#LADS in particular has an MC who's personality is less

[ittybittyfanblog]

i’m so out of the loop on the whole drama about writers doing non-MC fics (i usually avoid the icky side of every fandom i'm in lol), but damn, i didn’t realize the hate train goes this long apparently? who the hell is out here policing what people decide to write? and more importantly, where did the absolute fucking audacity come from?

a.) creators sure as hell aren’t getting paid for this stuff, and b.) literally nobody’s forcing you to consume content you don’t like?? so like, the least you could do is keep your opinions to yourself !

isn’t the whole point of "fandom culture" that you get to do whatever you want with the original material, share it, and enjoy it with other fans who like the same shit as you do?

ty SO much for that non mc explanation bc i felt so heard!!! People also lately have been kind of shading us bc we like the non mc vs mc angst train. Like I understand where they're also coming from. the whole angst and infidelity trope. But with how intense the story is with the Mc and the romantic bond, it's hard not to explore that with the angst genre with non mcs

what the hell im so sorry???? i really want to see what they're saying just so i could argue back not gonna lie. you cannot be serious about people liking and wanting to explore certain tropes it's 2024 PLEASE LETS STOP THIS BEHAVIOR ���😭😭

For readers who don’t identify with the MC, the whole experience of playing a game like this can be rather complicated. Instead of feeling immersed in the story or imagining ourselves as the protagonist, we end up watching from the sidelines and become an observer to someone else’s love story. And when the narrative focuses so heavily on bonds that feel unshakable, like love transcending lifetimes, it’s hard not to feel like an outsider or an intruder. That’s not exactly a fun feeling, but it’s one that a lot of us can’t help but explore.

The idea of being “the other woman” isn’t just a trope. it’s a manifestation of that disconnect, of not seeing yourself in the MC’s place. When you don’t identify with her, it’s like the game is constantly reminding you that you’re not the one in this love story, even though you’re the one playing. This taps into some of the most raw and vulnerable emotions,, jealousy, inadequacy, the desperate desire to be seen. The MC has this deep, cosmic connection with the love interests, and when you feel like you’re standing on the outside of that, it’s natural to imagine yourself as the one fighting for their attention, even if it’s messy and painful.

Take the “second choice” trope, for example. There’s something deeply emotional imagining yourself as the person who’s loved, but not quite enough. You’re the one they turn to when the MC isn’t around, the one who’s good, but not destined. It’s heartbreaking, but it also feels so real. Who hasn’t, at some point, felt like they weren’t someone’s first choice? Exploring that trope in fanfiction isn’t wallowing in negativity--it’s taking those feelings and giving them a space to exist, to be validated, and to tell a story of their own.

Then there’s “rivalry with the MC.” This trope lets us channel the frustration of not identifying with her and turn it into a narrative. The MC becomes more than just a protagonist we don’t connect with, she becomes a character in our story, someone we can compare ourselves to, fight against, and even try to outshine. It’s not always about villainizing her (though that can happen in some fics), it’s about wrestling with the idea that someone else has everything we want, whether it’s the love interests, the role in the story, or the cosmic importance. It’s cathartic to play out those emotions, to explore what it would feel like to stand toe-to-toe with her and demand recognition.

And of course, there’s the ultimate gut-punch: “wanting to be chosen over her.” This one is such an emotional minefield because it’s not just about romantic longing--it’s about self-worth. It’s imagining yourself standing in the shadow of a destined, reincarnated love story and yearning to break through the inevitability of the narrative and prove that you’re just as valid, just as worthy, even if the universe itself seems to disagree.

These tropes aren’t just for the sake of drama, they’re deeply personal. They give voice to feelings of inferiority, longing, and frustration that so many of us feel when we can’t connect with the MC. Writing or reading stuff on being the “second choice” or the “rival” isn’t a desire to tear down the MC or dismissing her story. sometimes you just want to find a way to exist alongside it, to process what it feels like to be an outsider in a narrative that’s supposed to include us.

