#...this isn't really a /happy/ vibes playlist yet

[aparticularbandit]

-starts playlist for dr/haruhi crossover-

-immediately has a better series title and has to go change it-

Gonna call it That Faint Green Light. It's a Gatsby reference!

...still have no idea what I'm going to call the first fic, though.

[demaparbat-hp]

Hiya!! 👋🏼😄 How's it going? Your fashion taste for Zuko in a Modern AU seems to be artsy, or maybe "formal" is the word. That shirt he wore when he gave Sokka romantic song advice looked Versace🧐. Anyway, I was wondering how you came up with it, he always struck me more as the type that didn´t care much about fashion, so I'm curious about other´s opinions and heacanons about it. And do you have any other fashion headcanons for the rest of the GAang? Also, their music tastes. How did you come up with them? Especially Katara's! 😍

Hello! As it happens, I have a lot of Thoughts and Feelings™ about this, so I'm leaving these over here, and the rest of my ramblings down below the cut!

Let us begin with the Gaang, shall we?

SUKI always struck me as that Pretty Girl from the Gym. She is so incredibly fit it isn't even funny. She could kick anyone's ass, and we'd all thank her. She has this casual gym style that somehow always looks glorious on her, as it should! Comfy yet fashionable clothes for a nice workout or a day in town.

Her music tastes are basically any and all power songs from the eighties and nineties. (Eye of the Tiger, anyone?) She also enjoys metal via Toph, and bands like BSB, NSYNC, or Boyz II Men with Katara. My girl has a very eclectic Playlist and we all love her for it.

SOKKA is That Guy™. Loose T-shirts and shorts everywhere he goes, no matter the weather. He's stupidly into fashion but it doesn't show! At all! And everyone teases him about it. His closet is about 90% Cactus Juice merchandise, hence the "it's the quenchiest!" shirt.

His fashion and music tastes are pretty much the same. He loves poetry but isn't really into lyrics. He'll misinterpret just about anything you place in front of him. His Playlist is mostly vibes and tiktok songs he kind of enjoys. He isn't really into music...at least not as much as his sister.

AANG owns exactly one hoodie, one pair of shorts, and one beanie (THE beanie). Oh, and the crocs—don't forget the crocs. Somehow, he's always wearing the exact same outfit. Every. Single. Day. Ancient Gaang lore suggests that the day Aang goes out without his beanie, it's the end of the world.

His Playlist is the poppiest, most bizarre thing ever. Every single song is Happy by Pharrell Williams levels of happy. Yet sometimes, among the bouncy dance-to songs, you'll find the strangest of things... (He does know what Good Day by Twenty One Pilots is about. That's the reason he likes it so much, actually. And it's so weird.)

KATARA is all about sundresses and loose pants. The epitome of comfortable loveliness. Light fabrics in blue shades, careful embroidery, delicate shoes, and little to no accessories—hers is a simple, yet quite adorable, style. She just needs to add more colors to her usual palette...

She is, first and foremost, a Florence + The Machine girl. It's the Dark Goddess of the Sea vibes, to be honest. Florence Welch is her idol and yes, she will fight you about lyrics interpretation, and win. It may not seem like it, but her music tastes are also very varied.

She draws a little from each member of the Gaang, so you'll hear her humming along to Gorillaz (where did you even find out about them, Aang?), The Weeknd (I...don't think this song means what you think it means, Sokka...), and Hozier (Zuko why did you dedicate Talk to me, Zuko WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT).

TOPH...ah, lovely girl. I'll summarise everything about Toph’s fashion sense in two words: comfort and rebellion. Stuffy dresses forced on her by billionaire parents? No thank you! Give her tank tops with loose shirts and short pants. Bandaids shared with Aang, bracelets from Katara, and even piercings she got in tandem with Sokka. Shoes? What even is that?

Something I love about this fandom is our collective agreement that Toph is into the dirtiest, heaviest, most ear-splitting and soul-crushing death metal of all times. Her Playlist is full of the most obscure names to ever exist, and she can and will blast through your walls with the sheer volume of her speaker.

Zuko. ZUKO.

Even in a modern AU my boy must suffer. That being said, I envision Tales from the Couch as—well, exactly what it is: an ATLA modern AU. While there is not a war to fight, and a lot of plot lines are discarded or expanded upon, much about the core story remains the same.

This is my way of saying that Zuko still goes trough his redemption arc, and it reflects on his fashion choices.

The way you described it works perfectly because of one single reason: in this AU, Zuko is an artist. He had to suppress his love for writing and drawing because of his background and the expectations Ozai had for him (taking over the family company), and a very large part of his redemption arc directly affects his relationship with art.

In the Couch equivalent of S1, Zuko has fallen out of Ozai's graces, and is desperate to protect his place in the company and the Kasai household. He's pretending to be someone he isn't and trying to live up to his Father's image of a perfect heir while still being somewhat cut-off financially, and it shows.

He's all about imposing long coats and a semi-formal style, imitating what he knows Azula and Father would respect. He's striking and sharp and dark. But no matter how he dresses or carries himself (that air of cold superiority and arrogance)—it won't help him when he needs it the most.

In S2, Zuko has hit his lowest point. He's officially disinherited and tossed away by his father, and would be out in the streets if it wasn't for Uncle Iroh. He goes from sharp, high-tailored outfits to old second-hand clothes that hang loosely on his frame. He starts smoking and cuts his hair off, forgoing the undercut for the first time in years.

But then...Father accepts him back. When Zuko returns home, it's with respect to his name and a very high position in his father's company. He's finally the perfect Kasai heir, dressed in overly expensive suits and finery, even at home... But Father forbids him from wearing Lu Ten's earring, and Zuko can no longer recognize himself without the familiar glint of gold dancing on his peripheral vision.

When Zuko leaves the Kasai name behind him and goes back to living with Uncle Iroh...he's finally at peace with who he is, and what he wants in this life. The sharp edges aren't gone (they'll always be a part of him, after all), but now they're dulled by looser clothes and softer hairstyles.

He's an artist, and for once in his life, he is determined to pursue his own ambitions. Zuko's outfits may not be designer-made anymore, but he takes what he has and makes himself look like he wants to look, like the person he wants to be.

He doesn't read fashion magazines or keeps up to the latest trends like Azula does. He's just...Zuko. And his newfound confidence makes everything he wears look like it belongs on him.

As for music...well, Ursa raised a literature boy.

He loves lyric-heavy music and natural voices, be they soothing or powerful. Dissecting song meanings and possible interpretations with Katara is one of his favorite parts of the day. They're both very passionate and strong-minded individuals, so it stands to reason that their debates can get quite...heated.

Zuko's Playlist is both incredibly eclectic and somehow very...him. There's a common thread that binds together every song and artist he likes, and he's hilariously unaware of this. To take a look into his Playlist is a higher honor reserved only for those closest to him.

In the wide spectrum of things, it is no wonder that Zuko is, first and foremost, a Hozier man. But though Andrew is his God in all aspects of this life, there's someone else that has had a huge impact on him...

Two someones, actually.

Zuko refuses to tell anyone how he got into Twenty One Pilots, but it's kind of a moot point when the beginning of his obsession is nothing compared to everything that came after. They have just about the right amount of everything that makes Zuko...well, Zuko. The poetic lyrics, the soothing or raging music, the heavy, intensely resonant themes...

Up there, in the second artwork, I placed an album cover behind each period of Zuko's life. The election of these records is intentional, as I feel like their general themes work incredibly well with Zuko's arc and growth.

Blurryface in S1. For the demons within us. For giving a name to our fears and shame.

Trench in S2. For escaping the confined walls of a depression city, and fighting to understand the depths of the map of your mind.

Scaled and Icy in the first half of S3. For returning to places you had left behind. For convincing yourself and everyone around you that you're fine, that you're perfect, even though everything is crumbling inside...

Clancy in S3. For recognizing that you can backslide, that you can have fears and shame and pain—but you're shaping yourself with each step you take. For knowing that seeking help from others is okay. Nobody learns to walk on their own.

(And, in the end, you'll always be better than the person you were yesterday. If only because you're still here. You're still alive. You're still yourself.)

.

Overall, I rambled a bit too much, don't you think?

If you made it all the way down here—thank you so much for reaching out and being interested in this crazy AU! I hope you enjoy these ideas and tell me some of your own ❤️

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi! Could you talk more about "character development exercises", please?:]

Character Development Exercises

Character development exercises are writing exercises you can do to help you explore and develop your characters. This isn't a required part of writing or character development, but many writers find it helpful. Here are some that I like to do when I'm struggling to get to know a character:

Character Interview - imagine that you’ve pulled your character out of a story into the room and now have the opportunity to interview them. What questions would you ask them? What do you want to know about them that you don’t already know? What do you think the reader would want to know? What might be pertinent to the story that you haven’t thought about yet?

TV Crew follow around - Imagine you’ve dropped an invisible TV crew into your story’s world to follow your character around through an average day (even if it's anachronistic). Follow them from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed that night. What are they like when they wake up? What is their morning routine? What do they eat for breakfast? How do they get ready? What do they do throughout the day? Who do they interact with? What else do they eat and drink? What do they do for fun or relaxation? How to they make money or meet their basic needs? What is their bedtime routine like?

Letters or Journal Entries - Look at your character's back story, off-screen events, etc. and find something for your character to write about in a journal entry or a letter to another character. What would they say about this event? How does it make them feel? What do they think about it?

Use Your Character in a Writing Prompt - Look at some writing prompts and do one using your character as the main character. You can keep it within your story's world or plop them into a whole different world. Whatever works for you and your story. This is about getting to know this character in a different context than the events of your story provides.

Create a Character Mood Board/Aesthetic - Mood boards go a long way in mentally fleshing out a character for me. Being able to have a visual representation of their style, their vibe, things that are important to them, etc. really turns them into real people in my mind.

Create a Playlist for Your Character - I think playlists can also be a really great way to mentally flesh out a character in your mind. Sometimes, just having a particular song or a playlist of songs that makes you think of them gives them some dimension they wouldn't otherwise have.

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[strongheartneteyam]

Realize where you belong.

Pairing: neteyam sully x female!human!reader/female!dreamwalker!reader

Neteyam is aged up.

Chapter 2

CW: angst, reader hates her life, neteyam is like her "secret admirer" but he eventually becomes obsessed, so, it gives off some creepy vibes, possessive neteyam, forbidden love, neteyam is REALLY protective over her, neteyam isn't really fond of humans (hates them) and only makes an exception for reader, TRIGGER WARNING for a few depression symptoms (such as reader holding back tears and looking miserable really often), stalking, obsessive behavior & possessiveness

Synopsis: Reader is unhappy with her human life. She works for the lab as a cook. She's a Dreamwalker and she spends every free day she gets walking through Pandora's forests. In one of those days, Neteyam sees her but she doesn't notice him. He falls in love, seeing how happy she is amidst nature. Neteyam finds out she's actually a human in an Avatar, so, he finds a way to go where her real body is. He hates to admit it but, seeing her in her human body, he realizes he still loves her. After watching her, he notices how she's always happier when she's in her Avatar, so, he develops a deeper connection to her. However, he becomes obsessive. Reader has only heard about him, the famous son of Jake Sully and future Olo'eyktan, praised for his great achievements as a young Omatikaya. After getting reader's attention, Neteyam asks her to choose to live forever in her Avatar, becoming his mate and making tsaheylu with him, gaining a new home as a fresh member of his tribe. Reader is scared and torn, since, even though she's intensely attracted to him and only truly enjoys life when she's Dreamwalking, she doesn't really know him and she's afraid of dying when trying to go past Eywa's eye. But Neteyam just won't give up on her that easily.

