#// Do you really except Sas to reply to this new muse of yours in a positive manner XD ???

[sasuke-from-the-uchiha]

He will wordlessly hand Sasuke a birthday card. Why he gives it? To mess up Sasuke's day, of course.

He will, in the same silence, be violently maimed. He knows why and he will learn not to mess with Sasuke at all, perhaps.

[hwauroras]

THROUGH THE INFINITE CANVASES OF YOU. (제2장)

pic sources in order left -> right: pinterest, pinterest, pinterest

wc ≈2.6k. unedited. painter!seonghwa x artstudent!reader (ft. musician!san, artstudent!wooyoung and artstudent!rockstar!hongjoong). written in two different perspectives - third person for seonghwa and second person for the reader. no massive genre yet - but the story does develop a little more. hongjoong is introduced as wooyoung's friend. hongjoong jokingly flirts with the reader. hongjoong calls the reader "sweetheart". hongjoong and the reader mildly curse.

“hyung.. this is beautiful.”

“you think?”

“absolutely!”

seonghwa and san stood side by side in the art studio, their eyes fixed on the finished piece that would become the cover art for san’s new album. the canvas displayed an absolutely breathtaking combination of colors, and the raw emotions from the soul seemed to leap off the surface. to say it was capturing and alluring would be a total understatement. it was the perfect combination of paint, love, passion and longing - a true window into both artists’ souls.

san’s eyes glimmered with awe as he took in and absorbed every detail. the painting depicted seonghwa’s elusive muse with hauntingly expressive eyes, ones full of love and fear and yearning, painted with a delicate and carefully crafted mix of blues, purples, and hints of gold. behind them was a whirlwind of vibrant, dramatic and contrasting hues, capturing both the intensity of emotions that san poured into his music, and the conflict of emotions seonghwa fought within.

they both continued to stand in silence, letting the artwork speak for itself. the whole room seemed to hold its breath, even the dust particles seemed to stop in time - as if in complete deference for the deep, profound connection between music and its visual counterpart.

san finally broke the silence, and time seemed to flow again.

“i mean - seriously, seonghwa. this is more than i could have ever imagined. i would be lying if i said i was surprised though - only you could pull this off.”

seonghwa smiled humbly, a soft pink blush creeping back onto his cheeks.

“you’re too kind, san. and i want you to know that - it has been an honor collaborating with you. my only regret is not doing it sooner.”

with a chuckle, san lightly punched seonghwa on the shoulder.

“then may this be the first of many.”

“... hey san?”

“mm?”

seonghwa took a deep breath.

“i listened to a bit of the title track. you know, just so i knew how to put your own voice, your own words, your own emotions, into visual form. and i’m just curious…what inspired you?”

san’s smile softened as he averted his gaze, eventually opting to close his eyes and take a moment to relive the melody before answering seonghwa’s question.

“what inspired me? well… it's a mix of things, really."

“you don’t have to tell me.”

"no, it’s okay. honestly, the entire album, is a reflection of my whole life journey. it's about the highs and the lows, the love and the heartbreaks, the gains and the losses, and the constant search of meaning and purpose. each song represents a different chapter of my life. except for one.”

“that’s beautiful, sa- sorry, except for one?”

san meekly looked back at the painting, his eyes tracing the careful, delicate strokes and vivid colors that bounced back at him.

“yeah. the title track you mentioned. i wrote and sang it for you. well, more so how i think you feel about the person you keep painting.”

seonghwa’s eyes widened in surprise, his head snapping to look at the other with complete awe. his heart began to race, and his hand quickly flew to his chest. the room returned to its original silence - one that seemed to go even deeper as san’s words sank in. the humble painter was completely taken aback as he struggling to find the right words to such a jarring reply.

"f-for me?" seonghwa finally managed to splutter, something san smiled warmly at.

“yeah. for you. and that person. i mean... even though i said i wasn’t able to understand you, anyone can still see the true love and longing you have etched into your features. you’re not able to see the way you look at them whenever you bring them to life through your passion of art. and that's what inspired the song. it’s my own personal perception of your own personal emotions."

seonghwa stood there, still stunned by what he had just heard. the thoughts and emotions that had been buried deep within him, the ones he thought he had concealed and hidden away from the rest of the world, had just escaped san’s lips in word form.

"i… never expected you to see it," seonghwa murmured, his face now tinted pink. "you know me. i’m not an emotional person. i thought i was good at hiding my feelings."

san laughed and shook his head.

“hey, hyung, listen. i do know you, and you’re right - but also incredibly wrong. while you may be good at hiding your emotions from others, you can’t hide them from me. and when it comes down to your art, your mystery person, you can’t hide them from anyone. the vibe is beautiful, at times bittersweet - so in a sense, hyung, you and your muse have become my muses.”

the revelation that san’s title track was inspired by seonghwa and his emotions left the studio enveloped in yet another silence - this time one of profoundness and comfort. it simply became a moment between two artists and an enthralling muse.

"san," seonghwa finally broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper. “thank you for understanding me in a way that no one else ever has. and… thank you for giving my thoughts and my muse a voice."

“hey, you don't have to thank me. i couldn’t have done it without you.”

“and through the pages of time, i’ll still search every space, and through the darkness of shadows, i’ll still chase every trace, and though you maybe may be a love undefined, i’ll give to you this promise, ‘til our destinies can entwine…

~

“through the realms of dreams, i’ll journey far, for the love that's written in every star, with every heartbeat, i’ll stay true, until the day, the day i finally find you.”

“oh my god, wooyoung…”

you gawked at your best friend, who grinned at your reaction.