So for people shading us for exploring these tropes? Please. Let’s take a moment to recognize that not everyone experiences stories the same way. For some of us, the MC doesn’t feel like us at all, and these tropes let us carve out a space in the narrative where we can explore our emotions and tell our own stories. The intention here isn't glorifying jealousy or resentment, it's deeply internal grappling with what it feels like to not fit into the role the story has handed you.

These tropes give us permission to be messy, to feel things deeply, and to exist in a space that isn’t perfect or polished. Whether it’s imagining being the second choice, facing off against the MC, or yearning to be the one who’s finally chosen, it’s all about exploring the human need to be seen and valued, even when the odds are stacked against us. And honestly? That’s some of the most powerful storytelling there is. Let people have their angst—it’s valid, it’s cathartic, and it’s beautiful. ❤️

[yuri-is-online]

I'm asking this question because I find it an interesting topic. It relates to the criticism the Tokyo Debunker MC receives.

It's not just TD's MC—it's a common theme in otome and gacha games. Genderless MCs in games like *Obey Me!* and *Twisted Wonderland* face less criticism than female MCs. Even though the genderless MCs get some hate, it’s nowhere near the backlash female MCs receive. For instance, *Twisted Wonderland* had debates about a female MC being unsuitable for an all-boys school, despite the presence of monsters and robots. This debate ended with a female MC in the *Savanaclaw* manga.

Another example is *Tears of Themis*, where the female MC is well-received in my opinion due to her having a character. I am very happy that she isn’t a self insert and people seem to agree.

In contrast, female self-insert MCs like TD's MC and *Love and Deep Space*'s MC get a lot of hate for what seems like trivial reasons. TD's MC is often criticized for being ordinary, while LADS's MC, who is strong and brave, also faces backlash, with some claiming she's rude despite evidence to the contrary.

In conclusion.

woman mc in this day of age can’t have flaws now….wait no they can’t be prefect either! As then they are Mary sue! What do you mean that LI are grey sue as well? No that not true Leo having a backstory would justify his actions don’t you get it? What do you mean we should hold the male characters as same standard? Jin treating mc as a servant is her fault as she didn’t say no…..😐 

... so I have two lines of thought about this particular topic, it is something I have thought about for a while because I am working on my own game/games and pay a lot of attention to what people think.

It isn't personality people like it is competence

The love and deepspace MC and Rosa from tears of themis actually have very similar personalities. They are bad at/hate studying. They really love food. They both are sort of dorks and known for being kind. What people like about them isn't any of those things, what they like is that both of them are adult women who you can believe live on their own. They actually have skills related to their jobs, you can believe Rosa is a lawyer and that MC is a hunter, the love interests aren't the only competent people in the narrative. I think this can sort of relate to the target audience for both of these games being working women, but that's for a different post. Right now I really want to focus on that concept of competence: the two other otomes I really love and want to bring up are Amnesia: Memories and Hakuoki. The Amnesia MC makes a lot of really stupid decisions, but as the game title gives away she has amnesia. There is an underlying explanation for why she's a bit dim so I don't see too many complaints about her personality (outside of Toma's route but that is a different story) because you don't exactly expect her to be competent. The same goes for Hakuoki's MC whose name escapes me at the moment, she is the daughter of a doctor so she is never made out to be incompetent in medical matters, but she isn't the best fighter. And she doesn't need to be that's the male love interest's role in this particular story.

The problem with MCs like our dear Luna? I believe you said her default name is, in Tokyo Debunker is that we don't exactly have anything she is stated to be good at beyond boosting Stigmas. The various ikmen games get around this by giving their MCs a job, but we don't have that for Luna so we don't have anything to show some backbone or character so people read her as being a bit of a doormat. Like I have said numerous times before, I don't mind this and think that so long as they keep allowing us to see her thoughts this the writing will be good. A relatively easy fix to this could have been to make her someone who really loves music and constantly talks about it, she was going to a concert at the start of the game so that little bit of character would go a long way for her to be more of a human for people to project themselves onto. Generally speaking, when writing an MC, it is perfectly acceptable to give them certain personality traits and a history. But if you do that you need to make sure the narrative respects that interest and does not use it as an excuse to make the male lead look cooler.