♡ This is Reader's Avatar

☆ This is the official playlist for this story, the songs I listen to while working on it.

•

Finally, this fanfic is out!! lots of people seemed to love the tiny sneak peek I posted so... I hope you guys will love the fanfic itself too hehe I'm so relieved I could finally post it ooof My environment is the worst EVER rn & i haven't had any motivation or focus to write lately BUT i seem to be getting out of that damned writer's block I was in (ITS THE WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD UGH HATE IT TO DEATH)

Not proofread. My life is a hurricane, so, we don't work with proofread stories here. Hope you find it in your hearts to forgive me, my angels :')

na'vi words:

yawne - beloved

tsaheylu - the neurological bond the na'vi make with their mate, through their tendrils, at the end of their long braid.

Chapter 1

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

I love your touch, cold as ice

And I love every single tear you cry

I just love the way you're losing your life

Oh, my baby, how beautiful you are

Oh, my darling, completely torn apart

Gone With The Sin (HIM)

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Neteyam would look at you every moment he could. He didn't have that much free time since he was the Olo'eyktan's son and had so many responsibilities weighting on his shoulders. But he would always make any sacrifice he needed to make to find time to see you. Even if it meant using the few hours he had to himself to contemplate you. His sad, gloomy-eyed, beautiful girl. You were not actually his yet, but, he was determined to make that change.

Neteyam saw you holding back tears way too damn often, so, he was always deeply worried about you, and, that was one of the reasons why he was always creeping around, high up in branches of trees located in Hell's Gate, watching over you, almost every day, ready to help you, defend you from any danger, to say "screw it" to how out of the blue it would be if he - a stranger, a male na'vi stranger - just came up to you and said "hey, I've been watching you for a while, and… I'm so, so in love with you. Please, leave this damn idiotic human life you live and let Eywa help you be transferred to your Avatar body for good, just like she helped my father. You're so insanely pretty like this - and I have never felt attracted to any female of your demon kind before, so, believe me when I talk about your beauty - but you look even prettier when you're in your Avatar form. Let me make you my mate, let me make you the future Olo'eyktan's mate. I can give you a far better life than the one you have now"

He knew he was just a weird alien boy (as the humans would probably say), stalking you, always up in the highest tree branches he could find and reach, watching a girl while she cooks - as it was your job - like a hunter watching their prey. But he meant no harm. On the contrary, he meant to take care of you, to save you from it all. Because he wasn't blind. Neteyam saw how unhappy you looked while peeling potatoes (he knew what they were because his dad who was once human told him and his siblings about how delicious that vegetable from Earth tasted, especially when it was made as French fries) to cook on the high-tech stove the humans used to prepare their meals in and prepare mashed potatoes to those damn lab guys who invaded his Planet and did nothing but harm.

Neteyam thought it to be unnecessary. His future mate could easily prepare the same potatoes in a bonfire he would light up for you in the Omatikaya forest. He knew they would taste even better roasted in the natural fire than just plainly cooked in that energy fueled cooking device the humans used. He could give you a life so incredibly better than the one you had right now, it pained him to see his yawne working so hard to feed every damn scientist in that cold, air-conditioned lab while not being as appreciated and thanked by them as you deserved to be. You could be preparing food to feed his children instead, the sons and daughters he would give you, if only you accepted becoming his forever mate.

He hated the humans. They didn't know how to lead a proper life. But you were different.

Neteyam knew how breathtaking you looked in a na'vi like body because the first time he saw you, you were in your Avatar body - as you were a Dreamwalker - and that's when he fell in love with you. But he learned to love your human body too. He could never hate you, even in your human form. You were the only human he did not despise.

The day Neteyam first saw you, he was out in the forest to hunt and gather food, collecting bladder polyps, lionberry seeds and trying to kill a hexapede, so, he could bring all of it home and him and his family could eat a nutritious dinner.

That's when he heard a squeaky, funny laugh. It was a female voice, he recognized. Neteyam followed that sound just like he was a sailor and the girl whose laugh he heard was a mermaid, bewitching his senses and drawing him closer.

When he saw you, it was like his heart was going to explode in a thousand pieces, so fast it was beating inside his rigid ribcage, so strongly the blood was being pumped through his arteries. He knew he had to make you his mate, to have you forever.

Neteyam had always been a practical and rational young man, he had to be. He was the eldest son and had to look after his 3 younger siblings and not show a single sign of weakness when his father would scold him in a harsh tone, whenever any of his siblings - specially his younger brother, Lo'ak -, got into trouble and somehow, Neteyam ended up having to take responsibility over their actions. "But that girl… that beautiful, ethereal girl… she makes me believe in things I've never even considered before. I know it sounds stupid to say that about a girl I just met, only some minutes ago but I don't care", he thought. Only he and Eywa herself knew the raw, powerful feeling he was experiencing at that moment. He just wanted to let go for a while. To not force himself to be all brains, zero heart for once, just once. And you were gifting him the opportunity to do just that. Your beauty was so enchanting, it could leave any creature in awe.

His father had once told him about Christianity, one of the most popular religions back on the glory days of the Planet Earth, and, of course he didn't follow those beliefs, his spirituality was completely based on Eywa, the Great Mother, the spirit and moving energy of Pandora, but, if the beings called "angels" his father talked about were real, Neteyam was utterly sure that they could only look like you.

You were perfect. Every curve of your body, every bioluminescent freckle, every pattern of your stripes, your long dark braided hair falling like water on your flawless back, as you kept smiling and touching every single flower you could see, playing in a foolish way, just like a child. He felt a primal urge coming from his guts to make tsaheylu with you right there, right at that moment.

So many thoughts roamed through Neteyam's mind: "I need her… right here, right now. She's… ugh… I've never felt anything like this before… What's going on with your stupid mind, Neteyam?! You can't just choose any girl to be your mate, you'll be the next Olo'eyktan, remember?! The best choice would be a girl who has a calling to be Tsahìk. Maybe your parents will try to arrange a marriage, to find the perfect match for you. Damn! Who am I trying to fool? She is the only perfect match for me…"

Neteyam started to watch you go about the forest every chance he got.

When he found out you were actually a Dreamwalker, a human in a body created in a laboratory, a hybrid of demon and na'vi, a freak... It was like his world was falling apart, piece by tiny piece crashing on the floor. How did he not notice your fifth finger before?! Was he that much under your spell, that blinded by how beautiful and charming you were?, he asked himself.

So, he told himself he was going to find a way to at least see what your true form looked like. He hissed at the thoughts and feelings you had caused him the whole way to Hell's Gate, where the laboratory was and where he knew all the humans that stayed in Pandora and had an Avatar stayed.

When Neteyam saw you in your human body, he got hit by something as strong as lightning. The moment he sniffed your sweet scent (the smell you had in your Avatar had notes of your original human scent, as your DNA was used to build that body), the moment he recognized that melodious voice… The expression in those eyes, that smile, that laughter… it was you. His yawne.

He didn't understand how that was possible, what he was feeling. Nevertheless, he realized he still loved you. His heart still beat fast for you. It didn't matter which physical form you took. Na'vi or human. You were you. And he loved you. Madly.

His people had a great contempt towards the ones who Dreamwalked. They were "demons in false bodies", like his grandma and his mother always said. And Neteyam himself felt the same. Worse, he had felt disgusted by the love and desire you made him feel, back when he watched you wandering around the Omatikaya lands, when you would jump like a little kid, so happy playing with the bioluminescent, neon plants of the forest.

But, still, that feeling lingered inside him. The attachment, the deep affection, the devotion… He could not comprehend it.

All Neteyam could grasp was that he hated all humans, but you were the only exception.

Even though you were originally human, you had a na'vi heart. He just knew that. As crazy and impossible as it sounded, he figured out it was true. And that blew his mind. That sorrowful girl he was seeing cooking in a small technological kitchen was not the same one he had seen at the forest. But it was, at the same time. It apparently made no sense, but it actually did. You were not where you belonged. You did not belong imprisoned among those four walls that the other humans kept you in. That you were keeping yourself in. You belonged free amidst the Pandoran trees. You did not belong in those big human clothes. You belonged in a comfortable loincloth and a big leaf necklace covering your beautiful breasts, letting the wind hit your skin.

You seemed out of place in that environment you were currently in. And that made Neteyam feel something so overpowering. He knew it was useless to try and fight it. He was not even sure if he even wanted to fight it anymore. That feeling was good. It felt just like what he felt when he thought you were a na'vi girl. He even felt attracted to you, even though he still thought you looked much prettier in your Avatar body.

He was fully aware you were one of the demons. But you were not like the rest of them. You were special. He could tell that. He could tell you'd be a hundred per cent happier if he could convince you to become na'vi. And that's exactly what he was planning to do. He still did not know how, but he would find a way.

༊⁀➷

Taglist:

@crazy4books1

@samistars

@lik0

@miri-belle

@nerdybouquetofkittens-blog

@xxunnie

@your-girl-mj

@sereisstuff

@darktyrantwinner

@henhouse-horrors

@explosiongamora

@yeosxxx

[ramblingautisticman]

Why Is This Song In My Poolverine Playlist, A Series.

(I am extremley insane and make playlists for every ship/character/show I like, and yes there is a reason each on is in there. I think of lil scenarios, situations or straight up story ideas because of a song- so enjoy this series where I write them all down!)

Today's song, Car Lights by James Marriot.

So, firstly, this is a Wade and Logan song. The lyrics and the vibe and everything just fit in my head perfectly. (All of the lyrics in Red are Wade, all in Orange are Logan)

Now, the first verse seems to me like Wade's thoughts as he sits at the table, surrounded by the people he saved, staring into the pizza on his plate zoned out.

Wade questions why he's still here. He was ready to die, to finally be the hero, and get his happy ending. He was going to finally matter. He was going to finally make a difference- but here he was. Logan had saved him. Logan had fought hard to do so - for some strange reason- and now his family of 9 (well, 12. Laura, Logan and Dogpool all had a place here now, and he hoped it lasted for a long while.) were sat around his shitty dining table, drinking shitty beer and eating even shittier pizza. It felt weird. He felt out of place.

"Why am I here? Could you come instead? I'm ten good miles out of my depth."

But he should be happy. He should be glad that his family are safe- that he has found more people to add to his photo! Everything should feel perfect! Yet, he still feels as he did before. He still has this gnawing feeling of inadequacy, the feeling that- even after all this- he still hasn't done anything of value. It was only because Logan agreed to come with him that they were safe now. If Logan had said no, or if he hadn't been able to find a Logan who had agreed, they would all be dead. They would all be nothing.

"Some more fake smiles, I'll just nod my head."