“so? what do you think?”

“i think it’s amazing. you really wrote that?”

“yeah.”

you shook your head at him, the rest of your body paralyzed in its place.

“dude, you have to take that to a recording studio or something.”

“hah, you really think so?" wooyoung replied with a playful smirk, trying to hide the genuine feelings of relief he felt at your positive response.

they were inspired by your love for your muse, after all.

but of course, he could never tell you that. not when you were already deeply troubled by the unfulfilled feelings of love and longing you had for him. he figured if you were to know, you would figure it out in your own.

“maybe i should consider it - though, i don’t want to put an end to everyone else’s careers.”

you nudged him lightly with your elbow, poking your tongue out at him playfully before letting out a laugh.

"okay, mr humble. if you’re going to be like that, i’ll take it all back. the fame’s already getting to your head and you haven’t even left the room yet.”

feigning the utmost shock and betrayal, wooyoung gasped dramatically and draped an arm over his eyes - which in turn, resulted in probably your biggest eye roll to date.

“oh y/n, you wound me once more! you’re so willing to retract your compliments - were your words merely superficial?”

you couldn't help but laugh loudly, drawing a few curious glances from your classmates. which of course, only resulted in wooyoung laughing loudly at you too.

“okay, okay. come on, wooyoung, you know i’m just kidding," you teased, nudging him again. "but seriously, i think you should at least try and contact a few studios. even if you don’t hear back, it’s worth the effort. you have a true gift for art. it’s beautiful, just like your photography."

as he absorbed your words, wooyoung’s playful demeanor shifted to a warm, gentle one. he looked at you softly, a small smile etched into his features.

“thank you, y/n. all jokes aside, your support means a lot to me. i’ll consider it, i promise.”

returning his smile, you took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. but before either of you could even have the chance to speak again, a scoff caught your attention.

peering over the shoulder of the purple headed boy in front of you, your eyes landed on another student, who you immediately recognized as one of the more recent transfers into the fashion department. you guessed he would roughly be around wooyoung’s height if it weren’t for his shoes, he sported a rather colorful mullet and he was dressed head to toe in a messy array of clothes and accessories.

you arched an eyebrow at him, noticing a glint of amusement in his intense gaze. he looked like he was holding back a laugh, as if he found something amusing about the conversation you were having with your best friend.

"what?" you questioned, eyes narrowing at the unique man.

rather than replying, he shot you a wink before making his way over, seemingly unaffected by your scrutiny.

“nothing," he replied casually, his chunky platforms causing him to tower over wooyoung - something you had to hold back on joking about. “i just couldn't help but overhear the two of you talking about music. and then some sappy shit."

a playful grin tugged at wooyoung’s lips as he sized up the new arrival.

“oh, so you were eavesdropping, huh? you’ve got quite the sharp ear. but i suppose that’s to be expected by such an esteemed musician like yourself.”

you glanced between the two, a puzzled look taking over your once suspicious expression. you were aware of this guy - he was hard to miss - but they seemed to share a camaraderie that you weren't aware of.

“wait, you two know each other?" you blinked, still trying to figure out the dynamic between them.

the vibrant multicolored haired man extended a heavily ringed hand, swiping his pierced tongue along his bottom lip and shooting you another wink.

“pleasure to make your acquaintance, sweetheart. the name’s hongjoong. but you could call me yours for tonight, if that’s what you’d prefer.”

you quickly pulled your hand away from his rather tight grasp, a slight blush creeping onto your face.

“uh… nice to meet you too, i guess. but i think i’ll stick to calling you hongjoong."

“yeah,” wooyoung snickered, clearly amused by the interaction. “unfortunately for you, ‘sweetheart’ isn’t really the one for cheesy pickup lines, hyung.”

“oh, i see how it is,” hongjoong chuckled, visibly unfazed by both of your responses. “well, the offer still stands.”

you couldn’t help but find yourself intrigued by this newcomer you now knew was named hongjoong. he certainly had a magnetic personality that demanded everyone’s full attention, but despite his playful demeanor and rather straightforward flirting, there was still an underlying feeling of genuine warmth radiating off of him. wooyoung looked comfortable - and you laughed when hongjoong flicked his forehead.

“you know, i appreciate it, but i’m still gonna pass,” you replied to him. “so how do you guys, you know, know each other?”

“wooyoung and i met when the fashion department and the photography department collaborated on a project last semester. we made the pieces, they took the pictures. then they served as our professional photographers when we had a showcase modelling our creations.”

wooyoung chimed in, his eyes glinting with fondness as he recalled the encounter.

"we were assigned together. honestly, i thought it would be a disaster at first. hongjoong has such a wild and bold sense of style and i’m all about subtle elegance. but somehow, our creative differences ended up complementing each other perfectly - i really got to gain some experience with experimental looks and got to expand my portfolio. it could really help me if i wanna apply for something surrounding haute couture.”

as you listened to wooyoung speak about his collaboration with the uniquely dressed man with a belt made of chained up teddy bears, you couldn't help but admire a rare instance where fire and ice were actually compatible. never in a million years had you thought someone as poised, sophisticated and traditional as wooyoung could come close to being friends with someone as bright, daring and unconventional as hongjoong. but alas - here it was in front of you, a strong friendship between two polar opposites (besides their humor).

“that’s amazing," you said, nodding your head in approval. "i think it’s amazing how two ‘contradicting’ art styles can create one extraordinary art form.”

hongjoong smirked at your words and took a little bow.

