#would appreciate feedback on that yk i like hearing others' thoughts

[colorfuldream]

neurotypicals being all "omgee this is so my hyperfixation" and then shaming someone who enjoys something like an actual hyperfixation

[kuromi-hoemie]

you inspire me to have kissy friends i love that but im still fighting being awkward about intimacy 😭💔

for me i understand myself and the way i love p well, and being v simplistic about it the line between platonic and romantic isn't there for me if i think ur cute and cool, i am just getting to know n appreciate u as a person! fundamentally.. which ways our connection blossoms and our dynamics will come about naturally :3 i am p open though!! i am honest and love giving ppl compliments and positive feedback; there r a couple different ways i could go about being more affectionate and intimate with a friend.

one is when u just are getting to know someone as a friend, u can ask about their boundaries and let them know u r affectionate with friends!! if they are too then there u go ♡⁠

the other is becoming closer and comfortable with someone and u feel something shift in ur relationship, and u can tell them u would like to be more affectionate and if they r okay with that ask what they are comfortable with :3

the fun one is recognizing a mutual brain break going on realtime 👁️👁️ if you're not brave enough to say anything in the moment u can always confess later and tell them ur having Thoughts about them and get a feel for how they feel abt you. you can offer them More and it doesn't have to change ur relationship with each other.

the common thread is being communicative and talking about boundaries, and if ur having a hard time w emotional intimacy i think a great place to start is being more open and honest ♡⁠ wear ur heart on ur sleeve. even if u don't feel comfortable or brave enough to tell ur friends u love them, there's nothing stopping you from telling them Why u love them. i love complimenting ppl and thanking them and telling them i had fun, i tell them when they look cute and love their outfits and what i love specifically or I'll hype up ur jewelry or hair change etc; if I'm feeling sentimental about something between us i will tell u how i feel and make sure u know u are appreciated.

i don't give compliments or praise or sentiments expecting anything in return, I'm just communicating my thoughts yk? take it as is and do with it what u will kind of thing, i just like being open!! i am of the opinion that people could stand to hear how great they are more often (⁠✿ ‚‚⌒‿⌒‚‚) I'd like 2 think everybody likes feeling Seen, appreciated, understood, praised.

it's a lovely conversation starter but sometimes u just find someone u rly click with and as a dynamic i think practicing openness and honesty with each other on the little things makes room for u to be comfortable communicating bigger more sentimental and intimate things later on if ur friendship is going like that ♡⁠

and with the boy specifically it was a combination of things.. we already had a great friendship and we had gotten a lot closer and more comfortable with each other conversationally, but phew i hadn't seen him in a good couple months i think?? and over that time i became comfortable with myself and Very t4t, and i got a lot hotter too when i went from fem to stem and he hadn't seen me in my masc era yet lol. not in person at least

anyways his birthday was coming up and i wanted to offer him a chain like mine and to make him a collar, and i was gonna go bring him his chain after work as a gift ^.^ ♡⁠ when we finally got to see each other again oh my god lol he was in a sleeveless top w his arms out and For Some Reason i was more attracted to him than i had ever been 💀 i was trying not to stare too hard bc the whole time internally i was like AAAAA HE'S HOT HELP AKSKSKAK, BUT ☝🏾😌 I've had enough mutual brain breaks going on to know when someone's rly feeling me and i could tell lol. i originally just meant to stop by Real Quick but i ended up staying and hanging out for the evening (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠) i wasn't brave enough to say anything at first but i could not stop thinking about his shoulders and upper back and neck for like 2 days straight and i had to say Something.

being deliriously horny about him i was like GIRL OMFG DON'T DIE WONDERING TELL HIM SOMETHING and i sent him this 🙈

and he was glad i said something and was straightforward bc he was also having thoughts but wasn't sure if he could/should say anything ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ ♡⁠ so we talked about boundaries and we're still friends like we were but we're affectionate with each other now too and it's a sweet way to deepen our friendship. we r exploring being sweet friends together 👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏾 butch4butch t4t real...