And while he wants to just drown in those thoughts for awhile, Logan manages to snap him out of it by taking Mary Puppins from him, telling him to talk to Vanessa. And what's strange is that- even after doing this for her- he doesn't really feel that spark as he looks at her. He feels this strange empty pit in his stomach where previously there had been this wondrous feeling of hope and love. Wade suddenly can't help but feel stupid for even trying to win her back. Vanessa was happy with Dermot. Vanessa had moved on and suddenly- sitting here with everyone- he realizes those feelings of hope and love have shifted. He isn't sure what to, but they have shifted, and it makes his stomach twist. Maybe this was a sign that Wade really wasn't important. That he wasn't destined to do great things and that he would be alone forever. So he shares a quiet word, tries to pretend he is happy and still inlove, and soon enough they are holding hands ontop of the table. But it doesn't feel like it used too. That electricity isn't there and Wade finds that he doesn't want to try and chase it. He doesn't know if he can set himself to just be hurt again- but he also knows he doesn't want it. He doesn't know what he wants now, but maybe it isn't this, and that scares him.

"For one more glimpse of your breath. Stained shirts and cigarettes. I failed again, tried my best."

Soon enough, everyone has said their goodbyes, Logan and Wade left to clean the apartment up while Al goes to bed. It's quiet for a moment, before Logan asks how it went with Vanessa, and Wade freezes at the question. He should feel something about the fact they aren't getting back together- shouldn't he? Should be upset or annoyed or angry or something- but he really isn't. He thinks that Vanessa is better off without him. Everyone he has ever gotten close too ends up hurt anyway, and Vanessa is the massive proof of that. And he must not of answered because suddenly he feels a strong but gentle hand on his shoulder, and Logan is stood infront of him with a concerned expression. It makes Wade feel safe and seen and fucking worse and he quickly plasters a smile on his face, makes a grotesque joke about how he won't ever get to see that pussy again, and throws some music on to drown out the thoughts as he finishes cleaning the apartment.

"Forget my fears, ignore all my frets. Just lay your mind on my chest."

And maybe Logan seems to understand because he doesn't ask any more questions, just tidys with him while some trashy music plays behind them, and Wade is overly grateful for that. As much as he doesn't want to think about why he is feeling the way he does, he knows he should. Wade tries to rationalise it- to tell himself that maybe it's because he's tired or because Vanessa told him they couldn't get back together- but he knows those are both lies. It suddenly hits him that he doesn't feel sad or angry because he doesn't feel like that towards her anymore. It hits him hard, that realisation. Vanessa had been the one thing in Wades life he knew would always be there- and in theory- always be the same. They were meant to be soulmates, to match eachothers crazy, but suddenly they weren't and suddenly Wade was okay with that. And, once again, he must of freaked Logan out- this time there are two strong hands on his shoulders trying to ground him- and it works. It takes a minute, and Logan has to talk to him about how to breath, but it works and Wade feels wet streaks down his face. Logan doesn't even say anything before he is wrapping his hands around Wade and pulling him into his chest, holding him as close as he can. After a good few minutes of awkwardly standing there, Wade wraps his shaky arms around Logan's middle and let's everything hit him. Let's the emotions take over, and before he can register it, he's crying into Logan's chest.

"You seem like that kind of guy to play me tonight."

It should feel comforting- and it does, it really really does- but it also makes Wade feel a strangley familiar sensation in his stomach. That warm fuzzy feelings that's a mixture of anxiety and comfort. A feeling he only used to feel with Vanessa. Wade knows he shouldn't feel like this. Really. This is Logan- and he was Wade- and he has only just realized he doesn't even want Vanessa anymore- but it doesn't feel bad. For some reason, the warm fuzzy feeling makes him feel better. Makes him feel safe. Makes him feel like maybe everything will be okay- because for some reason- someone might care.

"I hate what your doing, I hate that it feels so right."

And that makes him feel even worse somehow, and Wade is quickly pulling away from Logan because he can't deal with this right now. Right now he needs to make a bed for Mary Puppins and set the pull out couch up for them and he needs to throw the rest of the pizza away before it gets all gross and he doesn't have time to think about this. Think about why he feels like this.

And honestly, the rest of the song? It's Logan and Wade.

"I think I'm falling for someone else".

After such a long time pining over Vanessa, Wade suddenly becoming aware that he doesn't have feelings for the one person who he thought understood him and that instead he's gaining feelings for someone who truly understands him, and being completely terrified.

"I'm not scared, there's nothing to run from"

That is Logan reassuring Wade. Telling him that, I love you no matter what. I want you. There is nothing I am scared of- not when I'm stood next to you. Reminding him that there is no danger in letting him be loved. That he doesn't have to run.

"You can hold my hand in a crowded place, but just hold me close, and hope that they don't see my face."

Wade feeling insecure being public with his relationship. He hates how he looks- how people stare and gawk at him- and Logan doesn't need that. Logan doesn't need people to look at him and feel pity.

"I can answer your troubles if you let me in."

Logan begging Wade to let him in. To talk to him. To be open about why he feels the way he does- trying to help him as much as he can.

I hope you enjoyed this long ramble, and if yall want the playlist let me know!!

[the-artist-grimm]

for the ask game, 12, 17, 19 and 20?

12. Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?

I've answered a music lists ask before! (and really need to make proper playlists eventually lol), but only gave vague reasonings I'll add more to here.

-Anthea has more indie to kinda sad songs because despite giving off a playful vibe they're pretty melancholic behind the mask. A smile is a way they brush off how they're actually feeling, and from Crane Wives to Vocaloid I get that sort of vibe-happy or at least catchy songs that are actually sad when you pay attention between the lines. -Narinder's got progressive metal/rock since he's pretty depressed in my AU. He also has a bit of a bleeding heart where he loves fiercely only to get hurt which I've noticed is a trend in Sleep Token or sometimes Starset songs. -Aym and Baal got Nightcore and Vocaloid mostly because they're kids and back when I was like their age of 11-ish that's also what I was starting to get into. Aym is more edgy cause he's got a little bit of a temper, while Baal leans more happy since the kid's pretty positive.

17. Are there any motifs or symbols associated with the character? How are they represented, in their design, personality or in some other way?

Anthea I associate with the '13th Hour' since when I think of Crimson Angel's vessels, I place them on a clock face, with each one counting down to the final in the center. The last vessel, the last sheep, the last one to try and free Death, the 'Unlucky Thirteen'. But contrary to my usual character design you actually don't see that on Anthea, their base outfit is a little bit generic and I'm thinking of redesigning it for their post-bishop/reconciliation era to help differentiate their starting look from the end, I designed them prior to really realizing how big this'd get so Anthea needs a little updating. I do however lean into a slight renaissance era inspiration for the AU, since I associate that with both religion and 'memento mori' (remember death) via its paintings.

19. What is your general favorite thing about the character? What is your least favorite?

Hm...I guess one major thing is that Anthea's an adult? My other protagonist OC, Chrysa, is 16 with her main party allies being between 16.5-21, while Anthea's 26-29+. They're more mature and experienced in ways Chrysa isn't, they got wildly different backgrounds, Chrysa's shyer while Anthea's more extroverted, and yet they're similar in both being people struggling to find a reason to live and to understand that they gotta live for themselves. It's fun having another protagonist to work with who's a little more aware of their environment for a change, as opposed to a teenager trying to learn how to understand it. The least favorite though is their legs. I hate drawing the digitigrade legs and need to practice more, they're super hard to pose. T_T

20. Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favorite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

Anthea has very much risen FAST in my favorite OCs list, to where I kinda wanna include their counterpart as a side-character in my OCs world with counterparts to Narinder and the twins. Not copy pasted, besides Anthea I would change their names and they'd all just be normal mortals, but since I've kinda made these 4 OCs in a way anyway why not bring them in. (Hey I'm building these characters up, might as well use them to replace some of the cardboard side-characters I've had doing nothing plot-relevant for years.)

It's obvious but Narinder is very much a simp for the lamb, like he started falling fast and HARD like a year and a half or so into Anthea's vesselship. Anthea's fall was slower but simmering in the background, and it was only after Narinder said he refused to leave the Gateway without them initially that they finally realized it.

And lastly I did NOT expect these characters or this AU to get this far, but I'm so, SO grateful it did. Post-graduating college it felt as if all my friends just vanished because we all got so busy, and while we try to chat and stuff I was getting really lonely, especially as I struggled to find work. Like I didn't really know what I was doing as the days bled together. Yet since joining, this fandom's let me meet so many wonderful, amazing people though, and I am extremely grateful for that.

[battydora]

"YEAH, WE ARE A LITTLE CLICHE!"

masterlist | rules

pairing: kyojuro rengoku, reader

content: sfw, college au, modern au, gn reader, friends to lovers, too tooth rooting fluff to my taste, kyo is a blushing and awkward mess, soft shit overall i love him so much, barely proof read!!

note: MAN THIS TOOK FOREVER. it's finally done. this is my first kyojuro fic in a long time omg i missed writing for him i'm so happy!!! also this is for @renhoeku 's kyojuro's birthday collab, i'm so excited because this is the very first collab i join to as a fic writer too!!! thanks for letting me join, this is so niche and cliche but i'm still a sucker for cliche tropes, i can't help myself, i hope you enjoy it! ♡

music inspo: this playlist ♡

wc: 3.4k

you are running late to your second class that day because you got distracted with your friends from other courses. a few books you borrowed from the library are being held by your hands about to fall thanks to your turbulent running.

would it really be that cliche and dumb to crash into someone midway? yes, and you are right, you just crashed into someone unexpectedly, all your books are now spread across the hallway and you're on the floor. you make your best to quickly sit down to apologize to the person you just basically slammed into, who seems to be a boy around your age you are sure you never seen before. what is up with his hair?

“oh my god, i am so sorry! are you okay?!” your voice filled with concern when you se the stranger on the floor rubbing his head in ache, who turns his gaze to you at your question.

“yes, i am fine! you shall not worry! are you alright?” his voice is loud and cheerful, luckily he isn't showing any signs of injury or such so you sigh relieved.

“yes! yes, i'm fine, god this is so embarassing and cliche” you sigh again now collecting your books, seeing how the boy was doing the same with his stuff. he finishes quickly so he is able to lend you a hand and he hands you a few of your notes.

“there you go” he says with a bright smile, now that you had a chance to look at him upclose, you find yourself staring at a charming face that sends you vibes of a person with a bright personality, kinda blessing if you are honest, his red eyes as shiny as his curious looking yellow and red hair, you zone out for a few seconds staring at the stranger before you snap back when he speaks to you.

“thank you, and i'm so sorry again!” you bend down in order to apologize to him.

“do not worry, i am not in pain! you seemed in a rush so it is totally alright, you can head to your class”

"yes, i'm already running late, so bye! thank you!" you say in a charismatic tone, you finally got up and start running again, leaving the kind stranger behind.

you got to class very late. you tried to catch up with your classmates but they were very ahead of you, you try to cheer yourself up by thinking the class was going to be short anyways and that coffee break was just around the corner. once the class is over, you start to head to a cafe near the campus, but before you can leave the building, you see the same kind stranger leaving his classroom. you lock gazes with eachother and he smiles at you when he sees you walking in his direction.

"ah, it's you!" he begins, an innocent enthusiasm captured his loud voice "did you make it to class?" he asks with an amused tone, yet sounding nice, no harm in his words. you chuckle out a sigh and smile in disbelief, your head lowers a bit.

"yes but i arrived quite late, all my classmates were already ahead of me" you sound dissapointed, wanting to forget about the misfortunate act.