“thank you, sweetheart. you bet it was extraordinary. our work had people talking for weeks. did you read the local paper? we got an article and everything. it’s all about pushing boundaries, you know? not just in art, but every aspect of life is more exciting when you dare to step out of your comfort zone and take that risk."

you nodded again in agreement, finding yourself captivated by hongjoong's outlook on life.

“besides,” hongjoong continued matter-of-factly, “the exposure really helped with my music career.”

you tilted your head, eyes darting to wooyoung.

“wait. music career?”

“yep,” wooyoung reaffirmed. “hongjoong’s in an indie rock band.”

you were taken aback, pleasantly surprised by the sudden turn in conversation. though the subject of hongjoong being a musician came up earlier, you weren’t sure how serious wooyoung was being.

"an indie rock band? that’s incredible! why didn’t you say so when you scoffed at us?”

hongjoong shrugged with a nonchalant grin.

“you judged a book by its cover sweetheart. but yeah, now the cat’s out of the bag, we started playing gigs at local venues and have been slowly building our presence in the music scene. now we play at festivals, and shit. you and wooyoung should come along next time. i’d like to see some familiar faces that don’t belong to the groupies trying to get into my pants.”

the more you learned about hongjoong, the more fascinated you became. he was a true artist in every sense of the word, an epitome even, excelling in multiple creative avenues. suddenly it all made sense why his and wooyoung’s friendship worked so well – despite their differences, they were both passionate and unafraid to explore their own personal boundaries.

“you know, that sounds great, i’d love to come to one of your gigs one day. hey, i was just talking to wooyoung about the possibility of him making music. what do you think? genuinely this time, don’t be a smartass.”

“well,” hongjoong’s eyes shifted back to wooyoung as he considered your question. “i didn’t know wooyoung was interested in making his own music, but from what i know about his ethic and from what i heard just before, i don’t doubt he would excel in the industry. tell you what - i’ll speak to the others, maybe we could collaborate on something.”

as soon as hongjoong’s preposition left his lips, a spark of excitement danced in both your and wooyoung’s eyes. the idea of combining their talents seemed like an incredible opportunity to create something special - and your mind began filling with possibilities.

it was apparent that wooyoung thought the same, as he barely managed to get out a faint “are you serious?" - something hongjoong chuckled at.

“of course! i think our styles could create something powerful. i trust your artistic abilities, so let’s give it a shot. but just know, i hold a high standard and i’m going to be tough. i may believe in freedom of expression but i’m still a perfectionist.”

“understood, hyung. i won’t let you down."

~

TAGLIST: @hwalysm, @downbadreading

[hiddcnsclf-a]

My name’s Max, thanks for reading this and for your interest in my blog! I’ve been roleplaying since about 2010, but I took a break for a few years and am just getting back into it now. Evan and Ace were made before I quit writing for a while, and they’re both very special to me. Oliver's new, but he's still just as special, and I'm excited to see where he goes! Note: More info on characters can be found on the desktop version of my blog

Ask me for my discord if you're interested!

This will be a multi-verse blog, I’m open to doing pretty much anything. I know a good amount about Supernatural, the MCU (movies and the Punisher, and Daredevil series), Fruits Basket, BNHA, WTNV, Stranger Things, Naruto, Twilight and that’s just off the top of my mind, I’ll edit this post when i think of more. Note: If I don't know the show/book/movie your character is from I might have a harder time making myself reach out to you. I would still love to roleplay with you if I'm following, though, I'm just a very nervous man

RULES

This blog is 21+, as mun is 24 years old. If you’re younger than 21, I will not interact. If you’re younger than 18, you’ll be blocked. Please respect this boundary.

I don’t do smut, but I am a big fan of darker themes when it comes to my writing. I will tag these threads/posts with a trigger warning, but if I miss one please feel free to let me know. 

On the topic of smut, and me not doing it, I am open to a fade to black. 

One of my biggest triggers is SA/r*pe, and I won’t rp anything along those lines. 

Please be patient with replies, I Am Not Fast (Except for when I am, which is more often than I thought when I made this rule)

Please, if you’re not involved in a thread, don’t like or reblog it. It messes up the notes and I use those to keep track of whose turn it is to respond. 

icons for Evan done by @tutorgirlcommissions absolutely check them out!!!

Triggers will be tagged tw; ___ 

This isn’t so much a rule as it is suggestion; I’m a very socially anxious person and I only reach out first if I’m feeling brave. It��d be really helpful if you could hit me up first. I promise I’m so excited to write with you, especially if we’re mutuals.

If for some reason you have an issue, please speak to me about it. Anon hate/drama of any kind won't be posted.

I don't care about length matching when it comes to replies. As long as I have something to work with, I don't care if its two sentences or two paragraphs. 

Have fun! If something isn’t hitting, we can try something else.

MUSES

Evangeline Elizabeth Sire

Faceclaim: Danielle Campbell

Nicknames: Evan, Ev, Evie

Age: 25

Height: 5'2"

Gender: Female (she/her)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Hobbies and Interests: Magic tricks, and she’s actually begun to do them for small crowds in her town. She doodles here and there but isn’t serious about it. She loves reading about space, poetry, and fantasy.

Bad Habits: Avoidant behavior especially when it comes to sleep, poor personal boundaries

--

Ace Samuel Saccheti

Faceclaim: Maxence Danet Fauvel

Nicknames: 

Age: 26

Height: 5'5"

Gender: Agender (they/them)

Sexuality: Pansexual

Hobbies/Interests: They paint, but are very private about their work. They love casual boxing and fighting in general, but have never been formally trained. Since they work at a gym, they work out often. They’re also a huge fan of games like Pokemon, and Animal Crossing, but they also dabble in a few open world games.