i have a good idea of how i want to navigate polyamory but putting it into practice and loving my friends more intentionally, fundamentally and to the fullest w my current perspective is new for me! and being affectionate in general is new to him, so I'm happy that we can be vulnerable and brave about it together ♡⁠ i can be a lil clumsy and he can be a lil awkward but i think we're very cute 😌🥰 he's a good boy (⁠っ⁠˘⁠з⁠(⁠˘⁠⌣⁠˘⁠ ⁠) ♡⁠

this ain't exactly a guide but it's a bit of what i got going on, take what u will from it (⁠｡⁠･⁠ω⁠･⁠｡⁠)⁠ﾉ to be open with ur friends is a beautiful thing and i think things tend to develop naturally. i wish u the best of luck on ur quest w intimacy 🫶🏾

[legit9thlunaticwarrior]

i decided to give reader new music. still the 'illusion' but the idea in my head is that's the heel song, yk? also there might be a little extra part with the full day in arcadia bay so stay tuned

|remember to leave feedback and i love all you heathens|

~Part I~

'The Very First Night: Part II' Angelo Parker (Jeff) x fem!reader

^secret love song by little mix is the only thing im gonna say^

- Wheeler Yuta (James) - there was nothing you could do to stop me from putting life is strange stuff in this, arcadia bay will be a common thing in my work just deal with me - im also aware of how dynamite and rampage are filmed but for the sake of this, im throwing it out the window - it got long, by accident

3rd Person POV

Sneaking around and dodging questions; that was what the days consisted of since the lipstick incident. When the sun fell and the moon rose, that was when they could see each other. Jeff would go to her hotel room and spend the night, only to be gone in the morning; but not without leaving a sweet note beside her.

Dynamite had come around to Y/N's home of Arcadia Bay, Oregon. It was also the show that everyone would hear from her. In all the years Bryan had known her, he's never seen her this excited. Since they got to the arena, the group saw sign after sign for their hometown hero. "Do you want any of us out there with you?" Claudio asked as she got ready to go to the ring, "No, but just be on standby. I have a feeling Jericho and his goons are upset about last week." She responded as it was time to go.

'For it is just an Illusion' playing before her new theme. She brought back 'Psychedelic Girl' by Twirl for her music, the Bay crowd knowing it well. Coming out of the face tunnel still felt strange to her, dressed in a BCC shirt, denim shorts, and her iconic creepers; giving fans highfives as she made her way to the ring. Once inside, she couldn't help but keep her signature; she took the belt off, held it up, and licked the main plate. "This title belongs to me." she always said. She put the belt back on and grabbed the mic. "Arcadia Bay, Oregon; I'm home!" The roar of her people had a few tears slipping. "It truly is so amazing to be back, standing here All Elite, as a member of the Blackpool Combat Club, as the Ring of Honor Women's World Champion, and as an Arcadian. For the time we're here in the Bay, just call me Y/N. I mean this is my home; why not use my real name at home?" Before she could continue, just as she thought, here came the goons. "Y/N, Y/N, no wonder you decided to join those guys; look where you're from. I mean, you say you bring honor to that title? Licking it like a harlot?" Chris started. They all made their way to the ring and the rest of her own gang came out. Jeff couldn't lie; he did flinch a little when Chris called her that; but he knew he had to play along. She'll understand. The ring was full and ready for a fight. "Chris, I wouldn't trash talk these people, we in AB love a good fight. And you wanna talk about honor? Let's talk about all the stunts you pulled when you had the title. I see you're still sore after the loss." "Oh no, we have an offer for you. See, the Jericho Appreciation Society's own Anna Jay A.S. has her eye on that title, so how about it?" Y/N scoffed and looked at Anna and Chris, "Oh? She wants the title? My women’s title? Because right now, it sounds like a little girl needing daddy to do the talking for her. But, who am I to turn down a quick win? I know Anna over there has a match tonight. If she wins with all your lackeys banned from ringside, see you at Rampage. If she doesn't," Y/N got closer to Anna, "Better luck next time, princess." Anna slapped Y/N but she bounced back to the other woman's surprise, "Jokes on you, I'm into that. I look forward to your match Anna." Just to mess with him, she shot a wink to Jeff, making him flush. "Now, get out of my ring." "I started my journey here all those years ago, and so many of you here tonight have stuck with me since. Thank you." That was all Jeff was able to hear while watching on the backstage screens over the nasty comments about Y/N.

