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samble-moved · 11 months

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In Defense of Homura: a Comprehensive Analysis

Warning: The following has mentions of suicide. It is also a long post (~2.5k words), thus the read more, and includes linked sources. It was written under a time crunch (2hrs) at a late hour, and thus may not be fantastic, but should illustrate the point well enough.

Homura is a very controversial character in the Madoka Magica fandom. To some, she is a good person, spawning many "Homura did nothing wrong" jokes. To others, Homura is little more than an abusive, selfish character, who is primarily motivated solely by her own desires and selfish motives, to the continuous detriment of her friends. However, in this essay, I argue that, while Homura is certainly not perfect, she is far from a bad person, and major factors are at play regarding her behavior, both before and during Rebellion.

One of the first reasons someone will give for disliking Homura, even if they have never watched Rebellion, is that she is mean or abusive to those she considers her friends. Homura comes off as cold and aloof, and isn't above insulting others, even Madoka, if upset or frustrated. She is socially awkward and prone to issuing vague, creepy warnings, and generally being pretty intimidating. However, this point is ignoring several factors. For one, Homura was not always this way, and it is not her "default" state. In early timelines, Homura was a very shy girl, with low self esteem and a disability, and all but a social outcast. Her mental state was so poor that a witch was able to easily get her into it's barrier, and encourage her suicidal and self hating thoughts. When Madoka, her best friend and savior from the witch, the first girl to ever show her genuine kindness and understand, dies in a fight, Homura makes a wish. She wishes to redo her meeting with Madoka, and to become strong enough to protect her protector. Sadly, Homura continuously fails at this. She's looped almost a hundred times [1] by the time the anime timeline begins, and has, in that time, been forced to do and see horrifying things, becoming traumatized over and over again. Madoka begging her to mercy kill her to avoid the fate of becoming a witch is what pushes Homura over the edge, taking her from being a girl desperate to save all of her friends, to focusing only on Madoka — her savior. This does not mean she desires that their other friends die. She tries to prevent Mami's death by trying to get her to avoid the fight with Charlotte, and shows distress when she realizes Mami has died [2]. She tries to warn them of future events, but isn't believed, and is accused of trying to cause infighting among the group. Over the tinelines, she starts to force her friends away, acting cold towards them, to try and distance herself from feeling sad when they die. She pledges herself wholly to saving Madoka, wanting to fulfill both her wish, and the promise she made to her all those tinelines ago. She gets frustrated when Madoka puts herself in danger and snaps. She calls her friends fools. This does not mean she does not care for them, or wishes them ill. She is trying to protect herself from the pain of seeing them pass, with her helpless to save all of them.

Another common complaint, from those who have watched Rebellion, is that Homura is ignoring Madoka's wishes, and ignoring her sacrifice. However, Homura believes that Madoka dislikes the outcome of her wish — that is, becoming the Law of Cycles and losing her family, friends, and proof of her existence — as it's something Madoka herself says. Homura, at the time, has no idea that the version of Madoka who said this, while the "real" Madoka, does not possess all of her memories. But Homura takes Madoka's words at face value, now believing that she has made a mistake by "letting" Madoka make a wish that leaves her so seemingly lonely and miserable, and believes she should have stopped Madoka, somehow [3]. She blames herself, not Madoka, for Madoka's choice, seeing it as her fault that Madoka is seemingly regrets becoming the Law of Cycles. Because of this belief, Homura decides she must "save" Madoka from this fate. When Madoka, now in LoC form, comes to retrieve Homura's soul gem to keep her from becoming a witch, Homura denies herself heaven. She cannot and will not go with Madoka, not when she believes Madoka's position causes her sadness and regret, and when Kyubey is a risk. She remakes the world using her love for Madoka, and does what she believes Madoka wants. Madoka had asked Homura to keep her from ever becoming a magical girl, and she thinks Madoka had said she all but regrets her wish. Homura remakes the world, leaving Madoka human, safe from the Incubators who may try to hurt or control her, and leaves Madoka and their friends together — with characters like Kyoko and Mami in better circumstances than their real lives.

Homura is selfish. That is true, and undeniable. However, all humans have moments of selfishness, and not all selfishness is inherently bad or wrong, same as not all selflessness is good. A person who puts themself first if they're going through a difficult time may be called selfish, but that does not make their actions bad. On the opposite end, spreading oneself so thin that they cannot care for themself may be called selfless, but that does not make what they are doing good. Homura does remake the world, which could be called selfish. But in doing so, she is selfless. She has the full ability to make the other girls do whatever she wants, but she does not. She erases some memories, yes, but does not exert full control over the others. If Homura wanted, she could use mind control to make them blindly love her. Instead, Homura's "selfish world" involves making Madoka human, something Madoka had previously asked for and something Homura believes she wants, has Bebe living with Mami so she isn't lonely, and has Kyoko and Sayaka live together, which negates Kyoko being homeless and alone. Where is Homura in all of this? Homura sets herself apart from her friends, and is shown to be miserable and still some form of witch, meaning she is still actively despairing. Her familiars run around taunting her and throwing things at her, she avoids the other girls, and shows no sign of genuine happiness. Homura does not think she deserves to be happy, as shown by her witch — a nutcracker made useless by having a broken jaw, endlessly marching towards her own execution, as she is jeered at the whole time [4]. Homura says she would rather die, forever alone and suicidal, in her labyrinth than risk Madoka's safety [5]. The remade world seems to be an extension of this. Madoka is safe and human, and no longer in danger from Incubators either issuing contracts, or trying to control her due to being the Law of Cycles. Homura is in a Hell of her own making, where everyone gets to be happy but her. If Homura just gives up control of the labyrinth/remade world, Madoka will be in danger again from Kyubey. She thinks Madoka will be miserable and lonely as the Law of Cycles, forced to fight forever without rest, a fate that even Mami finds worse than death [6]. Homura cannot allow that, and thus allows herself to be tortured in an ironic Hell, denying herself access to magical girl heaven by not allowing herself to he saved.

Another belief is that Homura's world is inherently unstable. If you watch the anime series, it is proven that Madoka's was also fragile and unstable. Madoka, despite being erased from all worlds and timelines, with no record of her existence [6] is remembered — and not just by Homura. Her brother remembers her (or can see her, somehow), and her mother feels some sort of nostalgia regarding her name [7]. If this was truly a wholly perfect and stable world, nobody should be able to remember Madoka whatsoever, but traces still remain. Homura's remade world, like Madoka's, also is not without flaws. Madoka seems to regain memories of the old world and her role as the LoC at times, but this is not a wholly different phenomenon from Homura being able to remember the way the world worked before Madoka's wish.

Homura is around fourteen [8] and traumatized. That is obvious to most fans, but not something usually factored in much with regards to criticism of her actions. She is a child. As she is so young, the pre-frontal cortex of her brain isn't fully developed. Per paradigmtreatment.com, "the prefrontal cortex performs reasoning, planning, judgment, and impulse control", and "without the fully development prefrontal cortex, a teen might make poor decisions and lack the inability to discern whether a situation is safe...teens tend to experiment with risky behavior and don’t fully recognize the consequences of their choices" [9]. This area of the brain does not fully develop until one is in their 20s, though this number is not exact [10]. Homura is a middle schooler, and has severe trauma to boot, making her even more prone to so-called irrational behavior, and a less developed pre-frontal cortex than most. Per Highland Springs Clinic, "Normally, the amygdala will sense a negative emotion, such as fear, and the prefrontal cortex will rationally react to this emotion. After trauma though, this rationality might be overridden and your prefrontal cortex will have a hard time regulating fear and other emotions...[this] can make a trauma survivor constantly fearful, especially when triggered by events and situations that remind them of their past trauma" [11]. Homura is a child with deep, unaddressed issues, and thus reacts even more poorly than others her age might. Why does Homura contract? Because she saw her best friend die, and wants to protect her. Why does Homura become so cold? Years and years of trauma, from seeing said deaths. Why does Homura do irrational things, for seemingly selfish reasons? Because she is a deeply traumatized child, who has never been able to deal with said trauma. Even a "mentally healthy" magical girl will meet one of two ends — death while young, or a fate-worse-than-death as am Eldritch horror, forever suffering in their own despair, unable to recognize any good times in their life, and cursing others. That alone is enough to cause one to act in extreme, uncharacteristic ways, but it is that, topped with all Homura has seen. She has watched her friends die. She has watched her best friend become a Witch so great she can destroy the planet. That friend later erases any and all evidence of her existence besides one single ribbon, leaving Homura questioning if Madoka was even real or just a dream, as shown in Wraith Arc. Then, when Homura finds out that Madoka is, in fact, real, Madoka tells her she is lonely as the LoC, a result of her wish, and Homura finds out Kyubey intends to try and control Madoka. None of this is something that promotes rationality, especially when the person reacting is a child. Trauma affects the way the brain grows and develops, and, per Arch Academy, "children who have experienced trauma have difficulty regulating cortisol levels, resulting in difficulty distinguishing between real and perceived danger" [13]. Homura is not just a child, or just traumatized, she's a traumatized child — one who has never received help or support, and is unable to get it.

Madoka does not hate Homura. She is ultimately forgiving and merciful to all magical girls, regardless of their actions. Goddess Madoka, in Magia Record, is even shown forgiving and accepting characters who are shown to be cruel murderers (even characters that have murdered Madoka herself) in her Magia animation [14]. She goes to reach for Homura's hands in Rebellion, despite knowing every single thing Homura did in every previous timeline, yet accepts and forgives her despite it — some actions she did being cold and cruel. Madoka is not malicious, and seems to understand the circumstances the girls were part of. She is never shown to reject any magical girls, regardless of how cruel or "evil" their actions. As Madoka (as the LoC) has a job to erase witches, and observe all timelines, Madoka with all memories intact would likely be horrified — but not because she is angry at Homura, or "hates" her. Despite her claims, Homucifer is still a witch. We see her labyrinth expand to cover the whole universe in Rebellion [15]. She still has familiars around [16] — a trait only found in Witches — and in the Only You Rebellion Guidebook, her earring is said to "whisper information gathered by the Witch's minions" [17] to Homura, confirming Homucifer is indeed some form of witch. Witches spread despair, but are also in despair themselves, and becoming one is considered worse than dying. Homura dooms herself to a miserable life as a Witch, cursing herself, to do what she thinks Madoka herself wants and asked for. If one takes a VA's answers as some level of canon, Aoi Yuki, the VA of Madoka, was asked (in character) to say something to transformed Homura (Homucifer). Her response was, "No matter what form you take, Homura-chan is Homura-chan. Falling in love with someone is wonderful, so don't call yourself the devil. I love you. (I think that's what Madoka says...!!!)" [17]. Madoka is not perfect, and neither is Homura, but Madoka would not see Homura suffer and relish in it, or find it deserved.

What makes a bad person, anyway? Homura seems to embody the "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions" saying, ending up with a "bad" outcome for herself, all because she did what she thought would benefit Madoka and her friends, and follow their wishes and desires. Homura is only "evil" in the same way most teenagers, especially mentally ill ones, may call themselves "evil". She is a traumatized child with no support network, content to have her friends happy while she stays miserable, even if that means her friends, and even Madoka herself, the literal center of Homura's universe, hate her for it in the end. She is not wholly selfish, but a young teenager desperately in need of therapy. She does not deserve damnation for genuinely doing what she thinks is best, and what Madoka would have wanted. Madoka would not hate her or scorn her or refuse to even attempt to understand her actions. To imply Homura deserves to be miserable for trying to do what is right, or that Madoka will hate or be angry with Homura, is to ignore the canon idea that Madoka herself brings as the Law of Cycles — no magical girl deserves to fall in despair and become a witch, and no magical girl is beyond redemption and being forgiven. That is what her character and wish are all about. Mercy and forgiveness of any and all magical girls, regardless of their actions. Madoka may not be happy, but I certainly doubt she would hate Homura or refuse to help her for unintentionally going against her desires. This is especially true if she discovers that Homura both improved the lives of their friends, and was acting out of genuine belief that she was doing what Madoka wanted. Homura's actions had not given her pause before, and I doubt they would again. If Homura would actually accept salvation and mercy is another story, but not one to be told today. Perhaps in the future, we can get more information, and then even Homura can be truly happy.