Bad Habits: Smoking cigarettes, picking fights with people for fun.

--

Subject 55 (Oliver Chambers)

Faceclaim: Tom Holland

Age: 24

Height: 6'2

Gender: male (he/him)

Sexuality: Bisexual

Hobbies/ Interests: puzzles, drawing, bird watching

Bad habits: scratching, nail biting

--

I hope to talk to you soon!

[echo-three-one]

Here's another unfinished wip before I started making tumblr.

enjoy

"There's a clocktower in Hereford where the names of the dead are inscribed. We try to honor their deeds, even as their faces fade from our memory. Those memories are all that's left when the bastards have taken everything else."

A young man stood below the said clock tower, where he used to go when he felt unwelcome in his own home. It may seem weird, but he always felt it ever since he remembered living there. His father isn't always home, but when he's there the unwelcoming feeling becomes powerful, as if his presence emits a strong aura that pushes him away. This time he escaped the feeling by going here, enjoying the sun set behind the tower, reading the names of the soldiers inscribed in it and imagined what they had been through to keep civilians like him safe. This thing he's been doing always excites him, he always felt so close to the nearby base, as if there's a force that draws him close to the buildings.

He placed his bike beside him as he sat on the grass next to the tower and stared at the sky, he plans on staying there until his dad would fall asleep on the couch while watching football highlights, so he could fully enjoy the peace and quiet that he's experienced today.

"Oi! Enjoying the sunset?" a female voice behind him spoke, and he leaned in to check whose it was.

He chuckles when he saw her face, and nodded in reply. It was Harper, one of his friends from school.

"Aye, Just enjoying the peace and quiet." he replied with a slight scottish accent, a trait he got from his mum.

"I see you're still quite the pacifist." she giggles walking closer to him.

"Aye. Away from the bollocks at home." he chuckled. Harper looked at him with sympathy.

"You always go here to feel peaceful?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Aye, I just feel one with the people written in these tower. Just the thought of them resting peacefully..." he mused making Harper frown.

"Well, they're dead." Harper quickly cut him off.

"Ah. I'm sorry." his voice cracked. "A bad joke to crack eh?"

"You know, I'd like you to meet my old man, he once told me his comrades' names were on that tower." she gestured to the bench where an old man sat, he quickly followed her.

The man sat there, murmuring silently to himself. A black notebook on his hand. He was wearing something like a cowboy hat, or an adventurers hat, light brown with a string clinging on his jaw, his moustache was like a caterpillar, except it's turning grey along with the rest of his beard.

"Grandpa John, this is my friend, Jacob." Harper introduced. The old man John just nodded and looked at him differently.

"Hello Sir John." Jacob reached out his hand, waiting for a handshake, instead John stared at him and stared at the notebook.

"Harper, I think I'm tired. I'm seeing this young lad differently." he muttered and sighed.

"Grandpa served the SAS when he was a young man, he frequents this place to remember his comrades that lost their lives years ago." Harper explained, assisting her grandpa in walking home.

"We should get going. Guess I'll see you soon, Jacob!" Harper waved goodbye as they went home. Jacob stayed for a while, sitting on the bench as the orange sky slowly turned black. He was about to lay down on the bench when he felt something on his back. It was the black journal, John must've left it when they were here.

He contacted Harper about the matter and she said that he should just deliver it at the tower tomorrow. This made him feel both excited and scared, as it was obvious that he wanted a peek of it but he was also nervous about what he's about to see, it may be some sort of classified information his civilian eyes aren't allowed to see. But I'm all alone and have no one to talk to, he thought to himself as he grabbed the notebook and shoved it in his bag.

He pedaled his way home just in time after dinner. His dad was already asleep on the couch and his mum was washing the dishes, his sister Olivia was already asleep so he quietly sneaked through all of them and made his way on his room.

He carefully flipped through the pages of the notebook, his heart was pounding loudly on his first flip.

It was a map of the world, along with red "x" marks which he assumed to be places Harper's grandfather has been, Brazil, Russia, Africa and many more. To be able to go to those destinations was too overwhelming for Jacob.

The next page read...

IF FOUND, RETURN TO

22ND SAS REGIMENT,

CREDENHILL UK

HISTORY IS WRITTEN BY THE VICTOR

was crashed out with the words KILL MAKAROV in red ink.

Makarov sounded familiar, maybe because he was in the history books, for trying to invade Europe and terrorizing the world with his biochemical weaponry. One that damaged London 22 years ago.

"Shite. They were the ones who helped end the war" he whispered in amusement, turning the page again.

It was filled with illustrations, ramblings and thoughts of an "F.N.G. or Fucking New Guy" about being recruited in a base not far from where he lives. The next page looked exactly like Harper's grandfather, but it was just a rough sketch labeled "Price".

"HELP!" a shriek came from downstairs, it sounded like his mother's so Jacob quickly hid the FNJ and bolted his way down to the kitchen.

His father was pinning his mum on the kitchen wall, his face fueled with rage.

"I can't keep up with this charade, Ellie. You have to tell him the truth." he grunted. Also fueled with rage, Jacob quickly swung his arm without hesitation making the paternal figure flinch in pain.

"This is the last time I'll let you do that to me! Go ahead Ellie, go tell him who he really is..." he spat, wiping off the blood dripping off his nose.

Ellie sobbed in disbelief. She can't believe that it has come this way. It felt unfair and just at the same time. Unfair in a sense that his own husband couldn't accept him ; and just in a sense that he's providing for someone he isn't related to.

She stared at Jacob in awe.

