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lilaccoffin · 2 months

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In the spirit of heart day tomorrow I wanna write some stuff about Vanichai from (mostly) Chai's POV

OKAY LIKE I feel like I don't talk about how Chai feels about Vanilla well...I have a joke with friends that he's getting Rose Quartz'd because I haven't been able to tell them much about VaniChai because I don't wanna spoil HFR for them but ahem...maybe I can rectify that by just talking about how he felt in college.

So, I think he's pretty chill about Vani the first time they meet because they get to talk about music for a bit. He doesn't have to say anything about himself much, just his opinion on a band's newest album! Though the conversation gets a little dizzying when Vanilla starts using a bunch of technical terms that Chai doesn't understand. He's totally the type of guy who just listens to music and goes "this slaps!" but doesn't know anything else. I mean, apparently he doesn't even know what being a rockstar entails according to info on his wiki, so...he definitely doesn't know what the hell percussion instruments are by that categorization but he'll see some cymbals and go "oh, cymbals!"

Anyway, he has to really fake it when Vani goes into those kind of tangents so he just nods and agrees with whatever he's saying and Vanilla is none the wiser. He definitely looks up what the hell he was talking about later and goes "oooh...damn this guy knows a lot about music!" And find its really impressive and cool.

So, yeah, we all agree that Chai is the type to keep people at arms length, and that's a result of bullying growing up. I agree with the folks who have said he probably had to deal with fake friends and pity friends and that also reinforced his friendship moat. So when Vanilla is here being genuinely excited to be around Chai and talk to him and hang out, it wigs him out quite a bit on the inside. He tries to reason with himself though, like, why would Vani want to pretend to like him? They're both grown adults! This kind of crap is typical of kids growing up but...this is college, it's different, right?

He also doesn't want to admit that he wants a friend deep down. He's convinced himself he's better off by himself and he doesn't need others, but c'mon...it's very obvious Chai still yearns for something. The fact he wants to be a rockstar proves it. Being a rockstar allows you to be loved and admired by millions without them getting too close! You don't have to worry about any of the crap you had to worry about growing up because security will get those fans out of your hair, but they'll still shout about how much they love you from afar! Perfect, right?

So! Chai tries his best to push aside the thoughts that Vani is just pitying him or faking that he wants to be his friend. He'll give this guy a shot! He seems so genuine...and Chai actually likes hanging out with him, too. He's never really had someone in his life that listened to what he had to say so attentively. Well, anyone besides his parents. It's just nice being able to hang out with someone and feel like the fun is real and it's not at anyone's expense. There's never a moment with Vani where Chai thinks he's being laughed at instead of laughed with, unlike those other times growing up.

Things were going pretty well the first year they knew each other! It was especially funny when they realized Vani was delivering pizza to Chai's two years before and how he has Chai's favorite pizza order memorized from how many times he'd get pizza from their pizzeria. But, the fun goes downhill once Vanilla shares the idea of starting a band together and Chai agrees in excitement. (At this point I've been re-working the iced tea lore because I want it to make more sense and also properly convey that both Chai and Vani were in the wrong in their own respective ways!)

Vanilla runs the idea by Chai after a late night snack run. They're a bit hyper off some soda and candy and it just sounds like the perfect plan! Vanilla wanted to be vocals and Chai wanted to be guitar, but both not being able to fulfill those roles, they agreed that Chai being vocals and Vani being bass would work. They'd just have to find a drummer and a guitarist and if they wanted a keyboardist they'd work that out later! Chai was super stoked! He had a friend for the first time in what felt like ages, and now they would be rockstars together!

It all sounded perfect...until Vanilla started to go into overdrive. He'd do his best to pressure Chai to pick up on his school work, but Chai didn't really see the big deal. He was mostly here in college for his parents' sake. Chai strikes me as the type of guy to think making music should just happen and there shouldn't be a huge emphasis on school stuff to achieve the dream. Vani doesn't agree with him, but not being one to push a confrontation, he would find a way to push Chai along...by secretly doing some of his work for him in classes they shared.

Once Chai finds out about this he feels awful. He knows Vani is very serious about school and if he got caught doing this, it could get them into big trouble. He only really cared about Vani ruining his own chances, so he tells him to stop that and just let him handle it. Vanilla trusts him enough to keep his word, and Chai does put a little more effort into his work, but the shitty attitude from their professors pushes him back onto his slacker tendencies as a way of not letting them push him around. An act of defiance.

This makes Vanilla panic a bit and he tries once again to nudge Chai along, but Chai tells him to seriously not worry about it and let him take care of it! He can't let them push him around! Vanilla tries to understand but he's so bad at this kind of thing. He only knows how to be sneaky about stuff and he's horrible at standing up to people in authority! So Chai doing this with their professors is WHOA to him. He probably tells Chai to just let stuff go when professors mock him and Chai is like "absolutely not, Vani." Vanilla gets kinda mad because him back-talking and not doing his best on his work may get in the way of everything, but he just keeps it to himself and acts passive aggressive for a bit. Chai groans and does the bare minimum for Vani's sake, but not by much. He still doesn't want to seem like he's bending to his shitty teachers' insults. He hates seeing Vanilla anxious more than them, though.

Which brings me to my next point! Chai notices how much of a nervous wreck Vanilla is in college. He may need to squint to see the giant QA center sign, but he doesn't have to in order to see Vanilla's stress levels. Chai often does his best to get Vanilla to take naps and get decent sleep whenever this dude stays up all night to do homework. He also does his best to convince Vani to stop and smell the roses and goof off/take breaks. He'd take him to the record shops or arcades outside of campus or hang out casually in their dorms to get some proper down time and not overthink about essays and exams. Seeing Vanilla happy and at ease made him feel great. Really great...How could he not when this, admittedly cute guy, was smiling and laughing so much and he was the reason for it! Yeah, Chai thought Vani was cute but he didn't wanna think about those feelings too much since he wasn't sure Vani was a boy liker like him and he knew Vani was too busy with school stuff and wanting to be a musician to probably do any dating stuff. So! Even though Chai has good intentions, his actions could come across as him being a bad influence, something Vanilla's other friends misinterpret and don't like. The cocky attitude Chai has also doesn't sit well with them and they start to dislike him, even though Vanilla insists Chai is a cool dude.

It's thanks to people like their professors and Vani's friend group that Chai starts to believe that maybe he is a bad influence on Vani down the road. He starts to think Vani would be better off without him and that maybe he should burn the bridge to friendship he built for him and let the moat take over again. (Boy, I hope that sentence made sense!) He starts to act more like the douchier Chai we meet at the start of Hi Fi RUSH as a means of getting Vani to stop liking him so much. Maybe then when Vani stops talking to him altogether it won't hurt so bad. (Oh, the irony.)

The attitude plan doesn't work. Vanilla doesn't stop hanging around Chai no matter what dickish thing he says or does to him! Ditching him didn't work, calling him a ditz or making fun of him didn't work, nothing did! And honestly? Chai was kind of glad nothing worked! He didn't want to stop being friends! But the more he saw how much potential Vani had and how little he did, it all started to make his head spin. His 'fake it till you make it' attitude started to dip and he got moodier thinking about his professors being right about him. Didn't help when they'd make those jokes about him and Vanilla. Jokes about how much of a better student Vanilla was than him and how they hoped he wouldn't drag Vanilla down...Didn't help to see Vanilla sheepishly laugh them off. Then the guest speaker band in their other class came and...yeah...a mixture of Chai's insecurities and his guilt towards Vani clash and make him have a whole "FUCK" moment.

Soon enough they have the argument on their snacking roof. Chai tries to tell Vani that maybe he should find someone else to be vocals in the band. Vanilla freaks out and tells him that it has to be him! He doesn't want anyone else to be in the band if it means Chai has to go. Hell, he doesn't want a band at all if Chai isn't in it. It kinda freaks Chai out how upset he gets so he tries to shrug it off like "alright! jeez!" Vanilla apologizes for snapping like that but he just...really wants to do this with Chai. It makes Chai feel even more guilty about things, and then Vani shares a song he's been working on with him.

Chai reads the lyrics to himself and he keeps feeling all his guilt and insecurities pile up again and he decides to trash the song, still trying his best to get Vani to stop sticking around him. Chai harshly critiquing it also doubles as him letting out his frustrations with himself. Vanilla just gets embarrassed and thanks him for his feedback. Tells him that this is why he needs him in the band and now Chai wants to snap and tell him that no he doesn't!!!! He doesn't need a guy who doesn't even know what the hell he's doing to be in a band with him!!! But then he thinks about it...thinks about how Vani's friends think he's an egotistical prick...

He scoffs and nods. "Yeah, maybe you do need me! I dunno how a band with songs like these could get anywhere." Fuuuck does it suck to say something like that to Vani. Chai always really liked Vanilla's songs, even the ones with lyrics that scared him! He can tell that stung for Vani and he bites his lip but keeps at it. Vanilla asks him if he always felt that way about his songs and Chai tells him yup. It makes Vanilla panic and he asks Chai what he should fix. Chai sweats nervously and just tells him all of it and Vanilla asks how in clear distress. Being told a band with his songs would get nowhere makes him think about his parents and how they would react to his secret major. They'd definitely say something about how he wouldn't get anywhere with this too...and hearing it from Chai? He's fucking SHAKEN.

Chai instantly regrets saying those things upon seeing him freak out. It reminds him of when his fake friends growing up would drop the bomb on him that they kept him around as a joke or they only pretended to be his friend out of pity or because of some cruel bet. It sucked. He doesn't know how to backpedal after all of that, and knowing how bad Chai is with talking, he just keeps at it. He tells him he doesn't think any of his advice could do much. He can't make Vani a better songwriter. Vanilla feels like he got punched in the gut and still tries to muster up some kind of hope. He asks Chai if maybe he can still try? Still try to help him? Chai feels like shit about all of this so he just shrugs and tells him "sure" to ease some of the guilt.

So they head back to their dorms, both feeling like utter crap. Chai decides that he should just drop out because of how pointless this is. His parents wanted him to try because any good parent wants their kid to secure a job and take care of themselves in life. But he just couldn't take the ableist professors, how he didn't really know what else he wanted outside of the rockstar dream, and now this feeling that he's dragging someone who does have it figured out down with him. If Vani wasn't gonna stop hanging around, then he would. It sucks, majorly. Vanilla is even more fucked up by Chai eventually leaving and not responding to any of his calls or texts. His friends convince him it is for the best that Chai left and that he should keep focusing on his dream. Vanilla takes their advice and keeps giving school his all out of spite for his parents and now Chai. It doesn't help that when Vani told them about their argument his friends put the idea in his head that Chai probably thinks he's better than Vani and would have just used the band as a stepping stone or something for a solo career.

I mean, Chai does cope by being self centered and pretending he's the coolest dude ever after all the disasters in his life...better to fall back on a crappy coping mechanism than be miserable and let the insecurity eat at him. After the events of Hi Fi RUSH, I think he would constantly argue with himself about hitting Vani up again and explaining himself to him, apologizing even! But it's hard...it's hard when he thinks that Vani is still better off without him in his life.

Then Vani gets a job as the band that came to visit their class' songwriter. He'd normally be overjoyed over it, but it's all such a bitter experience. He's bitter about not being the one play his songs, he's bitter that he was driven by his spite and anger to get this far, and he's bitter that he did everything the way he thought he was supposed to and didn't really achieve what he wanted in the end. The band is kind to him, and they praise his work a lot, but it's just not the same. He's not a part of the band and he doesn't always write the songs too so he's just...sooo bitter. Then he goes to get an enhancement from Vandelay because his parents gave him some guff about his ice powers being the weakest in the family during a get together and he snapped over it. Seeing posters with Chai's face all over the campus because he's the new ambassador and face of Project Armstrong...oooo...when Vani finds him...

The boys will be fightiiiing...

#this has to be my longest post about them yet oh my god #whatever it's my valentine to ME #vanichai #iced tea #squawks and stuff #new writing tag maybe

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ordinaryschmuck · 3 years

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What I Thought About "Eda's Requiem" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

...

...HOW IS SEASON TWO SO GOOD?! WE'VE HAD SEVEN EPISODES SO FAR, AND EACH ONE OF THEM WAS A HIT!

Take "Eda's Requiem," for example. It's yet another episode where I have NOTHING bad to say about it! That's two weeks in a row where that happened! HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!

HOW!

...But anyways, "Eda's Requiem." It's another fantastic episode, and I'm about to dive into explaining how and why. Just keep in mind, it's gonna require spoilers to do so, so be wary of that as you keep reading.

Now, let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Eda’s Checklist and Grom Photo: Within the first second, "Eda's Requiem" perfectly sets up Eda's central conflict in the episode. Despite spending years being on her own and looking after herself, she now has two kids that she's constantly caring over. Eda can try all she wants to say that she doesn't care, and I bet she has in the past. But given the hard work she's putting into getting King and Luz what they need and having a grom photo of the three of them together pinned in her mirror, it's pretty clear that those two knuckleheads wormed their way into her heart and are never getting out.

Eda’s Worried About King and Luz Leaving: And thus, that's precisely why something like this bothers her so much. Eda inadvertently adopted two rambunctious rapscallions (Yeah, I know. I'll get to it), so the idea of them not being around her anymore is going to be terrifying. That is a situation most parents, especially mothers, can identify with. It’s called empty nest syndrome and it proves just how much Eda loves Luz and King that she can't stand the thought of her babies leaving the nest. It's yet another well-made, wholesome, found-family moment that this series continues to excel at each week, making me extra excited for more like it to come...while also readying myself for heartbreak when one of them eventually does leave Eda.

Eda and Raine’s Music: Ok, I don't know the exact instruments that were played during this episode, but I also don't care because it was all (for lack of a better term) music to my ears. Every time Eda and Raine played resulted in melodies that are so beautiful and filled with so much emotion and feeling that I'm honestly tempted to listen to them again, multiple times, on repeat. Shows rarely do that for me, as background music doesn't always draw me in as much as lyrical songs do. Usually, it takes something so extraordinarily composed to give me the desire to listen again, and that's the case here. So huge congrats to Brad Breek for doing so. Seriously, the man's been killing it this season.

Eda’s Bard Magic Causing Things to Turn to Ash: This was assuredly a surprise side-effect of the curse. The fact that Eda can sort of do magic at all was its own shock. To then reveal that a specific type can do dangerous things to people and environments is...Well, it definitely brings up its own fair share of questions. Like, how can she do this? Will she do it again, one day? And are there other types of spells that can be negatively affected by Eda's curse? We don't get answers for any of these questions, and odds are, we never will. But that's alright with me. Because if a show makes me consider these many possibilities after a brief amount of time, it is a show that has to be doing something right. Even if I don't get the answers I want, the fact that it caused such a reaction makes me less willing to care.

Raine Whispers: Hey, would you look at that. Another fun, interesting, and compelling character added to the list of this shows' other fun, interesting, and compelling characters...how is this series so good at this!?

Joking aside, Raine's pretty good. I like Raine. They could have been this super serious leader who lost all their fun after years apart from Eda, but I'm glad that they're not. There are moments when Raine takes their job as leader of the BATs seriously, as one would, but I still prefer the fact that they kept a jovial nature despite how grim their situation is. It's an admirable trait to have, and it avoids the trope of making leader characters boring just because they're the ones who have to take things seriously.

Oh, and also, Raine's Disney's first non-binary character who has a stake in the plot. This is a tremendous deal, as you don't usually see that many non-binary characters in children's animation, let alone ones that hold importance to the story. So it's pretty cool for the writers to feature Raine, as it helps several kids feel as though they're finally seen and respected. And the fact that Disney of all companies gave the thumbs up is even more impressive. I hear people say that Dana Terrace should have pitched The Owl House to more progressive networks to avoid pushback, and while I absolutely see your point, I'll have to respectfully disagree. Disney is the largest entertainment industry of all time, so if you want to make LGBTQA+ representation normalized, you gotta stop making splashes and start making waves. Because if the same company that made three racist cats in the span of a few years manages to say that being gay is a-ok, then you know there's something wrong with you. Yes, Disney ended up screwing over the show anyway. But for that one moment, when kids felt pride after seeing a character like Raine, then, in the end, it's kind of worth it.

Also, if you're still having issues with more representation like this popping up in kids' shows, then allow me to redirect you to the complaint department.

...I made that post earlier today for this bit. YOU HAVE BETTER APPRECIATED IT!

Day of Unity is meant to be a Secret: At least, that's what I got when Raine stumbled over their own words. So if it's true, then I wonder why? Why does Belos want to keep the most critical change in the Boiling Isles a secret? Does he want to make it a surprise for his grateful subjects, or does he not want to spread worry and fear amongst the wild witches? It has to be something big if he doesn't want his followers to even say the words "Day of Unity." Whatever reason he has, we most likely won't know until the future. A future that I grow more and more afraid of each week.

Hooty Eating Echo Mouse: My heart sank in that brief moment when I thought that Hooty intensely screwed Luz over in getting back home. But looking back...it is pretty funny.

Just the suddenness of Hooty eating the poor creature that Luz desperately tried to earn its trust is priceless in how shocking it was. And also, Luz's expression.

That was the look of a young girl who immediately shoved her hand down an owl demon's throat the second the scene cut away. The Owl House may not always be a hit in the comedy department, but scenes like this prove that when it's funny, it is hilarious.

Luz and King Entering the Grand Prix: Not much to discuss here. It's just a cute subplot that adds frivolity to the intensity of what's going on through Eda and Raine's story. But I will say that I love how both stories occasionally interconnect with each other through the many moments of Eda being worried about King wanting to leave to find his father and avoiding any conversation about it. It helps both plotlines feel like they belong together, without being something like "Through the Looking Glass Ruins," whereas both stories could have been in their own episode. Which is neat.

How Bard Magic Works: I really love how this season is diving into how the other magic types work. More specifically, the ones that seem a little vague. I mean, stuff like healing, potions, and plants are easy to figure out, but what does it mean when a witch's talents are construction, beast keeping, and bard magic? We've been getting a lot of clearing up lately, with bard magic looking like a witch can control their environments and enemies through the power of music. Which is fair. Music is pretty powerful in the metaphorical sense, and I actually love that it's powerful in the literal sense when in the Boiling Isles.

The BATs: Not much to comment on these three either. The BATs have the potential to have an entertaining dynamic, but they do very little in this episode that I can't say much other than I hope they make a return in the future. But I will make this claim: Amber is my favorite. I'm sorry, but her screaming "You're not our mom!" to then go, "Bye, mommy Eda" is just too precious for me not to love.

I'm a simple man who falls for cute s**t. Leave me alone.

Raeda (RainexEda): Well, EdaxCamila, you were a fun crack ship while it lasted, but I'm afraid that this is now goodbye. The current canon has provided an incredibly adorable and believable relationship that I would be a monster not to support with my whole bi-heart. It's been real.

Ok, back in serious mode: I love these two together. Eda and Raine are grown-ups, and they still act all flustered near each other as if they were still Luz and Amity's age. It's definitive proof that you're never too old to get flustered near a crush, and seeing them interact adds a sense of wholesomeness when seeing them together as well as heartbreak when they're forced apart. Plus, we get confirmation that Eda's LGBTQA+! Whether she's bi, pan, or whatever, now that we know Eda can catch feelings for someone like Raine, it's yet another case that The Owl House is the most important series to the community. Because having the main character be queer is fantastic in its own right. But having the same apply to the motherly mentor figure? That's is an extra bit of normalization that anybody would be willing to appreciate.

Unique Guard Designs: Not many fans are going to appreciate this, primarily compared to everything else this episode does perfectly. For me, I actually like that you see a few Coven Guards looking differently from the others, as it helps make them less like clones and makes it seem like anybody of any body type could be a part of the coven.

Gus Looking Uninterested when Presenting Grand Prix with his Dad: I am positive that you didn't notice this (I didn't even notice it until someone else pointed it out), but there's something to dissect here. It hints that perhaps Gus isn't as interested in his father's field of work as one might think. If he did, he would look a lot less bored and much more excited to be helping Perry Porter present the race. It could just be the race itself, but judging from Gus' expression, it really seems like the kid would prefer to be anywhere but there. And why would he have that reaction to a race that his best friend is competing in? To me, this seems like an inkling of what Gus' relationship with Perry could be, which may not actually get time to shine, what with how little wiggle room the series has now (Thanks Disney). Regardless, it is interesting to notice, and it will certainly have fans thinking for a while.

Bump Being Smug of Luz Being in the Lead: That's it. Principal Bump looking smug as his human student is beating the students of his rivals is yet another moment that proves why Bump is easily the best cartoon principal.

Darius: First of all, this guy is f**king fabulous, and I love him. *Snaps*

Second, he is definitive proof that you do NOT want to f**k around with Coven Leaders. Lilith may have had her intimidating moments, but none of them compare to the guy who can turn himself into an abomination monster where only magic that hasn't existed before can take him down. It's genuinely scary to see Darius lose control, and I fear for the day when Luz inevitably ends up in his crosshairs.