#pmmm #madoka magica #puella magi madoka magica #homura akemi #essays #meta #two hour essay speedrun + it's 3:30am so please show mercy on my out of date writing skills #it's been years since i was in ap lit #long post #very long post #suicide m

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utilitycaster · 8 months

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You know, it's been hard to find a lot of meta I wish to reblog in the wbn tag. To be fair while it's doing incredibly well it is early on and I find that podcast meta is often harder to find anyway (people are more likely to listen while out and about and move on, I think, than dwell and write stuff) but I think what gets me is that what meta there is feels representative of many of my frustrations that have been endemic in the D&D actual play fandom at large as of late: a belief in ontological evil among mortals; an insistence that works validate one's pre-existing beliefs; and a focus on applying real-world morality (or, more frequently, the buzzword version thereof) rather than letting a story be told - often due to what appears to be a pretty profound ignorance of fantasy genre norms.

The most recent episode (#13, Of the Gentle Sea) illustrates this particularly well. In case you're reading this but are not familiar (and don't mind spoilers), Eursulon (one of the PCs, and a spirit, or Wild One) frees Naram, an ocean deity (a Great Wild One, also a spirit) trapped by wizards, making good on his pact to Naram's wife, Orima, a nature deity who had destroyed much of the nearby countryside in her rage and was only held off from doing the same to the city of Port Talon via massive witchfires. He does this with the knowledge that Steel, the guardian of his companion Suvi, both human wizards of the imperial citadel, was coming to free Naram herself. Freeing Naram immediately causes Eursulon to become trapped in the same prison (which, as a much less powerful spirit, nearly kills him), and alerts the wizards who had imprisoned him. Ame, the third party member, and a witch, was held off from joining Eursulon, and serves to mediate Naram's decision, whether to give up a significant amount of his own power, or whether to do damage in the real world. She encourages him towards the latter. A battle ensues in the harbor, with the wizards attacking Naram (who spares some of the younger ones less responsible for his imprisonment) and Naram causing a tidal wave that burns out the witch fires and kills the guards posted there and making way for the less merciful Orima to arrive. Suvi directs those who will listen to her to help the people of the city instead.

All of this is fairly standard fantasy (or more broadly speculative fiction - replace wizards with "scientists" and imprisoning Naram with "exploiting an alien planet" and you have the same fundamental story). It's told well, notably in character details I omitted from my summary, but it is not unfamiliar to anyone with a passing understanding of genre. And yet the discussion is heavily centered on "haha fuck them wizards".

The fact is, had Eursulon waited, Steel would have come. We have reason to believe she would have kept her word and freed Naram, using her position within the empire to prevent the wizard attacks and thus maintaining peace within the city Eursulon would not have risked his nor Naram's lives and would have still made good on his oath. The hundred soldiers posted at the witch fires would be alive. Perhaps there would be a more graceful way to reunite Naram with Orima and appease her as best they could to prevent further attacks on Port Talon, the general population of which had no say in any of this.

I don't think that's what should have happened. What we got is a far more interesting story. And obviously there are multiple moral systems; but the one that spares the most innocent lives (and I am counting the soldiers of the empire as, if not innocent, not people who deserved death for their actions) is not the one we had.

There has been an undercurrent throughout of "fuck them wizards", specifically due to their position within the empire's structure. I think the problem here is that while the empire is clearly quite deeply flawed, and if nothing else the cutthroat nature thereof is why Naram was imprisoned in the first place, we don't actually know that much about it. I don't think imperialism is, to be clear, defensible, but a lot of the discussion treats anyone of the empire (often Suvi herself) as a thing to be deprogrammed or disposed of, and not an individual making what they believe to be the right choices for themselves within a system they did not create nor ask to be born into. I think some of the strange responses to Steel, too, are because we have seen her be immensely human and kind and that unsettles the desire to see the empire as a faceless, evil institution.

The discussion of Suvi in particular feels oddly impatient - we are on episode 13 of a longform campaign - because while it feels quite clearly signaled that Suvi's story will delve into the flaws of the Imperium in detail, and she will change for having known her friends, she is in many ways digging in deeper to many of her beliefs and indeed feels betrayed by what she perceives as Eursulon mistrusting her people, and her change is not a guarantee. I feel many people are just waiting for Suvi to come around to the "right" beliefs so that they can feel okay about liking her, with little interest in how that happens, ie, her story. And because Eursulon is portrayed as an outsider who has had to run for much of his life, and Ame as the empathetic mediator between worlds, their flaws (all three characters, frankly, are young and impulsive and have run off into danger on their own thus putting the others at risk) are ignored because people feel good about nodding sagely and saying "empire...bad" and forgoing any further analysis.

Having an empire as part of the world was a creative choice. It is an opportunity to explore what empire means and the people within it in a safe space - and I use safe to mean "if you die in D&D you do not die in real life", not that you are free of all discomfort - and Suvi is a character, not a vehicle to tell your that you are correct and good in all your beliefs. This is also, again, a fairly standard modern fantasy trope. Epic fantasy has always been political (what other genre has so many maps, after all) but earlier fantasy went pretty hard into ontological evil, ie, these people (sometimes, unfortunately, this race) is the bad one because they are bad and the narrative requires a faceless monolith of an enemy. Modern fantasy has, in many cases, tried to address this, and explores, for example, the idea that "empire" is still a place where people live, and that the tidal wave that was a hit against "the empire" probably destroyed the homes of a bunch of civilians. Indeed, WBN episode 13 covers this, with Suvi directing the Azure Battalion to the walls of the city in the hopes of aiding civilians at the cost of the lives of the soldiers. This is not a narrative that can be adequately understood in the framework of "*sage nod* empire [and all who in any way perpetuate its power even if they are also subject to its power themselves] bad" even though, on the whole, the empire's actions are bad. And yet, that's how many people insist on writing about it.

I focused on WBN but this is not limited to that; I've talked pretty extensively about this in CR, and it's why the thematically rich and genre-spanning D20 seasons are almost all reduced, in much of the meta into "*sage nod* capitalism...bad" even in settings that are not remotely about that (and to be clear, Fantasy High season 1, The Unsleeping City, and Mentopolis very much are at least significantly about that). Fantasy (and speculative fiction) have always been about commenting on our world in a way that is slightly removed, so as to allow us to see other perspectives; they have also always been about "hey what if I could make lightning happen by thinking super hard", and the latter does need to be respected just as much as the former. Meanwhile, actual play is not strictly a genre, but a medium, but it too needs to be acknowledged for its unpredictable nature and its limited lens - we will always be with the main party, and the "deserved" arc may not materialize if the dice don't let it.

What this all means is that a lot of meta as of late feels like it's written by someone waiting for the story to validate them, rather than written by someone trying to talk about the story actually being told to them, and as a result it's difficult to engage with because I often don't find the things people wish to be validated in to be terribly interesting, and even if I did, it feels like a very paranoid reading approach when I am looking for the reparative one; ironically, paranoid reading is often terrified of criticism because that will damn the entire work whereas reparative readings by definition need to engage with the whole, and with the context. I don't have a solution, and my thoughts on why this is happening are very tentative, but I do think that at the very least, an attempt to understand the fantasy genre, flaws and all, would give those inclined to these readings more apt expectations that at least touch on the text meaningfully.

#i am NOT starting the wbn discourse tag if one doesn't exist so this is merely not maintagged #but will tag with #wbn spoilers #long post

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dragons-bones · 7 months

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FFXIV Write Entry #27: One in the Hand

Prompt: sole || Master Post || On AO3

A/N: The sequel to this year's "Levin Deals." :D

“Synnove.”

Synnove looked up from her book, brow furrowing as she glanced around. Had someone called her?

“Synnove.”

Oh, yep. That was Aymeric’s voice echoing into the house. And her knight sounded in a tiff.

Amused, she closed her book and reluctantly wiggled her feet out from beneath Ivar, then unwrapped herself from her nest of blankets and pillows. The worst lingering effect of her sustained aethershock from the Final Days, even moons after the fact, was she was always damnably cold, even in summer. But once free, she swung her legs off the couch, shoved her feet into her slippers, and pushed herself upright to shuffle out of the library.

Another clipped call of her name, and Synnove shook her head as she made for the kitchen garden. Ixion must have broken the armistice and begun nibbling on the rows that weren’t set aside for him.

Stepping outside, she closed her eyes for a moment and sighed with delight as the sun beat down on her shoulders. Mmm, warm.

“Synnove.” Oh, last syllable emphasis. Her beau was, indeed, quite irritated.

Synnove opened her eyes. And stared.

There was Aymeric, hands on his hips and wearing his gardening clothes, his brows pulled down into a ferocious scowl. There was Ixion, happily chewing on the late summer tomatoes in one of his designated vegetable rows and making a violent mess of his muzzle.

But there was also…

Aymeric pointed. “What is that?”

“I don’t know!” Synnove said, holding up her hands. “I’ve never seen him before in my life, I swear!”

Next to Ixion, snuffling curiously at the still-growing pumpkins, was a creature that might be mistaken for Rhalgr’s steed’s twin were it not for his colors. Instead of his primary coat color being blue-violet, his was sandy brown; instead of vividly stripes, his were deep ruby, and his mane and tail aglow in orange; instead of a horn of gold and striped purple, his was a molten crag, like looking at the top layer of a moving lava field. And where levin danced across Ixion’s hide, embers flaked off his own.

Ixion gently rapped his horn against his fiery doppelganger’s, and the creature stopped nosing at the green pumpkins and lifted his head. He spotted Synnove and his ears pricked up, and began picking his way carefully around the vegetable garden, then pranced across the grass to where she stood.

Synnove squeaked with delight. Aymeric sighed heavily and muttered something that sounded like, “Bloody two of them, Fury have mercy on my garden.”

The fiery steed came to a halt and reached out his neck with a polite whicker. Synnove squeaked again and held out her hands to him, and cooed as he snuffled at them to familiarize himself with her scent. “Oh, aren’t you just a handsome lad!” she crooned. “And so warm. Wherever did you come from, sweet darling?”

“We’re not keeping him.”

“Hush!”

G’raha Tia was wearing an expression similar to the one had the first time he met Estinien, stars literally in his eyes, ears pricked like a unicorn’s, and tail frantically lashing about him and slapping at his ankles and hips. “How,” he breathed.

Aymeric grumbled next to him. “That’s what I’d like to know.”

Synnove, astride her new friend’s back with her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried in his glowing mane, grunted wordlessly. Said new friend was munching happily on the buds of a stalk of Lominsan sprouts.

Roksana, loafed unhappily on Aymeric’s shoulder, mumbled, A levin unicorn, now a fire unicorn? Where’s the water unicorn for me?

“It’s like looking at one of the illustrations in my favorite book of tales as a boy,” G’raha said, hands clasped in front of him. “Phaeton! The sun’s own fire made manifest!”

“I have never been to Corvos in my life,” Synnove mumbled. She was going to stay here for the rest of her life. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaarm. “Therefore, you can’t blame me for this, my love.”

“I’m blaming you a little,” Aymeric said, snappish and yet still somehow fond all at once as he pet the still-sulking white pearl carbunclet. Synnove grinned into Phaeton’s mane; now she was warm inside, too.

G’raha started hopping from foot to foot, his ears flicking in time with the movement. “There has been some speculation since Ixion began wandering more openly in Gyr Abania that he might be the result of a Mhachi experiment, though personally I would think Allag to be the more likely culprit,” he said. “Such experimentation with fauna is much more within the purview of Allagan aetherochemists rather than Mhachi voidmages, and as Allag had a strong presence in Corvos, the stark similarities between Ixion and Phaeton go from statistically unlikely phenomenon to reasonable coincidence as the products of an Allagan laboratory.”

“G’raha,” Synnove slurred, halfway to a nap with the sun warming her spine and Phaeton warming her face and stomach and everything else, “do you want to pet the pony or not?”

“Please may I pet the pony, oh please oh please oh please.”