And so it was, Y/N sat on commentary during Anna's match. Back and fourth banter with the men at the desk, "Y/N I have to ask, who did that wink go to?" "Oh Taz, who am I to give up secrets? They may not want to admit it, but I know those JASholes very well. I know some of them better than others." She said casually. "And the slap? That was quite an interesting response." Y/N smirked, "I like to mess with my opponents. Those who know, know." Anna had won with the Queen Slayer and the match was over, "Well gentlemen, I came back to the Bay as the champ, and I will leave as the champ. Goodnight."

The next morning, Jeff and Y/N met for breakfast at the diner she always went to growing up. Her friend's stepdad was nice enough to let her borrow the pickup for the time they were there. Two Whales she looked up at the sign and walked in, "Y/N!" Joyce, her childhood best friend's mom greeted as she walked around the counter to hug her. "Hey Joyce!" "It's so amazing to see you honey. Look at you all grown up." The diner held many memories for Y/N, "I've missed this place, Joy. That jukebox still messed up?" she laughed. "Ritchie just won't listen that it needs to be fixed; or thrown out at this point. Oh, Max and Chloe send their love. We wish we could be at your shows but they couldn't make it from Washington. I had it on the TV last night, all the bikers couldn't believe it was you." Joyce had briefly filled Y/N in about her high school best friends when she remembered, "I shouldn't be taking your time; there's a handsome young man waiting for you. What's this one's name?" Y/N turned her head to the booths to see Jeff sitting there with a grin on his face, having watched the entire encounter. "Jeff. We work together, kinda." "When he said he was waiting for you, I had to put him in your booth." The booth in question was the one she and her friends always sat in; littered with graffiti and carvings.

She made her way over and sat down, "Sorry. Joyce is just the type you can get lost in a conversation with. She was always like a mother to me." "Don't be sorry. I know how much this place means to you. I can tell you always loved wrestling by this;" he pointed to the carving clearly done by her hands 'Principal Wells can SUCK IT' "Yeah, Chloe and I had gotten suspended after a little brawl with some of the mean girls. I was always a DX kid." she reminisced as her finger traced the memory on the table. Jeff gently took her hand in his and they shared a look. It can't be, yet.

"Alright lovebirds, what do you want to eat?" Joyce asked. "I've been dying for your famous pancakes since the plane landed." The older woman looked over, "What about you, baby?" "I remember hearing about how good the french toast is here." Joyce wrote it down and left the two. "I can't believe you remember that." "I remember a lot, Dollface." The name made her blush, having not heard it in so long. "I remember that you, Chloe, and Max have matching tattoos; the one on the inside of your bicep. Let me see it again?" Y/N pulled her jacket off to show the smiling omelette, french toast, and pancake with the three girls' initials.

Some time had passed and Joyce came back, "Here you go, eat up kids." Y/N had to take a picture for her friends, "Smile." she told him. Jeff had a goofy smile and two peace signs up and then she took a picture of just the food. "You were right, this is amazing." He told her. "Joyce is a great cook. I miss sleepovers at the Price house and waking up to the smell of home-cooked breakfast and the sound of cartoons." They continued eating until, "Hey, how did you get here, by the way?" He looked up at her "Taxi? Why?" She laughed a little in shock. "I should have told you; public transportation here isn't the best. I'm driving for the rest of the day." "Oh come on, what kind of man would I be if I couldn't drive you around?" She smiled at the sentiment, he was always a perfect gentleman. "Unless you can drive an old pickup truck and navigate the Bay, I'm driving. We're in my hometown, I wanna show you around. You can plan the next." He felt all warm at the sound of 'the next'.

