#I have to fulfill my violin dreams by playing the instrument I want to have accompany a violin

[trannykong]

I’ve basically just been noodlin’ on the guitar all day

[peoplearescary]

Tagged by @cx-shhhh. I can't just not do it now.

1. Do you play an instrument?

In theory I play violin in practice I haven't played in ages. Don't develop mysterious neurological conditions that make the very thought of stretching out your wrist horror incarnate kids!

2. Favorite book characters?

That ones hard but I am reading Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint right now and I think Han Sooyoung deserves the world <3 I also have a soft spot for Kim Namwoon so maybe I just like them edgy.

3. What’s your star sign?

Pisces.

4. Favorite color schemes?

I think the bi flag figured it out perfectly. Outside of that muted tones and dark reds.

5. Naps or long sleep?

If I ever try to nap it will forcibly be converted into long sleep and my sleep schedule is messed up enough as is, so long sleep.

6. What languages do you speak?

English and German fluently and I am trying to learn Mandarin (it's going Badly).

7. Dreams/aspirations?

I want a cat.

8. Long hair or short hair?

Cutting my hair short was the best thing I've ever done, I don't need to brush it three times a day anymore. Also so much more ruffle-able than long hair.

9. Tea or coffee?

Tea.

10. Bring a book character to life or go into a fictional world?

I think I'd go into a fictional world because I would like magic or to go to space or both. I'd probably pick a very wish-fulfillment based world with worldbuilding that is shoddy at best but also I could play the system. Isekai me now <3

I am tagging anyone who sees this. You Have to do it now.

[poisonedapples]

I forgot how much I used to love music. I forgot how I spent my entire childhood begging my dad to get me a drumset so I could learn the drums. I forgot how excited I was when music electives where you learn instruments became available to my grade. I forgot all the research I put into band and orchestra, about their different instruments and which ones I thought would be the best to play. I forgot how, at first, I counted down the days until I could get my hands on my first violin. I forgot how I practiced every day and was the best in my orchestra because of how much I loved it. I forgot about my dreams to play drums, to be great at instruments and be involved in the musical world.

I forgot it because school absolutely crushed that dream of mine. It crushed my love for my instrument because practicing was mandatory, your performance was a grade, and if you weren’t the best you were a failure. I forgot how music class used to be my favorite class, because by middle school it became my least favorite. I forgot all this because every time I hear a violin, I get memories of my awful times in orchestra and never want to hear a violin ever again.

Now, I’ve been dabbling in guitar for about a week now. I’m far from good. I know about two chords because I’m still waiting for my ACTUAL guitar to come, but it still sits next to me in my bed as a fumble with the strings, which is more than I can say for my violin that stayed in its case when I wasn’t in class. I don’t have the money or space for a drumset, but when I’m older I definitely want to get a decent electric one and fulfill that old childhood dream of mine. I’m spending my free time looking at different models, beginner songs to learn, and counting down the days until my package arrives.

The education system really does crush your dreams, but it’s nice to know that you can always regain your love again.

[write-a-bad-romance]

Only If You Hurry (Comte/Leo)

Pairing: Leonardo x Comte, with hints of Vlad x Comte

Rating: T

Word Count: 1738

Prompt: Hurt/Comfort, Leo and family matters, modern AU

Ao3 Link: Here

Note: I'll be referring to Comte as "Saint-Germain" throughout this fic because I don't want to spoil his first name. Also, his views about same-sex relationships do not reflect the author's actual opinion.

Vanilla-scented smoke trailed behind Leonardo as he located the door to Saint-Germain's apartment and knocked furiously. The sound of a violin was abruptly cut and replaced by footsteps approaching the door. 

Leonardo didn't need to announce who he was. The man inside already knew.

Or maybe not. Saint-Germain still needed to look through the peephole to make sure. Leo heard the sound of unlatching as he stared at the tip of his scuffed leather shoes, a stark contrast against the grimy maroon carpet.

All the money in the world and still he refused to move someplace newer, fancier. But then, the entire building is HIS anyway. 

The door opened with a heavy creak as Saint-Germain's worried face came into view.

"I wasn't expecting a guest. At least not tonight." The blond man sighed, "But at this point, this is your house as much as it's mine, isn't it?"

Saint-Germain backed away to allow Leonardo some space. The moment he stepped into the room, he noticed an ornate decanter of wine and matching glasses on the coffee table.

"I thought you weren't expecting company," Leonardo smacked his lips. The living room was bathed in a warm golden glow, just like everything Saint-Germain.

"I had a feeling knew you'd come."

The larger man decided to let further comments die on his tongue. He marched towards the burgundy velvet armchair and sunk against the cushioning. Other men of his size would complain about how cramped it was, but Leonardo welcomed the snug comfort it offered.

He loved sitting at this very chair and let himself soak in the familiarity of his surroundings. Even more so when the master of the house was around and he would—

Leonardo batted his thoughts away as Saint-Germain probed him. "Is this about that date you mentioned a few days ago?"

"Jeez, how did you know?"

"Just a guess. To be honest, I can't tell you if you just came back from your lab or a fancy restaurant on a hotel rooftop." Saint-Germain gestured towards Leo's desultory choice of clothes. "You're not even trying anymore."

"Yeah, well. She’s a friend of my cousin, my only good cousin. How was I supposed to refuse?" 

"Family matters. I understand." Saint-Germain poured from his decanter and passed it onto the slouching man. "But you can't keep doing this if it means coming to me moaning about it."

"Grazie," Leonardo accepted his friend's offering, but not without almost dropping the glass and letting its content spill onto Saint-Germain's antique Persian rug. "And thank you for being such a good friend and taking in the burnt of my woes."

He wasn't far off from the truth. Despite his harsh words, Saint-Germain would always nod and listen with that almost-holy, serene visage. And without fail, the man would offer him little quips of advice, some soothing words here and there. Sometimes, outright spats were inevitable. But even then, it was Saint-Germain who stood his ground and made Leonardo spend the rest of the night reflecting and repenting.

The weary lecturer closed his eyes and sighed. The good, young doctor wasting all his attention on me? This can't be right.

"Was she really that...undesirable?" The occupant of Leo's thoughts picked his violin once again and pressed it against his collarbone. "How long did you, erm, last?"

"Dio. You make it sound so obscene," Leonardo scoffed. "She wasn't. It's just, well...."

Saint-Germain let out a wry chuckle and gave him a hearty smile. "I see. So it's your tastes that's currently leaning towards....men. Did I put that correctly?"

"Well, I guess you're not entirely wrong." Leonardo hoped he could blame the wine for the rosy tinge that swept across his cheeks.

"Understandable," Saint-Germain cradled the instrument on his arm, a faraway gaze to his eyes. "Once you're accustomed to the comforts of a man, it'll take you a while before you stop searching his image in other men."

Leonardo threw a pointed look at the oblivious man. That's not how it works. 

Besides, aren't you just talking about yourself?

"Really," Saint-Germain ignored his indignant gaze and sat on the loveseat across Leonardo, his own filled glass in hand. "Even if you've dropped hints here and there, wouldn't it be better if you confront your family and tell them the truth?"

"Those were major hints I've been dropping," Leonardo raised his voice. "I had another cousin calling me just to ask about some guy in my Facebook photo from five years ago."

"And?" Saint-Germain licked his wine-tinted lips. Grazioso, Leonardo wanted to say. "What did you tell him?"

"I asked him what his point was. He hung up immediately after," Leo snickered. "Guy must have been scared shitless of me sounding so angry. I never showed that side to him before."

"See?" The blond man sighed, pouring himself a second glass. "Deflecting questions is not a confirmation. Neither is silence."

Leonardo watched intently as the other man rose from his seat to get his violin. His best friend looked enticing in a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he had to admit. The ensemble would've been made perfect if Saint-Germain had on a black waistcoat—

Damn the alcohol for letting my mind run loose.

"Anyway, since you're here to drink your sorrows away," Saint-Germain lifted his violin. "Why don't I play something for you?"

Leo bit back a scoff. That's not the kind of comforting I need, but that's about the only thing I can get from this. More than this, and it’d be—

"Sure," He flashed a cheeky grin, "Are you taking requests? Wait, no classics. I don't want you to lull me to sleep."

Saint-Germain set his bow on top of his violin's strings, the instrument waiting in position. "Anything for you."

The pair laughed their worries off into the night, accompanied by Leonardo's off-key singing. It was tiring, the Italian thought. 

But relaxing, in its own superficial way.

“Anyway,” Leonardo spoke much later as he began gathering his belongings. “How’s it going with your cara mia?”

Saint-Germain seemed taken aback by the sudden question. “Oh, everything is fine. Why do you ask?”

“No,” Leonardo paused, wondering if Saint-Germain noticed the awkwardness of his phrasing. Not that it mattered, going by the inanimate turn of his voice.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about,” Ah there it was, Saint-Germain’s signature stern look that appeared whenever Leonardo managed to land a crack on his defenses. “Now, look at you, fussing over someone else’s love life over your own.”

“I get it, I get it.” Leonardo waved a hand in defeat as he made a beeline towards the exit. “Besides, it won’t do if your girlfriend notices I’m going to your apartment all the time. She might get suspicious.”

“She already has,” The smaller man gently pushed Leo’s back as he ushered him out of his abode. “Now go home and get to bed. Don’t wander off into some bar for another drink. Or guy.”

“Santo Dio! No need to keep scolding me! Save your lectures for later!” Leonardo laughed, his face completely flushed. “Thanks anyway. See you when I see you?” 

“Anytime for a dear friend.” Saint-Germain patted the padding of Leonardo’s jacket.

“Right. Ciao.”

Leonardo cursed in Italian as he slammed his fist on a nearby wall.

“Shit.” He ran a sweaty hand over his weary face. “What was I thinking? Wasting my time and whining to the very person I want."

Leonardo could never say he loved the man. He longed for him. He lost sleep over him. Crying for him might be a little too much, but still, it was the blonde hair and amber eyes that followed him to sleep and starred in his dreams. 

And every time, Leonardo would wake up panicked, alone and panting.

And desiring.