She patted Phaeton’s neck, and the fiery unicorn raised his head and swung around to stare at G’raha with eyes like glowing coals. The miqo’te scholar, despite visibly vibrating with his excitement, stepped forward slowly, holding one hand out. Phaeton snorted, but lowered his head to whuffle against his palm.

“This is,” G’raha gushed, “the best day of my life.”

“Know the feeling,” Synnove said. Ixion, still methodically decimating his tomatoes, whickered smugly.

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#ffxivwrite2023 #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #oc: synnove greywolfe #aymeric de borel #aymeric x wol #aymeric x synnove #g'raha tia #dt's writing #actual disney princess synnove greywolfe

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fumifooms · 22 days

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do you have any character analysis posts you're working on? i'm currently mulling Daya/Dia over in my head right now. In general, I'm thinking a lot about Kabru's team because they don't show up much in the manga and won't be in the show much longer as noticeable players, but have quite a bit of outside-the-manga content to comb through. Personally, I like the idea of Rin and Dia becoming friends with Marcille post-canon, but I want to know them better first. I know Rin pretty well already. 1/2

(for example, Rin/Dia/Marcille seem to like clothes, and i want to draw them clothes shopping.) And I ask this not to put all the work on you! I want to discuss these characters with somebody, and you're one of the only ones I can think of who enjoys doing in-depth dives into the side characters of Dungeon Meshi. You, summerboletes, shisurus, and ambrosiagourmet are some other blogs i can think of that made great meta posts. You can reply to this privately if you want! 2/2 (think about it. daya has a boyfriend and marries him post-canon. marcille loves romance and loves clothes. it'd be adorable if she helped daya find a wedding dress. like kabru introduces them and dia (god i'm so used to writing 'daya') mentions her wedding and marcille immediately pounces on her with eyes sparkling in excitement. i plan to write this fic one day)

This idea is so cute! I’ll also check out those other blogs you mentioned when I have the time to hehe~ I do latch onto minor characters easily but it doesn’t mean I have much to say about everyone. Dia (agreed btw, the situation with Daya vs Dia is confusing)… I do like her, but I feel like her Adventurer’s Bible profile sums it all up quite nicely and straightforwardly honestly. You’re right though her reaction to the treasure bugs was so cute and honestly surprising considering her appearance and demeanor, she does like pretty things and jewelry I could def see her going shopping. More content of her would definitely be fun, I’d read your fic!! I do love imagining how everyone’s relationships are like in Kabru’s party, the intricacies of it… I haven’t mulled it over enough though. I’ve been thinking of Mickbell more because of recent posts though, also Rin… If you’d like, the dunmeshi discord I’m in would be a good place to brainstorm about it I think! Hmu for an invite if you want

Summing up the posts I’m working on was long so here’s a cut out of mercy

I have 78 drafts on tumblr currently oh boy… The thing about my process is that I ramble easily but then I need to compile panels to illustrate the points and that’s real tedious… Character analysis wise - I’m most hyped about a Falin one on the topic of if she’s a people pleaser, how much does she care, what’s her way of thinking etc etc, also her differences with Laios because I hate seeing people seriously say they’re the same person. - Also a Cithis one that I just need to streamline at this point. I want to analyze her demeanor, poke at her psychology and analyze her relationships, she’s fascinating. - Oh I’m so stupid I almost forgot to mention the one I’ve been working on currently about Thistle, the age shenanigans but in an in-world way where yes it’s wonky and it means something. He hauntssss me I have so many thoughts on Thistle & Falin lately. Like, offtopic for the analysis but… Falin loves nature and Thistle is named after a flower… Imagine her post-canon coming across wild thistles and feeling a rush of fondness and she doesn’t know why… Thistles have thorns but they taste sweet… Peel of his thorns and eat him pls.

I have more Chilchuck & family thoughts coming, and more Toshiro & family, but these will have more of a casual brainstorm & speculating tone to them, I also just need to streamline these… Like I am obsessed about Toshiyuki and Chilchuck’s alcoholism I’m sorry

Beyond those the topics of the character analysis become more specific, like - How much social awareness does Laios have? Not none, not a lot, but the specifics can be blurry in ways I think are interesting, he was sensitive to people’s judgements in his hometown after all, and he does worry about others’ perception of him… He does know that buzzcut guy was taking advantage of him, etc etc. - There’s an extensive one I want to make on how the winged lion reflects abusive relationships, like how he targets all his ‘meals’'s specific weaknesses and draws out the worst in each of them. A lot of Dunmeshi is about unity and overcoming prejudices & differences & flaws and forming deep and long-lasting bonds despite it all, and amongst all of it it’s like… How flawed relationships with flawed people can still be made into somehing good and healthy that make the world brighter… Except the winged lion there to represent abusive relationships which you need to fucking DITCH, lol. - And on the topic of Dunmeshi & relationships I want to talk about it and queerness, especially in the queerplatonic sense of blurring lines, and Izutsumi + Laios’ relationship to touch should feature in those.

And my crown jewel but I’m soooo hyped about the Marcille & Chilchuck’s arcs one I’m working on it’s gonna go over so much stuff I’m obsessed about, like the importance of books in Marcille’s life, what the succubi reveal about the characters in what ways, the theme that’s so prevalent in Dunmeshi of idealization, Marcille’s imagery as a dungeon lord, a shepherd a general a princess a monster a damsel a woman in mourning…

But that’s enough for heavy ones, side characters wise: doing quick posts like for the gold-stripper characters has been great, but those usually come to me on the same day that I post them. I might make some analysis posts on say Mickbell or Holm or Otta, but I don’t have the thread I want to follow yet. Flamela’s been on my brain so much too…

Mostly though there’s just a lot that I wouldn’t write analysis for, but that I’d love to explore in fanfics! For example, the hienbeni I want to write the most rn is about the surges of anger that Benichidori gets, impulsive and stressed out. I haven’t made a post on my Izutsumi & Benichidori brotp and all the interesting parallels I think I have, but I’ve written a fic on it! Same about Chilchuck’s daughters and their relationship with his alcoholism, etc. I explored the guilt and confliction he may feel about his wife in my fic Enough as well, etc etc. You can see my fics here! For Kabru’s party lately mickrin has been having a chokehold on my brain, I’d love love love to explore Rin’s and Mickbell’s characters and issues through fics for them. As I think you might have figured, I love to explore characters through the lenses of relationships they have with others (Cithis & Mithrun and Pattadol, Thistle and Falin, etc), and that’s why for example I love to make posts that pitch ship ideas, I think specific dynamics can really have a lot to say about either characters. Oh another one’s toshimari, I want to make a fic about them and their feelings of being foreigners and not being able to integrate well to The Island, through the plot of them going to a restaurant as coworkers and the food they eat there~

These are only the ones I have at the top of my head though………. Someone help me Hopefully this post wasn’t boring lol, but yeah those are my wips rn. Need to make posts on toshimari, kabushuro, cithaios, cittadela and ships like that I think have interesting potential too. Many of these I’ve mentioned here I’ve had in my drafts for like 6 months btw gdvd 😭

#Fumi updates #Rinsha fana #marcille donato #diamond of sadena #Ask #wips #I like to have a ‘narrative’ of sorts when doing analysis posts so things feel like they have an aim #which is why finding an angle or focusing on specific scenes or a dynamic is important #Like i might make a dia x holm post that details what i think their personality traits and life experiences are and how i think that could #explore their characters in interesting or fun ways but a dia or holm analysis on their own eh idk. I do think Holm’s more cryptic though #What do his spirits mean to him? How does his religion affect him? He freezes up when there’s too much going on… I love you #I’m just rambling now though save me

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romaine2424 · 10 months

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Daily Blog June 26, 2023

Daughter was off work today so we went to lunch, the grocery store (Trader Joes), and then the to our local nursery to pick up some annuals...I'm a month or so late in doing so. The pickings were slim. She's now upstairs taking a nap. Ha ha ha.

What I'm reading:

Oops nothing today. This morning I was busy trying to figure out how to write myself out of a box I put myself into. I sent off the dilemma to my Alpha, @m0srael, looking for advice. If you've read her stories you know she can methodically plot!

I hope if you missed yesterday's blog that you take a look for the Drarry rec I made.

Tumblr posts of interest:

Oh this is a good one. Just came across my feed. It's a post from @givereadersahug, who I just followed. In HPRECS community on Dreamwidth they are starting a weekly post called "What have I been reading?". Take a look at the post for details and then go over to Dreamwidth and check out even more posts they want to do on a weekly basis like a self-rec day. Building a community to share love of fic and art is terrific.

Okay, this link isn't on Tumblr but it's dead useful for those posting on AO3. Its the AO3 Work Skins/Tutorial. Ever come across a fic that has a newspaper article posted in it that looks very cool, or invisible writing that has to be highlighted, stickynotes, etc... Go take a look and you can see what all is offered.

One last item of Interest. Wondering what hp fests are going on or about to go? To this day, I think Potterfests' HP Fest News Round-up on LJ is the best. Seriously, take a look at that 2nd link for last week's roundup! Amazing.

Musings or Old idea but don't know how to implement it.

When I came back to fandom, I saw a topic that is as old as posting fanfic on whatever site and that is complaining about the same authors and stories being recced. It was a common complaint 20 years ago, too. Whether it's true or not, I'm not going to get into that kerfuffle, but I will say, it's much harder to get a fic seen these days. On LJ and Dreamwidth there was and I assume still are communities that anyone could post a fic or art to and everyone that subscribed to that community would see it. For Drarry on LJ harrydraco and on Dreamwidth (okay can't find the hd community there. I'll fill in the link when I can).

On Tumblr, you are at the mercy of your tags or the fest you might have joined. Also, thankfully @drarryspecificrecsdaily helps out too. In Discord, depending on the server, there's usually a channel for self-rec. Also the fabulous reccers (a topic for another day) do help immensely.

This discussion happened on Discord 2 years ago and I proposed that somehow we have a place where every author could post a link to what they considered to be their best Drarry story already posted on AO3. I was hoping to do this on AO3 and even came up with the corny name of "My Drarry Best". I also bid in @fandomtrumpshate for @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm to create a banner. However, after reading what's allowed for posting on AO3, I don't think it's possible to do it there.

I still think it's a good idea for both authors (to be showcased) and readers (to find quality fics and authors they weren't aware of) but I haven't a clue how to implement it and where. Any ideas? BTW I selfishly stopped @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm from working on it and instead I'll be having a Christmas fic with some illustrations once I finish the final chapter. :D

That's all for today.

Have a good week! Rom

#romaine2424 daily blog #june 2023

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blueaizu · 1 year

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Aizu Updates: Uploading Older Art, Other Social Media Activities

Lately I've been busy doing book illustrations for a friend and I've reached a point where they have to be done now now now, so I haven't had much time set aside for making new stuff. I've got a few older drawings in my backlog, though, so to help my page feel more complete I'll be uploading some of those in the meantime. They may not completely reflect how I draw now, but rest assured they all still fit the criteria for being something I still like enough to share!

That was the actually important thing, so I'll put the rest of this post after a cut. It's basically just rambling about observations of social media I made.

So in the interest of covering more bases when I become a vtuber, I've been looking into some more alternatives for Twitter. Don't get me wrong, Tumblr's been great and I'm happy to keep using it! But while Tumblr's suited for more in depth blog posts, there's a succinct immediacy to the more rapid fire nature of the Twit. As a regular person I don't actually miss using it (I mean seriously Twitter's a goddamned cesspool); but I recognize its power in sharing quick updates with a large body of users that are scrolling through content like a naughty child unravelling a roll of toilet paper.

The platform that seems the most promising is called Bluesky, which is currently invite only because it's still in beta. It was founded in part by Jack Dorsey, the previous CEO of Twitter, so Bluesky's striking resemblance to Twitter is no coincidence. Supposedly it will allow communities to run from their own servers, but it can also carry over your account information seamlessly between them. People used to say the blockchain could have good uses when NFTs were still going around, and at the time I didn't believe them, but now I think I'm starting to see what they meant (but I still hate NFTs).