Y/N led him to the counter but Joyce stopped them both from paying, "On the house. Hometown hero special." She tried to push back but Joyce stopped her, "No baby, keep that belt and keep representing this place. I'm proud of you." "Thanks Joyce. I'll probably be back before I leave. I just wanna see oonee thing." She spoke as she hugged the woman in front of her. Y/N just had to check out the jukebox; was it still there? Jeff leaned on the counter and watch Y/N mess with the machine when Joyce started talking to him, "Now I've not kept up with wrestling since the girls were teens but weren't you with the people against her last night?" He looked down, "Yeah. The people I'm with and the people she's with kinda, hate each other. I wish none of us interacted so her and I didn't have to sneak around." "Sneak around? Oh honey, the way you two look at each other? She was also so focused on making it in the industry that she never really dated, but the way she looks at you and how she told me your name; that girl loves you." Joyce saw the blush in his cheeks. "I hope she does, because I lo-" "Oh ho yes! It's still there!" Y/N exclaimed "Jeff, come here." He stood behind her and looked over her shoulder, "I guess the music in this thing hasn't changed because it still has 'To All of You'. Kinda makes me think of you these days." "That's sweet." They left the diner and he was genuinely shocked at the truck in front of him; a mustard-yellow, busted and rusty pickup truck with the most beautiful woman standing by the hood. "Our chariot awaits."

Rampage

"Ready to retain?" James asked as the two of them waited by the tunnel. She asked him to accompany her because they were the closest. "More than." "I have to ask: who were you with yesterday? At that diner?" Referring to the pictures on social media she posted. You could tell that she was with a guy, but who it was was a mystery. "Just a friend from high school. We were partners in, chemistry class." Good lie. She thought, because he bought it. "Let's go!" Anna was in the ring and she brought Jeff with her. Great. Y/N and James walked out of the tunnel to nothing but cheers and love. They got in the ring together and she showed her own love for the crowd. She leaned against the ringpost with James on the apron. Even sending a little kiss to Jeff as, what looked like, a taunt. "And from Arcadia Bay, Oregon, she is the Ring of Honor Women's World Champion, Y/R/N" She took the belt off as she stood in the middle of the ring, licking the title before handing it off to Bryce. He signaled for the bell and it was off to the races. "C'mon princess, show me what you got!" She yelled at Anna.

At some point, Y/N had taken a nasty hit that hurt her arm; but there was no stopping her from keeping this title around her waist. Anna must have learned her lesson because she somehow kicked out of the Hypnosis pumpkick. She thought Y/N was down and decided to gloat but the 'Illusion' had another trick up her sleeve. She got up without her noticing and put Anna in the Deep Sleep chokehold; it only took about ten seconds for her to go night-night. "Here is your winner and still the Ring of Honor Women's World Champion, Y/R/N" Bryce held her arm up but flinched at the pain a bit. Jeff had gotten in the ring at some point because when she turned around, he was there. 'What are you doing?!' she mouthed. Think fast. "You want some of this, Loverboy?" she got in his face and it took everything in the both of them not to say fuck it and kiss. He went to touch her hurt arm but James pulled her away. As they walked up the ramp, she tried to look pissed off but she just couldn't; but James saw how they both looked at each other.