"i see, that's a shame to hear" his smile fades just for a few seconds, pitting you a bit "where are you heading now?" he asks out of pure curiousity.

"oh, i'm going to the cafe nearby to have a coffee before going to my next class, i hope i'm not late this time" at your words the stranger chuckles out a loud laugh.

"i'm sure you won't, i was about to go to the cafe aswell. would you like to grab some coffee with me?" he asks looking at you, his smile flashing on his face again, it is almost as if his smile had a radiance of its own.

you can't deny his invitation, you liked this stranger, he seemed like a nice guy, everything about his vibes feel comforting and pleasant. why not?

"sure, let's go!"

in the way to the cafe, you exchange a few personal data, you get to know his name is kyojuro rengoku, he is a third year of his career like you and he is in an opposite class of yours. your schedules rarely alinged so it was almost impossible for you to see him around, however he was there today because he was taking extra classes for his upcoming exam next week, he also said he finds morning shift much more comfortable than the afternoon one so he is considering changing shifts. he is an interesting and nice guy, very cheerful and respectful in his manners, once at the cafe he asks you a few questions about yourself too, so you start to talk on and on about yourselves, exchanging thoughts and interests, slowly developing a friendly bond. he is very humoristic too, making little jokes and comments in order to make you laugh, some people around side eye at you both a small judgamental face at how loud you were laughing but it doesn't seem to bother any of you.

never was a coffee break this entretaining.

after 15 minutes you start heading back to classes alongside kyojuro, with a bright smile on your face, this dude is amazing! he made you completely forget about the mishap you went though earlier, his company is bright and lighthearted, you want to get to know him better if you are honest.

six months pass by and you and kyojuro developed a lovely friendship, you got to know him better as you proposed yourself too and he ended up being twice as interesting than you imagined, he was rising his younger brother on his own, his father was abscent but still made sure to pay for everything their sons needed, you feel pitty for him for having such a dick dad but he tells you to not pay him any attention, kyojuro is more than fine with the way he lives. he is overly optimistic but realistic at the same time, he knows his father is not the best dad but he still chooses to smile and hold his head high doing the best he can for his brother, this attitude of his makes your days lighter and this often makes you feel encouraged you to work hard or try new things you normally would've need a lot of courage to do. now that kyojuro changed shifts, you two use to go to the campus yard and sit on the grass to study or just talk, often letting your conversations continue until sunset, the lovely seasonal sunlight always witnessing your friendship's growth. other times you meet at any of your homes to study for upcoming exams, he is a great studying partner! you share some snacks and drinks during those study sessions and laugh a lot. this turned into a habit overtime.

you met a few people along the way, kyojuro introduced you to his friend group and now you spend plenty of time with them, everyone is so nice and fun to be around, this guy tengen is one extroverted and entretaining person, however the group (including yourself) tease him about him claiming to be the most flamoyant looking but then having a disastrous sense of fashion, he dresses well, yes, but his accessory choices are an absolute mess. you tease him often saying a headband full of glitter and plastic gems is an horrendous choice even if he says otherwise. then this girl shinobu, she is one of the quietest of the group but whenever she speaks you always engage in an interesting and thoughtful conversation, she is very smart and you get to exchange interesting and weird facts, conversations with her tend to be very fruitful (and she always has some gossip or embarassing stories of the other group members, she is truly so entretaining to be around too). there is this other guy, giyuu, who is the quiet introverted after shinobu, who sticks around his extroverted friends and always signs up to the chaotic ideas the three loudest members come up with, he is a man of few words but his group understand him perfectly without needing to speak to him. you try to talk to him, but it's just that it's difficult to draw his attention and have long chats with him if your interests don't align, however you made your way to his heart when you told him your favourite bands and they ended up being the same bands giyuu was into you so you always find time to talk about your favourite songs and their meanings, after that you got to know him a little better, turning out to be an interesting guy.and then finally is this girl, kanroji, who is kyojuro's childhood best friend, they met in kindergartden and since then they're inseparable, she knows kyojuro from head to toes; she is a very lovely girl, always full of compliments for everyone and is nice, even to strangers. she is sweet around you too and since you're kyojuro's friend, she whispers embarassing facts about younger rengoku for you to laugh and his only reaction is to laugh awkwardly at the weird kid he was in highschool, blushing out of embarassment, which only made you feel closer to him, everytime you got to know something new about him, you found yourself feeling more captivated by his sparkling personality, he is indeed a wonderful person.

you grew close to this group and spent a lot of time together after class, some weekends you went out for beer and spent so many amazing nights together, but there was some things you weren't quite aware of until the first five months you spent together, such as how kanroji and uzui teased kyojuro more than they usually did, specially when you were around. it was overall suspicious to you because it looked like the flamboyant boy and the lovely girl were up to something but you had no clues of what it could be. kyojuro's face would turn red at their statements and start telling them to cut it off. you asked shinobu what was up with those three and she would just laugh softly and answer "those are just uzui and mitsuri's antics, don't pay them any attention" but she knew quite well something was going on around rengoku for them to act the way they did and she did not want to tell you.

you didn't pay much attention to it at the moment because finals are now around the corner and you have to strive on passing, so your studying sessions with kyojuro took place at least three times a week, both you two were a bit stressed, there was a lot of content you had to study for both of your careers so you barely had time to spend doing anything else than studying. you are now at your place, you agreed with kyojuro to go to your house to study after class, it is around 6 PM now and you two are sitting at the living room table, notes and folders spread all over it and the floor. silence is all over the room, both of you two focused on your books, which is common in your studying sessions, you work better working in silence yet together in a way.

after like three hours, you sigh out of tiredness and throw yourself back, laying flat on the ground, a grunt of disbelief leaves your mouth as you frown completely exhausted. kyojuro just looks at you, raising his eyebrows at your motion.

"too much?" he asks in a calm tone, despite him being just as tired as you, he even shows small signs of having baggy eyes.

"yeah, i hate this career" you say, jokingly but yes, you are tired, he lets out a giggle.

"how about a break?" he suggests, putting his pen down and closing his notebook for a minute.

"that sounds great" you agree sitting back down, now looking at your phone cheking the time "oh my god, it's already 9 PM. don't you have to be home to senjuro?" you ask in concern, his little brother was left alone.

"oh, no don't worry, he is at a friend's house, he is staying over until tomorrow. however i should be heading back not too late because the street may turn dangerous if i walk too late" he says standing up, you copy his action.

"i don't have a problem with you staying over, though. if it gets too late you can sleep here" you offer.

"really?" he seems surprised, a sparkle of excitement shining in his eyes.

"yeah! we can prepare a nice meal and continue to study until we go to sleep" your smile widens as you speak, the idea of having an improvised pijama party with kyojuro.

"yes, i would love that!" his eyes seem to sparkle with joy at the proposal, you both start walking to the kitchen and open the fridge to check what you had.

"well, i went to the market the other day so i have plenty of things to prepare. how does udon sound for you?" you ask with a gentle smile.

"sounds great! let's do it"

and just like that, you two start preparing dinner. you put some music to make the cooking much more entretaining, you nor kyojuro can help but sing outloud, even dance, to your favourite songs, using kitchen utensils as microphones. the preparing overall is easy but what really made it entretaining and different from any other meal you ever prepared, is that you are doing it with good company, people say food tastes better when sharing it with someone and kyojuro is the living proof of the saying.

you cut the vegetables as he waits for the water to start boiling to finally cook the noodles, however, he walks behind you and rests his chin on your shoulder, checking on what you are doing, this isn't weird at all sometimes he would just do that affectionately.

"hi" you say in a sweet tone and a cute smile.

"hi" he answers with a wide smile on his face too, looking adorable as ever.

you go silent only for a few seconds until your body almost jumps for feeling kyojuro's hand making its way to the hand you are holding the knife with and lay it on the kitchen table as the other lands subtly on your waist, its a subtle motion but it is enough to make your face turn slightly red, wandering what he is thinking about now... not until he just starts tickling you making you to burst out laughing loudly, his fingers tickle all around your waist and armpits and laughs the moment you start fighting to stop him.

"k-kyojuro, s-stop! i'm al-almost peeing!" you protest between laughs, struggling to get some air in your lungs and trying to tickle him back, the attempt is useless because he's got you wrapped around his finger and all you can do is try to kneel down, as an attempt to escape from his grip, he follows as he continues laughing and sits on the ground wrapping your waist with his arm as the other continues to tickle you.

the laughter gets louder suddenly and in your last efforts to free yourself before giving up, you forcefully turn around to face him, a bit too clumsily, because this makes kyojuro fall back on his back, with you on top of him.

the blonde notices quickly the position you both ended up in and suddenly stops the tickling, giving you the chance to recover some air, you realize only a few seconds later the awkward situation you are left in the moment you look at kyojuro's face, his eyes are wide open, an awkward smile formed on his lips and a deep red blush covering the width and long of his face. your face turns inmediately red as you stare down at him, his hands resting again on your waist subtly, unsure of what he should do now. is this weird? is he being weird? no, why would he? it was just an accident, so why is he so nervous? what he should do? your wide open eyes are locked to his and now he is unsure if he should look away or not. the awkward silence goes on for a long time, you gulp and your heart is pounding, how did this happen all suddenly?

kyojuro meditates for a long while, is this a wrong time to make a move? he has been having mixed feelings about you, you two are amazing friends but he can't help but feel totally love-struck around you, you're so wonderful and smart... what if you don't like him back? what if he ruins the beautiful friendship you two have? he can't risk it... he doesn't want to push you away from his life.

but your body so close to his, your face looking his way, you can almost feel his heart jumping out of his chest... he just can't.

he bets everything to this very moment. his lips make a very small movement, as if he is trying to twist them into a kissing manner, noticeable to your eyes. your world falls apart when you see his head shyly trying to lean closer to you and your reaction is to blush even harder, everything is moving too fast, moments ago you were cooking and laughing and now you're suddenly on top of kyojuro on the floor, him trying to kiss you know, does that mean he likes you? or is it physical attraction only? how would this impact in your friendship? are you overthinking? you probably are. there are so many questions and so little time to answer each, he is already so close to your lips, his eyes are almost shut down entirely so you take a small breathe, choosing to relax and give in to the moment. your eyes close slowly, your head also leans in carefully and the distance between you two breaks, giving your friend a soft smooch on his lips.

it's sweet and gentle, shy one might say. not too long nor short, it's just enough for you two to implode out of happyness, kyojuro pulls away first out of nerves, he wants to see your face, he wants to know what are your thoughts in this very moment, he seems more nervous than you are. you two remain silent for a few instants before he speaks again.

"w-was that okay?" his face fails to go back to normal, it's still as red as before. you snort out a small giggle.

"it was sweet, i liked it" you smile warmly at him.

"gosh i'm so glad" he sighs in relief, throwing his head back for a second, trying to recover his composture, he was so scared he might mess up what you two had "i was mortified at the thought of... you know, scaring you away or seen as a weirdo by you"

you raise your brows and decide to finally move, you sit on the ground and grab kyojuro's hands to help him sit back down again, now getting the chance to talk normally.