With that said, Darius' still a ton of fun! He may be threatening, but he's just a flamboyant guy that hates the idea of getting his outfit the tiniest bit dirty. And I love that. I love that these Coven Heads have actual personalities instead of being generically evil. I consider it preferable to make villains entertaining rather than blatantly scary as I'll remember the personalities first and the villainous acts last.

Eberwolf: But this one's my favorite. I told you: I'm a simple man who gets easily swayed by cute s**t. And Eber? I mean, just look at her:

She's just a cute widdle rascal! I just want to pinch her cheeks, give her a belly rub, and--

...Eberwolf is not a cute widdle rascal. She is a strong, independent woman, and I will respect her as such from this moment forward...lest I feel her wrath.

That is all. Let's move on.

Eda and Raine Attempting a Final Performance: This was the best scene of the episode. It looked gorgeous, it shows the dedication Eda and Raine have for stopping Belos, and it says so much through so little. Go back and look at how Eda and Raine regard one another when performing Eda's requiem. Through their expressions and a few short words, you know they understand that if they complete the song/spell, they probably won't make it in the end. And yet, they don't care. They both know bad stuff will happen if Belos wins, so Eda and Raine put everything to the side, both their feelings for one another and the people they leave behind if it means putting an end to a tyrant. That level of dedication...Words can't fully describe how powerful that is.

Raine Sacrificing Themselves Instead: But in the end, Raine can't do it. Not when they know the life that Eda has and the people she'll be leaving behind. It's an extra bit of nobleness to the character seeing that Raine refuses to take away a woman from two kids who need her the most. A tad bit selfish, sure, knowing what Belos has planned. But when it comes to love, the romantic, familial, or platonic, the best decisions aren't always the logical ones.

Eda Crying: Luz crying tears me up, but seeing Eda cry is a whole different level of heartbreak. Like Lilith, Eda has her emotions locked up tight, with the closest she came to weeping were those two tears in "Young Blood, Old Souls." In "Eda's Requiem," she cries but almost quickly stops herself. As if she knows that doing so isn't going to save Raine. That is...even worse than seeing Luz break down after losing Eda. The fact that Eda refuses to give herself time to mourn losing someone she loved is tragic because crying is the most natural way of showing grief. Turning that off isn't healthy, and seeing her do it with little resistance is sad to me. It's sad to see a character I love can easily shut off all emotions despite how badly she may want to embrace them. It's one of those moments that, again, by doing so little, it shows so much.

“No one watches Crystal Balls anymore. It’s all about streaming.”: Oof. Even I felt that burn towards cable.

King’s Message: King's message was the pick-me-up I needed after the heart-wrenching sadness this episode put me through a few minutes ago. Seeing King say who he is and listing all the things he loves is nothing short of adorable. On top of that, I adore that Eda willingly recorded the whole thing. She may not want King to leave, but that doesn't mean she'll sabotage the one thing he wants. Especially not after Raine gave up everything so Eda could be with her kids. The opening scene may prove how much Eda cares about a rascal like King, but this heartwarmingly sweet moment reveals just how far she'll go to make him happy.

King’s Dad Reveal: ...ok, I'll be honest, I did not think we'd get that reveal this soon. Dumb of me to say, considering the number of times I've said that these writers don't waste time getting to the s**t, I know. But still, it's pretty cool knowing that King's dad is alive and well, added with the fact that we've got a fair idea of what he looks like. At this point, it's only a matter of time before we see him figure out where the Clawthorne residence is and witness the tear-jerking moments that will follow.

King Changing his Name to King Clawthorne: Not the official adoption I was expecting Eda to make...but DANG IT, is it still diabetes-inducing levels of sweetness!

Personally, I feel like the main reason why Eda breaks down this time is not only because she shouldn't be worried about King leaving her life, but also because Raine's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Her kids really do need Eda because no matter how far apart they'll be, she will always be a part of their life...dang it, I'm going to cry too!

What those Coven patches really do: Well...that was horrifying to see.

...Writers, if you kill off the best non-binary character in animation (it's a short list, I know), we are going to have PROBLEMS!

IN CONCLUSION

"Eda's Requiem" is--surprise surprise--another A+. The emotions hit hard, the representation hits harder, Raine is a fantastic addition to the cast, and it was all surprisingly cute at times. Season Two is currently on a hot streak, constantly winning with every episode that's come out so far. When a bad episode does eventually show up (IT'S GONNA HAPPEN!), I'll be sure to sing my requiem then. For now, I'm just gonna enjoy the ride.

#the owl house #the owl house season 2 #the owl house reviews #eda clawthorne #raine whispers #raeda #king of demons #toh darius #toh eberwolf #what i thought about

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saeyoungs-sunflower · 4 years

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(HC) RFA + MC in Quarantine

Listen lads, this is just a silly I wrote this the other day (I may have been a little but tipsy but shh) and I thought I might as well share it. I hope this cheers some of you up during such a scary time <3

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Yoosung:

★ okay this is gonna sound obvious

★ but bare with

★ G A M E S

★ but!!! not just LOLOL!! oh no no!

★ i’m talking board games, PC games, active games like tag and hide and seek

★ you guys basically act like children how are you surviving on your own

★ you guys also do LOADS of cooking

★ like so much

★ you’re baking like one cake a day pls slow down

★ ngl you guys are thriving staying home all the time lol

★ if Yoosung has online classes, you set up a study club!

★ he does his college work whilst you do whatever work you gotta do boo love that tEAMWORK

★ honestly you guys have never been so productive oop

Zen:

❤︎ oh boy

❤︎ be prepared to be SMOTHERED in love

❤︎ zen i love you too but pls i have stuff to do

❤︎ m o v i e n i g h t s

❤︎ f a c e m a s k s

❤︎ there are so many movies/tv series that you guys have been waiting to watch together but haven't had time to bc of zen’s work

❤︎ big sad :(

❤︎ BUT GUESS WHAT FAM

❤︎ WORK IS CANCELLED TIME TO SNUGGLE DOWN AND WATCH SOME DAMN CINEMA

❤︎ it usually turns into make out sessions but shh nobody has to know

❤︎ Zen kinda discovered that you guys c a n n o t cook

❤︎ so!!! you learn!!!

❤︎ it’s MESSY y’all

❤︎ “aw mc you look so cute with flour on your nose” throws flour at your face “zen i sWeaR tO GoD I just wanna make b r e ad leave me ALONE”

❤︎ quality couple time <3

Jaehee:

☞ lets get down to business

☞ to defeat

☞ THE H A N

☞ lol JK

☞ seriously the house has never been cleaner

☞ obvs your cafe isn't open so y’all have some time on your hands

☞ one day Jaehee suggests gardening

☞ oh man

☞ it escalated

☞ gardening has now become an OBSESSION

☞ honestly you couldn't find a prettier garden on pinterest swear down

☞ you also decided to renovate the house you’ve been meaning to do it but have never had the time

☞ your house is now a work of art wow proud of you guys <333

☞ tbh, Jaehee actually has a small fear of getting sick/you getting sick so you guys are only leaving the house if it is a b s o l u t e l y necessary

Jumin:

♚ nobody talk about the bad ending

♚ i said don’t…

♚ he’s be waiting for this moment who needs a cage when you have a national lockdown

♚ all jokes aside though this man still has to work from home

♚ poor bby

♚ let us all shed a tear for Jumin Han

♚ you love to bring him tea and homemade baked goods whilst he works and guess what??? so does he lol

♚ it is time

♚ to D A N C E

♚ this man is so extra oml

♚ insists on taking online ballroom dance lessons bc why not MC hmmm???

♚ he is actually a very good dancer

♚ once you guys get good enough it turns into spontaneous ballroom dancing in the kitchen whilst you clean up after dinner

♚ wine??? wine did you say??? W I N E???

♚ oh b o y

♚ you've seen each other tipsy before, and lemme tell ya it takes a lot to get this man drunk

♚ his tolerance is so high from all the w i n e

♚ but one night you two get absolutely HAMMERED like oh my God guys calm down pls

♚ rip your liver lmao

♚ it makes for a v e r y funny evening though you guys have literal tears in your eyes and its so nice to see the mighty Jumin Han loosen up a little aw bless

Saeyoung:

☀︎ okay

☀︎ listen

☀︎ this man is absolutely out of control i can’t

☀︎ you thought he was a prankster before???? oh man i am so sorry

☀︎ “saeyoung why is there a balloon above saeran’s door” “don’t worry bout it babe” “i am WORRYING SAEYOUNG”

☀︎ on a serious note though being stuck in the house does sometimes bring back some bad memories for him

☀︎ there are some bad days where he just n e e d s to get out

☀︎ so you sometimes go out for a quick drive in some desert place ya know let’s be sensible

☀︎ you guys have also made a habit of climbing to the roof and watching the stars aw

☀︎ you’ve also both fallen a sleep there a few times oopsy daisy

☀︎ the memes are the only thing getting you guys through at this point it’s a problem

☀︎ but you are loving the quality time with your choi boys so it’s not all bad <3

☀︎ family snuggles are a must

☀︎ a M U S T

☀︎ the desired s n u g g l e position is you sat on Saeyoung’s lap, your legs draped over Saeran’s lap and Saeran’s head resting on Saeyoung’s shoulder AW

☀︎ sometimes you hold Saeran’s hand whilst he’s asleep bc your edgy boi needs love but wont ask for it ever

❁ first of all

❁ a w

❁ this man is the sweetest peach

❁ he makes so many cute things for you whilst you guys are in lockdown

❁ i mean he’s writing letters, knitting you scarves, painting you pictures the whole shebang

❁ he even made you a pyjamas

❁ he’s sewing guys he’s out of control

❁ if your working/reading/just having a quiet moment he will sketch you

❁ you wouldn't know it though bc he’s a s n e a k y bastard

❁ he’s never filled a sketchbook so fast and it’s his most treasured possession

❁ a book!!! filled with YOU!!!!! amazing!!!!!!

❁ wait, did you hear that????

❁ oh yeah

❁ ITS ARTS AND CRAFTS TIME

❁ actual children

❁ even if what you make is terrible its just so fun because you're doing it together

❁ brb just crying my eyes out i love this man so much

❁ you guys also make care packages and do the grocery shopping for the elderly/at risk people in your area and deliver it for them AND sewing scrubs/masks for doctors

❁ “I don’t want to stay inside doing nothing all the time when there are people who need help” THIS MAN IS TOO MUCH

Saeran:

☽ i hope you're ready for this grumpy motherfucker

☽ he never went outside anyway but now that he cant go out it sounds like the best thing in the world saeran pls

☽ ah yes it is time to wake up

☽ oh it’s 4pm?????

☽ HA who needs a sleep schedule anyway

☽ also Saeyoung is not the only twin with the Mischief Gene™

☽ oh no no no

☽ you two team up and absolutely destroy him

☽ i am so sorry Saeyoung but you had this coming

☽ when Saeran says that he wants to learn an instrument you are GOBSMACKED

☽ HELL Y E S

☽ he orders a keyboard and omg he’s such a fast learner

☽ probs from all the years of hacking ouch

☽ do i smell??? A FAMILY BAND?????

☽ you and Saeyoung play kazoo

☽ Saeran has left the chat

☽ seriously though his piano playing is so pretty and it calms him down so much ughhh PRECIOUS TOMATO BOI

***

This is so chaotic hahahah I hope you enjoyed though. If people liked it I’ll do some more silly things like this. It was a nice break from...the other stuff I’m writing...hint hint watch this space ;)

Masterlist

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homosexualadventure · 4 years

Text

every single lmam song, ranked.

i just finished listening to let’s make a music for the first time, and Oh My God it rocks. it’s a great podcast and if you’re reading this without having listened to it...i don’t know what to tell you. i don’t know what you think lmam means. but, that aside, if you haven’t listened to it yet: go listen to it! it’s not a crazy long podcast, overall or episode length-wise, so it’s manageable even for people who usually can’t handle podcasts (like me!) anyways, now that it’s over, what’s left for me to do with my time and energy that i used to spend thinking about lmam?

listen to the episodes again so that i can rank all fourty-one songs from worst to best, of course. so that’s exactly what i did.

i mostly ranked these on my gut feeling, because i didn’t come up with the idea of ranking it on a set of points before like...five minutes ago. there’s a bit of personal bias in here, so if you disagree with me on rankings, hey! send me an ask, or a dm. we can talk about it.

so, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into it! let’s...make a ranking. haha. that’s just a fun little lmam joke for you.

41. the roquefort stank

this song only gets points for laura’s stanky noises in the background. i love laura.

40. shan’t he shanty

weirdly catchy. for a sea shanty, that is. that’s all i have to say.

39. well, i’m on child...

i do love a good gay song about polyamory but it just wasn’t enough in this case. truly heartbreaking.

38. dog trash

i’m not a big fan of polka in general. that’s all i have to say. i don’t have to explain all my decisions. this is my journey. and it’s your journey that you’re taking with me.

37. echoes of wednesday

it’s not my favorite but i do think it’s sweet and i like all the laura vocals. also the zuko vocals.

36. brothers in legs

not their best character song but it’s still a song you could quietly headbang to. i just don’t love full story ballads (there is an exception to this, you’ll see) most of the time.

35. ol’ tim’s tricks

i’m not saying it’s a bad song, i’m just saying it sounds like it was once in a made for tv disney channel-esque movie about a girl who finds her calling in sports and friendship.

34. don’t give me that altitude

very queen-esque with general 80s vibes and i like that.

33. dreamless

if it was longer i think it would be a lot higher on the list, because it’s Good. but i don’t feel right putting a 45 second song above, like, tobie’s razor. still! i love the mellow, kind of sad and eerie tones of it.

32. holiday crime!

look i know this one’s fairly low on the list, hear me out: it’s a good song and it’s pretty memorable as well! but as far as holiday songs go, i don’t think it’s their best or most iconic one. laura’s laughing and beat in the back is absolutely wonderful and heartwarming, though.

31. mr. dad

this one gets a higher rating than the previous holiday song for its good good harmonica and because when i heard the lyrics “but you love to watch him go” used to describe mr. dad i almost toppled my chair backwards with me still in it.

30. mourning ritual

the biggest load of 1980s bullshit i’ve ever heard in this decade. somehow it’s also got a big panic! at the disco vibe and i’m not sure how i feel about it but it’s definitely Strongly There and i can’t deny it.

29. outback sadhouse

it’s RIDICULOUS how well they nailed the sufjan stevens vibe with this one. plus the restaurant dialogue bit in the back of the song really adds a lot.

28. let down my better dynamite

it’s really easy to bop to and the instrumental in the background is FANTASTIC! jonah really killed it with this one. plus they talk a lot about rats in the episode which is nice for me because i love rats. also it’s the first episode with an instance of “brian does a bit”.

27. the tale of the greazzy creek

i just think it absolutely nails the vibe of a rural campfire grizzled old cowboy song while also being a really catchy theme song. like, i think you could’ve snuck it into holes (2003) and i would’ve been like, yeah, that sounds right.

26. turn around and come down slowly

not one of their more iconic songs but brian’s voice is so pretty in this and it’s really soothing.

25. ratless randy’s

i don’t know why it’s this high on the list either, but it is. ratless randy’s really IS the place to be, guys.

24. tobie’s razor

i will be honest. when i saw the title for this episode for the first time i just thought “occam’s razor” and as i type this i can’t even think of what that actually is, so..... anyways, i’d say this song absolutely NAILS the vibe but i have no idea what vibe it’s even remotely related to. certainly does nail the internal childhood monologue though. i think this song is the first one where they really started hitting their stride, also. not that it’s better than some of the earlier ones, but this one forward their songs were pretty consistently high quality. plus, and no one will be surprised by this by now, it gets extra points for laura.

23. armoire of royals

it’s weird, it’s synthy, has a vaguely billie eilish-esque part near the end which is not necessarily a point in favor depending on your taste but it Definitely is surprising and cool, and it’s got fake british accents. what more do you need out of a song?

22. sybil’s night scare

the piano in this is perfect and fantastic and the comedic timing in the song is just right. jonah’s delivery of “they’re actually real human eyes” is so goddamn good and his singing is Also great and frankly i think we can all agree we’re fucking tired of him saying he can’t sing. i mean, i assume (i fucking hope) he’s stopped saying that by now considering he had the majority of vocals on silo by a bit but Still. it’s a good peppy halloween-y song.

21. chalice for your thoughts

two spooky songs in a row! honestly, i’m not sure what reasons i have for ranking this song as high as i did. i just like it a lot. they were able to include a lot of weird twitter suggestions fairly seamlessly, and it’s just soft and pretty. spooky, but still pretty.

20. 21st blitheday

i admit it: i fucking hate the voice brian uses in this. but i really, really like the song. the beat’s very good and somehow brian still manages to sing the chorus well and make it sound nice even though his affectation is Stupid as hell <3 the background whistling is nice and his robot voice, which he’s used for several of his videos but i think most notoriously for scrundler in his week in revue series (here), is also featured. it’s a real bop, i think.

19. monday night boomball

i genuinely think this is their weirdest song, ever. it’s incomprehensible and it’s so fucking theatre kid of them, and it’s dumb as shit but it’s really funny and enjoyable and strange and i love it.

18. gentle light

this is a really good song. it’s not weird or funny, it’s genuinely just a really soft, calming, normal song. i can’t in good conscience rank it above the others for this reason, because it’s easier to make a regular song good than it is for a song about fucking a tree, but i want to be clear: i really love this song. it’s a song that you could fall asleep to, cry to, cuddle up in a blanket to, whatever the hell you want to do to it.

17. proud egg mouth

extra points for fitting the word “maw” in any kind of song, a feat i’m not sure anyone else has ever accomplished. also for brian actually singing with an egg in his mouth.

16. you can take that to the bank

brian does an incredible randy newman impression and i love him for it. also it’s just a good song! it’s not my favorite but it’s very pleasing to my ears and it’s well made.

15. rainbow trout eggs

i listened to a shit ton of colbie caillat in middle school and i can tell you with confidence that the lyrics “i feel so alive and i know that i’m happy na na na na na hey hey” would be in one of her songs. it’s a good song with completely ridiculous lyrics and it’s a better character/full story ballad than their previous ones, in my opinion. which is what you’re specifically here for!

14. car mitzvah

i think this is a song my dad would listen to if it came on the radio. i also think it deserves to be in an early 90s or maybe coming of age movie. brian’s vocals are fantastic in this, also.

13. dr. brims

“it’s a new year, Ha Hah!” this song is sooooo fucking funny and exemplary of a lot of their other songs that came afterwards. i’ve been saying that a lot i think. writing reviews is hard.

12. let’s make a music (theme song)

maybe it’s the emotional value of this song being the song i associate most with the podcast, since it’s the theme song, or maybe it’s just really good. (spoiler: it’s both but mostly the second one) the episode is also really funny in general and if you’re new to the podcast and don’t care about order, i highly recommend this one first!

11. heartbreak in michael’s

a very very very good sad gay love song and i recommend it to the ends of the earth! because this is the internet, and i can!

10. arbor day!

you try making a horny song about deforestation.

9. why don’t you like our song title?

such a fucking bop and showcases their skill for just doing whatever the hell they want and STILL making a fantastic song or video or whatever. they just stop saying words in it and it does not take anything away from the song. could you do that? i mean...maybe! but for the sake of this review and my point i’m gonna be like fuck you no you couldn’t. moving on.

8. akimbo

the backing track in this is ABSOLUTELY what makes the song. plus that one video of brian strutting but technically that can’t affect my review of the song because Technically it’s not part of the song. anyways it’s really peppy and fun and enjoyable and Good.

7. heartbreak in michael’s (reprise)

it’s the perfect finale song. like, it genuinely sounds like the song that plays at the end of a romcom after everything’s finally worked out. i Did cry when i heard brian sing the theme song at the end but that’s just because i’m a sentimental son of a bitch. so besides that ending bit that i can(’t) guarantee will make you tear up at Least, it’s really fucking fun! it’s upbeat and happy and i think they made the right song to go out on. or to go on a hiatus on, if brian’s website is to be believed. i don’t believe it, but hypothetically, y’know? hypothetically...

6. debutaunt ball

if the met gala doesn’t make this their theme song i will personally burn next year’s event to the ground, i swear to god. also it’s a good song to show off both jonah and brian’s range. it’s not like a lot of their other songs but it’s SUCH a banger and i adore it.

5. madame zamporium’s wax emporium

fuck yeah. learning that the “ooh come on baby” from several unraveleds came from a let’s make a music is the reason i finally started listening to the podcast in the first place. but BESIDES that, since that’s not a reason for my ranking (just a fun little fact about me!), this song slaps a ridiculous amount. they went insanely hard and it’s the first song they made that really sets the tone of the podcast, which is: great comedy, great high production music.

4. alan rickman’s edible zoo

GOD! the anti-celebrity, anti-capitalist rock song i’ve been waiting all my fucking life for! also it’s anti-america but only in one lyric. but in Another sense....throughout the whole song. PLUS, and most importantly, it features jonah’s literally and i mean LITERALLY impeccable alan rickman impression. like, it’s fucking bulletproof. alan rickman was in the goddamn room.