He remembered carefully warning his 'wards' Salai and Melzi, "Never go for unavailable men. Don't give in to the delusion that you're somehow going to make it work, whatever it takes."

"Withdraw while there's still time. It's not worth it." He admonished severely.

Leonardo laughed at his hypocrisy, disgust welling in the pits of his stomach. Even if his frivolity hadn't corrupted Saint-Germain, the other man had enough poison in himself to get the job done. Time and time again, he would gaze into the man's golden orbs and find nothing there. 

He would give so much of himself to others but never oblige anybody else to fulfill him. Would never allow anyone close to his heart.

Leonardo knew he couldn't handle him, Saint-Germain and his darkness. And neither could the man endure him. So why did he—

How did he fall in this deep? 

Leonardo shook his head and carried on with a forceful stride. They were fools, both of them. But Leonardo was an absolute abject for letting his heart and brain to be wholly governed by the image of a man who clearly wouldn’t look his way.

Nor anywhere else.

Saint-Germain stared dumbly at the blinding screen of his phone. There was no delivery notification under his latest message.

She was still blocking him. He could only pray the email reached her inbox and didn't end up in the spam or whatever abyss she subjected him. He couldn't afford another postponement. If he was lucky, this weekend, they'd have one last dinner, and Saint-Germain would offer to end their meetings.

Leonardo and his colleagues would praise him for being the one in control, always the dominant one. They believed Comte could pull away gracefully and call off his relationships at the drop of a hat.

Oh, if only such was the case. Saint-Germain battled day and night to gain control over his erratic feelings, hidden under lock and key beneath his impassive facade.

The constant battles made him vulnerable. Weak people had no business supporting another, not when they could barely stand on their own two feet.

And he was so close to baring it all to the very person he'd laid his eyes on. 

Leo can't keep seeing me like this. So prone and useless.

You're a strong man who deserves an even stronger man. It will never be me.

He recalled Leonardo murmuring to him over another round of wine on the balcony of some hotel a long time ago.

It should be easy, being with the one you love. 

Love isn't supposed to hurt or tire you out. If it's running your heart rugged to the ground, then what's the point?

Right?

Saint-Germain twisted the silicone casing of his phone furiously. He didn't know. How could he answer?

What was love supposed to feel like?

Joyeux anniversaire, Comte! Sorry I’m offering nothing but angst on this jolly day! :’)))

This was actually a request from anon, but I decided to make a longer piece from the prompt. The original draft had Renaissance influences thrown in, but things got hectic and I couldn’t continue my research. So I decided to go with mu usual jam: Modern AU.

Also, I think I overdid the hurt and added too much angst. I hope it’s okay.

Thank you to @ashavazesa for helping me brainstorm ideas. I’m sorry things didn’t come out like we intended to, but your suggestion (namely, Comte playing the violin for Leonardo) stuck with me and it fit nicely. Thank you!

[selinas-ships]

Everybody Loves Somebody

I didn't mean for this to turn into a song fic, but it kinda did, and I'm not mad about it. 

Also hi, I know it's been a million years lmaooo

With a frustrated sigh, Selene tossed the file onto the table she and Loki claimed, currently littered with papers from various files. “I hate paperwork.” She grumbled, rubbing her eyes and trying to stop the words from swimming in her vision. Stupid, tedious paperwork.

“You’re so good at it though.” Came Loki’s humorous reply. She didn’t need to look at him to see the insufferable grin on his face. And yet she couldn’t help a grin of her own from growing.

He wasn’t wrong, technically. Experience with her father helped her in finding the important information quickly, and the quicker the important information is found, the quicker one can understand the point of the report or the file, and in their case, deduce if it was at all significant to their cause. So far though, there has been little.

“That doesn’t mean I like it.”

“Fair enough.”

The words and phrases of the tedious report she threw on the table finally stopped swimming in her eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to open them. She was tired. There had been nothing but reports and files on the seemingly countless Loki Variants caught by the TVA for the past hour, and she was tired of it. Tired of reading how Loki made a choice that led him to being happier and fulfilled with his life and how it had to be destroyed for the sake of the “sacred timeline.” There were too many unknowns to make a properly informed opinion about the importance of the TVA and the sacred timeline, but from what she had so far, what was the phrase? She wasn’t a fan.

Soft music suddenly filled the quiet halls of endless bookshelves of files. A string quartet, perhaps? The scale they played seemed a little intense, she thought as she searched for where the music came from, finding nothing of note. And joining the instrumental music, people, a man and a backup chorus, sang.

(Everybody loves somebody sometimes)

(Everybody falls in love somehow) 

She closed her eyes again with a smile as a piano and percussion added to the instrumental background. Distracted by the music, she barely registered the sound of chair legs softly scraping against the floor directly beside her until someone took her hand and placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

With a quick glance to her left, she found Loki had stood up, holding her hand, his brilliant green eyes meeting hers as he lifted his lips from her hand. It was an action he’d done before, an expectation when greeting royalty, and Loki always had been as gentlemanly as he could when he visited. But it never failed to make something she couldn’t quite name yet flutter in her stomach.

(Something in your kiss just told me) 

“Dance with me?” He asked, giving her a soft smile, one he liked to save just for her.

(My sometime is now) 

She smiled back, hardly hesitating in her reply. They could make good with a break anyway. “Why not?”

Standing from her chair, she held onto Loki’s arm as he led them to a slightly more open space close to their table. Their next few movements were like clockwork. Her right hand clasped his left as her left rested on his shoulder and his right held her waist in a gentle but firm grip. Loki led them through a slow waltz, Selene following him seamlessly.

One thing she noticed in her now twenty-one years of formal balls and kingdom-wide celebrations with the waltz was, ultimately, it was about trust. The lead had to trust that the follower would follow where they directed, and the follower had to trust the lead to know what step to take next and carry through. A waltz without trust wasn’t a waltz at all, in her opinion. A waltz without trust was less of a dance and more of two fools tripping over each other because they didn’t trust or communicate enough to make it work. 

Truthfully, it was a simple way to read a person. Someone who habitually took the lead was likely to be a person used to being in control, whether of a people or of themselves, while someone who typically followed in a waltz might appear to be less of a leader and instead let others take that role, either due to not being confident in themselves enough or because that was the role they played in their society. A dancer experienced in both leading and following is easily inferred to be a flexible individual, neither strictly a leader or a follower, instead being what was needed. An unsure dancer let insecurity get the better of them, while a confident dancer, insecurity still very much a possibility, was far less likely to let their insecurities get in the way.

Loki was both a confident dancer and one who preferred to lead, which would logically mean that he was a person used to being in control of himself and didn’t like letting his insecurities (because Asgardian and a literal god or not, everyone had an insecurity) impede the path to his goal. 

But that was something she figured out years ago. This wasn’t a royal ballroom full of formal attire and people of political interest. This was two friends, taking a break, and enjoying something they both found joy in. So she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, while trying not to dwell on the memories of balls in a ballroom that now likely rests in dust and dried blood, and instead let herself get lost in Loki’s eyes, in his touch and in his arms, feeling safer here with him than she has during this entire ordeal.

(Everybody finds somebody someplace)

(There’s no telling where love may appear)

His soft smile grew into a wide grin as he dropped his head, his eyes sparkling with mirth and shoulders shaking with barely concealed laughter.

“What?” she asked through a small laugh of her own, dipping her head to meet his eyes again.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” He insisted, shaking his head. “Just remembering the last time we danced like this.”

(Something in my heart keeps saying)

Selene quickly wracked her brain for the memory before it hit her. Ah, of course.

“Oh, you mean the time you dragged me into the gardens to hide after a prank went wrong? One that I told you would go wrong, but you did it anyway?” She asked in a playful, accusatory tone, struggling to stifle her laughter at Loki’s utterly offended expression. She distinctly remembered saying ‘No, Loki, that is a terrible idea, and I will not bail you out of the mess you will cause,’ and Loki proceeding to go, ‘Trust me, it’ll be fine!’

It ended up, in fact, not being fine. It ended up being almost exactly as she predicted, if memory serves.

“Excuse you! You aided in that!” The smile that grew from his expression betrayed his amusement as she raised a single eyebrow, smirking at him.

(My someplace is here) 

“How?” she asked dubiously. 

“By giving me the idea!” 

“And then I told you specifically not to do it!” 

(If I had it in my power) 

“Oh, here we go again.” Loki sighed as he let go of her waist, Selene subconsciously understanding the cue for him to twirl her, giving him her own offended expression, a gleeful smile poking through.

“Wha-?? You bastard!” She laughed as Loki pulled her back into his arms. It had only been for a moment, but she had already missed his arm around her waist. It was comforting, grounding.

(I’d arrange for every girl to have your charm) 

“I’m your bastard.” He quipped, giving her a self-satisfied smirk. He knew he was right. Unbelievable, utter bastard. Her bastard.

“I suppose that’s true.” She dramatically sighed, laughing as Loki stuck his tongue out at her.

(Then every minute, every hour)

(Every boy would find what I found in your arms)

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, Loki leading her through another twirl as she just looked at him. Well, admired is probably a better word. She was doing more than just looking. She noticed the smile on his lips matched the smile in his eyes, the usual tension in his shoulders gone, the way his eyes crinkled in his joy. It made her happy, seeing him and being able to know he was too.

(Everybody loves somebody sometime)

(And although my dream was overdue) 

“What?” He asked her, noticing her widening smile. 

(Your love made it well worth waiting) 

“Nothing. It’s just good to see you smile again.”

(For someone like you) 

Staring into his eyes, she could see her words surprised him, but he was quick to come back with a smile that could almost be labeled as shy. “Well. I’ve had good reason to.”

((If I had it in my power))

(I would arrange for every girl to have your charms) 

Surprised by his words in turn, Selene ducked her head to get her giddy smile under control a little more before returning to his eyes.

They had almost gone half-lidded, and there was something in his gaze that made her want to smile and giggle uncontrollably, like Rosalind when she talked about her beloved, and kiss him at the same time.

((Then every minute, every hour))

(Every boy would find what I have in your arms) 

It really shouldn’t surprise her, the sudden urge to kiss him. This wasn’t the first time she’s had that thought.