The limited supply of invites driving up demand on top of the Muskman seemingly doing everything in his power to sabotage his own platform is giving Bluesky quite a bit of hype, so I think it might actually have a chance to flourish. It will for sure start off basically being Twitter 2.0, but its more open nature supporting outside servers run by smaller communities instead of one big monolith can let it grow into its own thing. But who knows when Bluesky will open its doors to the public? Even if I do get in right now, you (yes, you, the person reading this) likely wouldn't have access.

Another alternative that's available right now and very similar to what I described is Mastodon. While I could see its potential as a platform, it's difficult to use and the audience just doesn't seem fully there. A number of people fled there from Twitter, but they didn't stick around because it's actually nothing like Twitter. They still had a net gain of new users, but I have my doubts about sticking with it. Still, I wouldn't write it off just yet since Mastodon does power Pawoo, which is a Japanese-run community that's associated with Pixiv and is quite lively in its own right. This is the true power of a platform with an open source network of community-run servers.

Anyway what was the point I was trying to make with this again?

I hope these developments mean we're on the cusp of a new age of social media where we have the power to run our own communities and not be at the mercy of one big corporation? Yeah, something like that.

Also being a vtuber is cool.

Actually, you know what? Speaking of vtubers, you deserve a little reward for making it this far. You didn't have to do that, but you did! Don't tell anyone, but...

SURPRISE PEEK AT MY VTUBER!!

#twitter #bluesky #mastodon #Aizu Updates

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fainthedcherry · 1 year

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THERE SHE IS Y'ALL!!!! IN ALL HER NEW GLORY <3 HAPPY 7 YEAR ANNIVERSARY C.I.TA !!!!! 🥺✨✨

FRIEND'S CHARACTER CREDIT TIME;

Roselle belongs to my friendo Hollowed-Hartlocke both on DA and TH !!!

Ruben belongs to my other friend AJ_1773 on Toyhou.se ! : D

NORMAL DESCRIPTION TIME;

This was supposed to be a colored sketch but oops uh. I kinda turned this into an illustration LOL. I might update some stuff tomorrow, as I'm a little unsure on if the composition is clear enough or nah still sjcjskx

It's crazy to feel, that I owned a character for this long man. About time she deserved proper recognition and a spot in the limelight again. I didn't wanna miss out for a 4th year on this opportunity so muh bebby gets some well-deserved love again this year + Chloe can't overtake C.I.Ta's Image-gallery count on TH anymore I was also concerned about that one the most 😖😖

BUT YEAH I. I honestly don't have much to say other that I've gotten sick and I'm also tired bc I was grinding between OTA's, a private project I participate in and also this drawing. HAHAHAHS Life's a hassle lately and I had 0 time for personal art so it's also weird to post some personal art again before I return back to OTA's !!

With that, lord have mercy on the tags bc I have too much fun tagging my posts tbh AHSHAJSJHASJH

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overlyimmersed · 11 months

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So I was having dialog in my head, as I do, and it didn't occur to me till way late that I should be recording it

so now it's too late to really write it out as a proper fic, but I'll just tell you about it. I feel like I don't give a lot of justification for the ship, cuz I ALWAYS DO THIS, so I really need to better illustrate that these two have something special going on...

it's inspired by a post I was reading on Pinterest about redemption arcs and the nature of forgiveness.

It's a conversion between Maranwe and Helbram, the tone is kinda low but not super heavy. It's more like negative pondering about the sort of condition of his soul kind of thing, rather then a whole ton of guilt. Like it's not like he's really interested in forgiveness from humanity in any sense, but in more of a nebulous way. Like general morality rather then any person's opinion.

He wonders if he could ever be worthy of any kind of forgiveness or if he can ever really be considered redeemed, and if it's possible at all to atone for all the damage he did, even though he's already put effort into that. And he wonders out loud how Maranwe was able to forgive him so easily.

Her response starts off simple, as most of her conversations do. She says it's because she's doesn't really believe in atonement. She goes on to explain that him feeling remorse at all is simply good enough for her. That she only went along with helping him atone because it seemed important to him and she never thought it was necessary. She doesn't believe that forgiveness from others means very much and true forgiveness can only come from oneself. If a person feels bad for the pain they've caused and stops doing it, that's good enough. They stop being bad when they stop doing bad things.

She supposes that atonement could be good for balancing Karma, if you believe it works that way, but she doesn't. And she says that the believe in seeking atonement and forgiveness from the people you've wronged come from the idea that you need to become worthy. She tells him that he's always been worth the world to her and "no amount of atonement or grace or sin will ever effect that" she says "I know your soul and I know your heart and I've never flinched at either"

He says he doesn't deserve her, and she reminds him "Mercy doesn't care what you deserve" and kisses his forehead.

Note; that's a phrase Maranwe uses a lot. She calls herself "an agent of Mercy" and believes that alleviating pain, regardless of it's cause or karma, is her reason for existing. Mercy isn't really effected by Karma, people can get mercy even if they don't deserve it and sometimes people that do deserve it don't get it. It doesn't work on the same system and she uses that statement to be like "it doesn't matter if you deserve it or not it's here anyway".

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mercyillustrator · 1 month

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Belated birthday gift Greenzone my amazing friend of mine @greenroze2

So I wanna to say I really adore this phenomenal artwork of yours even with gijinka Kirby version of yours and If I choose your character I would say Meta Knight He looks so cool that could be like charmy knight and the armor it was so spot on also moving the outfits of King dedede and Meta Knight it was amazing also I love how I see different gijinka from one to another also you inspired me to get back with KRBAY gijinka and help me that I’m getting better on armor as well ^w^

(sorry if I couldn’t done the drawing on your birthday I was busy and very sick ;-;)

💠🎨Like, Comment, reshares on stories and save are much appreciated and well served :3🎨💠

- 💠🎨Mercy🎨💠

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irvinenewshq · 2 years

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Stable Libbok exhibits class to spare Stormers blushes in wet draw with Osrpeys

Manie Libbok. (Picture by Chris Fairweather/Huw Evans Company/Gallo Pictures) Whereas they will not be miffed by the consequence, the Stormers’ post-title bubble was undeniably pricked after they had been held to a 16-all draw by Ospreys in Friday evening’s gritty URC encounter in Swansea. It is debatable whether or not the gutsy, if restricted, hosts deserved to stroll away with the spoils – they loved the bulk possession and territory – however authentic questions will be requested of the defending champions’ present skill to tweak their skilful, fluent recreation in direction of a extra percentage-based one when the going will get robust. RECAP | URC – Ospreys v Stormers And, on an evening the place the situations had been atrocious, they lacked the self-discipline and ahead momentum to take action. The Stormers’ entrance row struggled to achieve parity at scrum-time, whereas the thrilling free trio of Evan Roos, Hacjivah Dayimani and Nama Xaba had been stored quiet and may even have been accused of being nameless at sure levels. Nevertheless, there was one shining gentle. If Manie Libbok goes to be a wildcard choice for the Springboks on their tour to Europe subsequent month, his displaying would’ve performed his trigger no hurt. The compact pivot was an instrumental presence for the defending champions, executing every little thing that was required of him properly and, basically, proving the participant that stored the Stormers within the recreation. Some will query whether or not that is truly information given his super development as a participant since becoming a member of the Capetonians, however what was eye-catching about this efficiency was that Libbok did so on an evening when the rain bucketed down, rendering passing a lottery and when he did not have the luxurious of a pack granting him a platform. That he stood up so properly suggests he may certainly have the temperament for Check rugby. Libbok’s goal-kicking was flawless and it was his imaginative and prescient that led to the Stormers’ sole attempt. Following a bout of aerial ping-pong, alternative Steven Kitshoff carried vigorously earlier than halfback Paul de Moist cleared nearly wildly from the breakdown however managed to seek out his accomplice. Sensing a possibility, Libbok ran a delicate angle after which gave a scissor go to Leolin Zas, who broke the road and made the scoring go to De Moist. It was a superb illustration of the Stormers’ enduring skill to additionally maintain the scoreboard ticking from scraps. Libbok may’ve even been his facet’s hero had his drop-goal try within the closing minute not gone large. In the meantime, Ospreys – as one would most likely count on – appeared much more at house within the situations, They’d battled to get out of their very own half within the first quarter because the Stormers monopolised possession with out displaying any punch. However as they began to achieve the higher hand on the set-piece, so did their confidence develop. There was a gilt-edged alternative late within the first half when centre Mike Collins was freed up, solely to be stifled by some excellent Stormers defence – one of many guests’ highlights of their displaying – and a knock-on by wing Keelan Giles with the road at his mercy. Given their superior initiative, it was unsurprising that the Stormers would give them scoring alternatives, which flyhalf Steve Myler gleefully accepted together with his correct boot. That morphed right into a deserved maul attempt for hooker Scott Baldwin in a while, however a winner could not be discovered. Level scorers: Ospreys – (3) Attempt: Scott Baldwin Conversion: Steve Myler Penalties: Myler (3) Stormers – (6) Attempt: Paul de Moist Conversion: Manie Libbok Penalties: Libbok (2) Originally published at Irvine News HQ

#Irvine News HQ

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yrpreciousmoon · 2 years

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Firsts

Title: Firsts Fandom: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Pairing: Josuke x Okusyasu Rating: T Description: Three simple vignettes of relationship milestones. Josuke and Okuyasu share many things unspoken, but perhaps they should have been speaking this entire time. AN: This is the first thing I've written in about a million years. I wrote this to get the ideas moving, to get into the heads of these guys. Inspired by the first prompt for Josuyasu week, this may develop into a larger story later, or it may just remain a drabble. Mostly my goal here was to write these guys as close to canon as possible, which frankly means they'd be too stupid to figure out they're in love. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, I'm looking forward to sharing more works soon! [x-posted to AO3]

Josuke remembers their first kiss, although at the time it wasn't even anything.

It was a Saturday morning in Autumn, and Josuke was up much earlier than normal for a weekend. His mother had commented loudly on this fact over breakfast, wondering if it was due to an act of God or a new video game release. The annoyed teen had mumbled something noncommittal though a mouthful of rice and had hardly cleared his plate before he was out the front door. Now that he was out in full view of the world, he did his damndest to maintain his usual Cool Guy saunter while on his way to – predictably – the game store. But his composure lasted only for a block or so before an eager grin broke out across his face and he pitched forward, quickening his pace to a jog. He recalled all of the badass illustrations he'd seen of the game's main protagonist, and began to picture himself as a hot cop navigating a zombie apocalypse. So cool.

But if, perhaps, he hadn't been so enveloped in evading imaginary bad guys, he may have noticed that the very real sky above him was growing darker. Alas, the siren song of gritty violence had completely preoccupied him, and so by the time the imminent storm became apparent, it was already too late to turn back.

Plink!

At first, he wasn't even sure he had felt it. He snapped back to reality, his smile vanishing, his pace slowing to match that of the gears that were once more beginning to turn in his mind.

Plink! Plink!

This time, one hit his cheek. He reached up to touch his face, instinctively, then stared blankly at the bit of wetness that remained on his fingertips. “Oh, shit – ”

The heavens opened up, bombarding him at once with a thousand tiny bullets.

“Aaaa-aaaah!” he yelped, bolting forward, hands reaching up uselessly in an attempt to shield his hair from the onslaught. Panicked eyes darted around the neighborhood as he sought somewhere to hide. If he didn't find cover quick, his hair was going to melt into a sad, sticky mess, and there was no way he was going to be seen in public after that. And yet, he needed to get to the store! He didn't have time to repeat his daily hair routine! What if the store was sold out of copies by then?! Josuke was certain that he'd never in his life been in a more perilous predicament. What he needed right now was a –

“JOOO-SUKEEE!”

...Lo, a miracle.

The voice cut through the rain and the panic and the boy whirled around to find the source of it. There, at the end of the side street, emerged a shining ray of hope in the form of a teenager wildly flailing his umbrella. Josuke matched this frantic energy, arms breaking from their defensive position around his hair to thrash about overhead. Words failed him. And then there was a low sound, one that resonated in his guts, and a sudden rush of air that preceded Okuyasu's appearance. They were suddenly stumbling into each other, the umbrella's merciful canopy covering them both.

“Bro!” Okuyasu exclaimed, eyes wide, “What are you doing out here without an umbrella? Your hair, man!” He fretted at the older boy's stray locks for just a moment.