3. horsecar!

look. when this song started playing for the first time i went...fuck no. in general i don’t tolerate country or cowboy songs very well because they just don’t sound appealing to my ears most of the time. i put up with country road only because of a funny mario edit someone made of it and now the original song has more value to me. this is relevant only because the same thing happened with horsecar! in that the chorus KICKS ASS. i may make a post on just my favorite lmam songs and also this is already a crazy long post so i won’t go into it too much but i will say this. the shock value of going from the first verse in this song to the chorus is...........Incredibly high and it Works So Fucking Well! it literally makes the song. and not even just for the short term value of Oh My God That’s A Twist, it lasts through the whole song. i’m listening to the song as i type this and i’m currently at the country/cowboy part and i don’t hate it because i know the chorus is incredible. in fact, i’d argue that the chorus on its own may be the best thing lmam ever made, even better than my two actual favorite songs of theirs. i’m definitely going to have to make a full post on this. (SIDE NOTE: BRIAN’S VOCALS ARE FUCKING CRAZY AND HORSECAR! IS ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES OF THIS. his goddamn RANGE!! SIR!!! his falsetto is literally ridiculous my pants are OFF)

2. dragon me to this wedding

this is what i meant when i said there’s an exception to the “i’m not generally a fan of full story ballads”, because this is one of my all time favorite lmam songs. as in, it’s in the top three. which i guess you can tell from it being number two in the top three. in fact, it’s probably one of my favorite songs in general. the first time i listened to the episode i went back and listened to the song again three times in a row, and all three times i cried real tears. it’s GAY it’s REALLY PRETTY and i LOVE IT.

1. save 2 4 tony

so we’ve finally made it to my all-time favorite lmam song. maybe it’s that i recently graduated myself and so this song hits a little harder, but it also just GOES hard. i genuinely think they peaked when they recorded this. it’s one of those bdg songs where you’re listening to it, you’re just chilling, and it’s like “yeah wow this is nice!” and all of a sudden he hits a falsetto and you go “oh FUCK that guy can SING!” literally his vocals in this are incredible and it’s very fun (and on brand) that the Oh Fuck moment here is the line “tony hawk babeyyy!” plus jonah killed it on the backing and composition and everything. it’s the best let’s make a music song and i won’t take constructive criticism.

#i fucking LOVE lmam and once i finished it i knewwww i was gonna make this.#brosephs if anybody would like to talk to me about lmam my inbox and dms are always open!#i've never said brosephs before. out loud or in written form. it's a year of trying new things i guess #this took quite a bit of time. which is like. thank god i've needed a project for so long sfdfsd #lmam #let's make a music #brian david gilbert #laura kathryn gilbert #jonah scott #f.txt #bdg

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unibrowzz · 3 years

Text

Mod (finally) reviews all 67 winners of the Eurovision Song Contest Part VII (FINALE)- The 2010s

And we’re on the home stretch! Just 10 songs left now.

The 2010s stands as the only decade I watched live and the only decade I haven’t yet rewatched, mainly because I have no interest to. I’ve already seen the contest anyway, if a song didn’t stick with me then, it probably won’t now.

Also prepare for some hotter than usual takes, mostly down to the 10s contests being the most well known due to recency bias. I can say whatever the Hell I want about older contests and what songs I despise from there, but one non-positive comment about Euphoria and suddenly about five butthurt anons appear in my inbox telling me why I’m wrong.

But without further ado, let’s finish these off!

2010: Satellite

Country: Germany

Artist: Lena Meyer-Landrut

Language: English

Thoughts: I used to defend this song a lot, for some reason. I used to get super defensive when people dismissed it as a cheap lazy pop song that shouldn’t have won over (insert song here, but let’s be real here, 99% of the time it’s Turkey's equally cheap lazy emo rock song) and that it robbed so many better entries, blah blah, you know the drill. And I think it’s because it was the first winner I saw as I started properly watching in 2010, so I didn’t want to shit all over the winner that introduced me to the contest. Or maybe it’s that it makes me really nostalgic, or something to that effect. But, dear God, why did I? It’s so… not worth it. I appreciate it for being a much less instrumental-heavy winner, with its skippy, snappy beat and bouncing vocals which sound closer to plain talking than actual singing, but… How many times were the lyrics ran through GoogleTranslate before they were finalised? What’s with the janky, overexaggerated fake-English accent? Why does the singer look embarrassed to be a part of this? Why was this written? And how the FUCK did it win? It’s so weird and awkward to listen to. It’s the song equivalent of trying to make small talk with that one classmate you never talk to because they’re shy and boring. It’s like listening to an old person laugh half-heartedly at their not-that-funny old person joke. It’s canned laughter in a mediocre sitcom. It’s just an awkward, painful to listen to song that’s made all the more painful by the fact that Germany has sent much better songs that easily could have replaced this as their one post-reunification winner.

Was this my personal winner for this year? No

If no, what was? Spain- Daniel Diges- “Algo Pequeñito”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 60th

2011: Running Scared

Country: Azerbaijan

Artist: Ell and Niki

Language: English

Thoughts: Look, this one isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Doesn’t mean it’s good, or that I find it particularly good, but the worst winner of all time? Goodness no, it doesn't even come remotely close. What we have here is a mildly pleasant ballad duet song with a distinctive sad-boyband vibe. Like you can definitely hear the “X-Factor winner’s first cover song” energy just radiating off it from the first few lines. I suppose you could argue that that does make it feel a bit clinical and like it’s trying too hard to be a big hit, but come on, it’s not like this is the first winner like that. The singing is alright; better than half the singing that won in the 2000s anyway, and the male singer especially has a nice voice. The lyrics aren’t exactly poetry, sure, but again, other winners have terrible lyrics as well and don’t receive nearly as much hate as this one does. And… that’s it. Why all the hate? No idea, but I can only assume the people who declare this song to be the worst winner ever haven’t heard anything that won before 2010.

Was this my personal winner for this year? No

If no, what was? Denmark- A Friend in London- “New Tomorrow”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 42nd

2012: Euphoria

Country: Sweden

Artist: Loreen

Language: English

Thoughts: Ugh. Listen. This is not a bad song. It’s decent, middle of the table, listenable, marketable, well sung, well performed, well shot. I must stress, this is not a bad song. But the best Eurovision song of all time? Absolutely not. Euphoria is one of the few winners I would describe as “overrated”, and that isn’t a term I use lightly (since it’s overused as Hell), because frankly, I don’t see what people see in this song. Hell, I forgot it completely until the 2012 voting, and further still until mid 2013 when a friend said he liked it. This song left that little of an impression on me that I completely forgot everything about it for a solid year. And considering how many fans regard this to be one of the best, if not the best song to ever come out of the contest... that baffles me, I just can’t wrap my head around why so many people hold this song up on a pedestal and worship it like it was dropped from the hands of God himself. And I'm not sure if it's because this just isn't a genre I care about, or if it's because this was WAY back when I was a casual fan who didn't follow any of the songs or artists so didn't know who'd be the favourite going in like I do now, and therefore didn’t know to keep an ear out for this one. Or maybe you have to be piss drunk and at a nightclub to really feel the impact of this song. This song triggers absolutely no response from me other than “Oh, a Eurovision song”. I feel no emotion towards it aside from complete indifference. I can’t deny that this song made an impact, it just… didn’t make an impact on me.

Is this my personal winner for this year? No

If no, what is? Spain- Pastora Soler- “Quedate Conmigo”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 40th

2013: Only Teardrops

Country: Denmark

Artist: Emmelie de Forest

Language: English

Thoughts: Let me ask you a question: What do you get when you sandwich an otherwise decent pop song between two of the most iconic and recognizable winners of the decade? You get this. Only Teardrops is a weird, weird winner to me. On one hand, the fandom acts like it might as well not exist, you go straight from Euphoria to Rise Like a Phoenix, who cares about that filler song which came between them. On the other hand, I know a lot of people who really like it, yet all of them are either very casual fans or not fans at all. So this makes me feel like this song’s main weakness is that it’s too mainstream, at least for Eurovision fans. What are my thoughts? It depends. For one, I enjoy this song a LOT more than Euphoria; I always have done and I’m not ashamed or afraid to admit that. I find this song has a lot more personal appeal, particularly a much bigger finale in my opinion, and being surrounded by people who like this song has admittedly kept me fond of it. BUT, I still wouldn’t necessarily call it a favourite of mine. Maybe a favourite of the 2010s, but not overall. At the end of the day, it’s a little too generic, a little too normal, a little too like every other song you’d hear on the radio. It’s not really a song I find myself coming back to again and again and loving every time, it’s the song I stick on to shut my family up when they want to listen to Eurovision music and I’m too shy to show them the songs I actually really like. It's just a decent song that's unfortunate enough to be stuck in between two more iconic winners, doomed to be little more than the answer in a pub quiz question. And even though I do prefer this one to some of those icons, and don’t really have anything else to say about it, it’s just enjoyable yet kind of bland.

Is this my personal winner for this year? This or Iceland

If no, what is? Iceland- Eyþór Gunnlaugsson- “Ég á Líf”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 16th

2014: Rise Like a Phoenix

Country: Austria

Artist: Conchita Wurst

Language: English

Thoughts: Ah yes, the man who made the entire continent of Europe collectively forget what a drag queen is. What a shitshow that night was. But I'm not here to talk about that, I'm here to rate/say some things about the song, and honestly? This is arguably the most vocally impressive winner from the 2010s. Seriously, there’s nothing I can fault here; this guy’s got some serious pipes. Every time I go back to it I just end up blown away by how powerful and raw this song is. And obviously good vocals alone can’t carry a song forever, otherwise I would’ve had nicer things to say about the early 70s and mid 90s, but with this song the vocals go hand-in-hand with the gimmick. Without the powerful vocals this would just be a knockoff Bond theme sung by a drag queen with a beard, like it’d just be another sensationalist gimmick song to throw onto the pile with all the other gimmick songs. But with the good singing, this has the distinction that it’s a gimmick entry that still had every right to win because the singer was actually competent. Also unlike the 70s winners this one actually has strong emotions tied to it rather than it just being a bunch of pretty French words, so there’s that.

Is this my personal winner for this year? This or the Netherlands tbh

If no, what is? N/A

Personal ranking (out of 67): 17th

2015: Heroes

Country: Sweden

Artist: Måns Zelmerlöw

Language: English

Thoughts: Fun fact: I was so bitter this won that I stormed off before the voting was done and cried in my room over it. I hated everything about this song: I hated how Sweden won just three years after their last win, I hated how the staging was just BEGGING people to vote for it, and I ESPECIALLY hated how it beat out the televote favourite because the juries were too busy wanking off to this one to care about anything else. I just despised everything about this song, and it turned me into an obnoxious jury-hater for a solid year. And yes, I'm extremely embarrassed of all that because honestly this song is fantastic. I would go as far to say it's my favourite Swedish winner, maybe not one of my favourite Swedish entries but definitely my favourite winner of theirs. Everything about this is just so appealing to me, from the brooding intro and vocals, to the lyrics, to the staging, my GOD the staging! It’s one of the best performances of the contest to date; It's impressive without being tacky or try-hard, he interacts with his background, and that little doodle boy character he’s created is adorable. I just love this performance, it’s so mesmerising.

Was this my personal winner for this year? Not then, is now

If no, what was? Then? Serbia- Bojana Stamenov- “Beauty Never Lies”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 11th

2016: 1944

Country: Ukraine

Artist: Jamala

Language: English, some Crimean words

Thoughts: I mean… it’s good until she starts singing. Now I am by all means not an advocate for bringing back the old language rule, but songs like this sure as Hell make me one. This should have been left entirely in Crimean. Simple as that. The English lyrics are bloody awful, no way to sugarcoat it, and absolutely annihilate the potential this song is otherwise seething with, because the instrumental to this song is fantastic and the chorus and climax give me goosebumps. The performance at the contest was chilling as well; a perfect blend of both simple yet flashy staging to set up a really uneasy atmosphere that compliments the song perfectly but, God, the lyrics are bad, man, especially for such a serious song about a personal topic. That said, it's still the only song in the 2016 top 3 that seemed winner-worthy, unlike Australia's obvious Jurybait and Russia's obvious Telebait. So… it has that.

Was this my personal winner for this year? No

If no, what was? France- Amir Haddad- “J’ai Cherché”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 57th

2017: Amar Pelos Dois

Country: Portugal

Artist: Salvador Sobral

Language: Portuguese (Translation: “Both of us”)

Thoughts: I still question why it took Portugal until 20-fucking-17 to even reach the top five, but that's a rant for another day. Not that this is a rant, far from it. Anybody who knows me knows that I love this song after all, and that it’s one of the few winners I remain rather defensive of, though that’s mostly down to the amount of hate this song and its singer receive. I will defend Sal and his hot takes on pop music until I die. Now I’ll admit, this song surprised me in more ways than one. Namely by actually winning the televote; given how this song has split opinions clean down the board as to whether it’s spine-tinglingly beautiful or soul-crushingly boring, I was expecting it to come mid-table in the televote whilst some other country swiped first. Yet somehow it managed to stomp the televote just as hard as it stomped the jury vote. I guess I wasn’t the only person this struck a chord with after all. Also, I can’t be the only one who thinks this is a perfect dance song? Like it’s great for ballroom, or contemporary. It’s so dreamy and flowy, and I usually HATE dreamy flowy songs, yet this one just resonates with me for some reason and I’m not sure why.

Is this my personal winner for this year? Yes

If no, what is? N/A

Personal ranking (out of 67): 4th

2018: Toy

Country: Israel

Artist: Netta Barzilai

Language: English, some chicken noises, cringe

Thoughts: And here we have another case for bringing back the language rule, because if this song had a Hebrew version I would 100% listen to it more often. When I heard Israel was sending an, ahem, "feminist anthem" about the #MeToo trend on twitter, my first reaction was "ew". When I heard it was the favourite to win, my reaction was also "ew". And when I heard the song for the first time? "Hm, not as bad as I thought." And also "ew". This song is just embarrassing. I’m embarrassed listening to it, I’m embarrassed watching it, and I’m embarrassed when someone mentions it when I’m trying to convince them Eurovision actually has good music. You can just tell from the first few lines that it was written by middle aged men trying to shill themselves out to gullible young women who think listening to a song by some Israeli DJ “empowers” them. And let’s be honest here: “empowering” is just media speak for “shit”. The only thing stopping me from putting it at the VERY bottom is the instrumental and performance because without the cringy lyrics you’re left with a pretty good club song, and I swear to God Netta Barzilai could sell herself sneezing for 3 minutes. If “Toy” had been entirely in Hebrew I would’ve given it a pass, and maybe a cheeky vote or two. But, alas, that was not to be.

Was this my personal winner for this year? No

If no, what was? Italy- Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro- “Non mi Avete fatto Niente”

Personal ranking (out of 67): 64th

2019: Arcade

Country: The Netherlands

Artist: Duncan Laurence

Language: English

Thoughts: You know, in my 9 or so years watching the contest, I don’t think I’ve ever felt genuinely ecstatic watching a song win. Most of the time I either feel neutral (most of them) or a more general, content kind of happy (2014 and 2017). Like I’ve never let out a shout of joy and slid on my knees across my living room floor in sheer, blind happiness. But that’s what I did with “Arcade”. I’m not really sure why that is because, I must confess, it wasn’t my personal winner of the night, and, looking back, I preferred other songs, but… God, I just can’t explain how overwhelmingly happy I was when this song won. I’m not sure if it’s because I was alone or if I was rooting for this deep down (or if it’s because it was between this song or fuckin’ Sweden again). But that’s by the by. How’s the song? Honestly? Really good. One of my favourites of this decade, if I’m honest. It’s the kind of song that’s grown on me a lot since the night of the contest; even though it wasn’t my favourite song from 2019, I’m not mad at all at it winning.

Is this my personal winner for this year? Honestly I had about 10

If no, what is? I could list them if you want

Personal ranking (out of 67): 6th

#AND IT IS DONE #eurovision #mod's winner reviews #esc winners #finally glad to get these done lmao these were so tedious to format

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jae-canikeepyou · 4 years

Text

| bad boy | j.jh | sequel

pairing: jaehyun x fem!reader genre: au t/w: slight violence and blood. a/n: a sequel was requested for this scenario & to be very honest i thought it’s best to leave as it was.. but who am i to turn down my lovely readers? 🥰 as promised, here it is! blame my lazy butt for procrastinating to post it. it’s not proof read too woohoo! 😂 anyway, enjoy! :3 ~j

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“...i’ll be happy to see you again.”

it was the only sentence that stuck into the back of your mind. a similar feeling to when you liked someone and his very existence wouldn’t just leave you alone. you thought you might go insane because every time you think of nothing at all, that dimpled smile of his reappears and your brain immediately sends all kinds of signals that maybe science couldn’t explain, let alone you.

the students who walked pass you and him had questionable stares. you were well aware that jaehyun was fresh from returning back to town; though according to him it only had been two years. even the faces of the neighbourhood gave scoffs and looks of disbelief; unconvinced that he had changed for ‘the better’. honestly people still avoided him— maybe it was due to the fact he wasn’t seen as often by day, only at dusk.. doing stuff that jaehyun himself chose not to remember.

coming out of the university, an annoying tug on the shoulder caused you to turn around to identify the doer, jolting you back to reality from your thoughts. however the tug was too familiar that you already knew who it was, even with eyes closed. he bugged you during training— though it was not in a bad way.

the regretful look on his face made you pinch his cheeks with his dimples as the support. he was one good-looking lad with now good intentions to help people. ever since that encounter with him at the alley, he never really left your side; stuck with you like glue. your parents joked about how he was as loyal as a golden retriever would be to his owner. he followed you everywhere and even if you didn’t mind, you had to remind him about boundaries.

and boundaries meant when he accidentally followed you to the toilet that one time.

leaving that aside, jaehyun smiled and this adorable puppy with chocolate eyes made you snap your fingers. “jaehyun, i told you not to stare at me like that.”

“why can’t i? i already told you you’re pretty.” he smirked, nudging a tease with his brows. “it’s worth staring at, even for a whole day.”

“uh-huh.” you hum in faux agreement. “and you told me that a month ago, which was after your friends broke my door. you’ve been calling me that nonstop.”

“it’ll approximately be thirty two- no, thirty three times i complimented you, today included.” jaehyun took your bag with him. as gentleman as it sounds, your own friends once had to pull your stuff away from him when he did the kind gesture the first time.

“hey, give it.” you attempted to retrieve it back when he raised it higher.

“maybe i’ll consider if you give me a kiss.” he poked his cheek, leaning into your face. you gave him a disgusted look before it turned out to be more so when he pointed his lips instead.

“in your dreams jaehyun.” you rolled your eyes, nudging him to leave the training centre.

you both spent the next two hours chilling at a local coffee shop, doing some recaps of what you learnt earlier. to your surprise, jaehyun was actually quite studious. it was a little difficult to approach him whenever you had questions. who knew that behind the acronym the townspeople gave him, ‘bad boy’, was a very hardworking and intelligent guy. sometimes you would think he was a real-life manhwa character, where he’d ace a test despite worrying over whether he’d flunk it.

on the bright side of jaehyun’s reputation to everyone, some students would arrive in crowds after your training; which was, how you’d call it, fanbase. they’d usually giggle to themselves and ask for a picture, but jaehyun declined their requests.

whilst at the café with chill jazz music playing, and despite feeling uneasy and worried for no reason at all, jaehyun sighed deeply, indirectly asking to call it a day— it was already 10 pm. every friday night, he’d go with you to the orphanage to read books to the children; or go along with them to give medical care with a stethoscope just to satisfy the curiosity of the kids.

jaehyun fumbled his bag to look for his keys. you waited for the lad, skimming through the university’s fountain and statue. you looked at the far distance, and the unease came back just when you thought it went away. “okay i got them. let’s go.” he tapped to us shoulders.

you soon hopped onto his car, fastening your seatbelt as you propped your arm onto the edge of the window rest. “tired? me too.” you heard jaehyun ask, his car keys clashing towards each other before being put onto its place.

“yeah i kinda am.” you lied, still having that uneasiness stuck in your chest. at the night you met jaehyun, you would say that the encounter with the screwed-up man traumatised you; the sound of gunfire rang in your ears, the man’s grip onto your wrists left a bruise, jaehyun’s flirtatious moves to his favourite couple’s daughter.

“well, we can go to the riverside if that’s what you’re looking for. tell your parents we’ll visit the kids next week and that you’re on a date with me.” he started the engine, rubbing your head with the other hand as he began to drive.

“a date with you? i’ve got other priorities.” you eyed him with a grin.

“change it then. put me on your top 5 or something.” his proud giggles put a confused look on your face and his lips flattened quickly at your response. jaehyun hoped you at least felt butterflies, but maybe it hasn’t developed yet. “what? i gotta be on your list somehow.”