"He... isn't your real father..." she sobbed as Jacob stood still, looking at her in disbelief. At first it felt unreal but all the puzzle pieces fit, that's why he felt unwelcome. He wasn't one of them.

He didn't even bother ask why this has been brought up just now, with one last glance at his mum, he dashed upstairs and slammed the door shut.

[furinjuru]

Our Sea Of Today - Chapter 14 - Identity

Rating: T Word Count: 2,700~ Summary: Blooming friendships and endings. The beginning of Aqours and the origin of their name. A/N: A week late between other multichaps and finishing the SA, but it’s here! Going back to the first-years this time.

The next morning is unnaturally quiet for You. Yoshiko had told her that she’ll be going to school early to discuss the day’s performance with Dia and Chika. And although this isn’t the first time she’s taking the bus to school alone, she’s gotten more or less used to Yoshiko bothering her. With no one to talk to, there’s only one thing she can do.

 No, not finish the homework that’s due Monday and she’ll forget about until Sunday. The only thing she can do is sleep.

 She only wakes up after arriving at Uranohoshi, and even then the driver needed to wake her up. One quick apology later, she walks through the gates, wandering into the front area of Uranohoshi. She sees some second-years hanging large banners in front of the school building, but most are scattered around, preparing their respective club’s booths.

 There’s still a while before it’s time to go to class, so she decides that wandering around a bit wouldn’t hurt. After a few minutes, she comes across what seems to be the School Idol Club’s booth, although it’s unmanned. The relatively new club has no accolades to display for prospective members. In fact, the only things on the table is a flyer similar to the one she received a few days ago (now with a picture of Yoshiko and her number added), as well as a sheet of paper for people to sign up.

 It’s fairly humble, a direct contrast to her image of an idol: bright, flashy, and unique. But she supposes that every group has to start like this. Even Muse, one of the most decorated groups in the history of Love Live (or at least, that’s what Chika calls them), has their early failures buried underneath articles of their accomplishments. Maybe Uranohoshi’s school idols will share a similar fate.

 After that, she goes into the school building and heads to her class, greeting Hanamaru and Ruby when she enters. There are no classes today, so the three have a short conversation while waiting for the day to officially begin. You finds out that Hanamaru seems interested in being a part of the school choir, as well as setting up a literature club. Ruby hasn’t decided on any, but both You and Hanamaru can tell that her heart is set on the School Idol Club. She’s already invested in it, even helping them make their first flyers, and she’s so passionate about idols that it would be a waste not to have her join.

 Before they have the chance to convince her further, Kanan and a few other third-years enter the class. She looks around, waiting for everyone to quiet down before speaking up. “Good morning, everyone.” She says, her voice causing a few of You’s classmates to swoon. “So, usually we’d be doing this auditorium, but there’s only one first-year class this year anyway, so I decided to save some time by coming here.” Despite the casual tone Kanan spoke in, it’s still shocking to be reminded of that fact. “But let’s not talk about that.” She tacks on afterward after noticing the other’s awkward expressions.

 ���Today’s club day, as I assume you’re able to piece together thanks to the massive banners and stands. Some of you might join one club, others might join two, and if you’re really bored, three. Some of you may stick with it until your third-year, like me, or change clubs after a week. I’m a part of the swimming team,” she glances at You subtly. “but no matter which clubs you choose, it will be important for your life in Uranohoshi. So please take this seriously.”

 She shuffles in position for a second before continuing. “And, I have one more announcement. Today marks my last day as the active student council president. You might still see me occasionally, but you’ll be seeing my successor more often from now on. Even though most of you have only known me for a week, I do apologize if I’ve made any mistakes in that short time.” She, along with the other third-years, lower their heads in a bow. She maintains that position for a few seconds before straightening up. “As such, I wish to make a selfish request. If any of you experience any issues today, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to come to me. Even though it’s my last day here, I want to help as many of you as possible. So with that, I hope that you’ll help me make my last day as memorable as possible.”

 Some people clap their hands as Kanan finishes her speech. “Now then,” Kanan continues. “That’s everything I have to say. Thank you for your attention, and I hope you all have a good day.” She says before leaving, followed by the others.

 “So, what do you want to do now, zura?” Hanamaru asks, more to Ruby than to her. “I think we can do whatever we want now, right?”

 “Well, kind of.” Ruby taps her finger against the desk nervously. “There are gonna be performances by certain clubs, so we’ll be going to the auditorium later.”

 “What kind of clubs?” You asks curiously.

 “Dance, choir, stuff like that. Oh, and the school idol club, obviously. Sis is really excited about it.”

 “I can’t wait to watch it, zura!” Hanamaru says excitedly. “When are they going to perform?”

 “I...think it’s around 4?” Ruby replies cautiously. “It’s not set in stone, though.”

 “Well, that’s later, right? Let’s just have fun for now.”

 The three first-years walk out of class, making small talk as they do. And for the first time since meeting them, You is enveloped with a sense of belonging

 ------------------

 The student council room is devoid of sound. None of the current occupants are speaking to each other, content with finishing their respective tasks. Chika is staring at the lyrics of their song, her attempts at memorizing them falling apart whenever she gets distracted by something. Dia is finishing some paperwork, her eyes locked onto the tiny black writing on the sheets of paper.

 The atmosphere is calm and serene, at least in comparison to the shouting match that had happened only a day ago, it’s like a different place entirely.

 Yoshiko steps into the room, noticing her friends already waiting for her. She joins them sitting around the table in the middle of the room. Student council paperwork has been hastily pushed aside, leaving the table empty except for a blank piece of paper.

 "Everyone's here. Good." Dia taps her pen against the table. "First of all, Yoshiko?"