"i don't think you would ever scare me away. perhaps, it was just a kiss" you pause only for a second "and i like you, how would a kiss be a reason to push me away"

"i... guess you are right" he laughs at his own thought, the nerves got the best of him, you are an amazing person, a kiss can't ruin everything "still, there is something i need to tell you..."

your face turns slightly pink at his words, your imagination wandering like crazy, is he really...? "yeah? what is it?" you try to stay calm, a small smile on your face, ready for his upcoming words. kyojuro seems a bit nervous again, he takes a deep breathe before talking again, his cheeks turning red once again.

"tengen will lose a bet to kanroji if i confess to you now, and i want him to lose." his statement is amusing, it makes you laugh, what is going to happen next is so obvious, his smile turns into a wide, warm and sincere one "there are feelings i want to confess to you right now, please listen to me"

thanks for reading!

[volivolition]

HI SO WE HAVE. ADDED MORE MUSIC TO THE PLAYLIST BUT WE THINK ONE SONG IN PARTICULAR IS NEAT IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT: HARPY HARE BY YAELOKRE!

LULLABY FOUND THIS ONE LAST NIGHT AND SHE'S HAD IT ON REPEAT FOR HOURS NOW. IT'S VERY... ADDICTIVE? IT HAS A TON OF REPETITIVE LYRICS IN IT WHICH ALWAYS MAKES OUR BRAIN HAPPY. I THINK YOU'LL LIKE IT! THIS MUSICIAN'S SITTING IN THE SAME AREA OF OUR BRAIN AS SAY, HOZIER, THOUGH THEIR MUSIC ISN'T TOO TOO SIMILAR. THEY'VE BOTH GOT FOLKSY VIBES TO EM THOUGH!

THAT'S ALL! HOPE YOU LIKE THE SONG, THE OTHER FEW SONGS YAELOKRE'S PUT OUT ARE ALSO GOOD BUT THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR IS VERY. SOMETHIN' ELSE!

-BILL

!! HELLO BILL!! <33 <22 omg yayaya ive been listening to the ones y'all have added over the past few weeks, but the last three not yet!! :D ooh i LOVE folksy, it's one of my top genres (even though i never can figure out genres hgkj)

Harpy Hare! HOLY SHIT THIS IS A REALLY GOOD SONG HKGJ, i love the echoing choir (the "haah haah ha-a-ah") while the guitar strums in. the children singing it, it's so haunting (have you seen the illustrations on youtube, i LOVE the vibes as a hand-clapping game with implications behind the lyrics) <33 youre so right i love the repetition, they hit on such good notes in this, this is lovely :3 the melody dying off briefly while they angrily sing the final "TELL ME SO I SAY!" OOOH the drama and melancholy are stellar <333

ooh!!! i absolutely understand where the reasoning comes from <33 this song feels like hozier's discography had a child who got stolen by the fae and turned into a changeling hgkjg. there's a more storyteller feel to it, more mythical. hozier tends to keep a foot in the realistic side, even while poetic. this song wraps it in metaphor and implication, like it's pretending its oblivious to the ominous vibe. a shot of straight whiskey VS cream and sugar in a cup of hemlock tea.

wow does that make sense? probably not i havent slept hjgjkjg ANYWAY!! incredibly good song, i agree!! i'll have to listen to the rest of their songs when i can, i love the folklore vibes :3

[otomepeachy]

Belphegor Playlist

Link

I hope you guys like this. Belphie was the second character I made a playlist for so I've had his ready for a long time before I refined it. I hope it's good!

Explanations (Excluding Character Songs):

Killer In The Mirror - Set It Off

I've always connected this song with Belphie! For years! It just sounds like his whole arc! From being locked in the attic and meeting MC to breaking out and killing MC. Feeling betrayed by his brothers and being backstbbed by Lucifer! I will never let this go! "There's nobody but me here" "now I know there's no one I can trust. I used to think there was"

Happy Pills - Weathers

Kinda gives off that slightly unhinged and crazed side of Belphie we all know and love while also keeping a slightly mellow mood for most of the song.

Oblivion - Grimes

Another song that gives off slightly crazed vibes but also kinda a revenge song which is a big thing for Belphie and how he feels towards Lucifer or how he felt towards humans before MC.

Young And Menace - Fall Out Boy

Okay, I wasn't sure about it at first but I think it fits well. It's also just a really good song, don't @ me. It talks about madness and going crazy a lot and it sounds like something that fits Belphie's personality, even if it's a bit hard hitting.

Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People

I know this is more for.... something else but I still think it fits. You can think of the chorus and how it's about someone on the prowl. I cannot stop my serial killer Belphie agenda, I'm sorry, I love him I promise!

I'm Not Okay - My Chemical Romance

He's really not and neither are we but that's okay. (You know damn well he love emo music)

Wolf In Sheep's Clothing - Set It Off

He's definitely a wolf in sheep's Clothing. Also, I've always connected him with sheep. I know that's MCs thing but I can't help it! It's also a song filled with rage like our beloved Avatar of Sloth.

Jenny Was A Friend - The Killers

Literally a song about accidentally killing a lover. Also based off a crime from the 80's but anyways.

don't fall asleep yet - Powfu

I know Belphie would definitely prefer to fall asleep than stay awake but I can't help connecting him with this song and the soft, slow, smooth vibe is very much him.

Monster - Skillet

As much as we've talked about Belphie and his murderous intent, he very clearly has guilt from it. I'm a firm believer of the opinion that he even has immense trauma from it. I think for a long long time after the incident that he hated himself and what he did. Not only because of MC, but because it fractured his relationships with his brothers.

i'll die anyway - girl in red

a song about the past being good but losing touch with themself over the years and becoming emotionally numb but also still feeling lonely. I think this speaks to Belphie, especially since we saw a lot how much he changed after both losing Lilith and being locked in the attic.

Can't Go to Hell - Sin Shake Sin

I just think it fits well and while it's not exactly connected lyrically, I think the sound of it is very much Belphie's vibe and something he'd listen to.

REVIVED - Derivakat

Revenge and return. very much reminds me of the entire scene of Belphie breaking out of the attic. From revealing he played MC to taunting and mocking his brothers over their shock and horror after he kills MC. The lyrics all just remind me of Belphie. It even mentions being locked away.

8 Legged Dreams - Unlike Pluto

Talk of nightmares but the lyrics also read like the singer is trying to help someone sleep or ease them into it which is obviously one of Belphie's powers as the Avatar of Sloth.

Backstabber - Kesha

Self explanatory

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

It's so him. Very soft and mellow. You also can't convince me Belphie isn't a sweater boy. He even wears one in both his casual clothes and his demon form. It's very much him.

[blank-house]

heyy i was wondering, since we already know Cam really likes music (especially kpop), if we could know what the other characters' taste in music is like? mostly how often they listen to it, what genres they like and whatnot. just out of curiosity :)

and what about movie genres? we know Deja and MC often watch movies together while Deja paints her nails, but does she care for the genre? and everyone else?

really loved the demo, i can't wait to see how the game develops. thank you and everyone who's working on this game for all your hard work 🫶

D'aww thank you for the kind words! Motivation up up!

Music Tastes

Haha now for your ask, we actually have a scene for players in the extended demo regarding this! It's a bit of a spoiler in the context of the scene's theme so I won't disclose it quite yet (sorryyyy gotta wait for the extended demo first ahdakldh) but I can say this:

Elio and Cameron often listen to music. For Cameron, it's because it's one of their favorite pastimes. Plus, in their opinion, music makes the commute to and from campus faster.

Elio on the other hand listens to music a lot because of the dance team. Anddd because he's dabbled a bit with playing (if others haven't seen the previous post yet, he's our guy with a ton of skills so he actually knows how to play a couple of instruments).

Though they've got their reasons, Cameron's definitely coming out on top with the highest stats on their Spotify wrap.

Third would be Reynah and actually you don't get to learn about her favorite type of music since she's not in the scene so I will disclose her favs! She's big on old school music, early late 1980's and early 1990's! Anything goes within that time frame, hip-hop, pop, rock, ballads, etc.. She does listen to modern music, but she's got a couple of fond memories of her parents playing older tunes during car rides so they've stuck with her.

Deja, Percy, and Jamie have their favorites of course but their numbers don't come as close to the other three.

Speaking of music, we curated some playlists about the cast! Some players already came across the playlists on our art director's Spotify that is catered to the idea of them, so songs that give off Cameron, Deja, etc. energy. And I actually got to work on making playlists about the music they'd listen to.

You can listen to the first since it's public. This is what the some of the dev team members listen to for the Keyframes vibes when we're working! And you can check out their page for specific cast members. But I'll share the ones about their music taste when I get them done!

Movies/Media Taste

Oh movies is a cute thought!

Unfortunately, Deja doesn't care to watch movies, hence why she opts to do her nails during it. She's got a habit of looking things up ahead of time as well so "watching" isn't something she likes to do. That being said, she likes mystery genres or things that she can think about-- because the twists and themes are still interesting to her even if she spoils it for herself lol

Cameron's got their favorites when they're by themself but they're big on anything and everything with company! Ghibli movies are a good thing to shout to get their attention (they've seen Ponyo like too many times to count haha). Cringey stuff are a safe and hilarious genre for them to put on when they crash at your place, too.

But since MC is a part of their dynamic trio, a lot of what Deja and Cameron watch is ultimately shaped by MC's likes too! Since Deja doesn't have too much of an opinion and Cameron's down to watch anything, your likes are their likes! Granted they'll tell you if it's reallyyyy bad because that's what friends are for lol

Reynah's not too big on films either- but in the way that she just doesn't watch them by herself. Usually, it's other people inviting her to watch one, and she's always happy to tag along and share any opinions about the viewing (they're usually in good light if not critical). That being said, she does have her favorites! It's just hard to say she likes one genre when she hasn't seen everything and she's found gems across multiple genres.

Reynah, at some point probably: I love Night at the Museum, does that mean I like fantasy or comedy the best? Nope!

For the guysssss, you can expect foreign movies (Japanese, Thai, and Euro movies are often exchanged since they've got their favorites from childhood), and romcoms and early '00-'10 movies. The latter is because they firmly believe that's the best era of movies. Home Alone, Lord of the Rings, 27 Dresses, The Last Holiday, etc, etc.

Percy, at one point: They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Elio, shaking his head solemnly: Kids these days won't get to know true movie magic.

Jamie tilts his head: Sorry, what's High School Musical?

P & E: WHAT

Aha yeah, Jamie didn't grow up watching the same things they did. He knows some of them like LOTR but that's just because it's a big franchise. Before his roommates educated him on early American romcoms and feel good movies (which included an HSM marathon and the entire soundtrack on repeat at their place), Jamie stuck to the classics/big names- things that have left a mark in cinema history like the Godfather and the Breakfast Club.

That kind of media is actually what he, Deja, and Reynah bond over. It's the symbolism or the overarching theme that tends to keep their interests so they'll have discussions about it if it comes up. Ah, and, horror. All three of them are completely unbothered by it as a genre and boy are there plenty to talk about the human psyche and behavior there.

If I had to summarize everything:

Jamie, Deja, and Reynah like films that invoke thought. Especially as people who don't often watch movies.

Meanwhile, Cameron, Percy, and Elio are all for the ones that evoke emotion. It's a good movie if they cry. It's a good movie if they're shouting at the screen. It's fantastic film if they get to do both!