Gender Neutral MCs

*sigh* so you bring up Twisted Wonderland and I uh... have some experience with that fandom! And I have observed the gender wars over Yuu with a weary heart. I genuinely could not care any less about how people identify or the type of o.c.s they make, but some people really really care and if I am honest I find that a bit disturbing. It honestly makes me sad to see fanfic, which used to be a really accepting space, fight over writing... well anything really. m/m blogs screaming about how they don't want fem aligned reading their things, f/f blogs screaming about men, the f/m fic writers feeling the need to defend themselves writing for a female reader- doesn't that exhaust you? Why do you care so much? I do not have the energy to care about people writing fanfic I am not interested in reading, is this because I am anemic or have I managed to be normal about one singular thing?

My personal theory is that the commodification of fanfic and fandom has made people think there is something fundamentally wrong with properties that are marketed towards people who are not them. The reaction to Love and Deepspace not having a male MC option sort of cemented that for me, there is nothing wrong with wanting a game where you can be a man or non-binary and date anime boys. There is also nothing wrong with writing m/m fanfic for a property like lds, or wishing you could play as a man in it. I think there is a genuine market gap in good games for people who aren't fem aligned, but you do not get good games by harassing people or implying they suck for wanting games where you can play as a woman. You get that by financially supporting projects aimed at you! There is a blog I follow on here called @amaregamesdb. They post a bulletin of projects, both vn and if, with an emphasis on making people aware of projects that aren't simply otome (ie male love interests with a female protagonist.) I think the people who run it are also the people who coined the term "amare game" to use for games where the MC isn't necessarily female. They also ran a blog to help people like me learn how to code if/vns so I am very grateful for them, so please do give them your support.

I write for a gender neutral reader because I wanted to write interactive fiction and felt like I needed to practice doing so. I have continued to do because honestly? I really enjoy it. I love seeing how many different people identify with my writing and are moved by it. There are some projects I want to do in the future (original works, not fanfic) that I probably will lock the MC to female for, but I want to continue providing gn fic for people for as long as I write. And original projects too! I have two in particular I am working on behind the scenes. The solution to the problems like "what gender is yuu really," if you will permit me to preach for a second, is to not care. Yana said Yuu was meant to be you, and dear reader I don't actually know who you are! So you can be whoever it is you wish to be in your heart and I will make room for you to sit next to me. I'll even make tea (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

[4-the-l0ve-0f-art]

I keep on getting burnout from love and deepspace so here are my thoughts on why I dislike the gacha mechanics in this game so much!!

Now, I KNOW what I signed up for. It's gacha. It's literally a pay 2 play concept but that doesn't stop me from complaining 😔✊

Most of the games ive played long-term are gacha (granted most have been hoyo games which are known to be more f2p friendly compared to other gacha games) but i genuinely dislike LADS in particular for varying reasons

Don't get me wrong, the game is absolutely amazing. The storytelling, graphics, gameplay itself whether it's combat or playing through memories is literal art and they've made their characters come to life unlike any other game. But i hate how quickly infold releases their banners and cycles through events

That in itself wouldn't be a problem if:

There were more ways to get gems. There's literally no way to get gems aside from abyssal chaos (which has limited gems which you get through quickly if you play daily) and daily/weekly commissions. Even the events barely give you anything unless it's a free 4 star log-in event which is great! But there's not much of a game to play there aside from playing through the audio story once you get the card. There's also the gems you get from completing orbits but we'll get to the issue with that later

The amount of time spent grinding for gems or even paying to get the card doesn't seem worth it at all. (I'm f2p so i can't exactly speak for players who spend money on the game but I'm sure there's complaints there too from their own perspective)

Let's say you spent an hour daily on the game, doing daily quests and weekly minigames to get gems/chocolates, or spend lots of money to get a card, for what? A 10-15 minute story with sped up audio and movement in EN? And barely any lore or voiced mc? (What was the voice customization option for if you're not gonna use it?) Varying/inaccurate translations between languages?