(Everybody loves somebody sometime)

(And although my dream was overdue) 

This might be the closest she’s come to thinking she may act on it, though.

(Your love made it well worth waiting)

(For someone like you)

Loki led her into a graceful dip, her body and mind trusting him completely not to let her fall. He never did. But she thinks she’s fallen in more ways than one.

((Everybody loves somebody sometime)) 

As the song came to a close with one last beautiful violin, and Loki pulled her out of the finishing dip of their waltz, Selene couldn’t take her eyes off him. His hair, his eyes, his face, everything about him in this moment, she tried to commit to memory. The way he looked at her, the smile he gave her, the way a curl of hair fell over his ear.

Her eyes trailed down to his lips of their own accord, her hand on his shoulder sliding up to cup his neck. She forced her eyes back to his to find Loki’s gaze at her lips. Sliding the hand still clasped in his free, it moved to his hair, running through his gentle curls and waves.

They had moved closer in their waltz than they did when they started. Where before there had been a respectable distance between them, now their faces were mere inches apart.

Loki’s free hand moved to the back of her head, sliding down to cradle her neck as he nudged her closer, Selene offering no resistance. The tips of their noses brushed together now, eyes meeting and then moving to lips and then meeting again.

Her heart thumped louder in her chest. He was so close, it would be so easy to close the gap and finally know what his kisses are like-

They both jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat, finding Agent Mobius staring at them with a very unamused expression that would have been a little funny had she’d not been both embarrassed at being caught like this (not that they were doing anything strictly wrong) and frustrated he had interrupted. Who knew when she would get the courage to try that again?

“Oh, I’m sorry, was I interrupting something?”

Normally, Selene would be a bit more diplomatic in her response, saying no and to apologize for making him wait, but Mobius, and to be honest the entire TVA, had a habit of frustrating her, so the snarky response “A bit, yes.” slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. 

Understandably so, Mobius let out an exasperated breath. “Look, princess, you’re here to keep him in check, not to... act on whatever unspoken thing you two have going on.”

“Hey now-”

Oh dear.

Selene quickly put a hand on Loki’s shoulder, taking his attention away from Mobius. “Loki. It’s fine.”

The pout he gave her was unfairly cute. “But it’s not. He shouldn’t speak to you like that.”

“I appreciate it, but I can take care of myself, Trickster. You know that.” 

Loki sighed, ducking his head and pressing it against hers, his arms coming up to hold on to her elbows. “I know. I just want to keep you safe.”

Selene let out a sigh of her own. How was he real? What had she possibly done in order to deserve him?

“I know. I’m alright.” She promised, closing her eyes to focus on his touch and proximity.

And Mobius once again interrupted them. “Hey. C’mon, we have a job to do.”

He walked away, gesturing for them both to follow.

Selene looked to Loki again, taking a chance and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

He smiled again, nodding. “Okay.”

Slowly, not wanting to but not having much of a choice, they let go of each other and stepped apart, hurrying to follow Mobius.

If Loki’s hand sought hers and held on tight, she did not object. Instead, she held on just as tight.

[mr-nauseam]

What is you favorite headcanon? 👀

It depends on what we talk about.

But as always, when I don't know what to talk about, I talk about all my top fandoms! Hahahaha, really Anon I hope you like Hetalia or SH with how much I talk about them (?

God this is complicated!, I think that hc of ship-romance-fluffy-pretty idea is without a doubt a hc of engport:

I am fascinated by the idea that England and Portugal have ever had a shared diary! Although I don't know if "diary" is the right word, in my head it is a notebook or something like that where they wrote poems, songs, short stories, etc. Basically their thoughts but not directly (nothing from "Today I felt an overwhelming desire to hit France" but maybe a very passionate poem against French wine hahaha).

On the other hand, I am a lover of angst and historical hetalia gives a lot of suffering, perhaps one of my personal favorites is Portugal in a catatonic state after that earthquake in Lisbon or France feeling depersonalized, suffering from dissociations and in a weak and dispersed mental state during Robiespierre's reign of terror. MMM. I also have a couple of thoughts on the magical side of Hetalia in canon but that's for another post.

Now that if we talk about SH, things are strangely more enjoyable, I think it is because I still do not have my strong bond to think things - I say I have scattered ideas that I comment from time to time but I do not know, I feel that in Hetalia for example I have a couple of MORE CONCRETE ideas of the style I will fight for them but in SH I still don't have that lighting- (?

So in cute-fun-fluffy stuff, I have a great love for the idea that Watson without a mustache has the power to baffle-horrify-fool Holmes, all at the same time. Like if he removed his mustache was undoubtedly to make the bee-loving bitch suffer. I mean probably Holmes kept it for 3 days or more without sleeping and without eating and there was the option of not doing that and still solving the case like SO...Watson wants revenge.

And if we go to the angst side I think the way I perceive Watson's relationship with his brother is where I concentrate the pain, apart from that unnameable period of time where I will not say who faked his death. Continuing with that, I think Watson's brother was a musical boy! Did he play the violin? of course, the piano?, why not ?! but that he did not fulfill many of his dreams and as his spirit faded his music did too, so that is why Watson puts up with Holmes every time he plays the violin, no matter what he plays and his melody sounds as if he was torturing someone and In general I feel that Watson is one of the few people who understands how much Holmes expresses himself with his instrument and how vital it is for him to verbalize the things that he cannot say with words.

(OH I JUST MAKE TO MYSELF THE VIOLIN SCENE IN THE SING OF FOUR EVEN MORE PAINFUL)

You know ANON, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS QUESTION, I got a lot of hc that maybe later published separately, :D have a great day! and I hope you like it!

[rqnvindr]

his rhythm

pairing: pianist!kageyama tobio x violinist!reader

genre: angst, unrequited love, music au

word count: 1.3k

sypnosis: because he knew that the only way to keep you close to him was to get you to follow his rhythm, the very same rhythm that reflected his heartbeat....

piece played in this work and must listen as you read: love’s sorrow-fritz kreisler

a/n: kageyama as a pianist and painful angst that i thought of at 10:30 pee em while listening to classical music by ylia. tagging @dorkyama​, my big sis who talks about best boi tobio with me everyday and lets me scream about anything and everything to her <33 

--

if it hadn’t been for the music playing, the room would’ve been so silent that you two would be able to hear the sounds of your own heartbeats. kageyama was grateful for the instruments, for the only way to calm his heartbeat when he was around you was concentrating on the black and white keys before him and creating sounds for you to absorb just as deeply. 

kageyama found his talent at a young age, his long, slender, skilled fingers perfectly fit for the piano. he never wanted to stop playing and relished the feeling of getting lost in complex pieces, hungry to challenge himself more and more to become the best pianist. the power he possessed captured audiences in a manner that made them follow his beat and feel precisely whatever emotion he sought to portray through sounds and rhythms alone. 

he did it all by himself. kageyama definitely didn’t need nor want a partner when he was skilled enough to lead his own performances. when asked by teachers who scouted him for their music academies or interviewers who desired to dig deeper into the boy who ruled the stage if he ever considered having a violinist accomplice, he bluntly stated “i would rather do everything by myself.” this statement successfully fulfilled his wish, for his talent became overlooked by his cold demeanor, his haughty royal presence driving people away. 

but there was still one person whose passion for music disregarded kageyama’s reputation. you, who saw his pickiness as meticulousness and the seriousness any musician should have and didn’t care about the dictatorship he carried. all that mattered was that there was someone who could make your dreams come true. of course, he resisted your pleas to duet with him and you gave up, disappointed but not surprised that a legendary prodigy had rejected you. 

and kageyama kept his resolve until he happened to walk in on you playing by yourself during lunch, astonished that there was someone else who used the music room during the hours that most students saw as play time. he saw your dedication in the way you closed your eyes in concentration, tuning out the sounds of rustling footsteps and chatting voices to become one with your violin. you didn’t even pause to look at him when he opened the door. he very reluctantly tested the waters, prodding the keys to match the strokes of your bow on the strings. it caught you off guard at first, but his ability to quickly resonate with you was astonishing.

“hey, i know you said you weren’t interested in duetting with me earlier,” you tell him afterwards. “but i just wanted to say that your skills are amazing! you hadn’t even been playing with me for ten seconds and you managed to sync so perfectly-”

“i’ll duet with you.” the sharpness of kageyama’s tone interrupting your compliment catches you off guard, and it takes a few moments to process his declaration. “but,” he adds on. “i’m not going to be the one who keeps up with you. you’re going to have to be the one to keep up with me.” 

it sounded like an order, a threat: follow me, or you’re out. nonetheless, he was willing to give up his lonesome stride for you, and if you didn’t accept his offer you would never have a chance in having kageyama tobio, the genius pianist set any rhythm for you.

so now you two are here, practicing for the upcoming recital. rehearsals with him were always straightforward. kageyama couldn’t express himself with words like he could with the piano but communication sufficed well enough, especially since his comments were always along the lines of: “you’re out of tune.” or “you’re slow.” today, however, he seemed to be more on edge than usual, as you practiced your duet of ‘love’s sorrow’. he sped up more and more during each run-through and it seemed impossible to match up with him. 

kageyama can’t hold himself back, he’s simply unable to take it anymore. he can’t take the thunder of his heartbeat which seems to have a mind of its own whenever he plays with you. the themes of the song-the adrenaline, the frustration, the sorrow of love-make his thoughts wander to the delightful shivers that run down his spine at the sight of your hair swaying with your movements on the violin, how you’re always so close yet so far out of his reach. he’s never felt this way for anyone before, especially a fellow musician since he saw people in the same field as him as competition and it drives him mad. unwilling to let these overwhelming feelings consume him, he takes them out on the notes that are supposed to guide you, going faster than intended as he grows overwhelmed with the speed of his throbbing chest. 

you were oblivious to his inner whirlwind of emotions, but knew he reached his breaking point when he suddenly stopped playing before the song was finished, standing up from his chair, eyebrows furrowed and dark blue eyes glimmering with a different type of intensity that you couldn’t comprehend amidst the tense silence that felt like hours. 