Other things about movies for them:

Percy won't watch any horror- nope don't even think about asking him to.

Elio will look at a stunt or a choreography in a film and attempt it himself at least once.

Jamie is the first in his seat with a bowl of popcorn when the guys are doing their movie nights. He also has a sour view of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle since some people have said he looks like the character.

Cameron would suggest repeats a lot during your movie nights- their favorites are their favorites for a reason.

Deja rarely reacts to movies- but she will never recover from Grave of the Fireflies.

Reynah, freshman year, had been invited to 18 different playtimes at the town's cinema over the course of two months and, yes, she saw all of them.

~*~*~*~

And that's it! Wah, my responses are getting longer and longer... haha you guys let me know if I'm ever dumping too much about our cast and I'll hold back. But thanks for the lovely ask!

[residences-of-the-darkforest]

I'm of the opinion that you can tell a lot about OCs by the music the creator thinks they'd related to/enjoy

that being said, here's one song the main island characters related to, and their favorite! Picked specifically from this playlist which is mostly vocaloid/related covers/milgram project/etc :3

(please note I am very biased on this playlist. sorry not sorry <3 )

Onyx----

Song he relates to: Of Matches and Rust (Vane Lily Ft. Apollo Kepler) - The religious trauma. also yknow, the references to wanting revenge for how your were treated + praying for a better life.

Favorite song: Aishite Aishite Aishite (English cover by Will Stetson) - This is like. peak rage song for him. He loves screaming the chorus until he loses his voice when he's angry. he also faintly relates, but not enough for it to be the main song! (also. envy for this mans voice. this 100% isn't projection what do you mean /silly)

Aster----

Song they relate to: HARROW (Milgram first trial MV) - it's the vigilante vibes tbh. One could also make an argument for another song called Ayano's Theory of Happiness, but HARROW just has so many vibes (Note, upon relistening to Theory of Happiness, I think it fits Aster just as much as HARROW. Consider HARROW as 14-15 Aster and Theory of Happiness as 16-onward Aster!)

Favorite song: Rabbit hole / Sad Girl Sex (DECO*27) - I couldn't decided which one was funnier to give them so they get both lol Basically, they're songs explicitly about sex and hook up culture with like slight differences (as a comment put it: Rabbit Hole: who needs love, just give sex / Sad Girl Sex: who needs sex, just give love). Aster is the most ace person here and just likes them because they're fun to vibe to :3)

Sol----

Song he relates to: Language of the Lost (RIProducer) - A song about coming to terms with trauma and finding people who care about you and how to live again. Really this could've gone to anyone, but the second verse just gives off so much Sol vibes.

Favorite song: (Not) A Devil (DECO*27, English cover by Rachie and JudyPhonic) - As a trickster himself, he can appreciate the back and forth lyrics and the ambiguity about what their characters intentions are. It's also fun to stim to!

Luna----

Song she relates to: Tear Drop (Milgram second trial MV (English cover by Lime)) - *rubs hands together* okay okay so first off, Luna is the only girl in the group. She's also trans, and tends to feel out of place among her peers because of that. Within Milgram, this song is basically telling the audience off for assuming the singer is just an innocent child. I figured I could spin that so it's instead Luna trying desperately to say that her interests and habits don't make her a bad person (specifically her getting involved with the equivalent of sex work in their high school, all completely consensual and only with other high school students, so no weird age shit) (A/N I put together this whole character arc and I realized only after I was done that it was a bit too mature for the age group I'm writing for ;-; )

Favorite song: Even Though I Loved You (MARETU) - God forbid a women enjoys a song that might be about cannibalism /silly

Dustin----

Song he relates to: Poison (Thanks for Nothing) (LittleJayneyCakes) - really all I need to say is that his mother was similar to the parent in the song. That's really all I can say tbh.

Favorite song: Sniper (Yuika) - It's a cute love song :DDDDD Idk man he just really likes his partner (Aster)!!!

(Dustin in the newest member of the group, so I don't have as many small details figured out yet, sorry!)

Keiran----

Song they relate to: Hated by Life Itself (English cover by Oktavia) - there's just something about a song telling a story about how awful life can be, but still turn around and give you hope the longer it goes on. I think that's kinda how Keiran goes about life. It's a horrid awful existence, but it still gives you hope for the future.

Favorite song: Rookie (DECO*27) - They like both the English verse because of how rock it sounds, the calmer bridge, and the very very catchy chorus!

...

sorry Res, looks like I got caught up in explanations haha

Anyways, if you've ever had simluair ideas of what music your OCs might listen to I'd love to hear :0

YAY NEW SONGS

I do have playlists for my OCs! Was going to bake a few by heck why not name them all?!

Playlist for the mc group:

Bad blood by Sleeping At Last

Kill Our Way To Heaven by Michl

The Family Jewels by MARINA

Older by Sasha Alex Sloan

Middle Finger by Bohnes

Outsiders by Au/Ra

We Are The Hearts by EXGF

Perfect Season by Unlike Pluto

Mystery of Me by Unlike Pluto

Late Bloomer by Unlike Pluto

Tomorrow We Fight by Tommee Profitt and SVRCINA

Fight On by Same Tinnesz

Soldier by Fleurie and Tommee Profitt

.

.

Playlist for the MC:

Buy The Stars by MARINA

Saints by Echos

Origami by Unlike Pluto

Paradise is Lost by Sam Tinnesz and GoldTop

My Domain by SVRCINA and Tommee Profitt

Mindless Bliss by Unlike Pluto

Anxiety by The Tech Thieves and Besomorph

My Way by Chase Holder

I Have Never Felt More Alive by Madison Beer

Parents by YUNGBLUD

Danny by Nicole Dollanganger

Who Am I by Besomorph and RIELL

.

.

Playlist for the MC's love interest (who has her own fair share of parental trauma):

Beekeeper by Keaton Henson

Dig by Unlike Pluto

Man or a Monster by Sam Tinnesz and Zayde Wolf

Never Love an Anchor by The Crane Waves (also works for Shimo)

.

.

and finally...

Playlist for MC and MC's love interest:

The Underground by Unlike Pluto and 8 Graves

Stronger by The Score

Middle of Hell by 8 Graves

Revolution by The Score

Millie, Warm The Kettle by Rabbitology

The Weight of Us by Sanders Bohlke

Army by Besomorph, Arcando, and Neoni

Even If It Hurts by Sam Tinnesz

.

.

I haven't updated the playlists in a while, so there's ALSO songs that have yet to be added. The Village by Wrabel is a good one

[ray935sworld]

Hey love, it's me again 🐢 because i have some time off from uni at the moment, soooo there's a lot of room and space for gay ramblings in my head and you told me to send asks with prompts if they come to my mind a couple of weeks ago (made me feel very special, just like all replies of yours to my asks ❤️).

Since I totally forgot that it's Valentine's Day and Insta just reminded me, I have some questions, well one. Marcmarc's first Valentine's, how does it go? Because Marc sure does love to dress up and go out for fancy dinner but Bez is the complete opposite. How do they sort that out? Do they plan anything together? Does one surprise the other? Do they dress up?

Or in a universe where they aren't together yet but clearly attracted to the other, does it somehow happen that they spend the day together and too late realise that its VALENTINE'S and they are sitting on Marc's couch, pressed together but neither has yet found the courage to make a move?

Btw, sending you lots of love with that potential crush, that one's a really sensitive topic 🥺❤️‍🩹

🐢... OH 🐢!!! My love - First things first you are ALWAYS welcome to send me whatever you want. It makes me INCREDIBLE happy that you wanna share your ideas with me and I'm always glad you like what in write. So this is really a privilege to me.

And oh... that is - oh you have no idea what you just did to my brain. AAAAGHHHHH. I so wanna write something about marcmarc valentines day now

Okay so hear me out. My first thought about the dress up (very real and I never really thought about it) was that they would probably stay in most of the time since well - it's not like they could explain being recognized going out dressed fancy. BUT two thoughts.

1. Bez loves his bf and he knows how much Marc loves dressing up and having a fancy dinner so he gets in contact with some high end private restaurant and he gets them a reservation. They are alone and it's super fancy. It's so not Bez thing. He is super nervous, thinking he does everything wrong from addressing the server to eating the food. And oh I see him being insecure about his curls cause they are wild and not at all match the vibe of tbe restaurant. (kind regards a wild curly head that had to go to court). He feels like he doesn't belong there unlike Marc who looks like he was born for a place like this. That leaves room for some possible relationship insecurities. So as Marco is on the verge of uncomfortable, he looks at Marc and he realizes that it doesn't matter, he doesn't care cause as long as Marc is happy and he wants him there, he belongs there.

2. Idea would be that Bez wants to give Marc a fancy dinner without risking being seen. So he asks his mama for recepies (or maybe his grandma) and then he cooks for Marc. Beforehand he decorates his apartment. He gets flowers, string lights, candles, makes a playlist with some soft romantic music. Super romantic. He has home cooked food, a desert, wine and he dresses nicely. He told Marc to dress nice too and when Marc arrives he is just gone. Cause it looks so amazing and it's all just for him. It makes Marc feel special and he's happy and Marco wants to save that sooo much.

But the things is, there is a 3rd option in my head which isn't exactly related to the dressing up and going out part. So placed in this year, due to the way testing is placed, they would spend valentines day traveling. At least a big chunk of it and then jet lag is kicking in. Possibly. So now I'm thinking about Bez and Marc getting home after testing, both tired and not really realizing that it's valentines day. But then Marc is gone for like an hour because he is getting them some emergency groceries (they are in Spain) and he brings home a HUGE bouquet of flowers and chocolate and Bez is like embarrassed cause 1. He forgot valentines day and 2. He (as a guy) never expected to get flowers (boooh society let men get more flowers!) and Marc is like "Here. Flowers. EVERYONE loves flowers" (edit: I actually wrote this one. You can find it HERE)

And now PLEEEAAASEE tell me which one you prefer so I might be able to write it, pls?

OH AND I blame you (affectionately) for putting another idea in my head. Marc's birthday. Because obviously Marc wants to celebrate his birthday with his family and Marco. And Marco wants that too. But Vale's birthday is the day before. And it's Vale's 46th birthday. They can't not celebrate VR46 46th birthday together and on the dot. The celebration has been planned for months! But Marco knows he won't get sober out of this so either he tries to stay sober as much as possible (impossible), he takes a flight at 7am to be in Barcelona at 9 and then in Cevera at 10am possible hangover and over tired or he misses his boyfriends birthday. And Marc REALLY wants him there but he understand why he doesn't want to miss Vale's birthday so he decides to say nothing and just let Bez make his own decisions.

OH AND THE UNI AU!!! I LOVE IT! Okay possible self projecting but what if valentines day is the day of their last exam and they decide to go together in the city and go to a restaurant to celebrate it and then they end up on the couch and it's cute, it's soft, it's romantic and no one really knows what it means. OH call me cliche but I'm picturing Marc's finger slooooooowly creeping closer to Marcos and him just intervening maybe just a finger or two with Marc. And then their hand. And then they look at each other, lean in and kiss! *the crowd goes wild*

Okay now those are my 3am marcmarc thoughts. I hope you liked them, PLEEEASE tell me what you think (if you want to) :3

And my crush thing.... Yeah not the first time I'm crushing on a straight friend that's WAAAAY out of my league but hey! That's life.