“oh wow jaehyun you’re really determined.” you soothed your temples and he just laughed. “fine, uh. top 10?”

“agh man i gotta work nine bars higher to be your top 1.” he faked a hiss, earning an airy scoff from you.

“you’re not gonna be my top 1. my mom and dad are. education’s second.”

“then third?”

“no. that’s my bunny’s place.”

“ugh bunbun’s before me.” he whined. “anyway i’m gonna be part of your top 5.”

the car turned to a much narrower road. jaehyun insisted it was the shortcut and that the longer way was going to take minutes. not like you wanted to assume highly of how he knew some paths, but maybe he had dealings or encounters before at 17 years of age. heck that was him in the past. he was different now.

he reached out to the stereo and made a few taps onto the touch screen, sliding his fingers to the side to maximise the volume. it was a playlist full of jazzy, chilling instrumental tracks to hype up the mood and taking your heads off of studying. you never really heard him sing before, but you knew he was a good one in just humming.

as you listened with the playlist he tuned in, your eyes stayed on the road for a good minute before the car’s side view mirror flickered with lights, catching your attention. to be exact, they were red laser lights.

was something there? or were you just tired?

you brushed it off, telling yourself continuously that it was a result of staying behind the laptop screen too long. jaehyun didn’t seem to notice so maybe it was really just you. the car finally reached a stoplight, you sighed heavily at its disappearance when you looked at the mirror of your side.

but then it flashed again.

as if you both were being followed.

jaehyun spotted your discomposure and the frequent shuffles in positions to find comfort of the seat. “y/n, need a break? wait a little because we’re almost there-”

“i- i think we’re being followed.” you find your palms clenching the sides of the seat, avoiding to look at the mirror again. the feeling you had that night at the dark alley came back; chest pounding and breaths so uneven. you didn’t tell jaehyun what you felt that night and kept it to yourself so of course he wouldn’t know of your situation now.

jaehyun’s brows creased inquisitionly, his pupils shifted to his side of the mirror in an instant. they grew wider at the sight of a familiar vehicle and logo that was overlapping the car brand. he thought he’d never see them once more, but unluckily he did tonight. he cursed in whispers and although he said it softly, those alone made your worries shoot up like rockets. the circular light emitted green. you felt your body being pressed back against the seat at the force and speed jaehyun drove. “we’re gonna have to skip the date and rush home, okay?”

he tapped the stereo’s touchscreen to mute the track that coincidentally matched the tension you both were feeling now. “you’re driving fast~” you said with your sarcastic singing. a hum from him raised a tad more worry. “why are you driving fast~”

he only chuckled.

“jaehyun, the only time you drive fast is when we receive an medical emergency!” you panicked in all high pitches your voice could ever give.

“uh- this is kind of an emergency y/n!” he still gave a giggle despite being in a frenzy.

“it’s not medical! we’re not in the ambo!” you huffed in excessive breaths to attempt to calm yourself.

“i know but-”

gunshot.

it wasn’t once.

it was five times at most.

you gasped then squealed, unsure whether to cover yourself with your forearms or still hold onto the seat. jaehyun pulled over the car to a stop, making you shiver and the feeling went down to your spine then palms while your grip tightened onto the seatbelt. you let the window on your side lower for some air. it might seemed strange to some people passing by, but you were muttering words as if you were enchanting a spell to summon the supernatural; where as in fact you were really, really scared.

at times like these, all you wanted to do was to head home and forget that this ever happened.

“why did you stop?” you asked, sounding panicky and jaehyun didn’t seem to do the same. “we’re being chased and you decide to-”

the scratch of the tire from the vehicle following you hit from behind, plunging both of your torsos to the front and stretched the seatbelts. your eyes blurred for second and as the clear began to come in, jaehyun signalled you to bend low. when you obliged and cowered down, he took off his jacket and placed it above you. “y/n, don’t get off the car. i got this.” you felt that he grabbed something from the drawer in front of him, later putting it in his pockets.

you hitched a breath. “w-why? where are you going?!”

“shhh.. if you did, i won’t forgive you.” he warned and closed the door.

“stop cutting me off!” you gave a little tantrum that you hit your head onto the pull-out drawer. “stupid jaehyun!”

you heard mumbles of exchanged dialogues between jaehyun and two late twenties men. the patience you’ve always had had run out and carefully your fingers pulled the door handle to head out. soon you found yourself tiptoeing and crouching all at the same time; just like how you used to sneak to the kitchen at midnight to grab some snacks. the air was cool, much to your surprise jaehyun and the two men were just, talking.

in the two weeks since knowing jaehyun, you hesitated in asking more of his past. not that you couldn’t tolerate the endless stares and whispers from the public, but you were just curious about the man who evolved to b.a.d boy.

“jaehyun.” you whisper-yelled but there was no response from him. he had his hands behind him. though relaxed, there was tension shown in them. based on his gestures he knew of your presence. his hands formed to a ‘thumbs up’; turning sideways, telling you to head back into the car.

you had your palms onto the door handle when the conversation became clear to you.

“what're you both doing here?” he asked the two men, later their surnames revealed to be park and jang. “i thought i said i’m resigning.”

“you resigned before boss made his decision. he wants you back in the group.” park said, handing him an envelope. “accept this and you’ll get all you asked for; your own room at the base, the money from-”

jaehyun took the envelope and tore them to pieces. “i’m not going back to that life ever. knowing you lot, pisses me off up until now, you tried luring me into dirty money.”

it wasn’t like you wanted to get involved with jaehyun. it just seemed you were just caught in the wrong time and in the wrong moment. even that night in the dark alley. you mumbled and grumbled to yourself, profanities spoken internally that maybe you shouldn’t have heard something so private-

“then i could just guess you’re now using her for dirty money?” jang caught your collar and pulled you from behind the car. “you really think you could earn money without our help huh.”

“y/n, i told you not to come out.” he turned around so quickly that the scowl from his lips made you regret breaking that order.

“who do we have here? jaehyun you seem to get yourself a hottie-” park walked closer to where you were.

“let me go.” you spat him, disgusted at their assumption.

“let y/n go, she has nothing to do with this.” jaehyun grabbed your arm, putting you behind his large, broad frame.

“sure will, jung. but she has something to do with you.” park laughed, his hands reached for his pocket. jaehyun didn’t seem to see that, but you were aware where this might escalate to. you plunged forward that you were in front him, hugging him fully before your friend realized the frightful action.

bang. bang.

the tightness and uneasiness in your chest wasn’t the car chase nor the two men, nor the fired gunshots.

it was the men’s bloodlust for jaehyun.

they cursed and yelled as they left the scene, saying that they meant to shoot him, not you. it took a while for jaehyun to process what had happened. he looked down at your collapsing body, blood dampening his hands as he touched the wound to stop it from bleeding further. “y/n?.. y/n! stay with me, okay? don’t you dare close your eyes on me!”

he saw you attempting to caress his cheek with a pained smile before it turned emotionless.

“y/n!”

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it had been exactly a week since you were shot, because of that jaehyun avoided you. people looked at ease when they saw you alone and you weren’t used to it. he would always be there every second of the day, either already buying you lunch or carrying your bag. not even your parents heard of him when after jaehyun brought you to your apartment. having parents work in the medical field sure was convenient.

the morning’s sun shone your room and you stood in front of your mirror, still in your pj’s. turning slightly to the side, you lifted the fabric to see the two sets of stitches just below the bra strap line. your mom knocked onto your door, smiling in relief at the sight of recovery. “breakfast’s ready.”

you smiled back, remembering the worries plastered on their faces. in most cases, a patient would want to see their parents once they came into the conscious. for you however, wanted to see jaehyun. “yeah i’ll be down soon.”

the smell of toast and hot chocolate smacked you in the nose and you started walking slowly down the stairs. your groggy eyes caught sight of the one you didn’t want to see. “ah, she’s awake.” your dad nudged the male. jaehyun looked up at the loft, his ears shading from pink to red.

he gulped, and your dad laughed. “wow that was loud. chill jae, she’s walking down the stairs, not the aisle.”

“i didn’t think of that, sir.”

jaehyun got up from the dinning area to help you. his fingers felt the bandage wrapped around your torso and immediate guilt flushed his body. “y/n i-”

“don’t apologize. it wasn’t your fault.” you smiled and he flattened his lips, surprised that you knew what he was about to say. as you sat down, your parents were all dressed and ready for work. “i just got here and you’re leaving me alone?”

“that’s why we called jaehyun here. he lives just across the street. we’ll see you tonight sweetheart.”

silence consumed the house once the door shut to a close. jaehyun rested comfortably on the chair with his arms behind his head. hungry as you were, you began to eat, cautious and carefully. you told yourself you should be used to having him around. however, it was today that you felt nervous. even his exhales got you on the edge. you tried to look at him, only to avert your eyes immediately when he caught you. “how’s the wound?” he asked.

“well i never thought i’d experience it myself before i’d treat actual patients.” you said, soon grasping the situation that you didn’t mean to put it directly at him. “ah i’m not saying this because i blame you for what happened-”

“i know, but.. you did treat me when i was shot.” jaehyun took a sip of his cup. “so your answer’s invalid.”

“you asked the damned question jaehyun!” you scoffed and slight stood from your chair.

jaehyun saw a brief shade of pale onto your lips and went beside you. you looked up to see him with eyebrows narrowed. “get up, i’m checking your wound.”

“my wounds are perfectly fine! mom just fixed it.” you angrily munched on your toast when he suddenly knelt on the floor, back facing you. “what the heck are doing?”

“i’m giving you a piggyback ride.” his hands gestured you to get on.

“what am i, five?” you ignored his offer.

“what are you, ms. stubborn? if you move now, you’ll widen the already opened incision.” he finally turned around to carry you and when he placed you on the sofa, he grabbed the first aid.

“this is so awkward.” you sat in front of jaehyun as you lifted your shirt.

“not at all. i’m treating a stubborn patient who apparently is very cranky early in the morning.” he carefully cut the surgical tape and held his breath when he saw the two stitches from gunshot wounds onto your flesh. “look about this..”

you waited for him to speak, but he didn’t continue further and treated the wounds. “why are you blaming yourself?”

“because you got hurt.” he gently dabbed with a cotton. “when it was supposed to be me. i didn’t see that he already got it out and before i know it, blood was spilled.”

“but you didn’t pull the trigger.” you bent your head down.

“but i’m the cause why it triggered, okay?!” he raised his voice, making you flinch at his tone from behind. “i ran away from my past so that i could live a good one! yet it still haunts me and every where i go, i’m always caught in their web! it’s been like this! then when i met you, i was afraid and i knew that i’ll eventually put you in harm’s way. deep inside me, i saw it as a sign that being with you might protect me, that they wouldn’t do anything to me when you’re with me. then when the gun fired, there you were saving me from my mistakes and-”

you felt a heavy weight onto your head, teardrops dampening the nape of your neck. “i’m so sorry y/n..”

“you really *coughs* are a bad boy.” you said so suddenly that jaehyun shot up. your coughs made him to kneel in front of you, checking if you were alright.

“what?” he asked.

“a baby and dumb boy.” you giggled through breaths and though it got him taken aback, he was assured, somehow. “did i ever blame you for the gunshots? did i say it was you who hurt me? i never thought of you as the guy everyone thought they saw two years ago. so why are you still sticking with the fact that i might change after that night? i know you grabbed a gun too, but you didn’t bring it out. if you ran away from the past that just means you’re willing move forward to the new. if you’re afraid of ever hurting me, i know fully that you’ll never do that.”

he sat onto the carpet waiting for your next words; like a golden retriever, you told yourself. “i was looking for you when i woke up and besides, when i took the bullet.. it’s kind of..” you paused. “..returning the favor for saving me too? if you were shot, it might ease the people who were judgmental of you but.. not me. i wouldn’t be able to sleep if that happened you know? like-”

you saw his torso moving closer to yours. it was brief, but you saw the warmest smile from his lips before he hugged you. his hands caressed your head as if he was doing it to a child. “ah.. so i topped first?”

“ha?”

“i was your top 1 after all.” he smiled that his cheeks formed those damned dimples. “you thought of me before your parents and bunbun.”

“n-no! i mean i-it’s normal, right? the last person i saw before fainting was you so i-”

jaehyun rather than listening to your excuses longer, he preferred to hug you before you catch his ear turning redder. when he let go of you, his eyes twinkled as if a shooting star reflected in them.

“y/n, do you know you’re extra pretty when you’re flustered?” he teased, going back to treating your wound.

dumbfounded, you scoffed at his easy-goingness. “do you know you’re extra flirty when you think i like you?”

“you don't like me?” he whimpered how a puppy would do.

“i don’t.” you replied so proudly.

“that’s so mean.” he began to take the scissors to trim off the extra strand of tape. “i compliment you all-”

you closed the gap in between. “i love you.” you closed your eyes as you said the three words you planned not to tell him.

jaehyun gasped but he smiled afterwards. “my dream’s granted already?”

“urgh don’t make me more embarrassed than i already am jaehyun! i hate it when you’re always having fun and-”

“i love you too.”

#nct 127 #jung jaehyun #jung yoonoh #nct jaehyun #nct #jaehyun #jaehyun nct #jaehyun x reader #jaehyun writings #nct writings #jaehyun fanfic #jaehyun oneshot

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flowersandskeletons526 · 4 years

Text

“Broken Noses and Bad Ideas” - Glitradora Fanfic, Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

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Adora stayed at the apartment even after Bow had left. She paced around Glimmer’s bedroom while Glimmer sat on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and prodded the bruises and abrasions on her torso, her mind stuck on the sly woman that rescued her from the fight. She swore she had seen blood on Catra’s boots before they got in the car.

“When did you start talking to Catra?” Adora asked, stopping beside her.

“She came into the shop a few days ago and we talked a little bit,” Glimmer answered.

“You know she’s a punk, right? She’s nothing but a dangerous bad idea.”

“Wait, Adora, how do you even know her? Why are you freaking out so much after she just saved me from getting my ass kicked?”

Adora looked down at Glimmer, eyes tracing the cuts and bruises all over her. Glimmer turned away. Adora sat next to her, her body angled in as she leaned close. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Glimmer’s ear. Glimmer glanced up, and Adora smiled gently. Adora was always gentle.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“You’re changing the subject,” Glimmer huffed.

“You’d know,” Adora said.

“Adora!”

“I’m just worried about you!”

“You’re always worried about me!”

“Can you blame me?” Adora tilted her chin up, brushing a thumb across a scrape on Glimmer’s jaw. “You give me a lot to be worried about, Glim. Especially when things like this keep happening.”

“I got into a fight.”

“You got beat up!” Adora said. Glimmer bowed her head. Adora sighed and rubbed Glimmer’s back, holding her close as Glimmer leaned into her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want this to turn into a fight.”

“I know,” Glimmer mumbled.

“Do you feel alright? I know you already went to the hospital but, well, you know.”

Glimmer cringed internally. She shouldn’t have lied to Adora, but she was already losing her mind. If she knew that Glimmer had passed out and woken up in a dangerous stranger’s house, especially this stranger it seemed, it would just make her more overbearing than usual. She couldn’t deal with that tonight.

In reality, everything hurt like hell, but Adora didn’t need to know that. Knowing her, she could already tell, anyway. Glimmer kept her mouth shut and closed her eyes as she nuzzled against Adora.

“You don’t have class tomorrow, right?” she asked.

“No, nothing on the weekends,” Adora replied.

“Do you want to stay over? You still have some clothes here from the last time you spent the night.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go get changed.”

Glimmer pinched the bridge of her nose after Adora stepped into the bathroom. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Her body was covered in tender bruises, and she knew it would only hurt worse when she woke up tomorrow. She pulled on a clean shirt that covered her torso and most of her arms, hiding the majority of the marks just so Adora wouldn’t freak out more than she already was.

She sat on the windowsill and lit a cigarette. Adora came back just as she was finishing it, frowning as she let her blond hair out of its ponytail.

“I thought you stopped that?” she asked.

“I don’t even smoke one every day,” Glimmer lied. “It’s fine.”

“Glimmer-”

“Adora, please, not tonight.”

“I… okay.”

They slipped under the covers, lying on their sides and facing each other. Glimmer shifted close and held Adora’s hand between them, closing her eyes. Adora touched her cheek.

“You’re really okay?” she whispered.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Adora squeezed her hand. She smiled. Just before she fell asleep, she swore she felt Adora kiss her forehead, but it was forgotten by morning.

---

The Crystal Castle was loud and crowded as usual. Adora and Bow had their own plans, but they were under the impression that she had none. She knew it was probably a bad idea to be out when no one knew where she was, especially considering last week’s events. She knew she should care. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn. She heard Adora’s voice in the back of her head, telling her to be more concerned about her own safety, but she pushed it away.

Glimmer went straight to the bar. She shouldn’t have been drinking. She shouldn’t have been smoking, either, but “shouldn’t” never stopped her.

Entrapta grinned when she approached. “Bow’s friend!” she exclaimed. “Whiskey on the rocks, coming up.”

“Uh, thanks,” Glimmer said. “How did you remember that?”

“Well you came in with Bow last time so I-”

“I mean the drink.”

“Your hair is distinct. I remember distinct people,” Entrapta explained. Glimmer nodded and took the glass. “Is Bow here with you?”

“No, not tonight.”

“That’s too bad. I wanted to run a project idea by him. Tell him to email me if you see him.”

“Sure.”

Glimmer found a spot by the wall as the band came onstage. Her grip on her drink tightened when Catra stood in front, bringing another round of screaming applause. There was something about her, a presence that commanded the room the moment she walked through the door and opened her arms. Glimmer was not immune to that.

She knew it was strange. Some outrageous musician shows up in her store and then saves her from getting killed in the same week, seemingly for nothing, and now she was here to see her again for a reason she couldn’t find. She wondered if that could be a part of it; trying to figure out exactly why Glimmer couldn’t get Catra and her smirk and her confidence and her bloody boots out of her head. She was convinced that she would go insane if she left the mystery in her thoughts to rot.

Adora’s hostility and subsequent refusal to talk only made the longing for answers worse.

Aside from all the uncertainties, Glimmer knew one thing: she loved Catra’s voice. There was a raspy, raw quality to the notes she sang, a growl in her lower register that set heat blossoming in Glimmer’s chest and raised goosebumps over her arms. She poured indescribable emotion into her voice and the lyrics of her song as the other musicians supported her with haunting, unbridled vocals. It sent the entire club into a roaring frenzy.

Glimmer was no exception. Catra finished a song and pushed her hair out of her face, baring her sharp teeth with a manic smile. When Glimmer met her intense mismatched eyes, it drew a genuine grin from her for the first time in months.

Catra laughed over the cheers after the set ended. “You guys are amazing as always!” she said. “Thank you and goodnight!”

Glimmer waited for Catra by the bar. The taller woman slipped through the crowd, smiling as she stood before Glimmer. Entrapta passed Catra a drink as Glimmer sat on a stool, facing the crowd. Catra leaned against the bar beside her.

“You were awesome,” she said as Catra sipped her drink.

Catra smirked. “Thanks. Are you here alone or are your friends lurking around somewhere?”

“Not that I know of.”

Catra hummed, sipping her drink. “I wasn’t quite sure if you’d come. You seemed a little spooked the last time we saw each other.”

“We weren’t exactly in the best circumstances last time we saw each other.”

“Very true. Your face looks a lot better.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Catra laughed. “You’ve got a sarcastic streak, don’t you, Sparkles?”

“I try.”

“I like it.”

Glimmer smiled, but it disappeared in a moment. “I’ve got a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know Adora? You two seemed to really hate each other.”

Catra raised an eyebrow. “I thought she would have told you. No wonder you came back.”

“What?”

Catra laughed once, sharp and quick, and turned back to her drink. “Bad joke. Adora and I knew each other a long time ago. We grew up together in a private group home a long way from here but had a bit of a falling out when she bolted.”

“When I met Adora, she said she was a homeless drifter that came from nowhere.”

“Yeah, well that was her own choice and her own fault,” Catra spat. Glimmer frowned, watching the sudden violence in her expression, but within a moment Catra’s face had smoothed back into its typical sly smirk. She lifted her drink. “How about this. You buy me a few more of these and once I start slurring my speech, I will talk about Adora. Or, better yet, we talk about anything else.”

“Alright.”

“Great. Also, she hates me.”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about her?”

Catra leaned in quickly, but Glimmer didn’t move. Catra chuckled. “Sarcastic and a smartass. You’re direct, I’ll give you that.”

“Thanks?”

Grinning behind her glass, Catra threw back the rest of her drink and slammed the cup down on the bar. “Take a walk with me.”

“Where?”

“Through the city. The past several places I’ve been were a lot smaller than Etheria and I like the way big cities are at night when all the lights come on.” Catra smiled, eyes glinting. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Glimmer returned the smile. “Yeah, it is.” Glimmer hopped off the stool. “Okay, let’s go.”

Catra followed Glimmer out of the bar. “You’re not really all that careful, are you?”

“Who cares about being careful?”