“your tempo is slow! move your bow and fingers faster! i know i can play, so why can’t you keep up with me? why do you always have to drag me down?!” instant regret pangs his stomach the moment the last line leaves his lips. kageyama freezes, unable to look you in the eyes as you release your bow from the strings.

“kageyama,” your voice snaps his full attention back to you and his insides drop when you reach for your case. “i’m afraid that i’ll no longer be duetting with you.”

“(y/n), i-”

“you were the one who wanted to duet with me,” you snap before he can hopelessly try to save himself. “so why don’t you ever take my feelings into consideration? why don’t you play at a pace that i can actually play at or at least work with me to get to the level where you want me to be instead of throwing me into deep water like this? it’s always about you, even though we’re supposed to be in this together.” kageyama bites his lip, quivering as he watches you angrily pack up your instrument.

“guess they were right about you, kageyama tobio.” you pause, turning to him as you stand by the door. “you’re the lonely king at the top.” with that, you exit, leaving him alone to feel the sting of the title that he felt indifferent about until now, when it left him with a bitter feeling in his mouth. kageyama’s face darkens as he slumps over the piano in the now quiet room, his hands clumped into tight fists as he slams the keys, cursing under his breath. 

getting ahold of himself when he realizes he could damage the school instrument, kageyama lets out a deep, infuriated sigh, before positioning his fingers into playing position again. he was at least glad he had learned the solo piano version of ‘love’s sorrow’ on his own. there was nothing else he could do to release his hatred for himself for being so stupid and letting you slip in an instant. he reminisces on your beauty, your determination, your skills that attracted him to you in the first place. you never dragged him down, it was his own pride that did. 

as the piece reaches its climax, he crashes immediately along with the rapidly descending chords. the tangled progressions that follow perfectly reflect the tightening knot in his insides from the feelings for you that won’t leave when you, the only person to have ever seen him in a different light and share the same passion for what he loves has already left. 

kageyama only wanted to keep you close to him through his rhythm, but he ended up driving you away with it instead. 

[tweedfrog]

I was tagged by @aryas to answer 30 questions + tag 20 blogs you want to know better: @jeynearrynofthevale @spaceandbones @werewolfeddardofthehousestark @sunontherhoyne @beckyblueeyes @riana-one @sayruq and anyone who sees this and wants to do it!!

name/nickname: I have a pact with my friends from when i was like 16  that if i do enough badass things they will call me Blade as a nickname....so that i guess

gender: female

star sign: Leo

height: 5″2

time: 11 pm

birthday: [REDACTED]

favourite bands: I dont really have fav bands because i like listening to songs by themselves but im currently listening to a BTS playlist my friend made me

favourite solo artists: Flume, Rihanna, Megan Thee Stallion

song stuck in my head: Delilah - the lesbian thriller version by kopop girl group Mamamoo

last movie: A california christmas - very cheesy b grade holiday romcom i put on in the background while i made christmas sweets. It barely had anything to do with christmas

last show: Alice in Borderland, Bridgerton, Boku no hero academia

when did I create this blog: Last year in like november? I think???

what I post: Asoiaf, random venting, memes and writing stuff

last thing I googled: discovery obligations in civil procedure?

other blogs: like reccomending other blogs??? @rippeduncleiroh

following: 149

followers: 74

average hours of sleep: it varies from like 3-12. I have a fucked up sleep schedule pls dont look @ me im a mess

lucky number: 4, 8 or 7

instruments: used to play the violin as a kid...one day i will return to it

what I am wearing: red cable knit turtleneck and black sweatpants

dream job: office job where im friends with everyone and do fulfilling work

dream trip: Russia, Japan, Iceland, Austria, Alaska (again), Brazil, Mexico

favourite food: mac and cheese, ramen, malaysian food, all indian deserts, vietnamese food, thai food

nationality: Indian

favourite song: Dynamite by BTS or Cocky AF by Megan Thee Stallion

last book I read: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

top 3 fictional universes I would like to live in: BNHA becuase i want super-powers, Harry Potter because i want magic, and the hobbit but id never leave the shire and just eat second breakfast all the time while smoking a pipe

[d-nghy-ck]

hmc! popular but a classic, it shows taste imo😌 i too grew up on these films, but i would say my favorite is either ponyo or the secret life of arrietty; a big nostalgia factor, i remember reading the books and then thinking i was a water spirit as a little girl lmao. i also just thought arrietty was a badass.

i wouldn’t say i have too too many interests aside from those on my carrd. i enjoy random grandma things like knitting and annotating poetry books, but i also love playing the electric guitar and an occasional game of tennis. what about you? any “likes” that weren’t already on my carrd?

also very random and unprompted, but may i ask your zodiac sign lol?

Aside from writing, I enjoy music (I have a music degree!), dancing (I was in a kpop dance cover crew), learning how to cook with new spices or seasonings (like playing with flavor profiles), backpacking/traveling to new places, gardening, being out in nature (mountains preferably), really good board or card games with friendly company, yoga, sketching with charcoal, pencil, or ink, enjoying a lot of coffee - those sorts of things!! Tbh I’m getting excited just thinking about it andnwkdn. And like you said, I enjoy rainy days - I feel like just that alone says a lot about someone. When you said you like rainy days I was like “ah yes, one of my people” hahahaha. 

Ah you know, I’ve never actually watched the Secret Life of Arrietty, only seen clips! But I just went to glance at it again and, well 

Big heart eyes; this is gorgeous. And then I thought, hang on, this looks familiar:

My level of being whipped: gorgeous boys in pretty wildflower field + forest?!? NCT??? NCT!!! You can fulfill your dreams of aspiring to be Arrietty by assertively daydreaming yourself into this scenario HAHAHA

But ahhhh that’s great that you’re interested in poetry, and, ahem electric guitar like that’s .. so sick. I’ve only toyed around with one before so you have my respect for pursuing it!! I’m an acoustic instrumentalist, myself, and only play electric instruments when it’s necessary for a gig (and that was always electric violin, not electric guitar ahdnwkdns how cool!!!). Ahaha “grandma activities” I so relate. That’s great, though - find what makes you happy and do it!! Ahhh I also know how to knit, too - and crochet!! It’s the kind of thing I do when I want to feel productive while I’m restless - it’s goal-oriented with just enough creativity yet formulaic movements. Puzzles can be the same way!

I’m a Leo sun, Scorpio moon, Capricorn rising! :) if I recall, we do not also have this in common, but thank goodness, bc otherwise we would be such a mess hahahah! 

[buggy-d-hoe]

Tagged by: @margothedestroyerr :) Thank you my love <3 <3 <3

Tagging: @booty-boggins, @ocfairygodmother, @lostiintheocean, @mystic-scripture, and whoever wants to do this. Not sure who hasn’t been tagged yet!

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs that you would love to get to know better.

Name/Nickname: Ooooo, my real name is a secret, but the nicknames I go by are Grace, Gracy, G, Pip (<3 <3 <3), and I’m sure there are others. IRL, that’s another story hahaha.

Gender: Cis female 

Star sign: Leo...and that’s all I know -3-

Height: 5'5″ish....maybe somewhat close to 5′6″?

Time: 10:50 pm

Birthday: July 26

Favorite Bands: BTS (YESSSS), Blackpink, Twice, EXO, TXT, Blink 182, and others. Honestly, I listen to a lot hahaha.

Favorite Solo artists: Agust D and some others who fail to come to mind at the moment hahaha

Song stuck in my head: Honestly, it’s anything BTS because I have that playlist on repeat. 

Last movie: Batman Begins....for research purposes.....;)

Last Show: Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma...and a word of caution...definitely watch with headphones O.O

When did I create this blog: November 2012 for @itsjustgracy and September 2018 for this blog. 

What do I post: On my main, I reblog multifandom content and works of fellow creators that I’m tagged in. This account is strictly for my characters and my fan-fiction purposes.  

Last thing I googled: "Jonathan Crane Batman Begins”...again...for research purposes ;) and to drool over Cillian Murphy <3

Other blogs: @itsjustgracy is my main and this is my OC blog :)

Do I get asks: Only when I reblog ask games. Very seldom do I get asks outside of that. Annoying haters on the other hand, ughhhhh I wish they took a break and find something else productive. 

Why I chose my url: @itsjustgracy is something I hear a lot IRL (Oh...it’s just *insert real name*/ Gracy) and this blog’s name is from when I was younger and I used to watch this show called Atomic Betty and it sounded cool...which is also a slang word for atomic. So in short: it’s like Cool Gracy (lame...I know hahaha)

Following: 660

Followers: 140 on main and 207 on here

Average hours of sleep: Hahahah...it highly depends. If I get too much, I get cranky and if I get less, the more energetic I am? It's between 30 mins to 4/5 hours? Horrible, I know...

Lucky number: 13 <3

Instruments: I played guitar for a little bit but I don’t remember so much anymore (it was a high school phase). I am a mediocre clarinet player who was first chair during my years playing (only like that word because of Spongebob hahaha, so I guess you can say I was pretty good). I played piano since I was six and still dabble in it (played both genres of classical and other things like video games, anime, pop culture, etc). Does it count if I sing in the choir? I’m an alto voice who can switch to soprano if the number is lacking for the service. Currently perfecting the organ because I am practicing in church :) If you’re lucky, you can hear a wild Gracy humming or just singing to herself. Looking to pick up another instrument and the violin is kinda tempting!

What am I wearing: Black leggings, BT21 Cooky Striped Crew Socks, Sailor Moon black long sleeve, and Pink Sailor Moon hoodie from a friend’s shop (please check out https://www.instagram.com/special.move/ if you like anime hoodies! They have MHA, Sailor Moon, Demon Slayer and they are about to launch their Jujutsu Kaisen collection) 

Dream job: Traveling RN because I want to get out of my area and explore the world. Maybe be an author on the side :)

Dream trip: Visit the #chaoshouse members and just hangout. Other than that, Europe, Japan, South Korea, etc. 

Favorite food: Don’t make me choose! TT_TT My brother and boyfriend already have problems with me being picky and incredibly indecisive when it comes to “What are we eating?”