What the fuck is going on with her? he thought about his best friend.

~~~~~~~

lovely taglist babes (comment to be added) @josiewrites @slut4kennyomega @wwenhlimagines @plentyoffandoms @auburnwrites @sunshinevirus @im-just-a-mississippi-girl

[starshipsofstarlord]

Dating Bucky Barnes Would Include...

Warnings; mention of death, brief descriptions of smut,

A/N; I’ve never done of these before, so I hope it’s okay. Sorry if it’s bad. I’d appreciate some feedback, if that’s okay, but nvm if not. Thankyou for the support, hope you enjoy xx

It would definitely take a while for the two of you to begin to date. I mean, he’s in a entirely different century than the one that he was born in.

But, since you were from this century, you could certainly be a helping hand - showing him how a cell phone works, etc.

I feel like going to museums would be good dates before the two of you are together.

Like he could tell you about things that he was alive through, so you’d not only be getting a history lesson from this beautiful man, but you’d learn about him too.

And if you chose Team Cap, that’d for sure make you two closer, he’d trust you more, and not only that, but trust you because Steve trusts you.

However if you sided with Tony, he’d take a bit more time, but after Endgame, where everyone is chill and mourning, it would be a good opportunity to speak to him.

Like ofc he felt bad and a little saddened about Tony’s fate, but the two weren’t friends. I feel like he’d feel more guilt than anything, for yk, killing his parents and all.

And with Steve aged and no longer fighting, it’d open a chance to befriend the soldier, more so since he’s helping Sam.

To begin with, I don’t think he’d really have that many thoughts on you, other than being nice and helpful.

Romance wasn’t really on the top of his list at all, he was just trying to fix himself, and hopefully experience a peaceful life like he had in Wakanda.

However, when he begins to hear your battle stories (that people are always more interested in at parties than Rhodey’s (no hate for my hype man, but it’s true)).

That is when he feels something towards you. Yet he tries to ignore it, because he’s stubborn, and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone around him, whether that be by his hand accidentally or someone who had a vendetta against him.

But it’s difficult for him to do so, you’re just so patient with him, and make him feel like he is not a monster.

He understands that you’ve had rough patches too, and whilst the pair of you are coming back from a small mission that you partook in, he couldn’t help himself.

Bucky kisses you on the jet, ignoring Sam’s irritating whistling. And asks if you’d like to go out dancing sometime, since he’s an old fashioned boi.

Ofc you say yes, because even though dancing may not be your favourite activity, and sparring is always held above that exercise, you want him to feel at home with you.

And agreeing is the way to go about it, and in all honesty, the pair of you had a great time, although he discovered that dancing had changed quite a bit since his age.

But after that, the courting continues, until one day in the kitchen, he outright asks you to be his partner.

Dating him comes with some cons however, such as Sam’s remarks, which to be fair, you think he only says because he’s single and currently not getting any.

And that’s about it, that’s all the bad, the rest is good.

Pillow talks are a nightly ritual, after you two begin to share a room. Sometimes you’d talk about Steve and how his actions had realistically saved both of you from darker fates.

Or occasionally about how he’s insecure about his mind, and his arm. But no matter, because your voices opinion always pulls him out of those phases, and you’re happy to do so, since you love him.

Couple sparring sessions are a must. No matter who wins, both of you usually do, because shared showers after always feel like a good idea. And they are (trust me 😋).

To be overall honest, dating Bucky is a dream. He’s the perfect gentleman, he’s old fashioned and has utmost respect for women.

The sex between the pair of you can change depending on the mood. If he’s stressed or even slightly angry, he’s rough.

Very rough, but if you make it clear that you can’t take how far he’s going with it, he’d obviously stop.

But if it’s morning or evening sex in bed, it’s sweet and soft, he’d make deep thrusts that are at a pace between slow and medium.

He’d always, always, always make sure that you came. Bucky Barnes always puts your pleasure first.

This man can certainly go some rounds ladies and gentlemen. With increased stamina and strength, he puts the serums advantages to good use.

After some time together, probably between 6 months and a year I’d say, he thinks of you as the person that he is going to spend his life with.

