a lot of unpaid overtime, but they'd live for their work, I feel.

adslkjgklfdsjgfdg I hope these questions help you asdlkjgfd they've helped ground us for sure ( =w=)b

Hi Leo 🖤! There is so many beautiful thoughts all together in one. Thank you so much for this.

I shall be adding those wonderful song recs to the Law playlist immediately 🫡. The fact you have an array of beautiful collectables with Law all over them is just gorgeous. He'd be so flustered knowing that in the same way he collects Coins and Sora comics, memorabilia is being collected for him.

Relationship reveal is hilarious. I have so many for the stoic ones. Two people that look on paper that they hate one another only to reveal that they've been happily married for years just gets me. I adore it.

I have read up on your Shiro and I adore them so much. Fishfolk OCs unite. Tobiuo and Shiro both being fishfolk that work for Law make me so unbelievably happy. Silent, petulant quarrels between them - all nose scrunchy and pouty is so cute. They'd be very fine friends for sure! And a therapist too? Oh, Shiro. My heart. I love them.

Thank you so much for hanging out with me to keep me distracted. I have loved it all.

[jade-efflorescence]

Hello~ Up for a new scenario? ^^

Suppose the acquaintance in the previous ask becomes an incredibly precious person to you—someone who loves you, respects you, and won't judge you for your differences. Suppose they ask you to recommend anime that *you* personally are very much in love with no matter what other people think or say about the show. What title(s) would you give? (i.e., what is/are anime you love that may not be everyone's favorite but it's yours and is/are anime you'd only ever recommend to someone you trust to the highest degree because you know they'd enjoy it, too?)

(Note: this is entirely for funsies so please feel free to opt out or to take your time! ☺)

this acquaintance sounds amazing i would love to meet them

again, i'm not familiar with much anime myself, but one of the series that would fit in this category for me would be takano ichigo's orange! i discovered it through an article of shoujo recs last summer and i quickly became obsessed.

this is a moodboard i made last july for it lol

more rambling under the cut bc this is gonna be a long one

I came for the sci-fi twist and slice of life setting, and stayed for the memorable cast of characters and heart-wrenching internal conflicts. I have definitely held back from recommending it to everyone since it deals with a fair amount of sensitive topics. At the same time I think that the series did an adequate job of tackling those subjects without being completely overbearing or sugary. I also liked the little tweak to the familiar love triangle, where the two boys truly respected one another and the other's relationship with the girl instead of just fighting over who won her heart.

One of the biggest strengths of this series was the strong bond between the six friends. I never felt like Hagita, Azusa or Takano were ever "unneeded" or "filler" characters. I loved how they immediately accepted Kakeru and tried their best to make him feel included and loved. Another strength of the story was how it highlighted quiet inner strength in its main characters. I know both Naho and Kakeru got some flack for being indecisive, but as a shyer person myself I understand how hard it is to move forward after something difficult or gain courage for an action out of your comfort zone.

I also enjoyed the general aesthetic of the anime! I have so many other graphics/collages I created focused on the series and made a playlist last summer dedicated to "orange vibes." I still love adding newer songs to it whenever I think they fit, whether that's through the theme of the lyrics or the feel of the music. some of my favorites would be:

cindy by jeremy zucker

home by phillip phillips

burn it down by against the current

forever winter by taylor swift

seasons by wave to earth

a matter of time by ollie wride

thanks for the ask and for letting me ramble!

[denimbex1986]

'All of Us Strangers, directed by Andrew Haigh, presents 105 minutes of cinematography surrounded by feelings of loneliness and passion between two homosexual men. The film is delivered to the public to question and self-identify the psychology of homosexuals internally and externally.

A BRIEF PLOT REVIEW

Andrew Scott plays Adam, a lonely and sensitive writer, and Paul Mescal plays Harry, a cheeky person with an extroverted personality. Both of them are neighbors who, after sudden glances, engage in a profound and transformative romance.

The passion between the two is reported in a large part of the movie inside their quiet rooms, where Adam’s and Harry’s feelings are marked by their existential crisis. In between this crisis, the family distance felt by the two characters throughout their lives. Besides that, loneliness and depression are part of their routines, especially of the writer. The exchange of dialogue between the characters is important to the plot, which is composed of self-knowledge and the recovery of their past wounds.