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Catra grinned. “Famous last words.”

Glimmer learned a lot about Catra as they strolled through the glowing city together. Catra and all the other band members grew up in a ghost town called Scorpion Crater, which they lovingly dubbed “the Fright Zone.” Catra always loved to sing and taught herself to play guitar with a broken instrument she pulled out of a trash heap. Catra hated mice. Catra’s favorite color was red. Catra would listen to anything as long as she liked the lyrics and could sing along.

Over everything, Glimmer learned that Catra was incomprehensibly cynical.

“Sometimes shit happens and it just makes you worse,” she said as they walked, kicking a pebble into the gutter. “Kelly Clarkson got it wrong. It fucking sucks and you can’t change it and people suck and you can’t change them either.”

“Yeah,” Glimmer agreed. She pulled her jacket collar higher around her neck as her smile faded. “I get where you’re coming from.”

“You, Sparkles?”

“Yeah, me. My, uh, my mom. She’s the woman whose portrait is hanging up in my store.”

Catra nodded. “I saw that. That’s your mother?”

Glimmer hummed. “She died about a year ago. Some junkie shot her during a mugging.”

“Did they catch him?”

“Yeah, and then they let him go. They didn’t have enough evidence.” Glimmer’s hands trembled as they curled into fists, tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t know why she was telling Catra about this; she barely knew this woman. But still, something about her seemed to drag all of Glimmer’s troubles out of her.

Glimmer startled at Catra’s fingertips against her cheek. She glanced up, eyes wide as Catra brushed her hair out of her eyes. Catra’s expression was calm and thoughtful as her sharp nails traced Glimmer’s jawline.

“I’ve seen that,” she said quietly. “People not getting what they deserve. Sometimes it’s better to take things into your own hands.” Glimmer didn’t respond, watching Catra’s eyes flicker with the ghost of something hidden and dark. She smiled just enough to flash one of her unusually sharp teeth. “You look a little scared, Sparkles.”

Glimmer pushed Catra’s hand away as she returned to reality. “I’m not scared of anyone, especially not you.”

Catra laughed. It bounced off the buildings of the desolate city. She opened her mouth to speak, but her phone chimed and cut her off. All the humor in her expression disappeared as she read the text message.

“Son of a bitch,” she growled. She returned her phone to her pocket and stood in front of Glimmer. “I think your place is nearby, right? I would get heading home considering how late it is.”

“Do you have to go?”

“Yeah. I, uh… Scorpia needs me.” Catra paused, smiling as a thought occurred to her. “Here, give me your phone for a second.” Glimmer handed Catra her phone. Catra typed in her number and smiled as she handed it back to Glimmer, eyes glinting. “Call me sometime and we’ll meet up.”

Glimmer smiled. “Sounds good.”

Catra grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before they parted ways. Glimmer hurried home, grinning the whole time.

The next day, Glimmer found herself smiling as she went about business in the store. Adora stood behind the counter, sorting a new delivery while business was slow. She noticed the happiness on Glimmer’s face as Glimmer stepped around her to grab something under the counter.

“You look happy,” Adora remarked.

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” Glimmer rubbed the back of her neck. “One of the good days, I guess.”

“I’m glad.” Adora put an arm around her and held her close. Glimmer wrapped her arms around Adora’s waist. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”

“Yeah,” Glimmer mumbled. You would hate the reason why, though, she thought. “Probably because it’s getting closer to summer.”

“Do you need any extra help around the store? I know once business picks back up it can get a little overwhelming.”

“I’m fine.” Glimmer let go of Adora and returned to her work. “You and Bow are already doing a bunch of extra stuff.”

“Well, yeah, but we’re always here to help.”

“I know.”

“Glim, really. I’m always here for you.”

Glimmer paused and turned back to her, offering a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, Adora. I know I’ve been a little weird lately but I’m fine.”

“I know,” Adora said, following after her, “I just get worried about you. I still really wish you would see someone.”

“I don’t need a therapist.”

“I’m not saying you need one, I’m just saying that it can be good to vent to someone and work through things.”

Glimmer’s smile disappeared. “Adora, I’m not going back to that stupid doctor.”

Adora stopped, taking a step back and holding her hands up. “Okay.”

Kicking herself, Glimmer pursed her lips and turned away from the sadness in Adora’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. I’m sorry I pushed it.” Adora touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, she put her arms around the smaller girl. “Just forget I said anything. Today is a good day, right? Let’s hold onto that.”

Glimmer sighed. “Okay.”

She leaned back into the embrace. Adora held her tighter.

---

Glimmer and Catra sat in the back of the band’s van on a hill overlooking the city. Five meetings had already passed them by, two at the club and three hanging around the city, their discussions growing less restrained as they spent hours with each other. It weighed down on Glimmer that she hadn’t told Adora about any of it.

In that time, Glimmer learned that Catra was an ass as well as a cynic. The vast majority of their conversations consisted of teasing and underhanded jabs, where Catra learned that Glimmer had as sharp a tongue as she did. There were times where an outsider would have thought they were being downright malicious, but every insult was met with laughter in the end.

Looking over the city, they shared a joint and a couple of beers, joking with each other as they tossed rocks down into the sand pit below. Finishing a drink, Catra grabbed a weathered acoustic guitar and leaned against the doorway of the van, facing Glimmer.

“Hey, tell me a song,” she said, eyes half closed from the drugs. “I’ll see if I know it.”

“Is that your first guitar?” Glimmer asked as she gestured to the scraped wood.

“Nah, that fell about years ago. This is the first real one I ever got, though. Now come on, give me a song.”

“Okay! Uh… damn, I can’t think of anything.”

“Tell me a band.”

“Do you know anything by The Crane Wives?”

Catra raised an eyebrow as she grinned. “You like The Crane Wives?”

“Yeah, they’re amazing.”

“I fucking love them! Okay, okay, what’s a good song from them?” Catra picked out a few notes, and her grin softened into a thoughtful smirk. She shifted closer to Glimmer. “Got it.”

The guitar in the song was fast and light, minor chords cutting through as Catra leaned into the music. Her rough voice carried the notes with harsh emotion, stirring heat and longing in Glimmer’s chest, dragging all her buried emotions to the surface. Catra closed her eyes as she sang. The lyrics lilted over her tongue, lips curling to flash her fangs as emotion poured from her. The toiling storm in her eyes clung to every verse, every refrain, growing from a pit in her heart as it pulled Glimmer into the fray. Within moments, Glimmer found herself drowning.

As her voice faded and the final notes left the guitar, the girls found themselves so close they were nearly touching. Catra set the instrument aside. Glimmer swallowed hard and finally found her words.

“That was beautiful,” she said.

Catra chuckled, but her eyes didn’t smile. “It’s not meant to be beautiful. It’s a warning, if anything. Did you listen to the lyrics?”

“I listened to your voice. That’s what’s beautiful to me.”

Catra shifted the hand she was leaning on so her arm was behind Glimmer, their shoulders pressing together as mismatched eyes met a lilac gaze. Glimmer felt butterflies in her stomach, but Catra, on the other hand, felt her chest tighten.

She had run into Adora earlier in the week walking through the city. They barely spoke a word, only cold greetings of each other’s names spat onto the pavement. If Adora told Glimmer about it, Glimmer hadn’t said anything. If Glimmer told Adora about any of their meetings, Catra knew she would have probably been dead within an hour of Adora finding out.

A part of Catra wanted Adora to know, anything to piss her off. Another part felt like she was getting away with something with Adora not knowing. But above it all, every part of her wanted to be near Glimmer.

She took a deep breath as Glimmer’s hand brushed her leg. “You know you’ve only known me for a month, right?” she asked. “I don’t trust people that fast, especially not when their friends want me dead.”

“Adora doesn’t want you dead.”

“Sparkles.”

“Okay maybe a little but who cares? She doesn’t even know you and I are friends.”

Catra shifted closer. “We’re friends?”

“Are we?”

Raising her eyebrows, Catra tilted Glimmer’s chin up. “It’s your call.”

Glimmer pressed her face against Catra’s and kissed her.

#glitradora #glitra #glimmadora #glimmer #adora #catra #bow #scorpia #hordak #She Ra #she ra reboot #bow she ra #spop

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obeymematches · 4 years

Note

Hi!! I saw matchups were open and 👀 I'm an ANFP (A for ambivert). Generally with friends, my personality adapts to them, but I'm talkative, energetic and pretty playful. I like to annoy them by doing petty things such as untie their shoelaces or pat their head. I'm 5'2" with long black hair and brown eyes. I love learning about everything, I'm an enthusiast for learning new things!! My most favourite thing to learn about is cultures/languages or anything in the arts department! 1/4

I'm in love with music. I love all types of it and it's my life, though pop is the genre I most appreciate. I also enjoy making my own music, and will make songs for my partner, possibly a whole album for our anniversary. I also love writing and creating stories. It's a big passion of mine. I recently took up drawing too, and I would love to draw a portrait of my partner, should they allow me to!! With my partners, I tend to be overly affectionate. I love giving them praises!! 2/4 I've been told I'm very good at flirting, so I would wholeheartedly flirt with them, even though my pickup lines are very cheesy and wholesome. I will snuggle with my partner pretty much constantly should they allow me and press kisses wherever I can. I love playing with my partner's hair and giving them the world. I'm a switch in terms of being more confident or more flustered. It goes either way. I don't usually get mad, and I'm not normally a jealous type either. 3/4 I do hate being restricted though. I have a lot of guy friends and girl friends. If I'm not allowed to hang with them, the relationship will not go well. I also don't like a partner who doesn't respect my decisions about my life or my dreams. I'm very laid back about dates or things. I don't care much about gifts or where we go, more the experience and fun we have. Thank you so much and I hope this was okay!! Love your work!! 💕4/4 Oh hecc I forgot some hobbies!! I'm a singer!! A mezzo-soprano and I love singing given the opportunity! I'm a coder that's forever interested artificial intelligence! I love the thought that I could create a thinking mind with just codes or wires. I'm a true neutral. I love food as well as cooking it too!! But I'm not greaaat at it. I'm also in love with JRPGs and anime! And kpop haha. However, I'm not necessarily revolving my life around it. I bite my nails and I hate it. Sorry and thank you!

💕 Hi! 💕

Thank you for sending in a request, and thank you for your kind words! I hope you like the result!

So I decided to match you with Asmo!

My other choice would have been Levi since anime, but I decided to stick with my first thought. Levi can be too jealous at times and he definitely wouldn’t do well in a big social circle but I’m sure you’d be best friends, or it’s up to you if that would turn into something else. Because besides that there wouldn’t be any conflicts and the two of you could be just yourselves.

Here is why:

I think he is also talkative, so the two of you would have some things to talk about at all times!

I think it would be easy to annoy him but I’m sure he can prank you back if he wants to. I mean he lived with his brothers for centuries, for sure he has some ideas when it comes to pranking someone.

He likes the fact that you like to learn, that makes you smart and thats so cute!

The fact that you are ambivert probably means that he was the one who initiated conversation at first but you were very good at keeping that conversation about whatever was the topic, so you two connected early on.

I think at some parties he met with people who studied something similar as you are interested in so because of that he might actually know a thing or two about your interests. Sure he is probably more into gossip or makeup or fashion but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t listen when a different topic comes up.

He also likes pop music the most, so you would never have any conflict concerning this! You later mention that you sing a lot, so imagine having a duet with him!!!! I mean think about that!!! You could establish a band, juts the two of you!

Or if you are not into that then he would be sure to show you off at karaoke bars! The whole club would be looking at you two!

He would definitely serendae you if thats what you want, any time, on the spot!

I think his gosspis might influence some stories that you write. I mean us humans can’t even imagine all the things that go on in the devildom.

DRAW HIM LIKE ONE OF YOUR FRENCH GIRLS-

Jokes aside he would absolutely NOT be shy about that, you could practice drawing and he would be flattered!

Oh his love language is definitely affection so theres no conflict or conversation that needs to be held because of that! Imagine all the cuddles with him!

Asmo definitely loves himself and he definitely enjoys compliments so he would really appreciate that about you! Be prepared though because he is going to return the favor tenfolds more!

He is definitely one of the better flirtes of the bunch so if you two are at it i’m not sure who would decide to stay in the room anyway

Especially early in the relationship he would cuddle you so so much, lay on top of you, snuggle you, etc! very affectionate couple!

Oh I’m not sure if he likes it when someone touches his hair but if it’s you he might make an exclusion!

It’s really handy that you are not jealous because I don’t think he will ever stop flirting even if he is in a relationship and some might consider that cheating. But it doesn’t matter because the two of you have a strong connection! He is definitely not going to be nearly as jealous as Mammon would be for example, so hopefully you’d have no conflicts.

He is one of the more open-minded demons so he will definitely not restrict you in any way. Literally any way.

Oh it’s really nice that you have many friends, he is a social butterfly so he will feel just fine in your circle!

Maybe he would suggest merging his friends group with yours to have an extra big one where all of you have fun! Idk, think about that, its up to you

Anyways house parties are always loud and crwoded when the two of you are hosts. (imagine all the food you need to prepare beforehead....and all that cleanup afterwards...oh god i feel so bad is it really a good idea to match the two of you...)

I know you said you don’t care much about gifts but for sure thats his giving love language so expect many gifts just for you! Makeup, clothes, keychains, instruments, anything that reminds him of you!

I think he would respect you being a coder, I mean that means you could code some stuff for him too, right?? honestly he adores that you are so smart to do all these!

Don’t worry about food, I think you’d go out so much or have food delivered that your cookings skills might be unnecessary.

I think the fact that you are into animes would draw Levi in your circle and honestly Asmo would not really mind that. As I said he doesn’t mind your friends as long as you can give him attention too. He might join you two sometimes before going out or something. If you catch feelings for Levi along the way he doesn’t mind that either, I mean... he is the avatar of lust.... he knows how things work.

I mean in case Asmo hurts you or something I’m sure Levi would be the first person to be there and support you through it!

I headcanon that Asmo is into kpop. I mean idols are just perfect, just like him! you could definitely talk a lot about that!

He cares so much about appearance he would definitely find a way to have your nails well-kept!

So this is a very outgoing and energetic relationship, theres always something going on. But the two of you also trust the other and both of you are open-minded so hopefully there wouldn’t be many conflicts. He would absolutely infuelnce your appearance. He is also supportive and sensitive when it comes to you so you really feel special! Your hobbies differ a bit but hey, that is just a way to explore more of what life has to offer!

#obey me #obey me!#obey me shall we date #obey me asmo #asmo obey me #om asmo #om! asmo #asmo om #obey me asmodeus #asmodeus obey me #obey me matchup #swd obey me #obey me swd

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saey-bae · 6 years

Text

Know You By Heart (Pt. 2) - Saeran/Reader

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

hellohello !! here’s part two :)

a little note here: you are not mc --mc, rika, and v are out of the picture in this series-- so i’ll be referring to you as (Y/N) (L/N), which is “your name” and “last name,“ respectively

if you’d like to be tagged for the rest of this series, make a comment of it below !!

as always, thanks for reading 💜; the rest is under the cut

It’s one of those lazy Sunday afternoons; the kind of day where time seems to move lethargically; the kind of day that casts sunny glows in living rooms and fills confined spaces with a false sense of idyllic peace.

Not in Saeyoung's bunker, though. There isn’t a single ray of sunlight that makes it past those titanium and steel walls-- the only source of light found in the room is a flickering artificial light that imitates the beauty of the sun; it's an insult to compare the natural glow to this fluorescent falsehood.

Saeran sighs, lowering his novel as he rubs at his eyes. A part of him longs to go out, to feel the warmth of the sun caress his cheeks and kiss his pale skin, but apprehension arises in his chest at the thought. Any yearning he feels dissipates entirely as he remembers the last time he went out-- while it seems like ages ago, in reality, a little more than a month has passed.

Going to a local park for a stroll was supposed to be a simple pleasure. It wasn’t supposed to go so wrong.

There had been too many people, too many noises, too much of everything. It was overwhelming, and he felt himself losing his composure when he realized didn't have any control over the situation. His chest had constricted in a way that made it hard to breathe, as if his lungs refused to accept the oxygen he drew in desperately-- it was a feeling that terrified him. It still does terrify him.

Memories of incessant chattering still linger in the recesses of his mind, as do the strange looks he had received when he covered his ears and whispered to himself under his breath. Judgmental looks that told him he was a misfit, a freak. Someone who wasn’t right in the head. He vaguely remembered how Saeyoung took him home immediately after that, and how it took an hour before that feeling left his heart, leaving him drained.

He hasn't been out since.

The sound of the bunker door opening shakes Saeran out of his reverie. He swallows hard, pushing down the memories before glancing up to see his brother conversing with someone at the door. He catches a glimpse of silvery-white hair when Saeyoung steps aside to let whomever it was in. Zen.

The young man smiles at Saeran as he crosses the threshold, though he makes no move to come closer. There are very faint remnants of grey and red make-up on his alabaster skin, as if he had rushed to get here after a production. "Hey, Saeran. How are you doing?"

Saeran shifts, straightening. His mind runs through various things he could respond with, but all that comes out is, "Fine."

"That's great." The smile never wavers, and there is a genuine sincerity in his tone that makes Saeran feel guilty for being so curt with him, but Zen doesn't seem to notice.

"Anyway..." His crimson gaze turns back to Saeyoung as he digs out crumpled paper from his pocket. Tickets? "My friend's holding a piano concert tonight at a small venue downtown. It fits about a fifty people, but only forty are confirmed to come so I thought I'd invite the RFA --in person-- on her behalf.“

"Yeah?" His brother accepts the tickets with an uncharacteristic hesitancy as he glances back at Saeran. There’s a muted worry in his golden eyes, and Saeran doesn’t doubt that he’s remembering the incident as well. "Do you want to go?"

"It'll be fun!" Zen pipes up enthusiastically, a charming and persuasive grin tugging at his lips. "She's a really talented musician."

Saeran feels an inner turmoil, a strong tug from both sides that threatens to tear him into two; a part of him is curious and wants to go the show, but the other part tells him that forty people is a big crowd.

"Saeran?"

"Yes." The word comes out before he can stop it. A deep regret resonates through him at such a hasty decision. "Let's go."

The lethargic afternoon is swallowed up by the evening far too soon, but even hours after confirming they would go, Saeran still feels a sense of regret and anxiety thread through his limbs, weighing him down. However, he also feels the need to go through with his commitment and changes his clothing accordingly, throwing on a crisp black button up and a pair of jeans half-heartedly before heading out to the garage.

Saeyoung is waiting in one of his cars, a sleek black 70s Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda. He rolls down a tinted window, watching Saeran with the same look of worry he had on earlier. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"It's fine." He climbs into the passenger's side, leaning back against the leather seat as he buckles up. “Let’s get going. It’s supposed to start at six, right?”

“Yeah.” His twin pulls out of the garage and, soon enough, he’s cracking stupid jokes while he fiddles with the radio system.

Saeran stays silent, turning his head to gaze up at the sky. Crimson red streaks, as thick and vivid as acrylic paint across a canvas, highlight the smoldering oranges and soft yellows mingling in the atmosphere above. Even through the dark tinted window, the sky looks like its on fire, alighting all of which it touches.

“Hey, Saeran?” A gentle nudge against his arm. “Ready to go?”

He turns to look at Saeyoung, then realizes that they’ve stopped moving. His eyes flicker up to the old building they’re parked near; the red bricks are weatherworn and faded, the dark grey paint on the front door chipping, and some delinquents have taken it upon themselves to decorate the side of the small building with spray paint. It looks practically abandoned. If not for the other cars parked along the sides of the street, he would have thought it was the wrong place.

He grimaces as he steps onto the street, remembering that there were supposed to be another forty people crammed inside the venue, and anxiety begins to gnaw at him.

The twins head into the concert venue, only to bump into the rest of the RFA members. Saeran greets them with a brief nod, his head lifting when he notices Zen standing off to the side as he talks animatedly with a girl in her early twenties... you. You’re wearing a casual t-shirt and jeans, a pair of headphones clamped around your neck like Saeyoung usually does-- it doesn’t look very professional.

The two of you laugh, and Zen gives you a quick peck on the cheek before noticing Saeran. The actor smiles brightly at him, and the you look up in turn. Somehow, to Saeran, your smile is even wider than Zen’s, and it’s directed at him.

And he can’t tear his eyes away from your happy look.

The silver-haired man takes the your hand and practically drags you over. “Hey, you two made it! We thought you weren’t coming.”

“We said we would.” Saeran’s voice is quiet, flat.

A silence breaks out over the group, and no one is quite sure what to say. But then,

“Thanks for coming,” you say cheerfully. Your voice doesn’t betray the fact that you’re trying to make up for an awkward moment, and Saeran appreciates it. “I’m Y/N, by the way.”

His gaze meet yours. He’s silent.

Your eyes are impossibly bright and vibrant. They look like the burning sunset outside, like they hold fire and beauty and they could set the world alight with just a glance.