Nationality: An American that is looking for any way out

Favorite song: All K-Pop songs are stuck on repeat and favorites do change depending on what comes up on shuffle. BUTTTTT...the one song that hits home with me is Epiphany and it’s sung by Jin from BTS as his solo. Not because he is one of my bias, but if you listen and understand the lyrics (yay for English translations) you’ll see why :) 

Last book read: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. I am throwing up all warnings because the content material, or practically the entire book, is very triggering!!! This is an extremely dark book and even I had to put it down several times because it was definitely difficult to finish. It was hauntingly good read, but the subject material is what really made it difficult. My heart goes out to the author. 

Top three fictional universes I’d like to live in: Harry Potter, not only to chase after Draco, but to live out my childhood. I DO NOT support the author and I would love to make that clear. The Wizarding World is something that has always appealed to me growing up and I used to wish about attending Hogwarts. I am still awaiting my acceptance letter!!!! Maybe anything in the manga/anime field because have you seen the creativity and how awesome the worlds are?!? (Being a hero in MHA, surviving in AoT, raising a Psyduck in Pokemon, etc.). Last would probably be...crud...this is hard...but maybe Star Wars because, apparently, Pedro Pascal, Oscar Isaac, and Diego Luna are enough to convince me that men like that exist <3. In all seriousness, that series  is legit...umph.....so imaginative. Because I said so, maybe LotR because I wanna run around with @mystic-scripture and fulfill our Hobbit dreams....and marry Eomer...because Karl Urban. Also Star Trek....because Karl Urban....and Chris Pine....and cause I love it too. Goodness, I am just blowing this question out of proportion with my thirstiness hahaha.

[afterdeck-ace]

What about Brook ?

Hi there obsess-chan <3

Brook

(too lazy for better quality but I love this one)

Favorite thing about him: HE’S A TALKING SKELETON. HE’S ONE PIECE’S SCHRÖDINGER’S CAT, DEAD AND ALIVE AT THE SAME FRICKING TIME. HE’S SO LIGHT HE CAN WALK/RUN ON WATER DESPITE HAVING EATEN A DEVIL FRUIT. HE DRINKS MILK TO HEAL HIMSELF BECAUSE HE’S JUST A PILE OF BONES YOHOHOHO.

The way he talks freely about his feelings. (you rb that GIF set earlier and I was like “yes, yes, YES. Take example everyone, be that open about your deepest insecurities and have a Robin in your life.”)

Least favorite thing about him: the panties joke. (Although Shakky was willing to show him hers and I respect that)

Favorite line: “May I see your-” Just kidding! I don’t remember a precise line but his yohoho of course. We’d be so lost without it. Oh and that 90° angle joke! Fall for it every time.

brOTP: with the Straw Hats. Like give me nakamaship, nakama-fluff and I’m on board? Can’t wait for more interaction with Jinbe. And maybe more Swords Bros things with Zoro, Law and the new lovely people of Wano? Did he ask to see Kiku’s underwear yet?

Have you read Weight of a Soul by startaroux? If not, do it. It’s worth every minute you’ll spend reading it.

OTP: Never considered actually. For various reasons I avoid shipping the Straw Hats (together or separately) (bar Frobin because it’s already canon). But... Are there pairings with Brook out there? And centered on Brook, I mean? Quick search gave me OT3 so...

Could Brook/Yorki have been a thing? Just to add more heart-break because, you know... (*after a quick search*) There’s actually 6 results on AO3 and I don’t know when but I’ll read them all because I think I’ve definitely found my OTP for this one. Please make it hurt.

nOTP: Honestly I think Brook/Anyone is my nOTP. I want him happy, I want his (canon) dreams fulfilled. I might be wrong but I don’t think a romantic relationship would play well into that. Even in AU, I always saw him as the cool old musician neighbor. Platonic for the win, I guess. or with Yorki apparently now ahahah

Random headcanon: Never wrote about him or thought that much about him honestly... He wore glasses while human, he has no eye-balls anymore but still sees like before. That would be fun if he still had eyesight problems. Chopper would totally be freaking out. New medical enigma.(I want to write it now, good job Lily...)

Unpopular opinion: Can’t find one cause I’m out of the loop about him and fans’ latest dilemma or scream-about.

Song I associate with him: Le bon rhum de Binks, bien sûr! Binks no Sake but in French because that’s the version I heard first. To this day, it’s still stuck in my head and I hold it dear, teenage years in front of the TV, singing in the kitchen, feeling like a pirate and all. I remember Ryuma humming the tune. I instantly loved it. Plus I love Brook’s original voice but his French voice actor is doing a very very good job.

Here’s the stripped version post time-skip. I like it better than the long one during the party at Thriller Bark. Plus there are whales and when you look into it, the fiddle tune sounds a bit like whale sounds. (Another headcanon on why Brook’s fave music instrument is the violin?)

Thanks for indulging me!

Ask box’s still open for the Character Ask. Awaiting: Buggy, Shakky, Marco and Law!

[przmcn]

The lie that started in April-- A post that contains regrets

I was not into these kind of genre to be honest but I don’t know why I came across to this film. It was summer and I am too lazy to roam around the house and so I scroll down the tab to find a good movie but bump into an anime series instead as I sat down to my mom’s chair curling myself up like a baby/

The moment when the first episode was played, I felt kind of bored thinking that it was just all about a pianist and a violinist. I am not into a musical type of genre because I might fell asleep, but it turns out, I was played instead, lol. kidding aside, I was curious of how the movie will end, and so, I pressed the keys to my keyboard and the seconds started to go on.

It started off by telling about a former pianist prodigy. He was so good that a young age, he mastered all the keys and learned how to read a music note and I am not a fan of a music note haha but then again, I was drawn into the movie. I did not even realized that I spent my thirty minutes or so listening and watching him pressed the keys so beautifully but he already stop playing because her mom only wants him to play, however, he was still stuck to his mom’s cage, being her treasure to fulfill her dreams.

There this violinist who are full of passion and have her own ways to play the notes. It sound awful for the others and for the professional violinists but for me, it sounded so gracefully. She clearly express herself while performing on stage, holding up bow on her right hand while the other hand is the violin. She was so elegant in her long gown and the song that she just played makes her even more beautiful. This was just about a talented musicians or so I thought. 

As I was too busy with my judging the plot with my thoughts, The pianist heard a melodica playing in the park with three children and pigeons as the harmonizingly audience.  Making his first impression by accidentally capturing the performance with the girl up skirt blow by the wind in accident. It turns out, .the one playing the melodica was the violinist

Jumping on the next scene, They became friends because a friend of him was actually the one who’s gonna show up on the blind date set by his friends to met her, and then, next thing I knew, they practicing and performing together on stage. It was a memorable one for me because the characters really have too much going on with their lives and they just picked up their instruments and let the music convey their feelings and just left the problems behind on stage.

It happened so fast that I was starting to get uncomfortable on my sit and put all my attention to my laptop’s screen.  Everything happened between her and Kousei was actually planned by her. She was so selfish and desperate knowing she only has few months to spend and so she grabbed the opportunity to lie and just be with him without knowing her intention. She was the one who’s actually looking at him before without him knowing. She was so bright and cheerful or so everyone thought. 

Before I even hold my tears from falling, She was already having a hard gripping to her last days until she stopped playing her violin. I didn’t even realized that she loved him all along, even when they were child musician prodigy. The letter left by her contains all the truths she intends to hide until her last breath. She lied about having a crush on his friend where in fact, she was so deeply in love with Kousei, that she even sacrifice her days and just be contend being friends with him and let the truth buried under the lie she made.

I’m too weak for these kind of plot lol. I really hate these kind of ending where regrets and “what ifs” comes into my mind. This even made me stopped watching anime. I became more anxious when someone would recommend a good sum anime. I literally would ask for the summary of the plot or would do a research about the genre and everything that made me hesitate.

But it was really a good plot. After four years of being cautious with this kind of plan because I cried my heart out with the ending. I just dropped every list I had from then on and just continue to look back to Kaori’s character. She was amazing. She did lie but not for her sake but for everyone around her. 

And then the live action adaptation of these series was released. haaaa.. I was having a hard time making my decision to watch it and have the same pain again haha. but then again, a good plot with pain is good and so I had snatch a tissue roll to my mom’s kitchen and ready myself to be played once again to this movie. 

[morievna]

Parallels between Yuki and Ugetsu and what they tell about past and future

In my earlier posts I alluded to fact that I find similarities between Yuki and Ugetsu – now I want to dig this topic more deeper to show what I exactly mean by this. After all one of reasons why I love Given so much is it how different couples foil each other at many levels. It is almost as we are presented the same struggle in different ways. This struggle is about finding balance in life - between music and love/normal life. Or if to put it in more abstract terms – between spiritual and mundane aspects. In this meta I intend to depict parallels between Ugetsu and Yuki and then use them as base to speculate on the latter’s choices. At the end I will try to predict how it can be handled in Mafuyu’s story-line in the future.

Since it is heavy topic I want to put disclaimer that I am no psychologist and I will look on this mostly how it was presented in narrative. Just keep it in mind that it is my interpretation and feel free to disagree.

Both of look here as they were in their own world, aren’t they?

Warnings: long post, spoilers and mention of suicide

Parallels between Yuki and Ugetsu are mostly indirect and tied to how they are presented in their relationships with respectively Mafuyu and Akihiko. Let’s start then from very beginning of these couples:

As you see both Akihiko and Mafuyu are in dark/shadow place in literal and metaphorical way. Both of them had problems with parents and were not getting enough love from them – Mafuyu had abusive father and Akihiko’s parents were neglectful and caught in their own drama. Their lives changed significantly when they met “light” (both Ugetsu and Yuki are standing in sunlight), who provided them with attention and love. Apart from it there is also motive of mutual understanding  - Yuki empathized with Mafuyu because he had no father, and Ugetsu was first to recognize that Akihiko is delicate/sensitive person deep down. As trivia I want to add that these both encounters took place in summer.