MY POINT OF VIEW

As a viewer, I found it interesting that they approached the topic in such a profound and spontaneous way. They deal with a delicate subject in a reflective and very entertaining idea. Harry and Adam’s dialogue exchange is a great example of this, as they mix the character’s humor with internal outbursts about their personal questions. Furthermore, both are good listeners, adding emotion to the scenes where this is necessary. The film does not fail to deliver intimate moments between the couple, which at first glance, surprised me shyly, but throughout the story it became a great add, as it helped to make their physical and mental intimacy appears as freely as possible.

THE BIG ACTORS INTERPRETATIONS

The actors left nothing to be desired in their interpretations. Andrew Scott, playing Adam, can express to the audience in such a realistic and truthful way the mental problems that his character was facing, creating a big sense of empathy. It is the same with Paul Mescal, who plays Harry, and as an actor from other well-known films, he didn’t frustrate me when playing a homosexual character with complex emotional issues.

INTERESTING VISUAL ELEMENTS

The visual aspect of the film is stunning. The high contrast and low lighting come along with the predominantly purple, blue and orange colors, reinforcing the feelings that the producer wanted to bring to the viewer and highlighting the dramatic and slightly fantasy genre of the picture. The beams of light used in the club nights and late-dusk scenes were interesting to place.

A VINTAGE SOUNDTRACK

Finally, the soundtrack choice was no surprise, completing and combining perfectly with the plot. The choice of old songs made the film even more elegant. Including classic songs as “Is this Love?” and “The Power Of Love” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood , in my opinion the best of all. When placed at the end as the last song, it contributed to my special affection. I put the song immediately on my playlist.

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING

It is interesting to report the meeting I had with a trio of men, all homosexuals, who told me upon watching “All of Us Strangers” the projection they had about their emotional and personal issues in the movie. It was reported by one of the individuals, the identification he found with Adam, who suffers from disagreements over his sexuality and loneliness as a result. I believe that one of the purposes of the film was to seek the viewer’s self-identification in each character and it was highly accomplished, as proven to me during this talk.

WHAT WAS THE REAL PURPOSE, AFTER THE EXPERIENCE?

After watching “All of Us Strangers” I would give it a high rating. I got a pleasant artistic experience that I hadn’t had in cinema for a long time. Along with this, an educational and sensitive way of understanding the characters, full of history, traumas, and overcoming. I affirm the importance that this cinematography can add to each person, whether for people who mirror Adam and Harry, as well those who don’t identify with them, but sensibilize and seek to understand this reality. I left the film immersed in a feeling of satisfaction, but very reflective and melancholic about this marginalized social group.'

[sesshy380]

OKAY

🌵🥑🍬 🔪 🥐 🏜️ 🧩

ಠ‿ಠ

🌵 ⇢ share the link to a playlist you love

I actually created a Spotify account and added my main work commute playlist (I've never had a reason to create a Spotify account since I got me rum and me parrot and me VLC 🏴‍☠️)

Daily Commute (yes, I actually named it that because I could no brain a better title)

🥑 ⇢ you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help?

So I 'accidentally' killed somebody? And I gotta rely on the moots for help? Hypothetically speaking...I won't need help.

Now if it's a character that I've accidently killed...I'll cry. Then both you and @resuri-art are going to hear all about it.

🍬 ⇢ post an unpopular opinion about a popular fandom character

This one is more for entertainment purposes (and it even gets mentioned in longfic).

It's been pointed out that Marik likes books. He probably got tired of looking over scrolls, but he actually loves to read. During the early stages of creating his criminal organization, he would go to bookstores and libraries to get a basic grasp of common languages. One of those being English. In his stubbornness to try and do things for himself (without needing to rely on Odion or the Rod), he attempted to ask for such a book on his own. Cue him becoming the owner of the complete works of William Shakespeare.

I think you can see where this is going.

So my uncommon HC for him is that he is fluent in Shakespearian English.

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Common highschool chemistry lab accidents and how to make certain deadly chemicals.

Please note: I had two teens in school at the time. They walked past while I was making my search. They both seemed to know the answer, as they were giving me a list of sites to visit that had complete 'how to make at home' lists. No, it was not that surprising coming from them.