Meanwhile, his brother babbles on when Saeran doesn’t respond. “I’m Saeyoung and this is Saeran. Funny, we look pretty alike but we actually met a few years back and he’s been my roommate since.”

You laugh at that, but Saeran doesn’t find it particularly amusing.

”Sorry, he’s pretty quiet, but if you give him a bowl of rocky road ice cream with peanuts, you can get him to say almost anything.” Saeyoung grins, his voice lilting playfully.

Saeran elbows his brother in the ribs so fast, no one is quite sure if it actually happened, but you just smile. “I’ll remember that.” You take Zen’s hand and give it a little squeeze before letting go. “Alright, we’ve stalled for long enough. I’ll see the lot of you inside.”

With that, you turn and leave, ducking into the large wooden doors at the end of the hallway.

“Well?” Jumin looks at the other members, his voice holding a touch of impatience. "Shall we?”

Zen’s brows knit together and he opens his mouth to retort something --probably about his tone-- but Yoosung and Jaehee beat him to it.

“I, too, would like to listen to Y/N’s playing, if you wouldn’t mind, Zen.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” the blond agrees quickly, “Let’s go.”

Saeran is still a little out of it as they file into the small room and take their seats near the front of the room, where you sit at a grand piano. The lights have been dimmed and the atmosphere seems warm, comforting, even with all these unfamiliar people around. He subconsciously relaxes, and realizes his anxiety has melted away at some point, though he doesn’t mull over that for long because you’ve started playing.

Your deft fingers shift slowly, waltzing across the black and white keys, and he loses himself in the moment.

The gentle sound of the instrument reverberates around the room and his heart swells at the indescribably tender, beautiful sound. Saeran doesn’t realize how empty he’s felt until the music fills him, wraps its arms around him in its gentle embrace.

His eyes close as he lets the lilting notes and rhythms wash over him and, for a moment, he remembers the person sitting at the piano. The person who’s weaving a plethora of notes together to create something entirely ethereal in its beauty. He remembers those bright eyes of yours, and how there was so much light in them, and he wonders if they look even brighter while performing.

However, he’s too afraid to peek at you, too afraid that this fragile, peaceful moment would fade all too soon if he looked. So he sits there, his eyes closed, picturing how your eyes would shine as you played.

“Mm...” Those eyes --the ones that had so enamoured him three years prior to now-- open slowly.

Saeran, who had pulled up a chair by your bedside some few hours ago, straightens up in his seat in an instant. When his gaze meet yours, he’s swept up in an ineffable feeling that ebbs in his chest, not unlike the first time he had seen that burning gaze of yours.

“Y/N...“

But yet... that light is no longer in your eyes when you look at him. Instead, they're dulled with a quiet confusion.

“Who are you?”

Your whisper threatens to break him.

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bearxclaws-archive-blog · 6 years

Note

We know what Anita's relationship is with Sanji, or how she feels towards him at least. What's her relationship with the rest of the crew or how does she feel about them?

🐻; anonymous

Sorry in advance if this gets a little long, but there are quite a few Straw Hats. I’m including Jinbe and Carrot into this as well, whether or not Carrot actually becomes a Straw Hat too. Meaning these will all be her feelings as of the current arc even though I haven’t quite gotten to the rest of those rambling posts yet.

LUFFY ;

She, like most of the crew, respects and adores her captain.

When they landed on her island and most of them were captures, I can guarantee you that Luffy shrugged it off at first in his usual ‘they’re stronger than they look, so they’ll be fine’ way. But when she sees the anger in his eyes knowing they might not be okay, she quickly comes to admire how protective of his friends he really is. The fact that he got them back and relented when Anita argued with him about who got to take down the Vice Admiral gave her more respect. I realize Luffy might not like that she begged at his feet for her to join, but it was only because she wanted to get stronger with them and save her friends and family that she did.

Anita is a big goof, so Luffy is one of the ones that she gets along with the best, along with Chopper and Usopp. Especially when I consider all the silly headcanons @xstrawhat and I have come up with. They argue over food and who the real alpha bear is, but I feel like Anita is totally and completely loyal to him. He’s her captain, and no one else can take that position. She owes him everything for giving her the chance to be better than she is.

They’re basically brother and sister.

ZORO ;

Zoro is her favorite drinking and work-out buddy. He’s the one that shows her tough love when she needs it. You know the kind; she’ll be moping about something or feeling sorry for herself like she does on occasion, and he’ll sass her out of her. Tell her to pick her sorry ass up and do something about it rather than being a baby. At least he does when he knows it’s appropriate. There are some moments when he knows it isn’t going to help because he isn’t totally heartless. He does care for his crew, and that includes her. So when she’s having those really bad days and being verbally slapped doesn’t work, he’ll sit there with her and share a drink.

He’s also the one that helps her bulk up the most. The strength she gains in her human form does translate to her bear form, so he’s the one she goes to when she wants an intense workout and wants to get beefy like him.

Okay, maybe not exactly like him ‘caus the boy is ripped, but she’s pretty muscular.

Zoro is also a good nap partner, especially when she’s in her bear form. The two nap together often.

NAMI ;

Anita was intimidated by her at first, honestly. She was sexy, smart and damn good with that Clima-tact— still is! But she’s gotten over that and come to highly respect Nami’s intuition and ability to sense the weather. As a bear, she can sense some things and she does have a good sense of direction on her own, but Nami’s skills are far beyond that and totally worth admiring.

Plus, she’s the reason why Anita’s wardrobe is so different in her Straw Hat verse. I know that doesn’t seem like a significant thing, but it is. In her Main Verse, she’s all dark and earthy colors and baggy clothes. Nami likely wouldn’t allow that and help her find things that still fit her style but aren’t so dirty looking. Grunge is still her style more than anything else, but a little blue and white and other nicer colors start to slip in. Anita starts to feel a little more confident in her looks because another pretty woman is showing and telling her that she’s actually kind of pretty and not a dirtball.

She’s also nice to snuggle. Can’t tell me for one second the girls don’t just get into a sleepy cuddle puddle sometimes and end up drooling on each other.

USOPP ;

Because Usopp is the most chill in her opinion, Usopp is probably the closest thing she has to a best friend. She loves the rest of the crew with all of her heart, she really does, but there’s just something about Usopp that makes her want to go to him first if she has a problem. . . especially if that problem happens to be Sanji.

He can be quiet and understanding one minute, then playful and goofy the next. He has such a vast personality that she feels like she can count on him for just about anything. And she kind of hopes she’s been giving him the impression that he can count on her because she’s not so selfish that she doesn’t want to be there for her friends. Especially since the two of them likely have the lowest self-esteem on the ship, next to their cook ( but that’s just my personal headcanon since I write him too. )

I’ve said this a billion times too, but SHE LOVES TO LISTEN TO HIS STORIES! Doesn’t matter if it’s a new or old one, she still sit from start to finish and ask for another one every single time. Doesn’t matter if they’re made up, either. Each story is different in its own way and she adores that he’s so creative. It’s the same with his art too. She isn’t the least bit artistic, so she can easily praise everything he does because he has a talent she doesn’t and loves it.

SANJI ;

…..MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

CHOPPER ;

Chopper is the baby of the family, so Anita is very quick to defend and protect him. When she knows there isn’t any way for her to distract or tank the way she’s meant to, her job is then to protect Nami, Chopper and Usopp. She doesn’t think they’re weak in any way because even at the circus on her home island, the smallest part ( whether it be in an act or something technical ) was important, but she knows that they aren’t as strong as the Monster Trio.

But she’s one of the one that frustrates Chopper the most when it comes to people sitting still during recovery. Sitting still makes her antsy, so she ends up getting up anyway. She won’t work out or remove her bandages like Zoro does, but she does walk around or attempt to sneak food from the kitchen.

I can see them training together, though, animal versus animal. Nothing that will get either of them too hurt, of course. But there’s something drastically different about how two animals fight that helps them with their different zoan forms.

Also threatens to eat him from time to time because she’s a shit. Sorry, Chopper.

ROBIN ;

I feel like Robin would be the one Anita interacts with the least because even after all this time, she’s still intimidating. Robin just exudes this alpha female aura in Anita’s opinion, and she’s way too smart. Because she is a ‘all brawn and no brain’ cliche, Anita feels like she can’t talk to their archaeologist casually without it turning into a lecture or a history lessons that she won’t remember. That, and she can’t read. She’ll have tried to avoid them knowing as long as she possibly could, but it’ll be obvious once she’s been around them for a while.

She didn’t feel much when Robin said she was going to leave, but she does relate to her a little knowing Marines destroyed her home. Parts of her want to get closer to Robin because she is amazing and powerful, but Anita assumes too dumb for that.

I would kill for some Robin and Anita interactions because I want to see if any of this would change with interaction. ‘Cause I’m not the least bit good at understanding Robin ;;

FRANKY ;

RO-BRO!!

Okay, listen. She is 100% into the super pose and does it every given chance, and it brings Franky to tears. She sees him as the dad of the crew and has more love for fatherly figures than she does motherly because hers was awful. Might be another reason why she’s not sure about Robin. . . Huh.

Anyway! She appreciates all of his hard work and is is genuinely impressed and amazed at the things he creates. I realize there’s the running gag that females aren’t impressed with his creations and have that flat look on their face, but?? Honestly, she would get sparkling eyes and wheeze over it. Might not freak out the same way they do, but she adores his creativity and talent in working with machines and building Sunny.

Sometimes, if she’s bored and has literally nothing else to do, she’ll ask if she can watch him work for a bit. The sounds his work are sort of comforting. Reminds her if Gus and his tinkering back home.

BROOK ;

Brook is her source of jokes, bad puns and nostalgia. Because he can play several instruments and is skilled at different kinds of music, I feel like he would know how to play songs that have a carnival or circus tone to them. Her home-sickness can get pretty bad sometimes, as well as her doubt over whether or not she’ll be able to beat the Marine that took over. Brook will be there with a song and soft, calming words and she’ll be fairly alright.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about him at first, but she’s watched him go from a creepy, talking skeleton from an afro to a still creepy, talking skeleton with an afro that can use a swords pretty damn well and do cool things with his soul.

Probably the biggest fan of Soul King’s music on the crew. None of them really seemed to notice he had a whole career during the two years ;; I mean, they noticed, but do none of them like the music he made during that time? Or is it just an ‘off-screen’ thing. Anita will listen to his music religiously because it’s right up her alley.

JINBE ;

Doesn’t know much about him aside from what she’s told and having met him at Fishman Island. She has no bias against Fishman so she doesn’t dislike him, but she’ll have to get used to how serious he is. Will make every attempt to make him crack a smile and likely fail every time. She’ll be a little surprised when she finds out he’s their helmsman because she thought he already had a crew. Slightest bit conflicted about him leaving his crew to join them, but doesn’t ask questions because Luffy agrees with it.

CARROT ;

Anita’s not a Mink, but I feel like her and Carrot would get along so well. Ahha, actually. . . Now that I’m thinking about it, she’ll probably dislike her a little at first because she hardly knew Sanji and snuck in to save him anyway and did more than she could, while she was being upset and petty over him leaving. Yeah, there might be a little tension there until Anita realizes that they lost someone during that whole mess.

Carrot is cute, and seeing her even slightly upset when they mention Pedro died will kill her inside. They can kind of share the ‘I lost my mentor / a man I admired a lot’ feelings. Plus, I can see them hard-core training together and going all out.

OVERALL ;

She loves them. They’re her nakama. She would do damn near anything for them. She’s as greedy as Luffy, determined to be strong like Zoro, appreciates food like Sanji, likes to have fun like Usopp, Chopper and Franky, can be calm and collected like Robin and Brook. I didn’t really think she’d have a place with them until Rachel said Luffy would want her aboard, so I really owe this verse to her and a few other people that encouraged me.

Thanks for asking!! And sorry it’s so long ahhhaa

#🐻;「 another face in the crowd ( anonymous ) 」#🐻;「 still learning and growing ( headcanon ) 」#🐻;「 v. they remind me of home ( strawhat ) 」

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chelsdavisart · 6 years

Text

Enderal Character Ask + Expression Practice

Drawing Mom and thinking about what a full-blooded Arazalean person might look like led to me trying to figure out what a half Arazalean person might look like... so I put some more work into Wren’s design. Had lots of fun. Enderal Character Ask – Fill it out yourself or reblog as is to use as an ask meme.

Have fun! <3

—————————————

1. The basics – name, age, etc… Wren Peakdasher, age 27, she/her. The last name she chose to replace one she hated.

2. Describe their appearance. Half Arazalean, 5’6” tall, athletic build; dark, eternally messy hair. Gray-ish blue-ish eyes. She bears her mother’s sharp features (dulled by her Nehrimese blood) and her father’s coloration. She has ample arms and hips; minimal chest.

(Blank survey here; the rest of my answers are under the cut.)

3. How do they like to dress? Wren dresses for comfort and practicality. She doesn't like to wear garments which restrict her movement. She’d be really into sweaters. She likes pretty things, but wearing them is rare.

4. Do they have any markings (scars, tattoos, birthmarks)? Wren has an old, blurry tattoo on the inside of her left wrist- the crest of her owner.

5. What are they like?: Neutral good. Wren is extremely reserved around most people. She /hates/ crowds. She will often flinch at unexpected touch. When she is angry, she becomes quiet and cold. Please don’t yell at her. Loves the outdoors- absolutely would sleep in the woods every night if the local wildlife in Enderal wasn’t going crazy. She’s stubborn. She can forget that she needs to take care of herself- she’s inclined to get the job done without rest. When someone has stuck around her long enough, or takes the shortcut of showing intentional interest in her thoughts, Comfortable Wren™ is unlocked. She laughs! She jokes! She offers pretty things! She protects, trusts, and forgives!

6. How would they describe themselves? Who’s asking?

7. Education level? She has a street education. She can read and do basic maths. She likes ideas. It’s very important to her that each person be able to hold their own ideas- and that those should not be controlled by another person. One of her strengths is a high level of emotional intelligence. She is good at reading and understanding people. Motivation is very important to her.

8. What are they proud of in themselves? What are they embarrassed about? Wren’s very good at running and she’s pretty proud of that. She’s good at survival, as well. She’s embarrassed of how she pushes herself too far. Mostly because it means admitting to other people that she has limits, but also because it means she has to recover, which takes longer than just resting in the first place.

9. Do they know any languages other than Inal? She learned some sign language as part of one of her odd jobs for the Creator’s Temple, some more for communicating silently with Sirius. She knows mostly very polite and very rude signs.

10. What, if any, aspects of their mother’s culture influenced them growing up? Her lullabies were the ones her mother learned on the Steppes of Arazeal. She still hums them when she’s nervous or comforting others. A very simplified version of her mother’s philosophy sank in. “People should be able to decide for themselves what they believe.”

11. Name a song (or a few) that remind you of them. ...I have an enormous playlist for her. Of note… Big Houses by Squalloscope Open by Regina Spektor Run Boy Run by Woodkid Twenty Seven by MS MR Blindness by Metric Rabbit Heart by Florence + The Machine

12. Speaking of songs, can they sing? What is their voice like? How about instruments? She hums to herself and she doesn’t sing around other people unless they’re very safe. Not sure how it sounds.

13. What was their life like before coming to Enderal? Wren’s family burned when she was quite young. She survived on her own for a couple of months, but was scooped up by slavers. She was given her master’s surname, Guthran. She does not remember her father’s name and doesn’t care to. She was an absolute terror of a child after being enslaved. She still has a foul mouth and a defiant streak. Wren hunted rats in warehouses as a child and, when old enough to go out, graduated to hunting game for her master’s table. The sense of freedom this job gave her was vital. She was able to keep herself happy that way.

14. How did they decide to leave Nehrim? During the revolt, Wren was obliged to protect her master. She thought she was going to die, but she didn't. She decided then that if she got a chance to get out, she’d take it. That chance came two years later.

15. Describe their relationship with Sirius. They became friends when they hunted rats together in the warehouses. They helped each other stay alive in the hard times, celebrate the good times, and cope with the weird times.

16. Who do they blame for what happened to their family? The Lightborn, indirectly. Directly, the men she saw that day.

17. Apart from stowing away, have they ever broken the law? She’s an escaped slave, for one. Other than that… yeah, probably. But only the dumb laws.

18. How honest are they? Under what circumstances would they lie? She is honest when that is needed and dishonest when that is needed. There are a lot of things more important than the correct answer to “which way did they go?”

19. Worst memory(s)? Best memory(s)? Worst memory, aside from her family burning: her entire adolescence. Good lord. Best memory: recently drew this one. Making daisy chains with her mother one afternoon, listening to stories of Arazeal and talking about how they’d go back together.

20. Fight, or flight? FLIGHT

21. Describe their combat style. Sneaky pew pew

22. Have they ever killed before? What is their reaction to combat? Wren has killed before and she hates it. That’s why she prefers ranged- it’s less of a sickeningly tactile engagement with her prey.

23. How do they react to having magical abilities? Do they use them? “Well shit, that’s weird. Oh gods why does it hurt?” She does not like using magic. She avoids the school of restoration entirely- gives her a headache.

24. What do they think of Enderal? It’s gorgeous. She wants to explore /all of it./ She heard a rumor that there might be an actual real dragon somewhere and she is SO EXCITED. She was delighted to learn that there technically is no slavery here. Well. There’s nothing that is /called/ “slavery” here. Let’s be honest with ourselves- there are slaves. Wren is severely disappointed to find that crucifixion is practiced here. Crosses freak her out and she does not like that she keeps running into them.

25. Did they do the Biggest Egg Hunt Ever quest? HECK YES SHE DID. IT WAS AMAZING.

26. How do they feel about joining the Order? What do they think of Arantheal? That was very “no.” She did not like joining The Order. She does not want to represent the damn Lightborn. She thought she didn’t have a choice, but then Jespar got to stay without doing the quest? Rude? Tealor Arantheal is a big, old guy who thinks he knows what’s best for everyone and he’s got a lot of pride in his bones. He was nice enough at first, but he just kept getting worse. He does not have the same values as Wren- not even in the same neighborhood- and she does not like him at all.

27. What is their opinion of the gods (or lack thereof)? “The gods” watched as horror after horror took place in her home. “The gods” watched as the men from the so-called temple burned her family while she hid. They did nothing to stop it- not even for sister. These “gods” allowed her to be enslaved and they laughed at her every hardship. If they were gods, if they were even real- good riddance to them. The world could use a few less “gods” like that. This is an opinion she keeps to herself.

28. Wine, or pipe? Pipe. She started while friends with Sirius; uses it as a kind of escape.

29. Do they spare or arrest Hallys, the farmer-turned-bandit in the quest, Deus Ex Machina? Why? She freed Hallys and returned the money to the food bank. He made a stupid choice. That doesn’t mean his family deserves to starve.

30. What are their feelings and opinions about the Undercity? Wren belongs in the Undercity. If she didn’t have this Prophet shit going on, she’d have been immediately shuffled down there with the rest of the people Ark doesn’t care about. Wren is very angry about the Undercity. If she ever actually gets in a fight with Arantheal, it will be over the Undercity and its people.

31. How do they react to the beggars of Ark? Wren stops to give them a coin if she has some. She might not have much, but that little bit could mean a great deal to them. She doesn’t need a lot, anyway.

32. Where and how do they spend their time when in Ark? Wren wanders a lot when in the city. She likes to find the quiet places.

33. What would they do with three wishes? Not be the prophet. Save the world somehow while not being the prophet. Turn Arantheal’s stupid beard green.

34. How do they feel about death? Do they fear it? She has a working relationship with death. There have been some very uncertain times in her life. She doesn’t fear death as much as she fears pain.

35. What (else) do they fear? Pain for herself and for those she cares about. Loneliness. Her dreams.

36. Do they have any secrets? Several! For example, she hides her tattoo under her gloves. She does not utter that horrid name. She does not admit to anyone that she is anything other than free.

37. How is their behavior around people they like? People they dislike? Warm, and cold. She becomes more physically affectionate toward people she's comfortable with. Hugs and such. She is extremely withdrawn from those she dislikes and she doesn't care to hide it.

38. What is their relationship with the companions? Who, if anyone, did your prophet romance? Calia quickly takes on a “younger sister” role in Wren’s life. Wren loves Calia dearly and would change the stars if she could to make her happy. They have different beliefs, but similar values. Wren respects the heck out of Calia and will fight anyone who tries to get in the girl’s way. Wren’s relationship with Jespar is better described as a “bromance.” Good times, challenging each other to be better, late night conversations about life- that kind of thing. They have different values at times, but are able to talk about those differences. They come to respect each other. Wren is very fond of him, but is unlikely to understand this as attraction without someone else’s help (Wren is on the asexuality spectrum). So- if he brings it up, maybe they will get together. If not, she’ll still be happy. Hopefully, he will be happy, too.