“I know!” Josuke shouted back, not missing a beat, though he grabbed the other boy's shoulder to steady himself in their sudden closeness. “Holy shit. You're always there when things get dicey, bro.” He punched Oku's arm in an act of manly gratitude.

Okuyasu returned the gesture. “Heh heh. Yeah. All in a day's work. But uh, seriously, what are you doing out here? I figured you wouldn't be up for like, another five hours at least.” Josuke sobered up a bit at the question, his lips forming into a pout as he debated telling Okuyasu the whole truth. His friend only blinked, waiting. Josuke closed his eyes and sighed.

“Alright, listen man, I was going to try to keep this a secret but it's no use now.” He hesitated, building suspense, and Okuyasu continued to stare. Josuke cracked an eye open to make sure that he was paying attention. “I was actually on my way to pick up your birthday present.”

Okuyasu's wide-eyed stare still didn't falter, although now he tipped his head to the side and mulled it over for a moment before replying, “Uhh, my birthday isn't for a few weeks still, dude.”

“Well yeah, I know that, dumbass.” Josuke put a hand on his hip. “I was gonna play it for a bit before I gave it to you. You're gonna need to use my console to play it anyway.” Oku blinked again. And once more. Josuke could see the math working itself out in his friend's mind. “So you're getting me... a video game?”

“Yeah, bro.”

“Today?”

“YEAH, bro.”

A beat, and then, “JOSUKE!” he exclaimed, leaning in even closer. Vacuous confusion was replaced by excitement and disbelief as the significance of today's date – promoted for months in adverts that the two boys had pored over together – fully dawned on him. Tears welled up in his eyes. His lips trembled, trying to formulate a coherent response, but all he came up with was, “ZOMBIES!”

Josuke chuckled, delighting as always in his best friend's unbridled enthusiasm. “ZOMBIES, OKU!”

“WE'RE GONNA KILL SOME ZOMBIES!”

“FUCK YEAH!”

The two immediately dissolved into gleeful laughter and whatever dancing could be contained within the umbrella's protection. Josuke beamed, taking in the sight of his buddy utterly blissed out over the idea of low-poly violence, and he was suddenly overwhelmed with that contagious joy. Electricity shot through him in that moment and he put both hands on Okuyasu's cheeks, closing the distance between them 'til their foreheads bumped together.

“Josuke, man, you're the best,” Oku said, struggling to hold back the tears.

“Happy birthday, dude!” exclaimed the other, and then suddenly, instinctively, he pressed a kiss to his friend's lips.

Another jolt of electricity, fingers and toes tingling. Looking back on it, Josuke would be reminded of Jotaro's Stand; the way everything in that moment had halted, even the rain, preserving the moment in his mind like a photograph, and yet when all was said and done only a second or two had passed.

When the moment was fully over Okuyasu had just laughed, as though kissing his best friend on the mouth was the most natural thing in the world. “Stop screwing around Josuke, we gotta get to the store before it sells out!”

“Right!” agreed the other, and the two went on their way.

Josuke remembers the first time his dumb ass acknowledged his own feelings.

It was a few years after the kiss, and in that time there had been plenty of small moments that Josuke wouldn't have shared with any other friend, perhaps not even with any of the short-lived quote-unquote romantic partners he'd had in high school.

Moments like... getting close and comfortable on the couch during movie nights. Long embraces to celebrate each other's wins. Eyes dried on t-shirts when someone's burden got too heavy to carry alone.

In all this time and after all these moments, Josuke had conceded to many curious onlookers that their bond was special, unbreakable. Of course it was. Okuyasu was his best bro. He never understood why so many people asked about their friendship, like there was some treasured secret of the universe that they were hiding.

“People are just jealous, man,” Oku had said once at lunch, waving a dismissive hand. “Honestly, I feel sorry for them. They don't know what true friendship is. Anyway,” he finally swallowed the mouthful of food that he'd been barking through, “are you coming to my game tonight or what?” “Wouldn't miss it for the world, Okuyasu,” Josuke replied with a wink.

Yes, all of that, and still, the truth didn't even begin to sink in until the summer of 2003.

Okuyasu had easily convinced Josuke to go on a roadtrip with him on the threadbare premise of “looking at universities,” in giant air-quotes, of course. Josuke wasn't sure his friend would even apply to school, let alone actually attend, but he wasn't going to miss out on several weeks of new food and the open road with his best bud. Not after all the stress and lukewarm heartbreak he'd endured during the past semester of his own academic endeavors...

“... I gotta admit, man, you're not exactly sellin' me on the idea of university,” Okuyasu finished.

Josuke chuckled and looked over at his friend in the driver's seat. The late evening sun played nicely on his skin, bronzed from long days spent outdoors doing odd jobs around Morioh. His elbow was propped up on the open window, idly letting the wind play through his fingers the same way it did in the waves of his top-knot and in the thin fabric of his tank top. Josuke smiled but was silent, turning now to look out his own window. The sun was working its magic here too, turning the coastal woodlands into gold. The silence in the car passed easily, comfortably, until finally Okuyasu let out a yawn and nodded towards an upcoming road sign. “Wanna get off here for the night?”

“Works for me.” Josuke slouched back into his seat, getting comfy. “I'm starving. Grab something to eat and then find a place to crash?” Okuyasu nodded sagely. “Oh, but find somewhere with cable. After all that walking today I just wanna watch some shitty B-movies until I pass out.”

“Obviously,” Okuyasu replied.

And so it came to pass.

And it was that night, in the stale-smelling and sparsely decorated room in the cheapest lodging they could find, that Josuke had an epiphany.

He awoke abruptly in the middle of the night, eyes bleary, apparently roused by the music of some cheaply-produced infomercial that had come on after the monster movie marathon had wrapped up.

“Hmmmmn,” Josuke grumbled, a bit too loud, waiting to see if Okuyasu responded. Nothing at first, and then, a soft snore. Ah. Okay. So Josuke would have to be the one to get up and turn off the TV.

However, as his mind started to process the concept of moving, he slowly became aware of a slight weight that was holding him down. It was Okuyasu's arm, curled loosely around him, hand resting on his chest. And something about this felt... different, to Josuke. He pondered over the situation.

It wasn't weird that they were sharing a bed. It never had been. Well... maybe the first time, a little, but that time Oku had dismissed Josuke's hesitation with a, “Oh, quit bein' stupid.” And so Josuke had quit it, and then it had never been weird again.

And this... this wasn't weird, either. It still felt right, somehow, and just as effortless as all those times Oku had rested his head on Josuke's lap while they studied or watched TV or whatever, or when Josuke's shoulder had become a pillow during long boring ceremonies.

No, this wasn't weird, but this was... different, new, somehow more intimate than even they were accustomed to.

There was a strange flush in Josuke's face and that tingling he'd felt years ago returned, the same one that occasionally accompanied the first physical contact between himself and a cute guy or girl on campus.

But... this was... Okuyasu? This wasn't some hot guy from his Bio class –

… although sure, Oku was a handsome guy. But Josuke wasn't attracted to –

… okay, to be fair, Okuyasu was also definitely his type. But Josuke wasn't smitten with –

… well, he did love being around the guy, and felt that most situations would be improved with his presence. But...

But what? The question buzzed in Josuke's mind. What, exactly, made his feelings for Okuyasu different from any other romance he'd pursued? Any difference he could think of only made this relationship feel more significant, more essential, more robust. What was he missing, here? And how the hell had he missed it for so long?

He redirected his attention to Oku's arm. The embrace felt safe, like it always had. But this new line of questioning in him had him in the mood to experiment, to test these newfound waters of maybe-crushing-on-his-best-friend. He nudged an elbow into Oku's ribs, just enough force to jostle him awake. Then Josuke closed his eyes, and waited.

“Hnn? Wha?” Oku groaned, lifting his head from the pillow. He stared at the TV with half-lidded eyes for a moment, then glanced down to see his supposedly-sleeping best friend. There was a pause, in which Josuke assumed the other would realize the error of his ways and sheepishly roll over to his other side.

Instead, Oku let out a small huff and settled back down, pulling Josuke in even closer to be his little spoon. Josuke's lips parted in shock but he held back the gasp, continuing to feign sleep until he heard the telltale snore once again. Then, emboldened by his friend's reaction, Josuke wiggled his own hips backwards into Oku's, his body now filled with fireworks and an entirely new feeling that curled gently below his stomach.

In the morning, there was no reckoning. Okyuasu patted Josuke's hip, stood from the bed, stretched, and then asked what he wanted to do for breakfast.

The late night epiphany stayed in that bed as they left on the next leg of their adventure.

***

Josuke remembers the first night in their apartment.

The decision to become room mates had been a no-brainer. With the Speedwagon Foundation taking over care of his father and their “pet,” Okuyasu had no need for a big, old, empty house that carried nothing but painful memories. And Tomoko was 1,000% done with Josuke being in the house, even if it was just during his breaks from school. So the two of them had found a decent enough place mid-way between their respective responsibilities, signed some papers, and now they had their own Real Life Adult Home.

The first day had been rough, as all moving days are, and in the end all they had to show for it was a bare mattress on the floor and a tiny TV precariously balanced on one of the many towers of unopened boxes.

So when they finally decided to call it a day, they sank onto the aforementioned mattress with a couple of beers in hand, and turned on the first sitcom they could find. They watched with rapt attention, their bodies sore and hair disheveled, both of them dressed in shorts and hoodies, and Josuke couldn't help but notice how nice this felt.

Oku's arm was around Josuke's shoulders, his beer pressing condensation into Josuke's entirely too expensive hoodie. Normally, Josuke might have pushed the bottle away with an indignant sniff, but on this night the damp spot on his clothes only served to remind him of that day when the two of them had kissed. The electricity that had sparked between them, and how it had gone unmentioned, tucked away in the crevices between fist bumps and high fives and half-conscious spooning.

He glanced up at Okuyasu's face, peering shyly through his long lashes.

“Oh, come on,” Oku snapped at the TV, rolling his eyes. “He's such an idiot. I've never been so mad at a fictional character before.” Josuke didn't take the bait, and eventually the silence made Okuyasu look down, his disgruntled expression softening when he saw the hazy look in Josuke's eyes. He quirked a brow, questioning.

“...hey,” Josuke said quietly, the word shaking a bit as it left him.

“Hey,” replied Oku, uncertain.

Josuke bit his bottom lip, and he watched as Okuyasu's eyes followed the movement and lingered there. Oh, fuck. The heat rose up in his body again and he turned around to properly face the other. “Okuyasu?”

“W-what's up, Josuke?”

As was often the case between them, spoken words wouldn't be sufficient here. Josuke placed a hand on Okuyasu's neck and pulled him in closer. He went slowly, leaving opportunity for the other to escape. But, perhaps to both of their surprise, there was no resistance. Okuyasu submitted to Josuke's will and eased into a soft, lingering kiss.

“Mmh,” Josuke gasped when their lips made proper contact, somewhat in disbelief. He felt Oku's mouth twitch into a little smirk, and oh, that just made his insides melt even more.

He leaned back onto the bed then, Okuyasu still following his lead, and their beer bottles clattered, forgotten, to the floor. Oku adjusted himself to be properly on top of his friend, and yeah, Josuke knew this was for the sake of comfort, but he thought perhaps he detected a hint of dominance in the action too, and that only added to the fire.

Evidently Oku felt the same, letting a soft moan escape into the kiss. He reached one hand up to tangle his fingers with Josuke's, while the other got lost in fistfuls of dark, conditioned hair. A younger version of Josuke may have objected to this, but at this point he was atoning for five years of not making out with Okuyasu, and besides, he kind of enjoyed the pinpricks of pain that blossomed along his scalp, turning into goose-bumps down the back of his neck.

At last they broke away from each other to catch their breath in heavy gulps, though Oku nipped eagerly at his friend's full bottom lip, indicating that this was far from over. Josuke cracked opened his eyes to take in the sight of his best bro gazing down at him with an intensity that he'd never seen before.

Josuke laughed, nervous, unsure of himself. “What... What are we doing?” he breathed.

Okuyasu leaned in again, kissing at Josuke's neck, sucking a little, teasing his teeth gently against the skin. He shrugged. “Whatever the fuck we want.”