And enjoy your uni break! Sending you lots of hugs! ♥️🐢

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (2-8 February 2025)

perfect reaction to a pc just deciding to take a pee break. no shady shenanigans, just a pee break. still laughing over it.

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

😊 Please Pass the Guilt (Nero Wolfe #45) (Rex Stout, author; Michael Prichard, narrator)

🥰 Size Doesn't Matter series (Kalee60) - 97K, shrunkyclunks AU with freelance operative Bucky who has a crush on Cap AND then develops feelings for this tiny, stubborn-as-fuck, injured blond guy named Grant that Natasha dropped off. Plus a whole 'bring down HYDRA-infested SHIELD' thing they've got going on. First fic is 63K, Bucky's POV and the main story; 2nd fic is 33K and is Steve's POV on the whole thing.

🥰 Where You Lead (Linsky) - 42K, hockey rpf BDSM AU

💖💖 +150K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

00Q Chatfics and Assorted Headcanons (cicer, miri_tiazan) - Bond universe: 00Q, 2.3K - absolutely hilarious & unhinged not!fic of various 00Q headcanons

pony (greatunironic) - Stranger Things: Steddie, 19K - FANTASTIC olympics AU with aged up rockstar Eddie & pommel horse superstar Steve - fun & funny, incredible job fitting characters to this AU

When I Think About Seventeen (thisapplepielife) - Stranger Things: Steddie, 2.8K - sort of 2nd chance romance, just a tinge of poignant nostalgia to add piquancy

Long December (Arsenic) - Suits: Mike/Harvey, 16K - delicious, angsty h/c alt version of things post S1

Let Me Be Your Porch Light, Baby (AidaRonan) - Stranger Things: Steddie, 8.6K - mostly a reread of great monsterfucking fic with mothman!steve NOW with added epilogue making his happy ending even happier

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

The Repair Shop - s1, e12

Home Town - s9, e6; s8, e9

Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled - s3, e10

Handsome - Pretty Little Episode #24

Handsome - Pretty Little Episode #25

Handsome - Ilana Glazer asks about God

Handsome - "Weird Al" Yankovic asks about memorable movie moments

Harley Quinn - s5, e1-4

Only Murders In The Building - s1, e1-4

James Acaster: Hecklers Welcome

Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary

D20: Dungeons & Drag Queens - "The Queens Take Matali" (s2, e5)

D20: Adventuring Party - "Twyla's Twine Time" (s19, e5)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books - 652. Smart Bitches Turns 20 with Candy Tan

It's Been a Minute - Books vs. Brain Rot: why it's so hard to read

Hit Parade - The Bridge: Dylan Was Always Electric

⭐ 99% Invisible - Valley So Low

⭐ Decoder Ring - Jump, Jive and Fail: The ’90s Swing Craze

⭐ Decoder Ring - Decoder Ring Plus | John Bunkley of The Atomic Fireballs

⭐ Switched on Pop - Liz Pelly's Mood Machine says the playlist isn't the product — you are

Welcome to Night Vale #261 - Brought To You By Flakey O's

Short History Of… - Butch Cassidy

One Song - George Benson's "Give Me the Night"

Vibe Check - It Doesn’t End with This

Ologies - Hippopotomology (HIPPOS) with Rebecca Lewison

⭐ Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Speaker Terror Upper: When Bass Tapes Shook the Streets

Shedunnit - The Missing Moneylender by W. Stanley Sykes (Green Penguin Book Club 7)

You're Dead to Me - Aristotle: Ancient Greece’s greatest philosopher?

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Paul Scheer’s Life in Three Places

Dinner's on Me - NATHAN LANE

The Curious History of Your Home - Hats

Pop Pantheon - Billboard's Hot 100: Hits, History and Kinks (with Hit Parade's Chris Molanphy)

Our Opinions Are Correct - No, We Don't Live in a F---ing Simulation!

The Curious History of Your Home - Board Games

What Next: TBD - Bonus: The Discourse | Why is Elon Musk Cheating at Video Games?

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Love Hurts And What's Making Us Happy

One Song - Daft Punk, Part One: The Road To Get Lucky

One Song - Daft Punk, Part Two: "Get Lucky"

The Sam Sanders Show - Should the Oscars Even Exist? with The Big Picture Hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins

Pop Culture Happy Hour - You're Cordially Invited

Today, Explained - Super Bowl GNX

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

my 'Liked Songs' playlist

Thundercat

The Atomic Fireballs

Squirrel Nut Zippers

Royal Crown Revue

Grailknights

Wig Wam

[thaliagrayce]

i've been talking abt my voltron playlists and @iveofficiallygonemad asked to hear them and i want to share with anybody who wants!! i know they're not perfect, i'm working on them & trying to make them better. if you have any recommendations for any of them, let me know!! there's like A Lot and i want to give a lil explanation for most of them, so i'm putting them under the cut ^-^

SO first i have my favorite one <3 it's just. all of them. it's the whole team. it's a mess and it's a bunch of different genres because it's them fighting over the aux cord on a road trip. it's them trying to make each other laugh or annoy each other or play something catchy enough it will infect everyone in the vicinity with brain worms.

Hunk: i'm pretty happy with my Hunk playlist! chill vibes. he strikes me as the kind of guy who listens to calm music to try to find his own calm, and that's what i got here :)

Pidge: this is messier and less cohesive than my usual playlist because frankly i think pidge would have a shit taste in music. all over the board. this is a mix of meme songs and 8-bit covers and vocaloid and stuff that i think pidge would genuinely connect with, and i think pidge listens to all their music on shuffle without any regards for genre or mood because they're a gremlin. nobody gives pidge sole control of the aux.

Coran hears 80's music for the first time and loses his mind. He thinks ABBA is humanity's single greatest achievement.

Lance: i have ideas about where I'm going with this but haven't really settled yet. Lance seems like the kind of boy that loves to dance (is that canon? i forgot) so most of these are Bops That Make You Move in some way or another. he likes to present an upbeat face to the world, so there's no angsting in this playlist! we are clinging to the things that make us happy with both hands until our knuckles turn white!

Keith: i'm gonna be honest. i made him a playlist but i honestly don't think he cares about music very much. it's very important to some people! he's just not one of them! i haven't cracked this playlist open in a while but i'm pretty sure it's full of songs that i think he would conceivably train/work out to.

Shiro: this playlist involves the dumbest headcanon i have for shiro that has just not left me alone since i first thought of it. most of the playlist reflects the fact that he had an emo phase in middle school (that one isn't a headcanon, you just have to look at him to know) but BUT there are a few songs on here that are on here because. little known fact. he also went through a Twilight phase that he told nobody about. (keith knows. keith was there.) he has the entire twilight soundtrack memorized. he moved past the story but the music stays forever. he used to daydream about slow dancing to Flightless Bird, American Mouth. the first time Coran mentions that they have to avoid a place because there's a supermassive black hole there, he has to bite his tongue in order to keep a straight face. do NOT ask me why i believe this so wholeheartedly.

Allura's playlist sucks right now. I think it's because in my heart of hearts i know that, were she on earth today, she would go fucking nuts for taylor swift. i have ambivalent feelings for taylor swift. i cannot do allura justice like this. if you see my vision and have recs as to what might actually fit her, PLEASE.

Klance: i haven't done it yet but i'm gonna go through this and sort it to be a sort of progression of their relationship, starting with the more combative Rivalry songs, then slipping into "oh shit oh shit" songs, then maybe ending on the more lighthearted purely romantic songs <3

(i have two songs in a shallura playlist which does not at all encapsulate how much i'm obsessed with them. the tiny cop inside my head is just constantly screaming at me that i'm going to get yelled at for liking shallura. i am going to kill the cop inside my head.)

[portellini]

Deastra X Heimdall - Song quote

"Love's gonna get you killed, but pride is gonna be the death of you and you and me. (and you and you and you and me) - PRIDE. , Kendrick Lamar

Message: No warnings, chill fic. Testing the waters with this one. Deastra is the OC I made for GOW x reader fics, I linked the character info sheet below.

//

Word Count: 1.8k ish

Vibes While Writing: ultimate sped-up playlist for actual hot ppl

//

-> Deastra / y/n character info if something is confusing: https://www.tumblr.com/tia-00l/736839705205817344/deastra-gow-oc?source=share

//

Heimdalls" POV

Again, she's waiting by the hallway, waiting for her "giant" brother to finish with the All-father, my father. Never does she move, and yet I'm still required to watch her even though any of these drunken dim-witted gods could handle her easily. But no, Father insists that I watch her, for the sake of keeping her out of the business he has with that weird boy. So, for another reckless and loud night in the Mess Hall, I pretend to read one of Bragi's many scriptures while endlessly watching this fake god, and my gaze never falters.

"Hail ye jerk!" Oh, what is it now? I hiss to myself. An Aesir who's drunk out of their mind approaches me. "Might I ask what made the All-Father's son such a pain in everyone's ass!" He starts to slug towards me, and I move out of the way while grabbing his face and throwing him in the other direction. The drunk bumps into more drunks and now they're all fighting each other. I scoff and look back to the fake god. "..." Oh shit, where did she go?

Deastra's POV

"And thanks to that lovely drunken Aesir, I smoothly escaped that puppy's gaze." Ever since we arrived in Asgard, I realized that I never fully explored this new realm. I stretch out my arms to the sky, Tonight is the night I fully explore. I look around and wonder where I am. "Oh shoot," I think to myself. I am a bit lost. This Asgardian city isn't too hard to navigate, but I can't help but find this place repetitive to look at. The only thing that really catches my attention is what's beyond those walls. So that is where I'll go. Except I don't know how to get back to the lift, I used my shadow jump a bit too much and ended up in a random shadow beside someone's house.

"KRAA!" A sound of birds catches my attention and I look up. I see a murder of crows resting on top of a house. "Maybe I should do the same as them," I say to myself. Without voicing another thought I shadow jump to the roof of that house disturbing the crows and they fly away. "Maybe I should've chosen another roof," I whisper while looking around for the wall's lift. I squat down and look through a circle made with my fingers. I find it aaannndd I need to get close to the Mess Hall again. That's going to be a problem for me, the poor pup probably noticed I'm gone already. Sigh, I hope the murder scattering wasn't too obvious.

"Oooh it was quite obvious, Sunshine." I look up and see Heimdall towering over me. "Oh shit, how nice to see you here." I grin at Heimdall and he replies with a neverending glare. His face shows slight confusion and annoyance, am I thinking of something weird? Well, I am happy to see him, I just realized I can get him to be my guide.

"Since you're here already-", "No" Heimdall hisses. "I didn't even finish what I was going to say!" "You didn't need to," Heimdall crosses his arms and his glare intensifies. I stand up and avert my gaze from his. I can't help but be nervous. Maybe I should make a run for the lift right now? Can he stop me? Probably. "Don't bother running, you won't make it." Heimdall cocks his head. "How do you know that?" I jokingly say still avoiding his gaze. Oh wait, he has foresight, wait, does he read minds or intent? I forget. I should be more attentive around here.

"Does half of your brain not work?" Heimdall suddenly spits. "Don't think I trust you or think of you as a docile being to the All-Father. It's just what you say is literally what you think, and there's no ill intent." Heimdall steps closer to me and leans towards me. "What really goes on in that brain of yours?" His hand grabs my jaw and makes me face him. Our eyes interlock and he glares into my eyes once more.