39. Was there any non-companion character that they were close to? That they particularly disliked? Lishari- Wren formed a quick friendship with her. They had a lot in common and Wren felt she could trust her. Firespark- Wren didn’t know she needed a sassy uncle, but she really did, and she treasured every insult. He gave a shit about her when others would have sent her straight to the Undercity and she’s grateful. Archmagister Merrayil- He is very patient with Wren’s frequent questions and, though he is a very busy person, he always takes time to chat. Magistra Yaela- honestly, what a joy of a person. There’s just something special about people who talk about their field with passion. Kurmai- Wren really liked Kurmai. They bonded over eggs. It was good. Why, dude, why?

40. How do they feel about myrads? YES. VERY YES. Wren’s favorite myrad is the angel who nests in South Ark. She goes to talk to this myrad when she is sad or can’t sleep.

41. What dreams or ambitions did they have before coming to Enderal? What about afterwards? Survival, honestly, is pretty near the top for all of this. But also- she just wants to make things a little less shitty for other people if she can. She couldn’t help before. Maybe she can now.

42. Do they like cities? Or do they prefer the country? Is there a region of Enderal that they like or dislike more than the others? NO to cities. Wren absolutely loves the Goldenforst. It’s so beautiful. She’s built a hunting cabin there. It’s so great. She would live there all the time if she could.

43. What do they do to lower their considerable stress? Enjoy a pipe, escape to the outdoors, watch the stars, look at flowers… that kind of thing.

44. Describe their perfect day off. See the previous question. Honestly, she wishes she had more time to explore.

45. List three of their favorite things. Three things they hate? She loves flowers. Her other favorite things fluctuate, but flowers will always make her happy. The things she hates are concepts more than things, but… Arantheal's stupid beard makes the list.

46. What’s in their pockets? A few pennies, a wrapped lump of wax, something to tie her hair back, the crumbs of many flower petals.

47. Pets? Mounts? Treasured possessions? Wren loves that myrad so much. So much. She treasures every gift that's been given to her and has stashed all of them away safely.

48. How are their cooking skills? She's very good with stews. Mostly foods you'd cook while camping.

49. Do you consider any particular quest or side quest to be definitive for your prophet? Which one(s) and why? The artist quest, with the witch and the witch hunter, was troubling for Wren. She would have heard about the witch hunter's murders in Arazeal from her mother a cautionary tale. “Don't trust people too quickly.” She hesitates too much, eventually looking away as the witch hunter dies. She makes sure the witch stops her practice, then walks back to Ark. Not a good day.

50. How forgiving are they? For example, if they were yelled at in a brothel after searching high and low for this little sh*t, how would they react? With that particular little shit, in that particular situation, she's very forgiving. She knew he was in pain. She thought he was gone for good when he left. They were fine as soon as he showed up. She was just grateful for his safety. With those who are not her safe people, she's not as easy to forgive.

51. What do they think of the Veiled Woman? Some fear, some anger- all overwhelmed by gratitude and respect. She has a lot more caution for the Veiled Woman than for the High Ones. The fear is because Wren can't understand what her motivations might be. How could she spend so much time explaining the nature of time and space without wanting something in return?

52. If they had been a victim of one of the black stones, how would it have affected them? What would they have used its power to accomplish? This would have resulted in a lot of dead nobles, if we're being honest with ourselves. She would have tried to solve the problem of the Undercity somehow.

53. What was their reaction to the Black Guardian’s revelations? Do they accept or reject his offer? Wren had been having doubts about her nature since the Living Temple. She believed the Black Guardian. It just made sense. She knew what needed to be done, though… She decided against the idea to let humanity be harvested. But then she tried to help the Guardian and *that* was a mistake.

54. How does their story end? Humanity does not need to change. To choose to remake humans without pride, without sin… Wren feels this would remove something essential from humanity. Humans are awful and good and flawed and beautiful and that's perfect. Wren needs to trust that people can solve this problem. Now that they know the game, she is sure they can win. Humans don't need to change- the high ones need to die. Wren knocks the stones out of place by using her bow like a baseball bat.

55. Do they change over the course of the story? In what ways? She becomes more confident and less afraid.

56. Anything else you’d like to share about them? When Wren is very tired, her Ostian accent gets very strong, even to the point of becoming unintelligible. Home for her is not in places. She feels at home with her safe people.

57. Bonus: For you- what are you most excited for in Forgotten Stories? I'm very excited to learn more about the Veiled Woman. Getting more insight into the Rhalatta will also be really cool…. And new companion? Agh, I'm excited for everything.

#Enderal character ask #enderal #Wren Peakdasher #character ask #sketch #expression #character design

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thesinglesjukebox · 6 years

Video

youtube

EMINEM FT. BEYONCÉ - WALK ON WATER [2.40] This is the lowest score Beyoncé has ever received from us... wonder how that happened...

Rachel Bowles: The combination of crackling sound effects and Eminem spitting out expletives under his breath have the effect of sounding like he's doing some tricky home improvement and keeps catching his thumb with a hammer or fucking up the wallpaper. There's probably some interesting meditation on celebrity worship in this indulgent navel gazing somewhere, but it's hidden pretty well by uninspired piano and poor lyrics. Is there really room in 2017 for "spazzing the fuck out"? One would hope not. Though Beyoncé is generously, softly serenading us, "I'm only human just like you" like a lullaby about a universe where we're on Bey's Goddess level. The closing "Bitch, I wrote Stan" is hilarious for all the wrong reasons. Ultimately, this song genuinely makes me lol. [3]

Ian Mathers: In honour of dril getting doxxed, let's just say this feels a lot like Em screaming "I'm not owned! I'm not owned!" as he shrinks into a rapper who isn't fun to listen to at all. (To those questioning whether that was ever not the case: I feel you.) No idea what Beyoncé is doing here but 1. she would fit in fine on a much better song 2. she can't save the rest of this one. Plus one for her but minus one for that ending. [2]

Will Adams: "Bitch, I wrote 'Stan,'" he spits at the end, as if the pen-to-paper sound effects weren't trying to make sure we knew through the whole song. "Stan" this is not, and it doesn't help that Eminem manages a few moving moments about doubting oneself's creativity only to drop "retarded" two breaths later. His tea's gone cold, I wonder why. [2]

Alfred Soto: A grim, hectoring track delivered with relative precision doesn't change the fact that I don't want this grim, hectoring rapper blowing onion breath in my face. Skylar Grey's regressive hook assumes Beyoncé has done nothing quietly revolutionary in the last four years. [4]

Will Rivitz: Rule number one of making good hip-hop: don't emulate Watsky. Rule number two of making good hip-hop: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T EMULATE WATSKY. Rule number three of making good hip-hop: if your song's instrumental component sounds like it could accompany a B-tier Adele song, you're probably doing something wrong. Rule number four of making good hip-hop: try to get Beyoncé on your hook. Rule number five of making good hip-hop: don't waste Beyoncé on your hook. "Walk On Water" follows exactly one of these five rules, so I think the proportional rating bestowed here is appropriate. [2]

Leonel Manzanares: Inexplicable but always welcome Queen Bey feature aside, this feels like the hip-hop equivalent of "I used to be with it, but then they changed what it was. Now what I am with isn't it and what is it seems weird and scary to me. It'll happen to you!" [4]

Joshua Copperman: One of the top comments on the YouTube video reads "just compare this lyrical masterpiece with 'the ting goes skkkrrraah, pap pap ka-ka-ka.'" If it is true that Migos>Beatles, then clearly Beatles : Migos :: Eminem : Big Shaq. [4]

Claire Biddles: Yikes, where to start -- The none-more-earnest paper-ripping sound effects? The use of not one but two ableist slurs? The 17 hour 43 minute length? Is Marsh writing his own off-Broadway jukebox musical, and is this a third act segue? Almost unprecedentedly bad. [1]

Thomas Inskeep: This death march is so dire that not even Queen B can liven it up. (And what's she doing here, anyway? She is so far above playing hook singer for 2000's great white hope.) Like he has on every record he's made in the past decade, Eminem sounds angry, out of breath, and most importantly out of ideas. I mean, say what you want about his politics, but at least Kid Rock still has a sense of fun about himself. Em is the audio version of a scowl. [0]

Scott Mildenhall: Well, it wouldn't be Eminem if he didn't kick off with a joke single, would it? If that's not him audibly attempting to rewrite the bizarre chorus at the same time as Beyoncé sings it, it should be; otherwise, it must surely be the penning of an angry letter to the producers for having left early. Some very talented and successful musicians have worked on this, and on one level, credit to them: it comfortably meets its apparent ambitions in reaffirming that none of them are above it. [2]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

#Eminem #Beyoncé

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aliceslantern · 6 years

Text

Nocturnal Memory, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 18

[Summary: Dying takes a lot out of you, it's true, but when Demyx wakes up for the first time since his fight with Sora nothing's right. His memories are fragmented and he's missing his true name. And he's not the only one. An incomprehensible mystery and an inevitable war make him question what, exactly, he would do to become whole, and reclaim the music lost to him.

on FF.net/on AO3]

Within a few hours Demyx was well enough to return to the castle. Lea offered to take him; he looked even more gaunt and tired than ever.

"So it looks like our little friend got you," he said. He had a small pouch in his hand, which he tossed up and down in an uncomfortably regular way.

Would Lea believe him? Or gaslight him as well? "I don't think it was a Heartless."

Lea scoffed. "Then what was it?"

Demyx crossed his arms. The wind blowing through the streets was cold. "I think it was one of the vessels."

Lea stopped tossing the pouch. His face remained blank. "Why do you say that?"

"I saw the coat. I'd recognize it anywhere."

The tossing resumed. "How can you be sure?"

"I don't buy the hallucination thing." He shook his head. The sky was still crowded with rainclouds. "It… they… looked at my eyes. I think they were checking for damage."

Lea shook his head. His smile seemed forced. "Then what about the puncture wound on your side? Can't make that up. I saw it. It was pretty gross."

"The figure probably poisoned me when they left."

Lea put a hand on Demyx's shoulder. "No big baddie came to get you, I promise. Yuffie said she saw the Heartless. If you're so worried, go talk to her."

He was starting to get dizzy. "Lea. Tell me you believe me."

"I believe you're going to be fine. Look. Here we are. Home sweet home."

The castle stared at them. "You're not going to come in?" Demyx asked.

"Nah. I'd love to mingle, but I've got too much to do." He was already leaving.

"Lea," Demyx said. He turned. "Please take care of yourself."

He waved. "Pot calling the kettle black." He disappeared into a dark corridor.

Ienzo was on him as soon as he was within his line of sight near the kitchen. "Oh, thank goodness. How are you feeling?" He grabbed Demyx's wrist and felt for a pulse. "Your color's still off… you didn't come alone, did you?"

"No—Lea walked me—"

Ienzo corralled him into a chair. "Let me see the wound. Where is it?"

"It was on my side—Aerith healed me—" Ienzo poked at Demyx's sides until he found the sore spot. "Ow—stop touching me."

He relented. "As much as I want to have faith in her abilities, I need to see it for my own eyes."

Demyx crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm fine."

"Nine." His eyes had gone dark. "Let me see it."

"If I do will you leave me alone?"

Ienzo exhaled, and nodded. He pulled up his shirt and undershirt just enough and let Ienzo prod him while slowly simmering in the exasperation. "No scar. No bruising."

"I said I was fine." He yanked down his shirt. Too many people had seen him exposed for his comfort.

"Any pain? Any discomfort?"

"I'm just kind of sore and headachy." He looked down.

"Not much can be done about that, I'm afraid." Ienzo sat down across from him.

Demyx was tempted to tell him everything. But he figured—given Ienzo's cold reaction when he'd told him about the reformation—that he'd hear the same thing he'd heard from Lea. "…Is there anything left in the cupboards? I'm starving."

Ienzo smiled. "Of course. I can fix us something."

"Well, I'm not helpless—" But before he could even move Ienzo was up.

It took him a few days to recover completely from the poison. The dry season had officially begun, and Demyx could feel it. The air was sharper and warmer, and his head felt fuzzy. His sense of water was vaguely muted, like hearing sound from another room. He headed to town, mostly to drop in on the committee and see what was going on. Leaflets had been posted on nearly every surface, showing that water rationing had begun, and the steps to follow. Water could only be used during a certain time frame. Everyone was advised to stay out of the heat, especially as the summer deepened.

He followed the trail of flyers and found Yuffie putting them up in the marketplace. "Must be a fun job," he said lamely.

She rolled her eyes. "Good to see you finally off your ass."

He wondered if that were some poor attempt at a joke. "I was just going to see what was up."

She shrugged. "Not a whole lot. There's still more work to be done on the vital systems, but there's not so much time crunch now that the rain's over." She walked down another few feet to post another sign.

"…Oh." He followed her. "Listen… thanks for helping me out."

She smirked. "Say it. "For saving my life.""

He exhaled. ""For saving my life.""

"Yeah, yeah. It's my job." She continued to post signs and he trailed her. "I'm done gloating. Is there something else you need?"

Here, in the shade between buildings, it was a little cooler. "Well… I just wanted to ask something. Lea said you saw the Heartless that hurt me."

She turned to face him for the first time. "I mean I think I did. It was raining hard and I saw a shadow and smelled darkness. If that's not a Heartless, I don't know what is. Why?"

"Well, I thought…" there was no point in telling her. "No reason."

She raised an eyebrow. "I know it was weird between us, but I wouldn't actually hurt you."

"I… I know."

A shopkeeper came out of the shop that Yuffie had been putting flyers on and struck up a conversation. Demyx began to walk away. What if he really had made it up? What if he'd just—?

"Hey!" Yuffie shouted across the square at him. She darted over to him. "I just got a message. Merlin's back. You should come meet him."

"Who?" He gave her a look.

"Merlin? The guy whose house we're always in?" She put her hands on her hips. "The reason why there's magic stuff everywhere?"

"I thought… I thought Cid lived there."

"No! Cid lives in a dump near me. Come on. We're gonna be late!"

She moved so fast by that by the time they got there, he was breathless. The door hadn't even shut behind them before Yuffie was yelling. "Merlin! Where've you been, you old coot?"

"Yes, well, I've—let me put my bag down first. In due time." Merlin was very old, with a long white beard and powder-blue robes. Demyx put two and two together. He'd known, once, that a wizard worked with the committee, but had never caught his name before. Aerith, Cid, and Leon all crowded him as well, peppering him with questions. Leon's low, measured voice clashed with Yuffie's brash one and Cid's chuckling. He wasn't sure what to do with himself.

Merlin stepped slightly away, and caught sight of him. "Oh, yes, I remember you." He adjusted his glasses. "Lea's told me quite a lot in our travels."

"You know Lea?" Demyx asked.

"Know him? Why, I helped him get that Keyblade of his. Who else knows temporal magic these days?" He reached into the bag at his feet and started to pull out books and various objects from long-term travel—pots and pans from camping, clothing, empty potion and ether bottles. Demyx didn't know how he fit it all in that one small bag.

"…You've lost me," he said.

"Well, of course the Keyblade chooses its wielder, but one can sort of… manipulate the circumstances, and train the student. All of this takes a very, very long time and we didn't have a very, very long time. I created a pocket where time flowed more slowly. It was beautiful work, if I do say so myself." Merlin looked at the table in the center of the room. "Did you move everything?" He asked the rest of the committee.

"You said make yourselves at home," Cid said.

"Yes, well, I thought—bother—" He pulled out a long bone wand and waved it. Tables, chairs, books, and magical instruments floated from respective spots in the room. Dust rose off of everything and vanished. The stacks of committee reports on the table lifted, organized themselves, and fell into neat piles next to the computer. "Much better."

"Pretty neat," Yuffie remarked to Demyx.

He'd seen all sorts of magic in his life; the Organization's elemental powers, black magic, white magic. This was different. It seemed less plausible.

"You shouldn't leave all this out in the open, you know," Merlin said to Leon, gesturing to the reports. "You never know whose hands it might fall into."

"It's all data from the castle's computer. There's no way else to store it. It's not as if he doesn't know."

They bickered softly for a moment. Demyx noticed a small blue butterfly, glowing softly in a small jar, on a table nearby. It fluttered its wings weakly.

"The last remnants from one of the worlds I visited," Merlin explained to him. "It was all I could save aside from myself. See the withering on its wings?" He pointed to grayish tinge on the butterfly. "If I let it out of its jar, the temporal stasis will break, and the darkness will consume it."

"You must know a lot about time," Demyx said. He couldn't take his eyes off of the bug.

"Not enough, I'm afraid." He shook his head. "I should like to speak with you, and with your friends."

"My… friends…" It took him a moment to realize Merlin meant Ienzo and the others.

"I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to help your conditions," he said. He offered a kindly smile. "If it can be fixed, it'll help all of us, don't you think?"

Demyx didn't see how a time specialist could save them, but Merlin's magic was something new. He knew he shouldn't let himself hope, but a small ember burned anyway. "Uh, sure."

"We'll call a meeting as soon as possible," Leon said.

"Perhaps not right now," Merlin said. He stretched. "I've been traveling such a long time. One can't simply just jump dimensions when one gets older." He laughed wryly. "Quite bad for my arthritis."

"I've already got some remedy with your name on it," Aerith said.

"Oh, you're too kind, my dear, too kind."

"So, tomorrow morning, then," Leon said.

Demyx tried to imagine being old enough to get arthritis. Or gray hair. He couldn't imagine even being an adult. He didn't think he'd get a chance. "I should head back… tell the others," he said. None of them were really paying attention; they were too busy talking. He slipped out the door.

That night it was only he and Aeleus at the dinner table, picking over bland soup. Aeleus's arm had, in the past few weeks, regrown all of its bones, but he was still in rigorous physical therapy to get the coordination back, and Demyx could tell from the way he held himself that it still hurt.

"…You ever think about being old?" Demyx asked him.

Aeleus shrugged.

"Like, real old. Old enough to have gray hair. Or, like, grandkids." He didn't even want to think about that.

"Why do you ask?"

"Merlin the wizard returned. He… it's dumb, but he said he might be able to help us. I didn't imagine surviving much longer." He stirred his soup weakly. "Is it dumb to hope? He's… he's pretty powerful…"

Aeleus's expression was smooth.

"It probably is dumb," he conceded.

"Hope is never dumb," Aeleus said.

"I can't imagine myself grown up," Demyx said.

"You are grown."

"You know what I mean. Older. Like thirty. What would that be like? Would I work somewhere? Would I… be with someone? What would I do?" The more he spoke, the dumber he felt, but the thoughts expanded from their repressed spot.

"Will you stay here? If you are healed?" Aeleus asked.

"I don't know. What if it turns out that I have family somewhere?" He remembered that hot flash of memory, his mother still in her bed, as though asleep… Something in him tightened. "I'd have no way to get there."

Aeleus nodded solemnly. He was trying to eat with his weak hand, and the spoon trembled in his grip.

"What about you?" He asked. "What is here for you?"

"Dilan, Even, and Ienzo."

"Right. You knew them for a lot longer than I did."

Aeleus nodded. "This is our home."

"Dilan didn't agree. The last time I talked with him, he said that everything that made this place home was gone."

"I can see how he'd think that."

Demyx waited for him to elaborate. "…What did he lose?" he asked.

"His sister and his partner died in the fall."

"…Oh. That's awful." A long moment of silence. They picked at their meals. "Are you going to fight?"

"If the rest of you do, I will protect you."

"I'm so scared," he admitted.

Aeleus nodded.

"You're so naive."

Dilan's voice put his heart through his chest. He almost choked on his mouthful of soup.

"I expect this from him. But you, too, Aeleus?" He crossed into the room and opened a cabinet.

Aeleus said nothing. He kept trying to eat.

"You'll all be killed. I'm trying to save you."

"As am I," Aeleus said. "If this continues then we will have no home or lives to speak of."

Dilan shook his head.

"Where do you recommend we go?" Aeleus asked. "To the other worlds we destroyed?"

Dilan scoffed and strode from the room.

"I can't understand him," Demyx said.

Aeleus shrugged.

He stood up and pushed his bowl towards Aeleus. "I'm not hungry anymore. You can have it."

#nocturnal memory #demyx #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts 3d #fanfiction #that awkward moment when I forgot merlin existed for like 3 months

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dreamingofravens · 7 years

Text

8/28/2017

More stuff from Entwined verse, starring Tybalt, Aloisa, and Parisa.

Tybalt hadn’t care much at first. It was more of a nuisance than anything pressing that he should put his immediate actions towards to prevent. Then Aloisa started getting annoying. When he woke up with a thin silver chain around his ankle he knew that this had to be the end of the line. Mainly because silver was not his color. He shot Aloisa a look. She was standing back a couple feet, grinning at him. The other end of the chain was in her hand.

“You know… This isn’t fantastic.” There was the sound of something cracking and crashing to the ground somewhere off behind Aloisa and she waved a hand at Tybalt’s suspicious look.

“Nonsense. This is the opposite of not fantastic! In fact, it’s right up there past fantastic. Now, get up would you? You’re so lazy! Sleeping in all day makes you an easy target.” Aloisa tugged on the chain and Tybalt vaguely heard it chime with the movement. Must have been enchanted with something. There’s no way Aloisa would slap any old chain on him. Tybalt knew that. That aside he rolled over and started to go back to sleep.