#josuyasu #fanfic #fanfiction #m/m #josuke higashitaka #okuyasu #josuyasu week #jjba #jojoba #slash fic

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backslashdelta · 3 years

Text

Glee Soundtrack Rating Project Results: backslashdelta

Is it weird that I'm making a summary post for myself? Maybe. Am I doing it anyway? Apparently so.

Favourite character: Kurt Hummel

Least favourite character: Will Schuester

Favourite season: Undecided

Least favourite season: Season 6

Mean song rating: 6.87

Mean song rating for favourite character's songs: 7.68

Mean song rating for favourite character's solos: 8.29

Mean song rating season 1: 6.66

Mean song rating season 2: 6.84

Mean song rating season 3: 6.88

Mean song rating season 4: 6.86

Mean song rating season 5: 6.98

Mean song rating season 6: 7.07

Songs rated: 701

[ID: A bar chart titled Number of songs assigned each rating by backslashdelta, illustrating the number of times each score was assigned to a song by backslashdelta. 10 was assigned 58 times, 9 was assigned 103 times, 8 was assigned 128 times, 7 was assigned 138 times, 6 was assigned 121 times, 5 was assigned 51 times, 4 was assigned 57 times, 3 was assigned 29 times, 2 was assigned 8 times, 1 was assigned 8 times, and 1 songs were not rated.]

About the Project | Results Masterpost

Ranking:

1. (10) - S1x09 - Defying Gravity

2. (10) - S1x13 - Don't Rain on My Parade

3. (10) - S1x15 - 4 Minutes

4. (10) - S1x15 - Like a Prayer

5. (10) - S1x18 - Rose's Turn

6. (10) - S1x22 - Don't Stop Believing (Regionals)

7. (10) - S2x06 - Teenage Dream

8. (10) - S2x06 - Start Me Up/Livin' on a Prayer

9. (10) - S2x09 - Dog Days Are Over

10. (10) - S2x10 - Baby, It's Cold Outside

11. (10) - S2x11 - Thriller/Heads Will Roll

12. (10) - S2x11 - Bills, Bills, Bills

13. (10) - S2x12 - When I Get You Alone

14. (10) - S2x13 - Take Me or Leave Me

15. (10) - S2x16 - Loser Like Me

16. (10) - S2x18 - Somewhere Only We Know

17. (10) - S2x19 - Go Your Own Way

18. (10) - S3x01 - You Can't Stop the Beat

19. (10) - S3x06 - Rumour Has It/Someone Like You

20. (10) - S3x08 - Man in the Mirror

21. (10) - S3x11 - Black or White

22. (10) - S3x11 - Smooth Criminal

23. (10) - S3x15 - Rio/Hungry Like the Wolf

24. (10) - S3x17 - How Will I Know

25. (10) - S3x18 - Cell Block Tango

26. (10) - S3x18 - Not the Boy Next Door

27. (10) - S3x18 - Shake It Out

28. (10) - S3x21 - Paradise By the Dashboard Light

29. (10) - S3x21 - It's All Coming Back to Me Now

30. (10) - S3x21 - Edge of Glory

31. (10) - S4x04 - Teenage Dream (Acoustic)

32. (10) - S4x04 - The Scientist

33. (10) - S4x04 - Mine

34. (10) - S4x08 - Whistle

35. (10) - S4x09 - Being Alive

36. (10) - S4x13 - Nutbush City Limits

37. (10) - S4x14 - Anything Could Happen

38. (10) - S4x15 - Come What May

39. (10) - S5x01 - Got to Get You Into My Life

40. (10) - S5x03 - Seasons of Love

41. (10) - S5x03 - Make You Feel My Love

42. (10) - S5x03 - If I Die Young

43. (10) - S5x07 - Nasty/Rhythm Nation

44. (10) - S5x09 - I Believe in a Thing Called Love

45. (10) - S5x10 - Gloria

46. (10) - S5x11 - More Than a Feeling

47. (10) - S5x11 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

48. (10) - S5x11 - Mr. Roboto/Counting Stars

49. (10) - S5x13 - Loser Like Me

50. (10) - S5x14 - Rockstar

51. (10) - S5x16 - Addicted to Love

52. (10) - S5x19 - Take Me Home Tonight

53. (10) - S5x20 - All of Me

54. (10) - S6x03 - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow/Head Over Feet

55. (10) - S6x03 - Hand in My Pocket/I Feel the Earth Move

56. (10) - S6x07 - You Give Love a Bad Name

57. (10) - S6x13 - Daydream Believer

58. (10) - S6x13 - I Lived

59. (9) - S1x01 - Mr. Cellophane

60. (9) - S1x01 - Respect

61. (9) - S1x01 - Don't Stop Believing (Pilot)

62. (9) - S1x10 - Lean On Me

63. (9) - S1x15 - Like a Virgin

64. (9) - S1x18 - Pink Houses

65. (9) - S1x20 - Bad Romance

66. (9) - S2x03 - Losing My Religion

67. (9) - S2x03 - Only the Good Die Young

68. (9) - S2x03 - One of Us

69. (9) - S2x04 - River Deep, Mountain High

70. (9) - S2x04 - Don't Go Breaking My Heart

71. (9) - S2x05 - Sweet Transvestite

72. (9) - S2x05 - Time Warp

73. (9) - S2x07 - Singing In the Rain/Umbrella

74. (9) - S2x09 - Don't Cry for Me Argentina

75. (9) - S2x10 - Last Christmas

76. (9) - S2x12 - Silly Love Songs

77. (9) - S2x12 - Fat Bottomed Girls

78. (9) - S2x13 - Sing

79. (9) - S2x13 - Baby

80. (9) - S2x14 - Blame It (On the Alcohol)

81. (9) - S2x14 - Don't You Want Me

82. (9) - S2x15 - Afternoon Delight

83. (9) - S2x15 - Landslide

84. (9) - S2x16 - Blackbird

85. (9) - S2x16 - Hell to the No

86. (9) - S2x16 - Big Ass Heart

87. (9) - S2x17 - Turning Tables

88. (9) - S2x18 - Born This Way

89. (9) - S2x19 - Never Going Back Again

90. (9) - S2x19 - I Don't Want to Know

91. (9) - S2x19 - Don't Stop

92. (9) - S2x22 - For Good

93. (9) - S3x04 - Last Friday Night

94. (9) - S3x04 - Candyman

95. (9) - S3x05 - Uptown Girl

96. (9) - S3x06 - I Can't Go for That/You Make My Dreams Come True

97. (9) - S3x06 - You and I/You and I

98. (9) - S3x07 - I'm the Only One

99. (9) - S3x07 - I Kissed a Girl

100. (9) - S3x08 - Buenos Aires

101. (9) - S3x08 - ABC

102. (9) - S3x09 - All I Want for Christmas Is You

103. (9) - S3x09 - My Favorite Things

104. (9) - S3x10 - Moves Like Jagger/Jumpin' Jack Flash

105. (9) - S3x11 - Bad

106. (9) - S3x11 - I Want You Back

107. (9) - S3x13 - Love Shack

108. (9) - S3x14 - Cough Syrup

109. (9) - S3x14 - Here's to Us

110. (9) - S3x14 - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

111. (9) - S3x14 - Glad You Came

112. (9) - S3x17 - So Emotional

113. (9) - S3x20 - Mean

114. (9) - S3x21 - Pinball Wizard

115. (9) - S3x22 - You Get What You Give

116. (9) - S4x01 - It's Time

117. (9) - S4x01 - Call Me Maybe

118. (9) - S4x02 - 3

119. (9) - S4x04 - Barely Breathing

120. (9) - S4x04 - Don't Speak

121. (9) - S4x04 - Give Your Heart a Break

122. (9) - S4x06 - Beauty School Dropout

123. (9) - S4x06 - You're the One That I Want

124. (9) - S4x07 - Some Nights

125. (9) - S4x08 - Live While We're Young

126. (9) - S4x09 - All That Jazz

127. (9) - S4x14 - Just Can't Get Enough

128. (9) - S4x15 - Shout

129. (9) - S4x15 - Old Time Rock & Roll/Danger Zone

130. (9) - S4x16 - Closer

131. (9) - S4x16 - Cold Hearted

132. (9) - S4x17 - Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)

133. (9) - S4x17 - My Prerogative

134. (9) - S4x21 - Higher Ground

135. (9) - S5x01 - All You Need Is Love

136. (9) - S5x04 - Wide Awake

137. (9) - S5x04 - Roar

138. (9) - S5x06 - Piano Man

139. (9) - S5x07 - You're My Best Friend

140. (9) - S5x09 - Brave

141. (9) - S5x12 - Defying Gravity

142. (9) - S5x12 - Valerie

143. (9) - S5x13 - Don't Stop Believin' (Season Five)

144. (9) - S5x13 - Just Give Me a Reason

145. (9) - S5x15 - I'm Still Here

146. (9) - S5x17 - Pumpin Blood

147. (9) - S5x18 - Wake Me Up

148. (9) - S5x19 - Lucky Star

149. (9) - S5x20 - American Boy

150. (9) - S5x20 - Glitter in the Air

151. (9) - S6x02 - Tightrope

152. (9) - S6x02 - Home

153. (9) - S6x03 - It's Too Late

154. (9) - S6x07 - Somebody Loves You

155. (9) - S6x09 - Friday I'm in Love

156. (9) - S6x10 - Rise

157. (9) - S6x11 - We Built This City

158. (9) - S6x11 - Come Sail Away

159. (9) - S6x11 - Take Me to Church

160. (9) - S6x12 - Don't Stop Believing (Pilot/2009)

161. (9) - S6x12 - Popular

162. (8) - S1x01 - Sit Down You're Rockin the Boat

163. (8) - S1x01 - Can't Fight This Feeling

164. (8) - S1x01 - Rehab

165. (8) - S1x02 - Push It

166. (8) - S1x03 - Mercy

167. (8) - S1x03 - I Wanna Sex You Up

168. (8) - S1x05 - Alone

169. (8) - S1x06 - It's My Life/Confessions Part II

170. (8) - S1x06 - Halo/Walking On Sunshine

171. (8) - S1x07 - Hate On Me

172. (8) - S1x08 - Sweet Caroline

173. (8) - S1x09 - Proud Mary

174. (8) - S1x10 - Crush

175. (8) - S1x11 - True Colors

176. (8) - S1x13 - You Can't Always Get What You Want

177. (8) - S1x14 - Hello, I Love You

178. (8) - S1x15 - Vogue

179. (8) - S1x17 - U Can't Touch This

180. (8) - S1x17 - Total Eclipse of the Heart

181. (8) - S1x17 - Ice Ice Baby

182. (8) - S1x18 - Jessie's Girl

183. (8) - S1x21 - Tell Me Something Good

184. (8) - S1x22 - Any Way You Want It/Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'

185. (8) - S2x01 - Empire State of Mind

186. (8) - S2x01 - Telephone

187. (8) - S2x02 - Stronger

188. (8) - S2x02 - I'm a Slave 4 U

189. (8) - S2x02 - Me Against the Music

190. (8) - S2x02 - Toxic

191. (8) - S2x03 - I Want to Hold Your Hand

192. (8) - S2x03 - Bridge Over Troubled Water

193. (8) - S2x05 - Touch a Touch a Touch a Touch Me

194. (8) - S2x06 - Stop! In the Name of Love/Free Your Mind

195. (8) - S2x09 - Hey, Soul Sister

196. (8) - S2x09 - Valerie

197. (8) - S2x11 - She's Not There

198. (8) - S2x11 - Need You Now

199. (8) - S2x13 - Somebody to Love

200. (8) - S2x14 - Tik Tok

201. (8) - S2x14 - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

202. (8) - S2x15 - Animal

203. (8) - S2x15 - Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)

204. (8) - S2x16 - Misery

205. (8) - S2x16 - Raise Your Glass

206. (8) - S2x16 - Trouty Mouth

207. (8) - S2x18 - As If We Never Said Goodbye

208. (8) - S2x18 - I Feel Pretty/Unpretty

209. (8) - S2x20 - Rolling in the Deep

210. (8) - S2x20 - Isn't She Lovely

211. (8) - S2x21 - Some People

212. (8) - S2x22 - Yeah!