The issue with getting gems from the orbit trials:

You need to level up your cards as you get to higher levels in the trials. But there is way less resources available and no way to farm them (locked behind stamina) to actually be able to level up your cards especially once you reach around 60-70 levels

It takes weeks, and i repeat WEEKS to get enough of those bottle thingies to level up your card once you reach level 80. For a single card. Forget about leveling up your cards for all the LIs, you can't even do it for one.

No resources to level up = no way to earn gems. No way to earn gems = no way to pull for cards in a card based game (do you see the problem?)

My 3rd issue with the banners being cycled through too quickly is:

There is no gameplay if you're not able to pull for cards. There is literally nothing to do except wait for the main storyline to update, which took half a year to start expanding into the LI branches since the game released

Even when it did started releasing, the quality of it was just.. Unexpectedly low. It wasn't horrible by any means, but the sped up audio and movement (again? In the main storyline this time?) And no voiced mc (where did that go? Wasn't she voiced in the starting?) And did I mention the quad and solo banners completely unrelated to the main storyline being released at the same time?

So much of their lore is locked behind myth cards. The issue with myth cards is there is no way to get the limited myth pairs once the banners have ended because it's almost been an year and they haven't introduced any rerun mechanism yet. Not to mention you need to upgrade your cards to play through the myth episodes which you can't do if there aren't enough ways to get resources.

That's literally it. The problems are repetitive and interconnected and i love the characters so much but i get burn out easily because of the issues faced which I personally don't think are worth experiencing to literally just play the game 😞

Real footage of me yapping to a wall LMAO

I just like to be greedy with my games atp

[phosphoresccent]

toxic rtxeph has so much potential and id love to hear your thoughts if you have more. personally i think rt would get too much enjoyment pushing xeph’s buttons and seeing how much he can passive aggressively get on xephs nerves. mostly taken from their silly stream dynamic ofc but like. we can mc character this <3

i have many different ideas for toxic rtxeph!! (for context for people with less mc!rt brainrot: magistrex is rt's mc username and primarily what i call the character)

(kind of obvious but - warning for toxic relationship dynamics under the cut)

just them in general

magistrex has a uniquely fun way of pushing people's buttons - his tone of voice can make him sound so sincere while he's doing everything in his power to make you snap. i think that sort of thing drives xeph insane. everyone asking him why he's so snappy around nice, funny magistrex "xeph, you've gotta lighten up a bit, the lad means well." while magistrex just waves cheekily. there will be an explosion, it will be loud.

not sure who of the two i'd make taller, i think they are probably incredibly close in height (not short, per say, but not at all tall). i wouldn't put it past magistrex to have platform or heeled boots though, just so he can obnoxiously hook his chin over xeph's shoulder as he works.

xeph, not that he'd ever admit it, does really enjoy being able to just be a dick to someone and it not chase them off. he's very particular about the way he presents himself because he's the type of person who needs people to want/need him, so he's always very keenly aware of the way he treats people. magistrex, however, is an annoying brat he's unable to chase off to matter how hard he tries, which is almost comforting, in a very obnoxious way.

clone bros

clone bros clone bros!! this is the most toxic magixeph dynamic physically possible.

"I can't believe my own clone is such a moron, it's honestly concerning. I'd tell you to get out of my sight but I'm not cruel enough to inflict your specific brand of stupidity on others." "That's cute, really, inflict me on someone? When was the last time one of your 'friends' looked you in the eyes, Xephos."

very "i hope you die. i hope we both die." coded

they are the only one the other can trust, but they hate each other, but they have no one else. mutually assured destruction, patching up the traumas of a man wearing your face while ripping new ones into him in the same breath.

both believe the other is the better, more perfect clone. both of them will insist the other is the defective.

have probably actually killed each other multiple times - but both of them have the same admin permission at yoglabs and could have turned off the other's ability to respawn, but neither have ever seriously considered nor worried about it.

imp and storyteller

now this one is fun! for this i'd change out my usual 'god-like' storyteller xephos for the more canonical 'vengeful ghost' storyteller.