Aloisa grunted in indignance and tugged harder on the chain, moving Tybalt’s leg but not actually doing much to persuade him to get up. She stamped her foot and grumbled something under her breath. Tybalt heard her walk up to him and grunted when she kicked him in the back.

“Come on! You’re no fun at all! Aren’t you at least going to beg for me to release you from my clutches, or, something?” Tybalt rolled over now to face Aloisa and look up, puffing some hair out of his face.

“No.” The calm answer only seemed to infuriate the woman and Tybalt swore he could see her hair rise slightly and crackle with some kind of strange energy. What a strange woman. She dropped into a squat in front of him and scowled in his face now. Her hair was casting a curtain was shadows around Tybalt. Thus he closed his eyes again.

“I can’t believe you. You’re the worst. I’ll spit in your mouth if you don’t get up.” Tybalt merely opened his mouth in reply, refusing to get up. Aloisa let out a noise of anger and slapped Tybalt’s mouth in reprimand. He smacked his lips in response, brow pulling together as he shifted to shove his face into the crook of his elbow.

“Nothing rouses you, you boring creature! If you weren’t so pretty I’d turn you into a toad, or, some other dangerously ugly creature. Like a hairless rat!” Tybalt hummed back in acknowledgement and continued to lay still. He was actually waiting for Aloisa to do something, just to see if she was bluffing him or not. Sure she put up a nice farce of someone who could do magic but he was starting to doubt it. He felt another tug on his leg and pulled it up to get away from it. The chain extended but it didn’t feel like it had slipped from Aloisa’s hand.

Curiously, Tybalt raised his head to see what was up only to see the chain was attached to a tree several yards away. Aloisa was gone. Tybalt’s eyes narrowed as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He picked some leaves and twigs out and got most of the tangles out before finally leaning down and yanking on the thin metal connected to his leg. It didn’t give this time and stayed fast. Another harder tug was given and the chain constricted painfully around his ankle of its own will. Tybalt hissed under his breath and let go. After several second it slowly loosened back to it’s previous snug state.

“Damn…” Tybalt wasn’t sure what to do. He supposed he couldn’t go anywhere until Aloisa came back, when and if she came back. Frowning slightly he reached over and fished his guitar back. Propping in in his lap he strummed it a couple of times and hummed. Not like he had anything better to do. He sang for a while, mostly progressions and half remember melodies of old songs he’d come up with in the past. Eventually he grew bored and thirsty. Nothing he could do about that though.

The hours seemed to pass by and Tybalt simply continued to play his instrument, staring boredly up at the sky as he laid on his back. This had to be the stupidest way for anyone to get trapped. Tied to a tree with a magic chain and nothing else to do. Maybe he could try breaking the tree?... No, the trunk was too thick for that. He’d only waste his time. With a sigh, Tybalt pushed his guitar aside and folded his hands over his chest. It was then that someone emerged from the woods, stopping short and exclaiming in surprise upon seeing Tybalt.

She was a bit wild looking, with her puffy brown hair and the scratches and awkward tan and the… Atrocious state that her clothes were in. She was wearing a ripped up skirt, as if an animal had attacked her, and a loose fitting top with wide sleeves.

“Well, I’ll be. The things you find in the woods these days!” She laughed at her own inside joke and walked up to Tybalt carefully. She dropped to one knee and leaned over him, eyebrows raised and eyes wide with curiosity.

“What are you doing lying in a place like this? Shouldn’t you be dancing in a ring or something?” Tybalt pursed his lips slightly at the question and reached up, pushing the woman’s face away. She gave a soft ‘oh’ and sat down on the ground.

“How insensitive of you. I don’t dance in rings, I dance in circles. Anyways, I’m trapped here. Some witch tied this thing around my ankle and left.” Tybalt raised his leg up to show the chain and the woman whistled lowly, impressed. She reached out and took the chain in hand, giving it a tug. Tybalt winced as the chain tightened again and kicked her hand. She exclaimed in pain at the kick and punched Tybalt in the thigh for it.

“Hey! What was that for? You’ve got a hare up your skirt? Jeez. You said a witch huh? What’s she want with the likes of you? You don’t seem no more special than any other fae.” Tybalt shrugged and sat up, hands resting in his lap.

“She’s been following me for a while. I guess she got mad that I wasn’t horrified or upset when she put this thing on me. So she chained me to a tree. It’s no use trying to break it, I think it’d just cut my foot off.” The woman’s face morphed into one of fear and mild disgust. She rubbed a hand on the back of her neck and looked down.

“Well, gee. That… That’s not great. So you’re just stuck here?”

“Yup.”

“That sucks.” Tybalt shrugged. After a couple of moments of silence he extended a hand out to the woman and sighed.

“I’m Tybalt, by the way. You are?...” She took his hand and gave it a strong shake. For having such petite hands she had a hard grip.

“Parisa! Wimble. Say, you look real familiar though... “ Parisa didn’t continue with that thought and merely withdrew from the handshake, pushing some of her hair out of her face.

“I heard you playing, by the way, from a while out.” She nodded to the guitar by Tybalt’s side. He didn’t respond initially before realizing that she was staring at him expectantly. He grunted then and it seemed enough to satiate her need for response.

“You’re very good! It’s impressive. Who taught you?”

“Myself.” Parisa gave a soft ‘wow’ at this and smiled at Tybalt, shifting in her spot as she rocked slightly from side to side.

“Really?! How impressive. I could never figure an instrument out for the life of me. My Pa told me that Ma wanted me to learn the viola but that never happened… Such a shame too! Would’ve been a neat party trick!” Tybalt had zoned out slightly already, not really paying attention to what Parisa was saying. His stare seemed to be enough to encourage her to talk.

“Then again, none of my friends could really play anything either. Or maybe they could and it just never came up? Gee, I’d like to see that!” Tybalt yawned softly and blinked.

“You have friends?”

“Well, yeah. Recently parted ways with them, but… Well, at least one of them promised to visit! Real nice crew, a little strung up, could’ve used another ladies company in that mix.”

“Mm.” Tybalt let Parisa talk for a while, occasionally making a comment or grunting to show he was listening to some degree. He didn’t know how long it took but eventually Aloisa showed up again, catching Parisa and Tybalt both by surprised. Parisa was on her feet before Tybalt could even say a hello. Aloisa gave an unflattering squeal of surprise and pointed at Parisa.

“This woman! Is she the witch? Put your fists up and fight proper, lady.” Parisa was already advancing on Aloisa when she was suddenly turned around and about by some invisible force, falling flat on her face with a shout. Tybalt watched her go down, impressed to see what he assumed must have been Aloisa’s so called magic. Parisa started to get back up only to have a sudden force slam her back down. Aloisa walked over frantically, standing over the other woman with a look of rage on her face.

“What’s all this about!? You think you can come prancing about and do what you want here? Stupid girl!” Aloisa snapped her fingers and Parisa was raised in the air, flipped over, and slammed back down. She seemed to be too dazed to react to the rough handling and merely blabbered something incoherent.

“... Pah! Whatever. You! You’re the one I’m mad at, you pink dumbo!” Aloisa walked away from Parisa now, grasping the chain and yanking it free from the tree with ease. Tybalt frowned at this and shook his head, slowly getting up.

“Is that so… Why now.”

“Why n-- You’re so smug. You really do love to try me, Tybalt. Pah, now I can’t even remember. You’ve gone and upset me so much I forgot why I was mad to begin with! And who’s this girl anyways?” Aloisa turned back to Parisa, who had sat up and was rubbing at her head with a scowl. Tybalt shrugged and scratched his jaw. Aloisa placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow up.

“Just showed up, really. Name’s Parisa. She talks a lot.”

“Parisa… Bwaha! What a dumb sounding name. Why not pick a real name, like Larissa?” Aloisa laughed loudly and Tybalt saw Parisa’s face immediately turn red. Apparently that hit a sore spot for her.

“Hey, shut up! I like my name very much, and not to mention all Larissa’s are two-timing

” The passionate response seemed to intrigued Aloisa as she stopped laughing and stared at Parisa with some demented kind of excitement. Tybalt cleared his throat and spoke up.

“I don’t think you have room to talk. Your name is a bad misspelling of Eloisa.” Aloise immediately turned on him, jabbing him hard in the chest. Tybalt huffed in response and rubbed at the spot while his captor turned her back on him again.

“You’ve got spunk! I like that. Want to make a deal?” Parisa was getting up now, frowning hard. Her nose wrinkled slightly when her face moved like this. Tybalt looked elsewhere before stooping to pick up his guitar. This wasn’t a conversation he was interested in hearing. That was until he heard the shing of metal being cut by metal and heard Parisa yell. He perked back up and looked over to see Aloisa wrangling the other woman in by the wrist. God, what a disappointment. He didn’t want this at all.

Parisa tried hard to tug back on the chain now secured around her wrist, but Tybalt could already see it tightening hard enough to stop the blood flow. Unless Parisa really wanted to lose that hand she needed to quick struggling. Aloisa made no motions to even warn Parisa about said side effect and merely laughed as she watched the woman struggle. Eventually Tybalt got sick of watching this and walked up behind Aloisa.

The only response she gave was a small ‘oop’ as Tybalt lifted her straight off the ground with one hand. Parisa stopped struggling for a moment, watching this with a confused look on her face.

“Nice as this is… Let her go.” Aloisa was silent and unmoved for a moment before huffing. Tybalt watched as the chain around Parisa’s wrist slowly dissolved into sparkling dust before blinking out of existence altogether. Parisa took a deep breath and rubbed at her hand worriedly, trying to get the blood to flow back into the limb. Tybalt dropped Aloisa and folded his arms over his chest. She looked up at him, an exaggerated pout gracing her features. He merely blinked at her and turned away.

“Blah… You’re the worst! Why did I do what you said, huh? Do you have some kind of mind control powers?”

“No. Can we go now, I’m hungry.” Parisa opened her mouth to say something before closing it and just staring at the pair in confusion. Aloisa mimicked Tybalt in a mocking fashion, walking to him and flipping her hair back.

“Yeah, yeah! Whatever, you useless man. Chimney! Come on!” There was the same catastrophic sound of trees being knocked over and up against from earlier and Parisa paled in the face, looking around in an attempt to find the source of the awful sound. While she did that, Aloisa led Tybalt off on a quick escape. Tybalt was so incredibly glad Parisa was not coming with. He didn’t feel like having to listen to Aloisa and her.

#entwined #dreamingofravens #original work #tumblr writers #writing

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dailymusingsofamedic · 4 years

Text

25th May 2020 - Orff

Carl Orff (1895-1982)

Gisei, Das Opfer (1913) https://open.spotify.com/album/74d2v19w4fuI8aPcRkVi99?si=MqdFYt9VRIuezbY-YEqMGg

‘O’ is another letter that doesn’t have huge amounts to offer in terms of composers. I’ve chosen Orff because I’m genuinely intrigued to see what else this composer has put out apart from Carmina Burana. I wonder if Orff suspected that his magnum opus would be used in every single ‘dramatic’ moment in reality TV for the intellectually challenged from now until presumably the end of time. You’ve all heard Camrina Burana, but what else did Orff do? I’ve chosen a fairly early work of his, written at just 18 years of age. It’s a story of a Japanese calligraphy teacher who kills one of his pupils, but not the right one, and his parents are sad, basically. Apparently heavily influenced (perhaps pillaged) from Debussy, it was not performed until 2010. Also, Orf is a viral skin infection passed to humans by infected sheep and goats, colloquially known as scabby mouth in the farming community. And who said I couldn’t get music and medicine into the same blog?

Get ready, this is a long one!

Above - do we think this might me set in Japan?

1. Vorspiel: introduction. A very quiet and tender opening by the eerie female voices. Also with some windy noises. A few lines spread around the woodwind, and then things begin to get a bit more exciting with the introduction of the tune in the cello part (maybe viola). I think the choir are humming. I don’t know about Debussy, but the section from 1:35 sounds exactly like Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe. Not quite as nice though. I mean, there’s no denying this overture is nice to listen to, and quite interesting, but it doesn’t sound new. Interesting trombone solo with wind machine. Aren’t they synonymous? Ehhhhh. 3:35 is a shock. Is this where the boy gets killed? No idea.

2. Vorspiel: No demo yama. Right, so this is still the overture. The section with strings harp and female voices from about 0:56 is really cool, atmospheric. 1:36 sounds a bit ominous again, with tremolos, then some brass, then hahaha that tuba solo at the end is cracking me up. Firstly, is that all people think tubas can do. Plod plod bitch. Secondly, what happens to the sound at the end of the last note?? Is it a weird vibrato? Is it running out of air? It sounds like such a wispy sound considering the instrument it’s coming from.

3. Vorspiel: Die Gottheit nahm das Opfer am. This means ‘the deity accepted the sacrifice’. That seems like a big plot point considering we’re still apparently in the overture. Or as google translate calls it: foreplay. Scary baritone and interesting textures with the brass in the next section, both muted and un-. Oh the singing sounds German, at least he used a real language in this opera. The accompaniment sounds like accompaniment, and by that I mean, I feel like there should be some singing over the top a lot of the time when there isn’t. Lots of lovely tuba. Ooooh 2:24 could be more in tune I think…it does sound quite high to be fair. Actually, the rest of the singing so far has been pretty good. Lots of hard Ts. 3:35 is a really interesting section, it’s very grand but then diminishes into being pretty scary again very well.

4. Vorspiel: Dann…tiefste Nacht. Then deepest night. 0:13 onwards all feels a bit familiar as well, from other composers works. I have to say it doesn’t sounds very ‘deepest night’. The last movement did more. I had a heart attack at 1:21. There’s lots of variation over the next few minutes. I’d love to see what’s meant to be happening on stage. Without that, it does feel a little disjointed. The little harp scale up to 3:55 brings us to a really lovely section actually. That harmony’s interesting, as is the instrumentation. Laughed again at 5:05. How else would we know we were in japan if not for some exposed gong/tamtam notes? It’s tuned for the singer to come in at least! “Doot Doot Doot” is fun. Then the shit hits the fan. The orchestral accompaniment does sounds at times a little like a concerto for orchestra, with solos from bassoon, tuba, double basses. It’s nicely written. Again the end of this part feels like I need to be watching something alongside it. The texture at the end is fantastic. I don’t know what’s playing but I like it.

Above - Cut the vorspiel, I’m ready for the main event. Also, if you look closely you can see the TV I’m thinking of buying.

5. Oper: introduction. Ok so we’re into the actual opera now. Well, nearly, we’ve finished foreplay anyway. Nice controlled accelerando, and the clarinet part’s pretty cool, before we’re back to the first section. I like this so far. A great introduction to the meat of the work.

6. Oper: Wollt ihr Ruhe halten. Or as my other half often says to me when they’ve run out of my favourite dim sum at Ping Pong: ‘Do you want to keep calm?’. Solo violin pretending to be a butterfly (Schmetterling) isn’t very nice. I’ve never heard a butterfly sound like that. The duet from 1:15 is lovely, however brief.

7. Oper: Sakura! Sakura! I’m hoping this is how star of Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 12; Rock M Sakura got her name, but I feel like the reference may be a little niche. Starts off with the waily woman from the last movement. Now she’s wailing ‘Sakura’ though. Who is Sakura? I feel like actually this could do with a little more accompaniment than just harp. The singer is a little overpowering at times, although her pianos are really soft and well done.

Above - life imitating art.

8. Oper: Ist’s erlaubt? It’s allowed. What’s allowed? A synopsis would really ameliorate my listening experience I’m sure, but that’s effort, and I can’t read, type, and listen at the same time. Another excellent tuba demonstration at 0:25. There’s a nice cough at 0:59. Is this a live recording? Maybe this is the only time it’s ever been performed. Are trombone chords every in tune? Not according to 1:53 of this. 2:33 all gets a bit exciting briefly. The string entry at 3:15 is very inaccurate. That must be the violas. More out of tune trombone at 4:03. I feel like the orchestra are maybe sight-reading because they know this isn’t going to be a roaring success…Again 5:00 onwards is very directionless. All jokes aside, the tamtam playing is great, and the sound is dampened at exactly the right time. It’s really effective. At 6:02 what is happening? Is that two tubas? Or a tuba and something else being badly played, out of tune on top. I can’t tell, but it’s bad. HA that dramatic ending is then followed by one solitary note on the tamtam which sounds very much like an accident.

9. Oper: Sei nicht mehr Traurig. Don’t be sad any more. Or, what Alex says to me 2 weeks after we went out for that dim sum-less meal. Interesting harmony. Quite waily again though.

10. Oper: Oh! Bauerngeischter. Oh! Peasant hunt!!! That is not what I was expecting. Oh wait, it’s actually Bauerngesichter – peasant faces, much better. Fanfare central. Maybe it is a peasant hunt too? Bassoon trills are fun. I have absolutely no clue what that is 0:38. If anyone could enlighten me, I would be very grateful. Is it a contrabassoon played high? I honestly have no clue; it could even be stringed at a push. Beefy last note though. I mostly spend the rest of this movement wondering what that instrument was. I can’t find the bloody instrumentation anywhere. Snapped out of my stupor by laughing at the random extra tuba note at 3:11. HERE IT IS AGAIN at 3:46. So weird, so out of tune in the higher portions. That’s why it’s on its own I think.

Above - Orf; why you should wash your hands at the petting zoo!!

11. Oper: Hinter uns lag die Stadt. The city was behind us. If you listen carefully at 0:02 you can hear the tuba player stick his hand in a crisp packet. Nice combination of the bass, and high register of the harp, I like that quite a lot. It’s more interesting than the bass and tuba duet afterwards. 2:00 is straight out of Daphnis again for 2 seconds. The trombone chord at 3:22 is eventually in tune, but it doesn’t start that way.

12. Oper: Ihr wart doch heut’ beim Mahl des Bonzen? If you had given me 1,000 goes at guessing this translation, I would never have come out with the correct answer: You were eating the fat cat today? This seems to be a rather rude question judging by the bloke’s reaction. This baritone bit is quite recitative-y, I just wish I could understand what they were saying. From 2:00, the orchestral parts are exciting, if a little forced. 2:50, we see this weird tuba vibe again. And the chord at 3:06 is actually really nice, as Roxxxy Andrews would say: thick and juicy. String entry at 3:30 is very messy again. Another heart attack at 4:48. So screechy. More of the same until the end.

13. Oper: Entlasst nun eure Schuler, Genzo. Now release your students Genzo. Heard across the country in March, when money-grabbing boarding schools tried to keep their students during the pandemic for ‘safety’ reasons. More tuba. 0:14 – what is this person playing at. The entry of this mysterious companion of the half decent tuba sounds like they flutter-tongue that entry. I often joke “Oh I could do a better job” but in this case, I think I actually could. IS it just a low horn? I can’t tell. Lots of to-and-fro between a couple of the men now, but I don’t know what about. One sounds much angrier than the other. I assume the calligrapher is the friendly sounding one, but that’s a very stereotypical assumption.

14. Oper: Hm! Seltsam! Hm! Strange! You’re telling me. Nice little bit of spoken word. It’s actually nicer than hearing them belting all the time. There’s a glass harmonium or some glasses being played at 0:50, sounds quite cool. Probably not worth the expense of renting one. Christ, calm down at 1:08. They briefly switch to English at 1:53, but ‘can shoe size’ doesn’t make much sense, or is at least very cryptic. Someone undoes their Velcro shoe at 3:09, maybe that’s what it’s referring to. 3:34 is nice, and I get the Debussy vibes here. Again at 4:00.

15. Oper: Macht auf! Macht auf! Open Up! X2. Orff does love whacking two very low instruments next to each other and just hoping they can play in tune. Spoiler alert, they can’t. I like the dramatic knocking on the door. Just sing, love, it’s louder. The lady sounds worried about something. If only I knew what. 2:09 is fun. The chord at 3:23 sounds exactly like what you would hear in a film set in Transylvania when the camera pans to Dracula’s house. More shit low playing at several more points in the next section. 4:50 to the end is great actually.

16. Oper: Die Sonne sinkt! The sun is setting (I assume, I didn’t actually look that one up). The tuba and miscellaneous other instrument’s last hurrah before a random piano plays 3 chords, someone coughs and the strings forget to come in; all before 1:00. Why is there now a piano? Wouldn’t the harp have done the same job? The end is quite simple, but it sounds nice. Although the last chord is uncomfortable and sounds very unfinished. Deliberately I’m sure.

Overall – 6/10. Well that was a couple of hours of my life I will never get back. I’m perhaps being harsh because opera obviously isn’t meant to be just heard, and with the right staging, and acting and me being able to understand the plot, it might be a nice little work. A lot of the problems I have with this are actually with the playing rather than the writing, although many of the tuning issues may be attributable to weird instrumentation. Either way, it’s certainly got areas of interest, but there’s lots of weak parts too. It’s not going to be accompanying the talentless droves on the X-Factor any time soon, put it that way.

Below is what Orff intended for his music, in its purest form:

youtube

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