No matter how they turned out later it is important that at first these relationships were positive for both parties and allowed them to find love, belonging and safety in their lives. We are shown Yuki acting very protective around Mafuyu a lot in flashbacks and it was Ugetsu who offered his house to Akihiko when the latter was homeless due to parent’s divorce. After all there is reason why both Akihiko are Mafuyu are having trouble of letting go of past and treasure these memories despite the pain.

Both pairings have strong soulmates vibes:

We are literally told this by Hiiragi and it is emphasized by ginkgo's leaves, which symbolize duality. In Akihiko/Ugetsu case it is shown too in a bit subtler way – they are almost always in black/dark and light/white clothes (something that anime picked up too) and in color illustrations are often used red and blue/green, which are complementary according to color theory. And stands count as well – Yataragasu (symbol for sun) and squirrel (symbol for earth).

By opposites we should take into consideration not only personality traits, but what I mentioned at start – mundane and spiritual (music) aspects. In other Kizu Natsuki’s original works there is similar pattern in couples too – where one person has more down-to-earth attitude and second one is more thinking of ideas in abstract terms. I like how this was put in words in blurb from “Yukimura-sensei to Kei-kun” – as providing spiritual nourishment to another person.

Both Yuki and Ugetsu’s talents are called in similar terms – something special and otherworldly. Unfortunately, this had not only inspirational but negative effect too– Akihiko abandoned his dreams and I assume that Mafuyu probably too felt overwhelmed since he waited for Yuki’s initiative to work together on music instead of actively asking about it.

Both Mafuyu and Akihiko are making strong association between love and instruments played respectively by Yuki and Ugetsu – as if guitar and violin was symbolically token of love. Just think how Akihiko compared explicitly his love to Ugetsu to love for playing violin in chapter 27. In addition to holding guitar all time in beginning Mafuyu’s songs are thematically connected to Yuki – first about pain of losing him and second about acceptance of his death and moving forward. It is a bit fascinating how music can be both positive and destructive. Thanks to music Akihiko and Ugetsu got to understand each other, but it also effected in split when it wasn’t balanced in life like in Mafuyu and Yuki’s case. It is a bit alike a Force in Star Wars.

And just like in Star Wars – without balance everything falls apart:

Though Akihiko is talking about Ugetsu and Mafuyu here, I think the same applied to Yuki. We know that after going to high school Yuki went to job to buy guitar. It was highlighted that it was expensive model, so he must spent a lot of time working to obtain it. And don’t forget that in his house single mother was only source of income, so he probably helped in paying fees and things like that too. To sum it all up he spent considerable amount of time on job to buy guitar and then later probably even more in studio playing  – his life was basically dedicated to music at this point, no wonder that Mafuyu felt out place and strain appeared in their relationship.

And I think I don’t have to point out examples about Ugetsu spending really most of his time on music? Even though he got talent, he is practicing really hard to be at the highest level.

So let’s move from music to normal life.

It has similar vibe, doesn’t it?

Since both Ugetsu and Yuki are very immersed in music their basic needs are taken care by respectively Akihiko and Mafuyu. We have multiple instances in story where Akihiko is worried about Ugetsu’s well-being (like eating properly and so on). With Yuki there is only that one occasion, but I won’t be surprised if there will be more if we get more flashbacks.

Of course remember that both aspect are equally important and it very important to have them covered in life.  According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs we must find every one of the elements needed to seek fulfillment and change through personal growth.

And as you see love is very important too – we see in Given what happens when it is missing – apathy (Mafuyu), self-neglect (Ugetsu) and losing sense of living (Akihiko).

So we have parallels covered. I think that they clearly intentional and can be used as some kind of base to figure out more about Yuki and his mindset and choices. But firstly let’s take closer look on Yuki chapter 11.5

Judging on clothes – winter ones – it seems that it took place shortly before their argument. Even though they are together there is this vibe of being distant from each other. It is bit hard to put into word feeling of this scene, but it seems like some form of goodbye from Yuki like he wanted to make more memories so Mafuyu wouldn’t forget him easily. There is clear implication that he was feeling lonely. It may be a bit of over-interpretation, but I consider it interesting that Yuki got most of piercing in high school – after spending most of his time apart from Mafuyu. In some way it can be interpreted as sign of internal pain, since Akihiko got his piercing after first breakup with Ugetsu. I think it is safe to assume that Yuki felt depressed due to loneliness and separation from Mafuyu – losing his balance in life and music could not sustain him.

Before moving to their argument, firstly let’s take closer look on reasons why Ugetsu broke up with Akihiko. Because it is not simple as love for music was just more important for him.

This decision can be examined on three levels:

Identity / afraid of change – Ugetsu’s home is such great metaphor for him – ascetic, isolated from rest of world and dedicated solely to playing music. To me it feel like he thinks that music should be his priority because he has nothing except for it and it is only thing he is good at. So he thinks that he has to put music as first, because he is nothing without it and nobody would give him attention if he doesn’t play at the highest level. Accepting his feeling to Akihiko as equally important would mean that he has to change the way his was living and identity he build for himself.

Self-guilt –he blames himself for Akihiko abandoning his dream about playing violin as pro.

Loneliness – he has no friends and his family doesn’t seems to be supportive or take active role in his life either.

I want to highlight that it was bad decision, which caused only more pain for them both. Deciding arbitrarily what is good for another person and breaking up without telling reasons is bad. It is even underlined in narrative – Ugetsu thinks of himself as coward and lowest of low. Mafuyu thinks of this as wrong too (and again another parallel):

But saying “right words” would be talking about his insecurities to Akihiko, showing vulnerable side and stopping to run from his feelings – Ugetsu was not ready for this and took “easier” path to stop suffering by pushing away Akihiko. To me it looks as he wanted to turn back to state before knowing him, but obviously it didn’t work since love changes people and shutting out feelings is not something easy.

So keep all above in mind and now let’s take look on argument between Mafuyu and Yuki:

Identity / afraid of change – even though Mafuyu stressing out that music is tearing them apart, Yuki didn’t acknowledge this and simply want Mafuyu to trust him. It all sounds that Mafuyu felt betrayed, but is seems that Yuki didn’t want to change his attitude towards spending so much time on music and acknowledge this as something wrong – so I think that music is as much important to him as to Ugetsu.

Self-guilt – during this argument Yuki had learned how much this is causing hurt, so I am assuming he too thinks that “his existence fundamentally means suffering” for Mafuyu. Like you know thinking that Mafuyu words “Would you die for me then?” meant that Mafuyu would be better or happier without him.

Loneliness – despite having friends and supportive mother Yuki is pretty alone in this – it doesn’t looks that he tried to get help or talking with them. Even though Hiiragi was just observant Yuki didn’t try to talk with him. Just look below –from the way Yuki patted Hiiragi’s arm it looks to me as Yuki tried to pretend that everything was okay.

Unlike Ugetsu he can’t turn back literally before knowing Mafuyu since they meet as kids, so this is out of option. So he decided wrongly that there is another way to permanently “end suffering” for both of them. I want to repeat what I stated earlier – it is just my interpretation and maybe something else affected him too. But looking at major themes of story – how different characters has dilemma between music and life/love I expect Yuki’s story be something similar like that. I hope too that I sounded too judgmental – I am aware from my personal experiences that changing and fixing flaws is not that easy and sometimes reaching for help from others takes a lot of courage too.

God, it was hard to write I got so emotional. Okay I recovered so moving out to:

Just to make things clear – I don’t think that Ugetsu is going to die or something like that. Parallels are often used to emphasize differences in the end. I think that he is going to make amends and seek forgiveness for hurt he caused from Akihiko. His story resembles how redemption arc are usually done, but this is big topic for another time. I firmly believe that he will get happy ending, especially since Akihiko is very forgiving.

Since Yuki isn’t protagonist we will see rest of his story through Mafuyu’s eyes. I think there are two ways:

As mentioned before Mafuyu wanted to write song together with Yuki. I suspect that this wish will be fulfilled in different way. In recent chapter Hiiragi wanted to work on some Yuki’s song together with Ritsuka. Again because Yuki was special when it comes to music I don’t think it would be easy task. It is possible that we would get to see them all together working on this as some kind of collaboration between these two bands. Who knows, maybe even we get to see Mafuyu singing it. The tone and lyrics of this song would give us new information on Yuki too. And it would be interesting to know if this song was meant by him to be gift for Mafuyu. Besides, since Mafuyu seeks often Ugetsu’s advise on music I think he will be involved too. Honesty I think that just writing new song for Given by Mafuyu could feel a bit repetitive, so this way could make things more interesting.

Some alongside this way I anticipate that Mafuyu would open up more and talk about his bottled feelings about Yuki. Probably first to Ugetsu, with whom Mafuyu feels understanding and thus mirroring chapter, where Ugetsu talked about his relationship with Akihiko. Then later with Ritsuka. To be honest I feel like waiting for this so long. Main reason why I want this to happened – I think it would be good for Mafuyu to express it all during normal conversation (not just through music like before) to make final peace with past. And to solve Ritsuka’s issues with jealousy for good. I would also love to see Mafuyu introducing Ritsuka to Yuki’s mom and/or inviting her to LIVE performance.

Secondly, I think that near end of the story we will get dream sequence with Mafuyu and Yuki. To show their final goodbye, which they didn’t have chance to do in real life. It would signify that finally Mafuyu had forgiven himself and Yuki, made peace with past and is ready to embrace wholeheartedly present and future with Ritsuka. Kizu Natsuki pulled out similar thing in her other work “Links” so I think it is quite possible. After all subtitle of Given is - “I cannot say goodbye I am still drifting in your echoes” - I think that showing their final goodbye like this would wrap story really nicely. Because in the end the core themes of story are healing, forgiveness and finding love.

So it is all for today - thanks for reading. To end it on bit lighter tone I will borrow Bob Ross’s words:

[forallyourikemensengokuneeds]

21 Questions Tag

21 Questions Tag

*Answser 21 questions and tag twenty-one people* Yeah not so much I think.

Thank you T @rainbhrts94 for the tag. Love you.

1. Name: Katie

2. Nickname: Kat

3.Gender: Female (she/her)

4. Star Sign: Leo

5. Current time: 07:25 am

6. Favorite Artist(s): HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I have so many it isn’t funny. It is really if I am happy or mad that depends on my music taste. They vary a lot.