 "Hmph, don't underestimate me." She shows off the new outfits proudly. Chika is smiling ear-to-ear, and even Dia looks somewhat impressed by her standards. She gingerly takes hers, scrutinizing it while Yoshiko stares nervously, waiting for any kind of praise or scalding critique.

 Finally, Dia nods and smiles. "I understand why you needed more time to finish them; they're beautiful. Thank you very much." Yoshiko blushes, sheepishly rubbing her neck at the compliment. "We'll have to do a quick fitting session, but my sizes are still the same, so it should be fine."

 She gives the outfit back to Yoshiko, who returns it to her bag. "Now then, I just remembered that we're still missing a few things for today's performance."

 Immediately, Chika and Yoshiko's expressions turn panicked. "What did we forget?"

 "We need a group name, of course." Dia almost laughs when she sees relief washing over their features immediately.

 "That's it?" Yoshiko asks.

 "That's not it." Dia frowns. "It’s not easy to make a name. Any respectable unit has a memorable name. It should be short and catchy, but unique above all else. A name people can chant during our victory in Love Live!"

 Chika nods, knowing that Dia has a point; even today, the name Muse is known by every aspiring school idol across Japan. "So, Dia-chan, do you have any ideas?"

 "...not really." She admits, embarrassed. "I was thinking that we should just throw around ideas until something sticks."

 "Hold on," Yoshiko interrupts, to Dia's mild annoyance. "How did muse get their name?"

 "I think they asked for suggestions from the school body." Chika chips in.

 "But they used the suggestion from Nozomi-san." Dia corrects. "In the end, the name came from a member of the group. So don't even think about asking someone else to make a name for us."

 "And here I was thinking of using a name generator online," Yoshiko says sarcastically. "Well, how should we start?"

 "The name should be significant to us." The other two members nod in agreement at Dia's suggestion. "So we should think of what's important to all of us and put it into the name."

 The three girls fall silent, racking their brains for something that fits that criteria. Yoshiko and Dia are almost exact opposites to each other, making it hard for Yoshiko to find something in common.

 Dia seems to be struggling as well, her brow furrowed in concentration. Only Chika speaks up after an entire minute.

 "Uchiura." She says with certainty, the other two facing her with curious stares. "We all live here, so it's important for all of us, right?"

 "It's as good a start as any." Dia concedes. "Now we have to narrow it down. What reminds you of Uchiura?"

 "The sea, obviously." Yoshiko quickly points out. "I mean, I don't go to the beach often and I know how important it is. That's gotta mean something."

 "Then we need to think of a name connected to the sea..." Dia trails off as the three think of new ideas. Just like before, Chika is the first to speak out.

 "Three Mermaids!" She exclaims her idea loudly. "It's a combination of the sea and the people of Uchiura."

 "And what do we do when we get new members?" Dia asks. "Changing the name of the group is usually not a good thing, even if it’s something minor like that. Our name should remain constant in spite of roster changes."

 "Mermaids of Uchiura?" Yoshiko offers tentatively. "Although it doesn't sound that catchy...."

 "But you're on to something. We shouldn't specify an exact number that represents the number of members."

 "So you mean we have to use stuff like 'we' and 'us'?" Dia nods. "That's gonna be tough...."

 "And something about water...." Chika trails off. "Our Sea? Wait, that's not catchy enough."

 "What’s another word we can we use for sea?" Dia asks. "Water? Mizu? Aqua?"

 "Aqua!" Chika exclaims with a bright smile. "I like it! What about Our Aqua?"

 "It still sounds a bit weird...," Yoshiko mumbles. "What if we flip the order? Aqua Our? The last part of Aqua kinda sounds like the start of Our, so we can combine the sound to make it smoother."

 "Aqua-our." Dia tentatively says. "Or is it A-q-ours? It's a bit hard to say."

 "How do you even say it?" Chika asks. Dia takes the paper in front of her and scribbles a few letters on it before showing it back to Chika. She squints as she tries to read the English letters, carefully wording it out. "That's really hard. Why don't we just call it Aqua? I like how it sounds."

 "But this one looks better written," Dia argues. “Having it look foreign and unpronounceable will make it seem sophisticated. Also, writing our name in English immediately makes it stand out.”

 “I think you got it mixed up, Dia. I can’t remember any group with a Japanese name. If we wanted to stand out, we should use a traditional name.” Dia opens her mouth to argue but closes it when she realizes that Chika has a point.

 "Or...we can combine it.” Yoshiko suggests, “We can write it one way but pronounce it another.”

 "That...can work," Dia says, slowly raising her hand. "All in favor of the name?" The other two smile, raising their hands as well. "Then it's settled. From now on, we will officially go by the name Aqours."

 "Alright!" Chika cheers, grinning widely. "Aqours! I love it!"

 " How perfect. This fallen angel deems this name worthy of use," Yoshiko chuckles, her voice deepening. "And with that, we are ready to show the mortal realm of our capabilities."

 "Not yet." Dia stops them before they stand up. "There's...one more thing to discuss." She sighs, mentally bracing herself. "We need a leader."

 Chika's eyes light up almost immediately. "Oh, that's easy! It's gotta be Dia, right?" Dia's face contorts with guilt, something the other two notice.

 "I've been thinking about that." Unlike normal, she speaks in a small voice. "I don't think I should be the leader."

 "What?" Dia shrinks back even more.

 "I believe that I shouldn't be the leader. After everything I did...I don't deserve it."

 Chika leans forward, until she's staring at Dia. "But we've forgiven you for that." Dia shakes her head, not budging an inch.