However he has a constant fear of losing people. Everyone he ever knew in the 40s died, and he’s sorta scared of you leaving him too.

But he knows that you love him, so his fears and rationality sorta fight one another.

[xeunoais]

I Hate You

(A/N: i know this probably sucks but its been sitting in my drafts for months now and i just wanted something to do with it besides delete it yk?? so anyways i hope you enjoy this little angst & this gif has nothing to do with this but i love kensi and deeks more than i can even explain!!)

Summary: You and Shawn have known each other since high school. And you just recently started dating and are now at a rocky point in your relationship and its only so long before you reach your breaking point. But what’s Shawn going to do when you finally do break and there is no way for him to fix it anymore.

-

-

It's only been six months. How does a relationship fall apart in just six months?

Shawn and I have only been dating for six months and it's been a living hell. I think we just weren't meant to be together and rushed into this relationship too fast.

We have been friends since high school so we both just dived straight into the deep end and rushed into this whole thing way too fast. Now its biting me in the ass.

I know that this works for some people but just not us. It's been hard and just last night we started fighting. I had called him over to hangout tonight to see if we can try and work things out or watch a movie or do something that doesn't include fighting.

When he arrived the first ten minutes seemed to go fine until we put in a movie that he suddenly didn't wanna watch.

"Shawn, you picked the movie, how did you change your mind in five seconds?" I asked confused.

"I didn't. all I said was I didn't wanna watch this." He rolled his eyes.

I sighed knowing another fight is coming which I'm not ready for. This is getting so old so fast.

"Do I bore you?" He asked annoyed.

"What? Who said anything about that?" I asked.

"You sighed like you were bored with me! Just admit it Y/n you don't wanna be with me." He glared angrily at me.

"Maybe I don't." I let out even though I didn't mean it. Or at least I thought I didn’t. It sort of just slipped but before I could take it back he said something that may not seem like big deal but it really hurt me. It hurt a lot.

"I hate you." He said. He said it with nothing but anger and hate in his eyes. I couldn't see anything else, not an ounce of regret or pain just hatred.

It's almost as if he meant it, and I think he really did. I had to look away because if I continued to stare at him then my entire heart would just shatter and I'd break down.

I felt the tears building up but I wouldn't let myself cry, not in front of him anyway. As soon as I started to look back at him I heard the door slam shut.

I looked to see that he left without a single word or anything. It caused my heart to ache and finally tears rolled down my cheeks. He meant everything he said and just left me like I mean nothing.

I don't deserve that or the pain he put me in. I don't care how it's done but we need to breakup or something needs to change.

I'm not going to stay with him or in a toxic relationship when I know I deserve better than that.

-

*Shawn’s POV*

-

After leaving her apartment I sat in my car debating on whether I should go back in or not. I really shouldn't have walked out like that but all we do is fight and it's just so old.

I love her a lot and want to make things work. I also know that we can't make anything work without trying.

Day by day I feel like this relationship is only growing more and more toxic. Maybe we shouldn't be together and all of this is just a sign telling us to end things.

It's not something I want to do and it definitely makes me hurts me more than I want it to. Soon enough I drowned myself in my own thoughts and fell asleep.

I stood outside her door for a moment and before I started to knock I heard sniffles. My heart completely sank hearing her cry and I opened the door to find her sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.

I made my way over to her and sat down before wrapping her in my arms and holding her tightly. She didn't pull away or hesitate to hug me back and we stayed like that for a while. I let her cry into my chest knowing this is my fault and I'm going to fix it.

I shouldn't have gotten so upset over a movie and left her like that. It was a petty thing for me to do and I regret it. Everything I said to her like ‘I hate you’ makes my heart ache. I never meant that and will never mean it.

I could never hate her even if I wanted to. She's the most important person in my life and I care for her more than I do myself.

"Please don't hate me Shawn." She cried. I slowly pulled her away to make her look me in the eyes. Her wet warty eyes looked into mine and it pained me.