7. Favorite Song: Happy dura-daddy yankee Mage anything by disturbed

8. Song stuck in your head: Honestly nothing is going on in my head.

9. Last Move you saw? in a theater? END GAME last year. Altogether? I have no idea. I don’t watch television if I can help it. 

10. Last thing I googled: I think it was closet organizers and pictures of different layouts.

11. Other Blogs? this and main. @myselfornow

13. Do you get asks? Nope. I had to turn them off. 

14. Reason for your URL:  Really? hahaha. I think that one is straight forward.

15. Average amount of sleep: um sleep what is that? I sleep four hours at night on average and then after I get the littles to school I get about two more before settling in to do whatever task I have for that day.

16. Lucky Number: 32

17. Currently wearing: Tank top and sweatpants. 

18. Dream Job: I honestly have both my dream jobs. When I was fourteen I had the chance to meet my idol and four years later he not only remembered our first encounter he knew he wanted me to work for him. Twenty three years later though I have changed the nature of my job I still do.

Two years ago in May I had the chance to fulfil one of my first dreams. Though I was a published scientific writer I had always wanted to write a novel and have it published. Though at the time I have no idea why it was picked up (after reading it not to long ago I really wonder why) however it was. I have written four more full sized novels since then, One I am currently editing.

19. Dream Trips:  I would love to go to japan. It has always been on my list and though we had decided this year would be the year, next month actually. My husband and I have decided it was not meant to be. We will have to wait until things settle down.

20. Favorite Food(s): I really don't have a favorite food. I hate cooking. hate it and as the mother to four and wife to one, guess who ends up cooking almost every night? yup me. So I guess my favorite is anything I dont have to cook.

21. Play any instruments? several. I started playing the violin in school. I learned how to play the piano about the same time.  My older brother was a state champ and state/region rep for drums. I learned by watching him as well. Really the only thing I can't play is guitar that I have tried. for some reason my mind goes blank and my hands forget how to work.

Tagging: @a-shout-to-the-void, @darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts, @yeshasays  @umbralaperture @nad-zeta and anyone else not tagged who wants to be tagged. 

 Almost time to watch up the boy child and then back to sleep, maybe, hopefully. 

[queenofcats17]

BATIM D&D Party

I wanted to write out backstories for the BATIM characters in a D&D world, so here we go. These are very much my versions of the characters, as well as some of my oc’s. 

I also kind of made a story out of it.

I used this to help me decide everyone’s classes upon first thinking about this, but this is also very helpful.

Thank you to @randomwriteronline and @chaostheparrot for their input and help in ironing out what classes would fit each character. 

I especially loved Random’s comment that the Music Department would be, and I quote, “just increasingly off the shit bards”. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Timeline:

Joey and Henry meet up and decide to adventure together. 

Original party is formed: Joey, Henry, Norman, Wally, and the bard band

Henry and Joey get into a fight and Henry leaves the party

Shawn and Grant are inducted into the party

Joey’s party passes through Cordelia’s town and she joins as they are in need of a healer

Asmodeus reaches out to Joey and becomes Joey’s patron

Tom and Allison are brought on. Joey explains that they need another healer and Tom has some experience with magical artifacts. He refuses to explain what sort of magical artifacts he wants Tom for

Joey approaches Bertram to make an artifact for him which leads to Bertram and Lacie traveling with the party in order to gather the materials for the artifact

Joey leads the party to defeat a necromancer holed up in a castle, and takes up residence there once the necromancer is defeated. 

Joey starts conducting immoral experiments, occasionally kidnapping residents from the nearby town

Joey turns his attentions to his party members, beginning to experiment on them

Henry gets a letter, inviting him to the castle. Joey has something to show him...

Now on to the backstories. 

Sammy, Susie, and Jack are all bards who have been friends since childhood. Johnny is Sammy’s younger brother and also a bard. They each have their own reasons for wanting to go out adventuring. Sammy because he wanted to spread his music, Susie because she wanted to see the world and sing for people, Johnny because he was not about to let Sammy see the world without him, and Jack basically because he wanted to be around his friends. They’ve formed a band of sorts. Sammy plays banjo (although he can play nearly any instrument), Jack’s on violin, Johnny basically plays a keyboard, and Susie sings. They’ve been run out of a few towns due to Susie and Sammy’s strong personalities. Sammy gets into fights with people about music and Susie squares up when her friends are threatened. Although there was one time someone broke Jack’s violin and he did a number on them. 

Sammy and Susie will flirt with anyone and everyone. They are disaster bisexuals. Favorite targets are Norman, Tom, and Allison. Sometimes Wally, although that’s mostly Sammy. Meanwhile, Jack has kind of a thing for Grant. And sometimes Sammy. He’s a quiet and distinguished gay. Johnny falls in love very easily and it’s hard to get him to move on from them. He had a crush on Susie when they were all little and Sammy continues to tease him about it. Susie thought it was cute.

Joey: Warlock. His patron is Asmodeus, the Lord of Hells. Growing up, Joey dreamed of adventuring. His parents strongly discouraged this, knowing the dangers that came along with adventuring. They didn’t want him to get hurt. Joey, however, took this to mean that they thought he was too weak to make it in the world. It didn’t help that a lot of the other children liked to pick on him due to his small stature and sickly nature. He threw himself into studying magic, being too weak to class as anything particularly physical. His success was rather...mixed. He was alright at magic, but nowhere near as powerful as he’d hoped. 

He ran away from home at around 18 in order to adventure and find a way to boost his magical power. He ended up in Henry’s town and the two became friends. Joey suggested they go adventuring together and Henry agreed. The two set off on their adventure when they were in their 20′s, forming a party with Norman, Wally, and the bard band. Joey's search for power was temporarily forgotten as he reveled in the joy of adventuring with his friends. However, tensions began to run a bit high between him and Henry, who thought Joey was being greedy and pushing the party members farther than they were capable of going. The two of them fought and Henry left the party.

Joey was convinced he could make it without Henry, bolstering the ranks of the party and continuing to press on as though nothing was wrong. However, this was the beginning of his spiral downwards. He began to throw himself even more into trying to bolster his magic. He started dragging his party into even more dangerous situations in order to find a way to make himself more powerful. 

It was at this point that Asmodeus reached out to him. He appeared as a handsome red-skinned young man and promising he could give Joey everything he desired. Joey took his offer, becoming a rather powerful warlock. 

For a bit, things were alright. Joey was happy with his newfound power. He had to perform sacrifices to Asmodeus, which was a little inconvenient given his party’s moral compass, but the party was already killing evildoers. Asmodeus seemed perfectly satisfied with these sorts of sacrifices, though.

But soon...Joey began to wonder. Why did they have to rely on gods for magical power? Why couldn’t they just have it themselves? He’d seen many a warlock fall due to losing the favor of their patron. It was incredibly dangerous to rely on these gods for power when their favor could so easily be lost. If he could find a way to allow humans to have godly powers without the contract, then he could prevent others from falling. And so, unbeknownst to his party, he began to look into magical artifacts and rituals. 

Norman: Ranger. No one knows what his background is and he refuses to give a straight answer as to what it is. His story changes every time he’s asked. In reality, he was part of a rebellion against the tyrannical ruler of his town. The rebellion failed, unfortunately, and in retaliation, the ruler killed those who had taken part in it. Norman managed to escape, but his family and many of his friends died. He doesn’t like to talk about it. Sammy, Susie, Wally, and Tom are some of the only people he’s told the truth to. Prior to joining up with this party, he tried not to stay in any place for too long for fear of being recognized and turned over to the ruler. Initially, he wanted revenge against the man who killed the people he loved. He plotted out exactly how he would do it, fantasized about sticking the bastard’s head on a pike. But he’s been running for a long time. And that fire has long since been extinguished. Now he just wants to be free from that looming shadow. 

Henry: Monk. He never really planned on being an adventurer. He grew up in a small village that was pretty far away from any kind of danger. His parents ran a bookstore. He didn’t have any siblings. He had a pretty boring life. He met Joey after Joey ran away from home and ended up in Henry’s town. When Joey suggested they start adventuring together, he was excited. He’d never left his town before. So he left with Joey and the two of them began adventuring together with their party. Things were good for a while until Henry and Joey began to butt heads about Joey’s leadership of the group. Henry ended up leaving over this argument. Angry and upset, Henry went away to train at a monastery. It was during this training that he met Linda, who was passing through on her own errands. The two of them adventured for a bit after Henry completed his training before settling down together. 

Linda: Cleric. A follower of the Lliira. She came from a long line of healers, and while she wasn’t expected to follow in their footsteps, it was highly encouraged. Luckily, she was interested in helping people. She chose Lliira as her patron as she had little interest in fighting or continuing the cycle of violence in their world. Once she’d reached the appropriate age, and had trained sufficiently with her family, she set off on a journey to bring healing and joy to all she could. She met Henry when she stopped off at the monastery he was training at during her travels. She thought he was rather adorable, especially since he tended to accidentally hit himself in the face with his staff whenever she watching him practice. She was more than happy to journey with and later marry him. 

Henry works as a historian/librarian in their town while Linda is the local healer. A not-insignificant portion of the town has crushes on both of them. They’re both very kind and compassionate and surprisingly buff. Linda may be a pacifist, but she chops their firewood herself. 

Tom: Fighter who dual classes as an artificer. He’s made a bit of a name for himself as an artificer, but more often he’s just called upon to fix things. He grew up in an orphanage as his parents were killed in a monster attack. He made himself indispensable to the orphanage staff by being the best at fixing things. He taught himself to fix just about everything. Chairs, plumbing, wagons, weapons. You name it, he figured out how to fix it. Once he got older, the orphanage directors apprenticed him to a blacksmith. Tom tried to find fulfillment in it but couldn’t. He ended up training himself as a fighter, while beginning to hone his craft as an artificer, and set off wandering. He found Allison when she’d gotten herself into a fight she wasn’t prepared for and helped her get out. He thought she was a nice woman and decided to travel with her. She gave people hope and he wanted to be a part of that. 