I grow uneasy, not from the lack of distance between us, but the lack of awareness I have of his abilities. How far can he see in my mind? He scoffs and pulls his hand from my face. He steps back and turns his back to me.

"Tell me, do you see yourself as the unwanted child in your family." Heimdall looks back at me with a stupid grin on his face. "With what I saw, I can certainly confirm it." I wince at his comment. Never have I doubted the bond I have with my family, but the thought of being unwanted is something I can't get rid of, no matter how silly it might be. Father and Atreus have grown closer throughout the years, and their bond is special. Never have they done anything to make me think ill of my position as their family, it's just a thought that intrudes my peace at times. I notice that Heimdall has turned back to me and his expression is filled with amusement. He sees deeper in my mind than I can realize, rather, he sees the layer of my thoughts that I choose to reject.

"Quit it," I say. "Haha, no, I don't think I will." His grin widens. "Kratos thinks of you as a constant reminder of his past. YOU were there with him in that other world." Heimdall draws closer to me again and bends down to meet my face with his. His eyes pierce mine. "And I suppose it doesn't help that his regrets with his old family resurface with your presence." Heimdall tilts his head, not breaking eye contact. "Your so-called father will never feel for you as deeply as he does for that boy, and you know that." Heimdall stands back to his full height and peers down at me.

I smile back at the god before me. Sure, what he said bothered me for a moment and I began to feel bad for myself again. But what he said was only things that I've thought before. To add, those are my thoughts, not the truth. "I will admit that revelation of yours did hurt to hear," I say while I place my hand on my chest. "But at least if how I felt was true, I wouldn't turn into this realm's greatest jerk." My smile widens and I shadow-jump to an open field that headed towards the lift up the wall. Heimdall most likely saw this coming as he arrived there shortly after I jumped.

"Oh please, what did you mean by that?" Heimdall coos. "I am the Herald of Ragnarok, I am the one he seeks council within nearly every situation!" He continues to spaz about the many feats that would make him feel that Odin loved him truly as his son. "Out of all my brothers, I am the most competent and smartest!" I started to dull out his voice in my head, which was something he noticed right away and did not like.

Heimdall's hand pulls my shoulder making me spin around and face him. I've been in his situation with Kratos when his revenge was his sole priority. I've been with Kratos when he regretted his actions and I did begin to remind him of all his pains. I was in Heimdall's position of having a father who had no true want for you. Although, after he granted my life once more, he gave me his blood and even Faye's as a way of becoming their child, he changed and I was no longer unwanted. Even with Atreus's birth, I was never treated any differently. So thinking I was unwanted in my family is only a pain from the past that still haunts me.

"You know nothing of my intent or the feelings my father has for me!" Heimdall's voice is seething with annoyance. Did he read my monologue just now? The god's face twists. "I do the All-Father's bidding because I must protect Asgard and him. I don't do this because I'm trying to gain his attention like a needy mutt." That's not at all what I thought, did that slip from his mind?

"I may not have the same ability to read intent and thoughts as you, but I can read people to an extent." This time I step closer to the Aesir god in front of me and rest my hands on my hips. "The twisted, disgusting, despicable, and ruthless feelings that old man has towards his sons are vile. He treated Atreus much better than he probably ever did to you and your brothers right?" Heimdall's eyes twitch. "I don't have any ill intent towards anyone here just yet, because the ones I do have issues with are dead, and I frankly don't want any more bloodshed. To be completely honest with you, I pity the hell out of you, and you probably hate that." Heimdall steps closer to me, his eyes dark. "Don't speak another word." I back off once he says this, I don't mean to anger the people of this realm, let alone Odin's most favored tool.

I'm sure this ass in front of me is capable of love. Except the only thing he does love is maybe that Gulltopr thing and Odin. His familial love for Odin will never be reciprocated. I hate how much I relate to this thing. I can't help to think about it either.

"Do not believe that we are similar in any way." He hisses. "Being tasked to watch you has proven to be a pain. You've only been here for one day and I have grown to feel sick of you." Heimdall turns towards the Mess Hall. "You are a rare truthful but infuriating being that I no longer want to deal with. I can truly see there is no actual threat to you being here, so I don't need to bother with you right now." Heimdall storms off. Before he leaves, I can't help but blurt one last thing.

"HEY!" I shout out.

Surprisingly he stops in his tracks. "Your love for Odin is gonna get you killed, but pride is gonna be the death of you and me." Heimdall turns his head to me, his face filled with annoyance. "And what do you mean by that?" My mind is blank, I don't know, I just said it. "No idea actually, don't dwell too much on it golden boy," I say to him with the intent of peacefully ending what feud we just had. I recall what I was doing, going to the wall. I begin to trek to the lift once more, forgetting about Heimdall who hasn't looked away from me. The gods of this realm are much more tolerable than the ones I knew in my previous existence. I genuinely hope to co-exist with these gods, even Heimdall.

//

Note: Do y'all like it if I color code who talks? Or only if I do it partially.

[quiet-nocturne]

answer your 30 questions please and thank you!!!

WOO. HERE WE GO, YA'LL:

ao3 wrapped [writers edition]

How many words have you written this year? Published? 22,685. Unpublished? A loooooot ahaha.

How many works did you publish this year? Currently, 3. Hoping to have 4-5 by christmas though. 👀

What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)? definitely cause i'm lovesick. That thing was a labor of love. My first fanfic baby in a loooong time.

What work of yours has the most hits? currently cause i'm lovesick (I ain't even ashamed), which is at 735 hits. But it's kind of biased, considering I only came back to fic writing in like october.

What work of yours got more feedback than you expected? nothing in particular - I'm just happy to have any engagement!

Favorite title you used honestly, no favorite as of yet. All the titles I've used come from song lyrics that are super royai coded/important to me, so I like them all. That answer could definitely change in the future though!

If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most? most recently, taylor swift (hopeless, breathless, burning slow), but also banks (cause i'm lovesick and you're all that matters to me anyway - she's SO GOOD for angsty love songs). Lyrics are so, so important to me. I have a ~300 song royai playlist (which I'm going to slim down and post here at some point) that I listen to constantly, lol, and a huge notes file on my phone filled with potential song lyric titles. I have a music degree and it's literally so important to my writing process aajsaksjljasjl.

Pairing you wrote the most for this year? Royai. lol. That's not going to change any time soon. The extreme hyperfixation is REAL.

Favorite pairing you wrote for this year? Again royai. They're the best. My babies. 💖

What work was the quickest to write? Surprising, chapter 2 of hopeless, breathless, burning slow. started it last night and i'm already nearly done the first draft. That thing flew out of me, especially considering chapter 1 was much more of a journey lol.

What work took you the longest to write? definitely chapter 1 of hopeless, breathless, burning slow. it wasn't the writing that was the issue - it was the editing. I really dragged my feet on it, and could have had that thing out like 2 weeks ago. 🤦‍♀️

How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year? oh god. my wip's currently include: - chapter 2 of hopeless, breathless, burning slow - sequel to cause i'm lovesick (I ain't even ashamed) - a christmas fic - angsty, hurt/comfort, character exploration, ishval restoration multi-chaptered fic (I'm REALLY excited to work on this!!! yay angst) - roy and riza returning to her old father's house post-cannon and STUFF HAPPENS, fluff, hurt/comfort, etc (also really excited for this one! i've been daydreaming about it for MONTHS. Even just thinking about this fic feels like sinking into a warm bath. That's the vibes I want it to give) - ANOTHER post-promised day fic, because I'm a broken record, but this time more humorous/cute. - aaaand yet another post-promised day fic, but one where Riza REALLY ISN'T DOING WELL/almost dies like a million times at the hospital and roy is sad (!!!). - briggs angst/sick fic - does that make sense? no? it will. Yeah. yeahhh. That list is only going to get bigger. 🤷‍♀️ Some of these will also, shockingly, not have smut lol.

What’s your longest work of the year? So far, ch. 1 of hopeless, breathless, burning slow at a whopping 9, 792 words. It really ran away from me.

What’s your shortest work of the year? mmm, you're all that matters to me anyway at 5,954 words. apparently I can't write anything below 5k lol. 🤷‍♀️

What WIP are you taking into next year with you? Oof, I mean probably most of what I had listed above. I aim to have some of it done - but it's already December 7th, so yeah.

What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag? Smut. lol.

Your favorite character to write this year? Surprisingly, Roy. I almost find him easier to write than Riza. Normally I don't enjoy writing from the male perspective. But Roy Mustang is just 🔥. I was so surprised lol.

The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year? No one, as of yet. But we'll see what I say once I start working more on the multi chaptered fics. 😬

What’s one pairing you want to explore next year? More Royai, maybe with a dash of Roy/Maes. Maybe I'll try a bit of Ed/Winry? Who knows!

Which work of yours have you reread the most? chapter 1 of hopeless, breathless, burning slow. I am so fucking sick of it ahaha helppp.

How many kudos in total did you get this year? Currently at 142! You are all so sweet. 😭

Which work has the most comments? I think cause i'm lovesick at the moment!

Did you do any collaborative works this year? nope! Definitely something I'd consider doing in the future though!

Did you write any gifts this year? maybe! 👀 we shall see

Did you receive any gifts this year? nope!

What’s your most common category? ...Smut. lol. 🤷‍♀️

What do you listen to while writing? ahhhh I love talking about music with my ships! like I said, my ridiculously huge royai playlist. also all of my top songs on spotify were from it, which includes: 1. Say Yes to Heaven - Lana Del Ray (i've got my eye on you / i've got my mind on you) 2. Work Song - Hozier (no grave could hold my body down / i'll crawl home to her) 3. I Wanna Be Yours - Artic Monkeys (secrets i have held in my heart / are harder to hide then i thought / maybe i just wanna be yours) 4. Night We Met - Lord Horan feat. Pheobe Bridges (i had all and then most of you / some and now none of you / take me back to the night we met / i don't know what i'm supposed to do / haunted by the ghost of you) - that ishval restoration fic is definitely going to use a lyric from this song SOMEWHERE Honorable mentions: Die First - Nessa Barrett (someone dies or someone gets hurt / but if one of us dies / i hope i die first) Ya'aburnee - Halsey (i'll never know / if there's danger in confession / or it's memory that presses / like a blade against my throat / another word and i could choke / but what's worst? / tellin' you my feelings / or to die without revealing / that you got inside my head / and set a fire there instead?) Dress - Taylor Swift (there is an indentation in the shape of you / made your mark on me, a golden tattoo / all of this silence and patience / pining and anticipation / my hands are shaking from holding back from you) 10000/10, would play at royai's wedding.

Favorite work you wrote this year? cause i'm lovesick. Again, it was my baby. I loved writing it so much.

Favorite line/passage you wrote this year? mmmm, probably: "She'd planned to stay angry at Mustang for longer, but then he'd surprised her by sauntering into her apartment basically the second his train had arrived, eyes blazing with desire as he collected her in his warm embrace, murmuring you have no idea how much I've been craving to taste you against the soft skin of her throat." (I tried to find one that was mostly sfw lol).

Biggest surprise while writing this year? Just being able to write, in general! It's been so much fun. 💖