 "Even now, I don't know what caused me to lash out like that. What if it happens again? What if my actions damage our reputation? It's better for the group if I’m not the leader."

 Silence falls on the room as Chika and Dia stare at each other, the former's fists clenched in frustration. "Didn't you say that you wanted to lead your own school idol group? Are you really going to throw away that chance?"

 Dia hesitates, but nods again. "I don't deserve it, doesn't matter how much I want it." She pauses, then continues with a more hopeful tone. "Maybe one day I will, but...not today. Just...please don't make me the leader."

 Chika returns to her seat, unsatisfied with Dia's response.

 "Then, I think Chika should be the leader." Yoshiko voices her opinion, much to the surprise of the orange-haired girl.

 "What?"

 "Yes, that's actually what I was about to suggest." Dia also chips in. Chika frantically looks at them before shaking her head.

 "N-no way," she says. "I'm too normal. There's no way I can be the leader."

 "Who said you're too normal?" Yoshiko asks, almost angrily.

 "Well, compared to you two...." she manages to mumble before being cut off.

 "You're amazing, Chika," Dia says as if she was stating a fact. "You're quite amazing, in my opinion. If anyone of us here deserves to lead Aqours, it would be you.”

 When Chika doesn’t respond, Dia puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Chika, do you know what I thought when I first saw Muse?” Chika looks confused by the sudden change of topic, shaking her head. “I thought Eli should’ve been the leader instead of Honoka.”

 “But yesterday, I put a lot of thought into it, and I realized something. Eli isn’t really fit to be a leader, either. She can’t solve conflicts within the group very well, even though she’s supposed to be mature. In fact, there are times when she’s the one who causes the conflicts. On the other hand, Honoka can unite people, no matter how different they are. Umi and Kotori are quite different, but they’re all friends thanks to Honoka.”

 She turns to face Chika, who’s even more confused. “You’re just like that. I and Yoshiko are incredibly different, but we became friends because of you. When we were fighting, you remained calm and helped us resolve our problems. That’s amazing. You’re amazing, Chika. You’re the only person who can do this.”

 Chika stares at Dia, then at Yoshiko. She tells herself that there’s no way she can do it. After all, she’s just a normal monster with no talents whatsoever. She’s not as skilled as Dia with her many talents, or as creative as Yoshiko with her fallen angel self. Heck, she doesn’t think she’s any good at singing or dancing either, to be honest.

 But somewhere, deep down, Chika can’t deny that she wants to be the leader. She’s just scared. She’s scared of not being able to fulfill everyone’s expectations. She’s scared of crumbling underneath responsibilities. She’s scared of making a fool of herself and ruining the good name of Uranohoshi and Uchiura.

 She stares back at her two friends, both of them giving her their full support. “...I’m still really not sure if I’m the right person.” She sighs, but stands up. “But if you two are really sure, then I’m gonna give it everything I got!” She clenches her fists, determination clearly showing. “I’ll be the leader of Aqours!”

 She’s scared. But maybe, just maybe, she can do it. As long as her friends are behind her, she’ll do everything she can.

[eyedelater]

post about the rest of the ajin anime (seasons 1 and 2)

(nothing special, just a liveblog post)

ajin episode 6

i see that the animation budget saved by doing CGI was instead spent on the fluttery shifty effects of the black ghosts

so satou's ghost is also anvil-headed

right, nagai doesn't have much empathy... hmm... hmm... that doesn't excuse his being an asshole at times

tosaki sure is eager to jump to conclusions as to why satou didn't bring out his ghost

ohh, ghost-to-ghost head collisions can bump some memories back and forth, interesting, i forgot about that...

huh, what is eriko calling kei "onii-chan" for at a time like this? she called him "nii-san" to his face and i think in front of everyone who talked to her about him, right? was that her way of expressing worry about him...?

episode 7

tosaki's gotta get that dekai kane

right, of course he's motivated by comatose fiance. doesn't excuse any of the shit he's done

episode 8

nakano kou. do we seriously have a kei, a kai, and a kou? sounds like a bit of a natural OT3 tbh

episode 9

there we go, nagai kei finally being an indisputable asshole

oh, right, big pharma makes an appearance as an antagonist

sokabe has a very silly face.

i already forgot what IBM stands for and can only come up with IBM he company or ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) without the C

right, ogura's distinguishing feature was not only smoking cigarettes, but being unreasonably dedicated to his brand of smokes in particular. so dumb

episode 10

ogura says a black ghost can only be used once or twice a day, but didn't nagai kei whip em out one after another like it was no thing? is that his special protagonist power that makes him differentiated enough to be the protagonist?

kei's ghost learned how to fell a tree from minecraft

do they really have huge screens up in cities complete with booming audio? the screens are nothing new, but the audio seems unusual to me

episode 11

oh, tosaki finally learned satou's name. from satou's video.

yamanaka-san bought him an oPhone8

"life and money are synonymous" sounds like your typical CEO

omfg satou rode the sinking tower and had a great time

sokabe is still calling satou "hat guy." get with the picture

episode 12

this just in: does satou sometimes substitute a "sh" sound in for an "s" sound?