"do you want revenge? i know i killed you - but they left you to rot in the dark. i didn't even know you - they were supposed to be your friends."

midnight chats in the graveyard by torchlight as magistrex coaxes xephos to his side. xephos has to do what he says anyway but - it's easier if he wants to. magistrex wants him to want to, but he doesn't want to examine that want too closely.

xephos is mostly a ghost of fear and anger and the raw terror that comes from clinging to your life by your fingernails and still feeling it slip from your grasp no matter how tightly you hold. being around magistrex is one of the few moments he can feel anything other than scared. only the source of his terror can chase it away. how cruel.

[zaynes-nieve]

Zayne Nieve's LADS opinions of the men

I wanna try something new, so first we're gonna get into how i feel about all of them, men, and they're pluses. But eventually, someone is gonna have to be pushed to last. it doesn't mean that they aren't great! Just means that they don't speak to me personally. Starting off first, I'm going to talk about Xavier

💜💫 Xavier 💜💫

Xavier fans, I get his appeal! Recently, I've been seeing more content for him outside of the game, and he is very soft, sleepy , who is also very possessive, lol. He is very cute, and he has cracked me up with some of the few 5-star memories I do have of him! Also learned recently, he is a hidden freak XD. He as so far been placed last on my LADS Men list, one because of my low content for him but two just because I liked the other men over him but he had managed to win me over so let's see where I'll place him after his birthday event is complete. Also, happy early birthday, Xavier 🎂 🥳

❤️🐦‍⬛Sylus ❤️🐦‍⬛

Sylus is the newest of the bunch, so it's understandable why there isn't much content, especially cause I'm not farming for him. I went out of my way to get all his original content, but after that, I hadn't tried to get any of his new content. But I've enjoyed what I have seen. He is a little to blase for me but I definitely enjoy the security in his money lol. Also No Defense Zone was a crazy watch XD. He reminds me of all of those rich male leads only softer. I am also highly curious about his lore especially because his myth story was in the modern day compared to the other leads

🧡🐡 Rafayel 🧡🐡

Rafayel is the one I have the most content for purely by chance. IDK how the pulls work for the limited if IT IS affected by affinity that is one very cool and two would explain why I typically now get Zayne cards first and Rafayel second. I have been exposed to most of his content besides Zayne, and as such, I know the most about him, his character, and his interactions with MC. He, at least to me, is very funny. I enjoy him being bratty and pouty, though I'm like 70% sure half of it is a front. Or it could he a Luo Binghesque character. I am slightly off put by the master aspect of their story, but overall, as long as it wasn't actual slavery , I also I have all of his free memories, so expect him to be placed decently well

💙❄️ Zayne 💙❄️

I saved him for last. It it wasn't clear by 1. My username, 2. My PFP, 3. My Master List of my dedication to collecting his cards. The fact I spent probably 60$ to attempt and pull for a second Zayne to own ONE of his color changes for once. I'm a Zayne main. This section, in particular, is completely biased. Being even more real, this ranking shouldn't even include him. Because my bias behind is making him first place regardless, this is a competition between the other three men. Zayne is originally a little stand offish, but he is just socially awkward. He is very sweet and loving, and he cares about all his patients (we are just his favorite lol) he has some of the funniest side characters, and he treats us very well. Our relationship also physically hurts me because FUCK ASTRA. MY GOD that bitch as his coming as soon as I find his location. He can't even tell us he loves us 😭. The moon allegories are crazy because apparently one. It's a way to express your love apparently in China? Don't quote me on that I saw it like three times, it's like a specific phrase but it also reminds me on one the story of Chang'e and her multiple myths with her husband and the immortality pill. I personally prefer the one where she doesn't rob her husband. Like Over the Moon did. But it hits me in the feels. So much. It isn't the only time the moon is used for something the long for either. I feel like most of us didn't feel like we got that we wanted from the Dawn Breaker card, or at least I personally would have like to be less confused about the Dawnbreaker/Our Zayne situation. Maybe hopefully, they will give Dawn Breaker a myth story. But I still enjoyed a lot of aspects of it, and it goes deeper into the connection between our Zayne and Dawnbreaker

But for now I wanna see a popularity poll so

If it is a background character I want to see names!

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Part 15

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Liam x MC

Warnings: mild violence

Series Premise: With two weeks until Liam is to marry Madeleine – his pick during the social season – the guys throw him a bachelor party in Vegas. After a drunken night, he finds himself with more than he bargained for.