Allison: Paladin. A follower of the goddess Istus. Her family are nobles and frankly bastards. She ran away from home at a young age to join a convent. However, during her journey to the convent, she saw the injustices of the world. So, instead of going to the convent, she went to join a paladin order. The paladins were initially a little unsure about whether to take her on, especially since she was the daughter of a noble and they didn’t want to have her father storming their building demanding her back, but she proved she was serious about the situation. After she completed her training, she set out to help those in need. She met Tom after stumbling into a fight she wasn’t prepared for. The two started traveling together after that. She believes that there is always hope, no matter how many times she is knocked down. There are many who take comfort in her unshakable faith.

Shawn: Rogue. He grew up in the slums of a major city, learning how to pickpocket and swindle in order to provide for his family. His mother constantly told him that there were other ways for them to get by, but no matter how many jobs she or his siblings picked up, they never had enough. Shawn saw stealing from the rich as the only viable option. It wasn’t like taking from the ultra-rich of the city would hurt them, he thought. And it didn’t. They just threw huge fits before eventually moving on. He earned a bit of a reputation among the city guards as a troublemaker. Shawn started having a bit of fun messing with them, which led to guards to target his family. He ended up leaving the city in hopes that it would improve his family’s lives if he wasn’t there. He began to travel, becoming a Robin Hood-esque figure. The poor lauded him as a hero while the rich saw him only as a villain. Joey found him in a holding cell after getting caught stealing from a corrupt baron. He continues to send money to his family even now, hoping that he can still try and make up for the mistakes he’s made.

Bertram: Artificer. Born to a well to do family, Bertram was never particularly interested in adventuring. He was, however, very interested in inventing and figuring out how to imbue magic into the things he created. He ended up becoming a rather successful and sought after artificer due to his uncanny knack for figuring out how things worked and how they could be improved. He began traveling in order to expand his business, which is why he hired Lacie. He needed a bodyguard and she wanted to travel. He ended up encountering Joey when Joey approached him to design an artifact for him. Bertram didn’t particularly trust him, but business was business so he agreed to do what he could for Joey.

Lacie: Monk. Kind of like an older, more tired version of Beau from Critical Role. Her family were wealthy and wanted a son, but they got Lacie instead. They tried to force her to be the ‘perfect’ daughter which led to her rebelling quite a lot. She ended up running away to join a monastery. The monks helped her to deal with the anger and frustration she felt, teaching how to channel it into more productive avenues. She stayed at the monastery for many years, gaining a reputation as a competent fighter and a general pillar of common sense, until she was approached by Bertram to be his bodyguard. She’s been traveling with him ever since. She tries not to pick fights, but she will absolutely finish any ones started by other people. 

Grant: Wizard. From a young age, Grant had an insatiable desire for knowledge. It was this desire that led him to begin to study magic. His family didn’t have much but wanted to send him off to a magic academy so that he would be able to study magic. Thankfully, a magic academy did take notice of his aptitude and sent him a letter. Although Grant excelled at his magical studies, he proved too anxious to function as a power player. He had no interest in playing mind games or working in a court. He was better suited to academia, and so became a professor and scholar after graduation. Grant was more than happy teaching others magic and often regrets leaving his position at the school to travel with Joey, especially since Joey doesn’t exactly treat him well. Joey wanted Grant for his vast knowledge and tactical mind, often treating him as nothing more than a walking encyclopedia. 

Wally: Druid. A follower of the goddess Eldath. He grew up in kind of a hippie commune. He has a really big family and the kids were basically allowed to run free in the forest and do whatever they wanted. He was happy in the commune, but he always kind of wanted to see the world. Plus, he felt a bit bad that he wasn’t as good of a druid as the rest of his family. He just didn’t take it as seriously as others did. He left the commune when he was about 16 and started just roaming around. He ran into Joey and Henry and joined their party because they thought he was absolutely adorable and just a little ray of sunshine. He’s not much of a combatant, because Eldath abhorres violence and won’t fight even to defend herself. The few times he’s tried to fight he’s lost his powers from her. It was easy enough for Joey to take him down in the end. Wally would never hurt a friend. 

Cordelia: Cleric. Follower of the goddess Hel. Despite Hel’s less than savory reputation, Cordelia follows her because it gives her comfort to think there is someone looking out for her parents, both of whom died from sickness. Had a rather sheltered upbringing in a small village where nothing much happened. Roy left for adventure when she was about 15. He returned when she was 17, carried back catatonic by a few paladins. She volunteered to take care of him since both of their parents needed to work. This is how she started learning how to be a cleric in the first place. She was 18 when Joey’s party rolled into town, making her want to go adventuring like her brother had. She specifically latched onto the bard band, wanting to be just like them. Maybe even travel with them. Her parents were averse to the idea, especially after what had happened to Roy, but they didn’t want to quash her dreams. They died later that year from a sickness she could neither treat nor cure. She was devastated, shutting herself in her room for days on end. But, upon Roy’s suggestion, the next time Joey’s party came around she left with them.

Roy: Former bard. Formerly a rather successful bard before an adventuring mishap put him out of commission. He got bored in their little village and set off for a life of adventure. Although he couldn’t play music too well, nor sing, he had a charismatic presence that drew people to him. He was part of a rather large adventuring group filled with similarly eager young adventurers. They were all predictably naive and foolhardy, rushing headlong into danger and getting into their fair share of scrapes and danger. One day, they ended up going on a quest that they couldn’t handle. Roy was the only one who survived. He was found, catatonic, by some wandering paladins who managed to get him home. He didn’t say anything for years until his and Cordelia’s parents died and he forced himself to step up and be there for Cordelia. He was the one to suggest she become an adventurer. Despite his own misgivings toward that career, he thought it would do her good to get away from their town and the memory fo their parents.

Esther: Paladin. Follower of the god Tyr. Although she’s not an adventurer, she still takes her job very seriously. She wants to protect those who cannot protect themselves. She became a paladin after Joey ran away. Specifically, she went on a journey to try and find her brother again. Along the way, she witnessed the injustice and cruelty of the world. It horrified her to see the way people treated each other and the abuses that people got away with. When she returned, not having found her brother, she went through paladin training and became the protector of her town. She later met the man who would become her husband, Robert, when he was passing through the town as a traveling bookseller. The two struck up a friendship, which later turned into a relationship.

[komorebirei]

Get To Know You Survey~

*gasp* I was tagged! By the sweet @pawsomelybuggy.^_^ <3

Nicknames: Mi, (and old nicknames...) Mori, Mayita

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius (hey, me too :D)

Height: 5'4″ (OMG Buggy you’re tall)

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Last Thing I Googled: Russian gypsy pirate (:P)

Song Stuck in my Head: “Once Upon A December” from Anastasia.

Favorite Musicians: Musicians? Hmm. Ray Chen, Sumina Studer, Yuna Shinohara, Hilary Hahn (yeah they’re all violinists), Wintergatan, Simon & Garfunkel, Owl City, my brother, uhh... probably others I’m forgetting about. Composers? Bach, Chopin, Philip Glass, Eric Whitacre, Joe Hisaishi...

Following: 56

Followers: 111

Do you get Asks: Usually not, but occasionally. I still have some color palette requests to fulfill (SORRY <3).

Amount of Sleep: 3-6 hours.

Lucky Number: 2 (hey, me too... my birthday is 2/2, that’s why ^_^)

What are you Wearing: A black shirt and jeans. Sooo interesting, I know! I’m working from home today, so I can wear whatever I want. :P

Dream Job: Honestly? Playing violin in an orchestra that does musicals and operas. That would be freaking awesome!!!

Dream Trip: Paris (I’ve been there but I love it) or across Europe to all the countries I’ve never visited. I’ve traveled Asia much more than Europe.

Instruments you Play: Violin, piano, guitar, harp, in tapering levels of proficiency... and I used to play cello and clarinet in school. I’ve played around with bass guitar, drums, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, flute, and banjo. Not that I’m good at anything. The only one I’d call ‘my instrument’ is violin, but I took a long hiatus during secondary school so I’m not as good as I would have been if I’d stuck it out.

Languages you Speak: English, Japanese, Tagalog, a decent amount of Spanish and French, and a minimal amount of Korean. The only one I’m fluent in is English, though. :P The closest to fluent is probably Japanese since I lived there for a year and worked at a Japanese TV station for a while. (That’s kind of sad because Tagalog was technically my first language, but since I never studied grammar I keep second-guessing myself when I try to speak. My Japanese is without a doubt better than my Tagalog, ha.)

Favorite Song: Errrr.... this is difficult. I go through different song phases where I listen to them on repeat then get tired of them and can’t listen to them anymore. Maybe Saint-Saens’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, specifically played by Yuna Shinohara since she puts SOOO much emotion into it and her low notes are AMAAAAZING (her version still makes me squee after listening to it probably no fewer than fifty times when I was going through my obsession phase... and it took me embarrassingly long to figure out she’s the one playing in this KimiUso recording). Plus, Ray Chen did a hilarious interpretation of this piece so I can’t listen to it anymore without seeing the scene play out. Maybe another favorite song is Simon and Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair because it has a lot of nostalgic value and has stuck with me through the years. I couldn’t listen to it too much though, it’s just special to me. Grr I don’t like picking favorites... as soon as I do, a dozen others that I didn’t pick pop to mind and scream for attention. :P

Random Fact: Since this survey has a lot of music-related stuff... my mother was a singer in a rock band and I grew up with a lot of random instruments in the house? :P She passed on her dabbling habits to me. Also I’ve swum with whale sharks.

Cats or Dogs: Cats, though I’m not opposed to dogs, I’ve just never owned one. I’m allergic to cats but I’ve always had them since I was ten or so. (I have no pets now though. *pout*)

Aesthetic: I wear a lot of combinations of millennial pink, grey, black, and white (Marinette colors :P). I also have a black-and-gold aesthetic for certain things, like accessories and my phone. In terms of decor, I like white stuff, pastel and gold accents, and plants (more greens and succulents than flowers though).

Tagging: @miraculous-elcie @synkiller82 ... and @mikauzoran though you’ve been tagged already. :D