213. (8) - S3x01 - It's Not Unusual

214. (8) - S3x02 - I'm the Greatest Star

215. (8) - S3x03 - It's All Over

216. (8) - S3x06 - Hit Me with Your Best Shot/One Way or Another

217. (8) - S3x07 - Perfect

218. (8) - S3x08 - Survivor/I Will Survive

219. (8) - S3x09 - Christmas Wrapping

220. (8) - S3x09 - Let It Snow

221. (8) - S3x09 - River

222. (8) - S3x10 - Summer Nights

223. (8) - S3x10 - We Found Love

224. (8) - S3x11 - Scream

225. (8) - S3x11 - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

226. (8) - S3x13 - Stereo Hearts

227. (8) - S3x15 - I'm Still Standing

228. (8) - S3x15 - Fighter

229. (8) - S3x16 - Boogie Shoes

230. (8) - S3x17 - It's Not Right But It's Okay

231. (8) - S3x17 - I Have Nothing

232. (8) - S3x17 - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)

233. (8) - S3x19 - What Makes You Beautiful

234. (8) - S3x19 - Big Girls Don't Cry

235. (8) - S3x21 - We Are the Champions

236. (8) - S3x22 - Glory Days

237. (8) - S4x01 - Never Say Never

238. (8) - S4x02 - Crazy/U Drive Me Crazy

239. (8) - S4x02 - Oops!...I Did It Again

240. (8) - S4x03 - Everybody Wants to Rule the World

241. (8) - S4x05 - Everybody Talks

242. (8) - S4x09 - Don't Dream It's Over

243. (8) - S4x11 - No Scrubs

244. (8) - S4x12 - A Thousand Years

245. (8) - S4x12 - This Is the New Year

246. (8) - S4x12 - Torn

247. (8) - S4x12 - Love Song

248. (8) - S4x13 - Don't Stop Me Now

249. (8) - S4x13 - Girl On Fire

250. (8) - S4x13 - Hung Up

251. (8) - S4x15 - Footloose

252. (8) - S4x17 - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

253. (8) - S4x17 - Wannabe

254. (8) - S4x17 - Mamma Mia

255. (8) - S4x18 - Say

256. (8) - S4x18 - Your Song

257. (8) - S4x19 - Don't Stop Believin' (Rachel)

258. (8) - S4x19 - Next to Me

259. (8) - S4x20 - Everybody Hurts

260. (8) - S4x21 - Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours

261. (8) - S4x21 - Superstition

262. (8) - S4x22 - Wings

263. (8) - S5x02 - Here Comes the Sun

264. (8) - S5x02 - Let It Be

265. (8) - S5x03 - No Surrender

266. (8) - S5x04 - Marry the Night

267. (8) - S5x05 - If I Were a Boy

268. (8) - S5x12 - Raise Your Glass

269. (8) - S5x12 - Toxic

270. (8) - S5x14 - You Make Me Feel So Young

271. (8) - S5x15 - You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman

272. (8) - S5x15 - No One Is Alone

273. (8) - S5x16 - Love Is a Battlefield

274. (8) - S5x16 - I Want to Know What Love Is

275. (8) - S5x19 - Memory

276. (8) - S5x20 - Pompeii

277. (8) - S6x02 - Take On Me

278. (8) - S6x02 - Mustang Sally

279. (8) - S6x02 - Viva Voce

280. (8) - S6x04 - Bitch

281. (8) - S6x05 - It Must Have Been Love

282. (8) - S6x05 - My Sharona

283. (8) - S6x07 - All About That Bass

284. (8) - S6x07 - Time After Time

285. (8) - S6x07 - Same Love

286. (8) - S6x08 - Hey Ya!

287. (8) - S6x08 - I'm So Excited

288. (8) - S6x11 - Mickey

289. (8) - S6x12 - Pony

290. (7) - S1x02 - Gold Digger

291. (7) - S1x05 - Last Name

292. (7) - S1x05 - Somebody to Love

293. (7) - S1x07 - Ride Wit Me

294. (7) - S1x07 - Keep Holding On

295. (7) - S1x08 - Bust A Move

296. (7) - S1x08 - Thong Song

297. (7) - S1x08 - What A Girl Wants

298. (7) - S1x09 - Dancing With Myself

299. (7) - S1x10 - (You're Having My Baby)

300. (7) - S1x10 - Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl

301. (7) - S1x11 - Hair/Crazy In Love

302. (7) - S1x11 - Imagine

303. (7) - S1x11 - Bootylicious

304. (7) - S1x12 - Jump

305. (7) - S1x13 - And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going

306. (7) - S1x14 - Highway to Hell

307. (7) - S1x15 - Borderline/Open Your Heart

308. (7) - S1x16 - Fire

309. (7) - S1x16 - A House Is Not a Home

310. (7) - S1x16 - Beautiful

311. (7) - S1x19 - Safety Dance

312. (7) - S1x19 - Dream On

313. (7) - S1x20 - Shout It Out Loud

314. (7) - S1x20 - Poker Face

315. (7) - S1x21 - Another One Bites the Dust

316. (7) - S1x21 - Give Up the Funk

317. (7) - S1x21 - Good Vibrations

318. (7) - S1x22 - To Sir, With Love

319. (7) - S2x01 - Billionaire

320. (7) - S2x01 - Listen

321. (7) - S2x02 - Baby One More Time

322. (7) - S2x02 - The Only Exception

323. (7) - S2x03 - I Look to You

324. (7) - S2x04 - Le Jazz Hot

325. (7) - S2x05 - Whatever Happened to Saturday Night?

326. (7) - S2x05 - Damn It, Janet

327. (7) - S2x15 - Kiss

328. (7) - S2x17 - Ain't No Way

329. (7) - S2x19 - Dreams

330. (7) - S2x20 - Dancing Queen

331. (7) - S2x21 - Back to Black

332. (7) - S2x22 - My Cup

333. (7) - S2x22 - I Love New York/New York, New York

334. (7) - S2x22 - Light Up the World

335. (7) - S3x03 - Fix You

336. (7) - S3x07 - Constant Craving

337. (7) - S3x08 - Control

338. (7) - S3x08 - We Are Young

339. (7) - S3x11 - Human Nature

340. (7) - S3x13 - Let Me Love You

341. (7) - S3x13 - Home

342. (7) - S3x14 - Stand

343. (7) - S3x16 - Disco Inferno

344. (7) - S3x19 - Dinosaur

345. (7) - S3x19 - Love You Like a Love Song

346. (7) - S3x20 - I Won't Give Up

347. (7) - S3x20 - Flashdance...What a Feeling

348. (7) - S3x21 - Tongue Tied

349. (7) - S3x21 - Starships

350. (7) - S3x22 - I'll Remember

351. (7) - S3x22 - Roots Before Branches

352. (7) - S4x01 - Sister Christian

353. (7) - S4x01 - Chasing Pavements

354. (7) - S4x02 - Boys/Boyfriend

355. (7) - S4x02 - Gimme More

356. (7) - S4x03 - Celebrity Skin

357. (7) - S4x03 - A Change Would Do You Good

358. (7) - S4x05 - Hopelessly Devoted to You

359. (7) - S4x05 - Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

360. (7) - S4x05 - Juke Box Hero

361. (7) - S4x06 - Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee

362. (7) - S4x06 - Greased Lightning

363. (7) - S4x08 - Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time

364. (7) - S4x08 - Come See About Me

365. (7) - S4x10 - White Christmas

366. (7) - S4x11 - Baby Got Back

367. (7) - S4x11 - Locked Out of Heaven

368. (7) - S4x11 - I Don't Know How to Love Him

369. (7) - S4x12 - Centerfold/Hot in Herre

370. (7) - S4x12 - Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)

371. (7) - S4x13 - Diva

372. (7) - S4x13 - Bring Him Home

373. (7) - S4x15 - Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend/Material Girl

374. (7) - S4x16 - The Bitch Is Back/Dress You Up

375. (7) - S4x16 - Bye Bye Bye/I Want It That Way

376. (7) - S4x17 - Creep

377. (7) - S4x19 - Outcast

378. (7) - S4x20 - We Will Rock You

379. (7) - S4x20 - Longest Time

380. (7) - S4x21 - I Wish

381. (7) - S4x21 - You Are the Sunshine of My Life

382. (7) - S4x22 - Hall of Fame

383. (7) - S4x22 - All or Nothing

384. (7) - S5x01 - Help!

385. (7) - S5x01 - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

386. (7) - S5x01 - A Hard Day's Night

387. (7) - S5x02 - Get Back

388. (7) - S5x02 - Hey Jude

389. (7) - S5x02 - Revolution

390. (7) - S5x04 - Applause

391. (7) - S5x05 - Wrecking Ball

392. (7) - S5x05 - Blurred Lines

393. (7) - S5x05 - On Our Way

394. (7) - S5x06 - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

395. (7) - S5x07 - Into the Groove

396. (7) - S5x09 - My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)

397. (7) - S5x09 - Breakaway

398. (7) - S5x10 - The Happening

399. (7) - S5x10 - Hold On

400. (7) - S5x10 - Don't You (Forget About Me)

401. (7) - S5x11 - Vacation

402. (7) - S5x13 - Party All the Time

403. (7) - S5x13 - Be Okay

404. (7) - S5x14 - Best Day of My Life

405. (7) - S5x14 - Downtown

406. (7) - S5x15 - Not While I'm Around

407. (7) - S5x15 - Colorblind

408. (7) - S5x15 - Broadway Baby

409. (7) - S5x17 - I'm the Greatest Star

410. (7) - S5x18 - Story of My Life

411. (7) - S5x19 - Werewolves of London

412. (7) - S5x19 - I Melt with You

413. (7) - S5x20 - Shakin' My Head

414. (7) - S6x01 - Sing

415. (7) - S6x01 - Uninvited

416. (7) - S6x02 - Problem

417. (7) - S6x03 - You Learn/You've Got a Friend

418. (7) - S6x04 - Whip It

419. (7) - S6x05 - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)

420. (7) - S6x09 - I Want to Break Free

421. (7) - S6x09 - Break Free

422. (7) - S6x09 - Lose My Breath

423. (7) - S6x10 - Far From Over

424. (7) - S6x10 - Rather Be

425. (7) - S6x12 - I'm His Child

426. (7) - S6x12 - I Kissed a Girl

427. (7) - S6x13 - This Time

428. (6) - S1x01 - On My Own

429. (6) - S1x01 - Leaving On a Jet Plane

430. (6) - S1x02 - Take a Bow

431. (6) - S1x03 - Bust Your Windows

432. (6) - S1x04 - Taking Chances

433. (6) - S1x04 - Tonight

434. (6) - S1x07 - You Keep Me Hanging On

435. (6) - S1x07 - No Air

436. (6) - S1x11 - Papa Don't Preach

437. (6) - S1x14 - Hello, Goodbye

438. (6) - S1x14 - Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love

439. (6) - S1x15 - Express Yourself

440. (6) - S1x18 - The Boy Is Mine

441. (6) - S1x18 - Lady Is a Tramp

442. (6) - S1x18 - One

443. (6) - S1x20 - Beth

444. (6) - S2x04 - Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy

445. (6) - S2x05 - There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)

446. (6) - S2x06 - One Love (People Get Ready)

447. (6) - S2x07 - Forget You

448. (6) - S2x07 - Nowadays/Hot Honey rag

449. (6) - S2x08 - Just the Way You Are

450. (6) - S2x10 - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

451. (6) - S2x12 - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)

452. (6) - S2x12 - Firework

453. (6) - S2x13 - I Know What Boys Like

454. (6) - S2x16 - Candles

455. (6) - S2x16 - Get It Right

456. (6) - S2x20 - Jar of Hearts

457. (6) - S2x21 - Try a Little Tenderness

458. (6) - S2x22 - As Long as You're There

459. (6) - S2x22 - Still Got Tonight

460. (6) - S3x01 - Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead

461. (6) - S3x02 - Something's Coming

462. (6) - S3x03 - Run the World (Girls)