episode 13

kei demonstrates his shittiness by holding a knife to yamanaka-san's neck after getting sniped. what a dick. oh wait he made it work. well whatever

tosaki says nagai kei is not a fool and as such he probably already scouted out the area, but tosaki immediately also says nagai kei has probably exhausted his black ghost uses for the day, something a fool would do because only a fool doesn't know their own limits and try to use them tactically in such a situation

time for season 2 i guess, episode 2-1

this OP isn't bad i guess

these subs having sokabe say "it's normal for a subordinate to greet his senpai." listen, if you use "senpai," you gotta also use "kohai," and if you use "subordinate," you also gotta use "superior" you can't just pick and choose which words you want to translate

this ending song is horrible

ep 2-2

sakurai emerging from the airplane toilet clearly zipping up his fly out of frame and seeing satou and his eyebrows just turn on a fulcrum and then turn backward like they're pinball flippers

ep 2-3

ah. i was musing over what must be the most popular ship for ajin, thinking maybe kei/kai or kei/kou or tosaki/ogura, but i've had a bit of a realization, and if i know the hearts of the BL community at all, their favorite ship is probably some sinful shit like tosaki/kei. i’ll find out soon enough whether i’m right (haven’t looked at any ajin pixiv tags yet)

ep 2-4

kotobuki, eh. seems like a charming character. oh, this bandanna delinquent is pulling the ol' pee-and-chat

kaito, everyone's favorite punching bag

for the record, i know i've read beyond this point in the manga, but i don't remember shit except that i left off around a chapter where we see shimomura's history.

kotobuki has a small head, maybe he just squeezed through some bars to escape

ah, i just realized the other anime this kinda reminds me of: zankyou no terror. it's got the police/government and the american government trying to intervene aspect to it.

carly meyers doesn't have any kind of american accent... i was kinda hoping she would

neither does doug here. i guess they didn't have voice actors who would have some fun doing a bad accent... or maybe they didn't see it as appropriate

holy FUCK, kaito executed a flying dropkick even though he wasn't on higher ground or anything, what the fuck

kotobuki asks kai what nagai kei is like and i earnestly half-expected him to reply "he's scum" like everyone else does

oh, so kotobuki's got a winged kuro-chan. lucky... 

i forgot to write about this in the episode where it was said, but that iowan ajin whose ghost was driving a tractor is such a perfect image i can't stop thinking about it

ep 2-5

so i guess satou's catchphrase is "sssshate" (bc he kinda does a "sha" instead of a "sa") (meaning "now, then.")

the first OP wasn't skippable but i find myself needing to skip this one

there's lots of "pulling up live television broadcasts via a non-television device" in this anime

kou calling shimomura "izumi-san" pls

i like how whoever is nearest the whiteboard is the one to cross the latest victim off the target list

ok, if tosaki is about to be fired (which, hasn't he been for a while now?), that made me think, why is he concerned about his job when he's doing this conspiring with ogura and nagai etc hidden from his superiors? is he concerned about stopping satou, or is he still only concerned about money for his fiancee...? is he getting hella paid for this even though he's less involved in the torture (the real moneymaking activity) than before?

i don't like this dynamic btwn american guy and carly meyers where he keeps correcting her gruffly and she keeps backing off and looking afraid/ashamed.

they had nakano put on a satou hat to be satou ;w;

did shimomura just plug a flash drive into her phone? what kind of compatibility we got in this time period?

how long do neck-stab sedatives take to kick in in real life?

carly meyers's kuro-chan has a gem-shaped head

why don't all ajins just keep a knife or something on them to cut their own throat whenever they get hurt

ep 2-6

tainaka yoko. yup, this is about where i left off in the manga, i believe

whoa there, tosaki just got tased right in the nib nob. that's dirty, american doug

i can't say i feel bad for tosaki getting tortured.

ep 2-7

shut your ungrateful mouth, tosaki, shimomura was LITERALLY just doing her job, which you TOLD HER WAS HER JOB: PROTECTING YOU

how in the fuck did satou get away with playing dead when the other side KNOWS it's ajins they're fighting

why isn't ogura, a native english speaker, the one writing an email to the defense department

ep 2-8

this new OP is ok

ep 2-10

(i spent all of 2-9 doing origami instead of typing)

tosaki don't relapse on your smoking habit :( that's not gonna do anyone any good.

ep 2-11

kai busts in with his signature move and saves the day and he's started calling kotobuki "senpai"

so kei's signature line to kai is "i really have to pee"

kai's like "you're wrong. he (kei) isn't an idiot." that's right, he's actually trash, ask anyone

i can't emphasize enough how bad this ending theme is

ep 2-12

well okuyama-kun has been kind of lovable so far, so if he and others decide to join tosaki's side, that would probably be good

isn't burying someone alive the worst way to try to contain them? because you can't see them directly. they could escape without you noticing

ep 2-13

no kabedonning shimomura >:(

wait wait is tanaka also wearing a satou hat? oh, it's just a baseball cap.

fuck off tanaka don't impale shimomura in the same way twice

oh, one of nagai's new ghost army said the thing that nagai said at the scene where he first saw a ghost :0 about the sick puppy. i like all these ghosts spouting quotes

oh, he cut off satou's head. well, that's the first head we've seen cut off. is he facing the right direction to meet his new self? he closed his eyes too soon for us to find out :\

helicopters are raining in bullets from above like in ghost in the shell (1995) (unless i’m completely misremembering. there were other things that were raining bullets in various directions in that scene so i’m not sure)

so now satou's in custody for the first time. 

so satou had an exposition dream

honestly i’m no longer sure where i even left off when i read the manga x years ago, i feel like i may have dropped it because i didn’t care for the boring military shit going on for quite a while, but i feel like i even distantly remember satou being beheaded in the manga...? but anyway i’m gonna (re?)read the whole manga now i guess. overall manga verdict: it had a distant, clammy feel to it, but not bad; the voice for nagai’s ghost was real good; they did a good job with the cgi animation, but it definitely lacks something compared to the art in the manga; the only good OP was the first one; and yeah idk my feeling toward this anime is pretty neutral.