"Never Y/n. I didn't mean what I said to you and I couldn't ever hate you. Okay I..." I paused feeling my heart warm.

"I love you." Her saddened face lit up and she smiled. I haven't told her those three words yet, until now. Now that I've said them I feel amazing and like I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have her be mine.

"I love you too Shawn." She smiled as she cupped my cheeks in her hands and pulled me in for a soft but loving kiss. I happily kissed her back enjoying every second of it.

When we pulled away I hugged her and held her in my arms for however long I could.

"I'm so lucky to have you." I whispered as I ran my fingers through her hair.

A knock at my door made me shoot up from my spot on my couch. I looked around the apartment, looking for Y/n. Then it hit me, I was dreaming.

I got up to answer the door and when I opened it I saw her. She was standing there in her own hoodies, sweats, and a beanie that she stole from Brian when we were in high school.

And in her arms was the box, I scanned over her appearance. She looked so broken. Her eyes puffy, cheeks stained and red from the tears. She was hurting and it was my fault.

“I just came to uhh give you this. I would’ve left it outside your door but I didn’t want it to get taken.” She mumbled before pushing the box of my stuff into my arms.

“Y/n, baby-“ I started but was quickly cut off by her.

“Don’t. Don’t call me that. You don’t have a right to call me that anymore. You hate me remember.” She tried to fight back the tears but at that last sentence she broke.

Before I could even react her back was facing me and she was walking away.

I just fucked up the only thing I had good left in the world and there was nothing I could do about it. I can’t fix this.

-

The End

(A/N: i know this was short but i still hope you enjoyed this and remember, feedback is highly appreciated!!)

[putschki1969]

Hi! I totally agree with you. Sometimes I miss goth-Lolita Kalafina, but then I remember that was the image they were told to project. As the girls took more creative control upon themselves, they started to change things. I see so much criticism of Wakana's outfits and style, but that's how she wants it! Same with Hikaru wearing pants and Keiko's short skirts that some love to Photoshop. Creative industries can be so stifling to those who work in them. I want the girls to have control over 1/4

Hi there!

First of all, thank you for sharing your thoughts and taking the time to write all of this. Also, thank you for checking my blog so frequently, I truly appreciate it and I will continue to work as hard as I can to provide good content.

Now let’s get to your message: I 100% agree with everything you are saying here. For me personally, it was their “gothic” image that originally made me fall in love with them and like you I would lie if I said I didn’t sometimes miss that time. But after an intitial period of just being awed by the fancy image being presented to me I got more and more invested and started to care about the people behind the personas that were created. They weren’t just pretty nameless faces with lovely voices in gorgeous dresses singing Yuki Kajiura’s music. No, I realised that they were three amazing women with extraordinary talents, with a passion for music and an unparalleled dedication to their work. I mean, for more than ten years they worked their asses off for someone else’s vision without ever asking for anything. That’s no easy task. For me personally, they elevated YK’s music to something truly outstanding. That is why I always focus on them and not so much on YK. I would never deny that YK is a huge part of Kalafina’s success but saying that these three amazing women with three beautiful and unique voices are nothing without YK’s support is absolutely outrageous. I have seen so many people abandoning the fandom because they have no interest in following any sort of solo activities. That is truly shocking to me because it basically tells me that you didn’t care for Kalafina at all, you merely saw them as YK’s puppets, a means to bring her music to life, nothing else. I am so glad there are fans like you who have a personal investment in their happiness and success. It is not silly at all to feel that way. On the contrary, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that people could have followed Kalafina for such a long span of time and NOT feel that sort of investment. How can you not care about them as individuals after watching them perform live with so much passion, after seeing them talk about music with so much love? It’s unfathomable to me ..