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh

I'm a sucker for Rick Rolls that I actually get me. I will laugh while hanging my head lol.

🏜️ ⇢ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

Honestly, I get so few that I love them all, but if I had to pick a type that's my favorite...the ones that point out that little subtle detail (whether intended or not). I love throwing little hints in my longer fics, and when someone spots it and asks questions, I just wanna scream and word vomit spoilers (but I am good about not doing that last part). I think I've only gotten maybe 1 or 2 that pointed out something I hinted at.

A close tie for favorite is getting good comments about writing something that is relatable to the reader, like this one from TKB 2nd chance:

🧩 ⇢ what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

WALL OF TEXT WITH NO PUNCTUATION

If I open and see wall of text, no paragraph breaks, I hit the back button. I just...cannot. I can do all lowercase. I can suffer through typo hell (within reason). I can even avoid eye-twitching inaccuracies (there are a few that make my brain scream, but I just carry on).

I CANNOT ignore someone writing a wall of text without a single break for changed PoV, dialogue, or basic punctuation. If I am forced to read that I will cry.

Ask Game here

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

THANK YOU SM!! Got me giggling first thing in the morning

YES for Cherry's character, it made sense for her mum to be a handler, that way, she knows all about assassins. At first I wanted her mum to also be an assassin but it wouldn't be as safe as being a handler, plus she won't be home very much and she's protective of who to let babysit her (she's a single mom).

Ok so I can't choose what to send so I'll just list them here and let you decide (if that's okay with you)

Fic: It's Morioka, not Kyoto I talked about it in my one of my last ideas ask. Reader was informed by the WD that the destination is Morioka, not Kyoto like the twins have mentioned. This sparks confusion and they are left to think something else is going on here (+ how they manage to get out without being spotted by WD's men)

Drabble: Honeymoon This one is like the wedding night smut you did, but we're away on a honeymoon, all alone :)

Drabble: Scar Also talked about this one. Tan notices us try not to tear up at the sight of his scar and we end up hugging each other (comfort drabble)

Drabble: Second child How would Tan ask us for a second child

Hcs: Reader who's just like Prince We emotionally manipulate other assassins (like how Prince did with Yuichi. The whole "Do you know how easy it was to get your son to follow me to the rooftop?" We break them and make them become vulnerable because we know their weakness). I know I requested an assassin!reader hc but this focuses more on us (how they're proud of us)

(I know I said 2 drabbles but the second child one came to me after reading your recent dad!tan post) So pick whatever you like, if it's one or two (or none lol) tell me so I can send it in as a request (but really, if you don't like anything from here it's alright !! And also if you do write something but don't feel like writing other one please tell me so I'll know not to send it next time)

— "like if something was to go bad, he’d want to talk to you one last time" WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT 😭😭 (I'm kidding ofc and that's something I can picture him saying but you're breaking my heart here)

AND OMG YES !! I gave it a listen and you're so right that is tan!! Adding it to my playlist of him 💗💗 If you ever come across more songs that makes you think of him please please do share!! (I might as well, I also have a playlist for Lem I'll think of sharing if that's okay) (Will also add some more dad!tan in my next ideas ask as well) 💺 anon

tehe ofc angel!!

yes yes I love that!!! it explains how she knows things, while not being in the job per-say. and how she’d have connections LOVE IT

ooohh okay okay so… firstly love them all, but the ones that are tickling my fancy most is the scar and second child one - they immediately struck up a couple ideas. send in either one or both of them my love, up to you 💓 I usually struggle with ones on the bullet train just bc I get too in my head and it’s like I have to create a movie plot (bc of the order things happen in etc) they use lots of brain power and I often lose motivation for them half way. as much as I love the idea, those ideas don’t like me 😭😭 they kinda kill my brain off. maybe it’s bc I prefer/ find it easier to write civilian readers

AAAAHHH I KNOW I FELT BAD SAYING IT😭 hurt my heart to write it :( but it’s true so had to be said

you added it????? TEHEH😌 and ofc angel, I will do. I’ll keep a note of them and send them like I did with that one. and yes pls do!! and that’s more than okay! I love dad tan so much it’s actually sad atp 😭