463. (6) - S3x03 - Spotlight

464. (6) - S3x03 - Cool

465. (6) - S3x04 - Waiting for a Girl Like You

466. (6) - S3x07 - Jolene

467. (6) - S3x09 - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

468. (6) - S3x10 - Without You

469. (6) - S3x11 - Never Can Say Goodbye

470. (6) - S3x12 - Don't Wanna Lose You

471. (6) - S3x12 - Sexy and I Know It

472. (6) - S3x12 - La Isla Bonita

473. (6) - S3x12 - Bamboleo/Hero

474. (6) - S3x12 - A Little Less Conversation

475. (6) - S3x13 - I Will Always Love You

476. (6) - S3x14 - Fly/I Believe I Can Fly

477. (6) - S3x15 - Up Up Up

478. (6) - S3x15 - Somebody That I Used to Know

479. (6) - S3x16 - You Should Be Dancing

480. (6) - S3x16 - Stayin' Alive

481. (6) - S3x16 - How Deep Is Your Love

482. (6) - S3x16 - If I Can't Have You

483. (6) - S3x17 - My Love Is Your Love

484. (6) - S3x18 - The Music of the Night

485. (6) - S3x18 - School's Out

486. (6) - S3x22 - Forever Young

487. (6) - S4x01 - Americano/Dance Again

488. (6) - S4x02 - Hold It Against Me

489. (6) - S4x02 - Everytime

490. (6) - S4x02 - Womanizer

491. (6) - S4x03 - The Way You Look Tonight/You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

492. (6) - S4x07 - My Dark Side

493. (6) - S4x07 - Heroes

494. (6) - S4x07 - Holding Out for a Hero

495. (6) - S4x08 - Home/Homeward Bound

496. (6) - S4x08 - Gangnam Style

497. (6) - S4x11 - Tell Him

498. (6) - S4x14 - Getting Married Today

499. (6) - S4x16 - I Still Believe/Super Bass

500. (6) - S4x16 - How to Be a Heartbreaker

501. (6) - S4x19 - You Have More Friends Than You Know

502. (6) - S4x21 - Uptight (Everything's Alright)

503. (6) - S4x22 - Clarity

504. (6) - S4x22 - I Love It

505. (6) - S5x01 - Drive My Car

506. (6) - S5x01 - I Saw Her Standing There

507. (6) - S5x02 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

508. (6) - S5x03 - I'll Stand By You

509. (6) - S5x06 - My Life

510. (6) - S5x06 - You May Be Right

511. (6) - S5x07 - The Fox

512. (6) - S5x08 - Mary's Little Boy Child

513. (6) - S5x08 - Love Child

514. (6) - S5x09 - Whenever I Call You Friend

515. (6) - S5x09 - Don't Rain On My Parade

516. (6) - S5x10 - Barracuda

517. (6) - S5x10 - Jumpin' Jumpin'

518. (6) - S5x11 - America

519. (6) - S5x11 - I Love LA

520. (6) - S5x12 - Happy

521. (6) - S5x12 - Keep Holding On

522. (6) - S5x13 - I Am Changing

523. (6) - S5x14 - Don't Sleep in the Subway

524. (6) - S5x16 - Let's Wait Awhile

525. (6) - S5x17 - Lovefool

526. (6) - S5x18 - Piece of My Heart

527. (6) - S5x18 - Doo Wop (That Thing)

528. (6) - S5x20 - No Time At All

529. (6) - S5x20 - Girls on Film

530. (6) - S6x01 - Dance the Night Away

531. (6) - S6x01 - Let It Go

532. (6) - S6x03 - So Far Away

533. (6) - S6x04 - Rock Lobster

534. (6) - S6x04 - Thousand Miles

535. (6) - S6x05 - All Out of Love

536. (6) - S6x06 - Arthur's Theme

537. (6) - S6x06 - Wishin' And Hoping

538. (6) - S6x06 - Baby It's You

539. (6) - S6x06 - Promises, Promises

540. (6) - S6x06 - Alfie

541. (6) - S6x07 - I Know Where I've Been

542. (6) - S6x09 - Uptown Funk

543. (6) - S6x09 - Cool Kids

544. (6) - S6x11 - Chandelier

545. (6) - S6x11 - Listen to Your Heart

546. (6) - S6x13 - Someday We'll Be Together

547. (6) - S6x13 - Teach Your Children

548. (6) - S6x13 - The Winner Takes It All

549. (5) - S1x01 - I Kissed a Girl

550. (5) - S1x02 - I Say a Little Prayer

551. (5) - S1x10 - I'll Stand By You

552. (5) - S1x12 - Smile (Lily Allen)

553. (5) - S1x13 - My Life Would Suck Without You

554. (5) - S1x14 - Gives You Hell

555. (5) - S1x17 - Physical

556. (5) - S1x17 - Run Joey Run

557. (5) - S1x19 - Dream a Little Dream

558. (5) - S1x22 - Over the Rainbow

559. (5) - S2x04 - Sing!

560. (5) - S2x05 - Science Fiction Double Feature

561. (5) - S2x07 - Make 'Em Laugh

562. (5) - S2x07 - Conjunction Junction

563. (5) - S2x08 - Marry You

564. (5) - S2x09 - (I've Had) The Time of My Life

565. (5) - S2x10 - We Need a Little Christmas

566. (5) - S2x13 - This Little Light of Mine

567. (5) - S2x18 - I've Gotta Be Me

568. (5) - S2x19 - Songbird

569. (5) - S2x20 - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You

570. (5) - S2x22 - Pretending

571. (5) - S3x01 - Anything Goes/Anything You Can Do

572. (5) - S3x05 - America

573. (5) - S3x08 - Red Solo Cup

574. (5) - S3x09 - Do They Know It's Christmas?

575. (5) - S3x10 - Wedding Bell Blues (Bill)

576. (5) - S3x11 - I Just Can't Stop Loving You

577. (5) - S3x13 - Cherish/Cherish

578. (5) - S3x13 - L-O-V-E

579. (5) - S3x16 - More Than a Woman

580. (5) - S3x18 - The Rain in Spain

581. (5) - S3x19 - Take My Breath Away

582. (5) - S3x20 - Because You Loved Me

583. (5) - S4x01 - New York State of Mind

584. (5) - S4x06 - Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)

585. (5) - S4x10 - Jingle Bell Rock

586. (5) - S4x13 - Make No Mistake (She's Mine)

587. (5) - S4x14 - You're All I Need to Get By

588. (5) - S4x14 - We've Got Tonite

589. (5) - S4x15 - Unchained Melody

590. (5) - S4x20 - At the Ballet

591. (5) - S4x21 - For Once in My Life

592. (5) - S5x03 - Fire and Rain

593. (5) - S5x08 - Here Comes Santa Claus (Down Santa Claus Lane)

594. (5) - S5x08 - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

595. (5) - S5x09 - Every Breath You Take

596. (5) - S5x18 - The Rose

597. (5) - S6x01 - Suddenly Seymour

598. (5) - S6x08 - At Last

599. (5) - S6x10 - The Trolley Song

600. (4) - S1x01 - You're the One That I Want (ver. 1)

601. (4) - S1x05 - Cabaret

602. (4) - S1x08 - I Could Have Danced All Night

603. (4) - S1x10 - Endless Love

604. (4) - S1x11 - Don't Make Me Over

605. (4) - S1x14 - Hello

606. (4) - S1x15 - What It Feels Like for a Girl

607. (4) - S1x15 - Burning Up

608. (4) - S1x16 - Home

609. (4) - S1x16 - One Less Bell to Answer/A House Is Not a Home

610. (4) - S1x19 - I Dreamed a Dream

611. (4) - S1x20 - Funny Girl

612. (4) - S1x21 - Loser

613. (4) - S1x21 - It's a Man's Man's Man's World

614. (4) - S1x22 - Bohemian Rhapsody

615. (4) - S1x22 - Faithfully

616. (4) - S2x01 - Every Rose Has Its Thorn

617. (4) - S2x04 - Lucky

618. (4) - S2x08 - Sway

619. (4) - S2x09 - The Living Years

620. (4) - S2x10 - The Most Wonderful Day of the Year

621. (4) - S2x14 - My Headband

622. (4) - S2x16 - Jesus Is My Friend

623. (4) - S2x16 - Only Child

624. (4) - S2x17 - All By Myself

625. (4) - S2x21 - Pure Imagination

626. (4) - S2x22 - Bella Notte

627. (4) - S3x01 - We Got the Beat

628. (4) - S3x03 - Out Here On My Own

629. (4) - S3x04 - Bein' Green

630. (4) - S3x05 - Tonight

631. (4) - S3x06 - Hot for Teacher

632. (4) - S3x09 - Extraordinary Merry Christmas

633. (4) - S3x09 - Blue Christmas

634. (4) - S3x11 - Ben

635. (4) - S3x13 - Chapel of Love

636. (4) - S3x16 - Night Fever

637. (4) - S3x22 - In My Life

638. (4) - S4x05 - Born to Hand Jive

639. (4) - S4x06 - There Are Worse Things I Could Do

640. (4) - S4x09 - O Holy Night

641. (4) - S4x10 - Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

642. (4) - S4x10 - The First Noel

643. (4) - S4x11 - I Only Have Eyes for You

644. (4) - S4x15 - In Your Eyes

645. (4) - S4x18 - More Than Words

646. (4) - S4x19 - Fight for Your Right (to Party)

647. (4) - S4x20 - You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

648. (4) - S4x22 - To Love You More

649. (4) - S5x02 - Something

650. (4) - S5x06 - An Innocent Man

651. (4) - S5x07 - Cheek to Cheek

652. (4) - S5x10 - Danny's Song

653. (4) - S6x05 - Father Figure

654. (4) - S6x06 - I'll Never Fall in Love Again

655. (4) - S6x08 - Our Day Will Come

656. (4) - S6x10 - The Final Countdown

657. (3) - S1x05 - Maybe This Time

658. (3) - S1x12 - Smile (Charlie Chaplin)

659. (3) - S2x01 - What I Did for Love

660. (3) - S2x01 - Getting to Know You

661. (3) - S2x04 - With You I'm Born Again

662. (3) - S2x05 - Planet, Schmanet, Janet

663. (3) - S2x12 - My Funny Valentine

664. (3) - S2x21 - My Man

665. (3) - S3x02 - Somewhere

666. (3) - S3x04 - Take Care of Yourself

667. (3) - S3x05 - A Boy Like That/I Have a Love

668. (3) - S3x07 - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

669. (3) - S3x10 - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

670. (3) - S3x17 - Saving All My Love For You

671. (3) - S4x07 - Superman

672. (3) - S4x09 - Something Stupid

673. (3) - S4x09 - Being Good Isn't Good Enough

674. (3) - S4x10 - Feliz Navidad

675. (3) - S4x10 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

676. (3) - S4x15 - You're All the World to Me

677. (3) - S4x20 - Little Girls

678. (3) - S5x01 - Yesterday

679. (3) - S5x05 - You Are Woman, I Am Man

680. (3) - S5x06 - Honesty

681. (3) - S5x06 - Just the Way You Are

682. (3) - S5x08 - O Christmas Tree

683. (3) - S5x14 - People

684. (3) - S6x06 - What the World Needs Now

685. (3) - S6x06 - They Long to Be Close to You

686. (2) - S2x03 - Papa, Can You Hear Me?

687. (2) - S2x08 - Ohio

688. (2) - S2x10 - Merry Christmas, Darling

689. (2) - S3x05 - One Hand, One Heart

690. (2) - S4x17 - Copacabana

691. (2) - S4x22 - Rainbow Connection

692. (2) - S5x08 - Away in a Manger

693. (2) - S5x17 - NYC

694. (1) - S2x10 - Welcome Christmas

695. (1) - S2x17 - I Follow Rivers

696. (1) - S2x19 - Nice to Meet You, Have I Slept with You?

697. (1) - S2x20 - Friday

698. (1) - S3x01 - Big Spender

699. (1) - S3x13 - You're the Top

700. (1) - S5x08 - The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

701. (1) - S5x17 - Who Are You Now

702. (NA) - S3x18 - Cry

#backslashdelta #glee #glee stats #glee soundtrack rating project #glee soundtrack rating project results #mine #about me

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