I was so happy to see them get a tiny fraction of creative control in the last few years. I am not naive of course, I know that it is very hard to have control over everything when you are part of the music industry. But for almost 10 years, the members of Kalafina did not have control over anything at all because of YK’s  very controlling nature. Don’t get me wrong, I am not bashing on her or anything, that’s just how she is and she can honestly afford to be that way because she is great at what she does and people usually want her to take full control anyways. But really, working under YK for SUCH A LONG TIME, I think it was a blessing and a curse alike. For example, hearing Wakana say that she had never expected she would be able to write lyrics one day is quite astonishing. It tells me that YK hadn’t even once considered involving the girls in that process. I mean, YK has openly admitted to not really having cared about what they wanted. If you think about it, that’s pretty much the life of an idol. But unlike most idols, they didn’t “graduate” after a couple of years. They continued to be under YK’s wing way into their 30s which is very much beyond the typical lifespan of an idol. I do believe the girls feel nothing but gratitude for this opportunity, I am sure there are no regrets or anything. After all, they did achieve so much together with YK. But at the same time, so many chances and maybe some parts of their individuality got abandoned along the way.

And the worst thing is, the moment they started to insert parts of themselves, the moment they gave us glimpses of their personal visions people started to hate. I guess because they were so used to YK’s vision or the image that was created by the agency. To think that something so mundane as an outfit could cause so much negative feedback… How can you claim to love Wakana and at the same time continuously shit on her outfit choices? I mean, you don’t have to love it, you don’t have to wear it but you DO have to show some freaking respect. We all have our preferences and it’s okay to like some outfits more than others but it would never cross my mind to talk shit about Wakana’s dresses (or anyone else’s outfits for that matter…that’s just how I was raised). The same applies to the outfit choices of the other two members of course.  Or how about all those times so called fans hated on the fact that Hikaru started to sing ARIA in a different key. Like, why does it even bother you so much?? Hikaru is the lead singer of this song, it is basically HER song, if for whatever reason she wants to change the style of singing she is entitled to do that. It may not sound like the original version YK had envisioned but who cares? It has long ago become something so much bigger. Hikaru has made that song her own. It’s about HER vision and for me, that makes ARIA so much more powerful and special. For the same reason I also do not understand why so many people always complain about Keiko using her “cutesy” voice during lives. You don’t have to love it of course but at least show some respect. In that moment, Keiko chooses to express herself in such a way so why not support her decision? She is the artist and it should be up to her to sing lines in whatever way she wants to. I mean, if you can’t deal with that then what are you even doing being a fan of Kalafina?

And now that Wakana is doing solo work she has sadly become the main target for so many fans. Every move and decision is questioned. People are unhappy because their expectations weren’t met. Which baffles me because I wonder what kind of expectations they had when it came to Wakana. As you say, Wakana is a romantic at heart, she is very sensitive and slow songs are her forte so of course she would focus mainly on ballads. Yes, this album is quite understated, there is nothing overly flashy or dramatic but that doesn’t mean it’s boring or underwhelming. You just have to dig a little deeper to experience the full range of emotion. The fact alone that Wakana wrote so many of the lyrics herself makes this album extra special for me. This is her vision, this is her baby, this is a reflection of herself. I can’t even describe in words how proud I am of her. Still surprised by the amount of people who suddenly became lyric experts the moment Wakana started to write her own lyrics. “Too cheesy, too repetitive…they are ‘okay’ for a first try but she could improve on this and that…blablabla..” I don’t recall anyone ever saying ANYTHING about YK’s lyrics…it’s a real shame to see fans so critical of everything Wakana is doing…

Anyways, I think I have talked too much about this already. I also cannot wait to see what’s in store for the three of them. I want to see them grow, I want to see them follow their dreams. It’s about time they get to do that. I think it’s going to take a while since they have been pretty dependent on someone else for such a long time but gradually, they will find their way. And yes, eventually, once they have achieved everything they set out to do, they will surely reunite and it will be all the more epic because they will have grown so much as singers and women.