Thanks @burnsoslow​ for the beta read.

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

Supposedly, the more a person suffered in the name of love, the more it showed they really cared. 

At least, that's what Riley thought. 

After nightfall of this particular evening -- when she least expected it -- she never realized how much truth that belief held. 

Or how much it would hurt to sacrifice the one person who made her believe she was worthy of love and saw who she really was on the inside.

Her dainty arm -- a delicate bronze in color, sleek, with a glittering red strap across one shoulder -- linked through the arm of the man she had grown to love more than life itself as they entered the palace ballroom. Working tirelessly over the last week to ensure everything went off without a hitch had taken its toll on her. All she could think about, as she shook hands and charmed dignitaries with a sparkle in those twinkling brown eyes, was how much sleep she planned to make up for after the ball ended.

This ball was to introduce the King and his new bride to the Cordonian court for the first time. A show of solidarity and, hopefully, strength. A way to establish that what happened in a tiny chapel 10,000 miles away weeks ago between two strangers wasn't a careless mistake, and that she could handle the duties bestowed on her as a common American woman. 

Or at least pretend she could for now.

However, for the King and the "Jewel of His Heart" whom he escorted through the curious crowd of pretentious naysayers in extravagant gowns and tuxes, with their fake smiles and tedious posturing ...

It was nothing less than fate. 

Riley was the key that unlocked that safe space deep inside Liam's heart that had been sheltered for so long, waiting for the perfect person to come along and open it. This was the place where he kept his most sacred feelings: a genuine love, never-ending laughter, joy, romance, ecstasy, and every dream he ever held for the future -- one he presumed would never exist in any form he longed for. 

But she didn't just unlock it. Riley shattered it wide open, where everything came flooding out at once and consumed him like a raging wildfire. 

And it was the most remarkable, intoxicating experience of his life. 

Liam showed her off all evening as they mingled during their rounds, danced, and conversed with the variance of nobility. She was the sexiest woman in that room, and he'd dare say the looks of envy shot in his direction from high-class men as he proudly cavorted her around didn't bother him in the least. Not that that was her only quality -- far from it. There were so many things about Riley that were special. But he couldn't help feeling a sense of pride that she was all his.

And without question, he was all hers.

Seated at the head table, Riley swallowed a morsel of the veal medallion she wanted to be served for this occasion. When given a choice between fish and lamb, the fish never stood a chance. The memory of that smelly, god-awful lunch with Regina three weeks ago was not something her palate had forgiven her for yet. As wonderful and savory as this extravagant meal, covered in a light brown mushroom sauce and served with a side of broccoli rabe, was, it couldn't hold a candle to what she craved the most: a slice of white pizza from Carmine's back in Brooklyn.

Or a slab or two of the New Yorker.

With maybe some cheesecake.

Covered in chocolate.

And a sausage rice ball. A Frito pie smothered with sour cream. Definitely a rainbow bagel from The Bagel Store. Barbecue ribs and beans from the mom-and-pop diner hidden just off the strip in Vegas. 

Of course, her grandma’s country fried steak with white gravy sounded delicious too.

For sure, a fried Twinkie like the one she ate at the New York State Fair in 2013. 

"You've outdone yourself, sweetheart," Liam marveled while wiping at the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "The meal was delicious, and our guests appear to be enjoying themselves." The others seated at the table looked up, adding their compliments.

Still dreaming about a fat slice of New York-style pizza, Riley smiled graciously back at him, until she noticed the server refilling Liam’s glass with merlot, causing her to do a double-take. 

Hot tears pooled in her eyes, and a heavy feeling of sadness swelled in her chest as she panicked. "I asked for the Pinot Noir. Not the merlot,” she rasped meekly. “You don't like merlot, Liam. And the Pinot Noir was from the 'C' place where Duke Hakim lives. He'll be so disappointed and think I'm slighting his duchy. They’ll all hate me forever and ... wait a minute." She trailed off as a realization hit her, and Riley quickly glanced down at her plate before scanning each of the dishes from those seated around her.

The anxiety intensified; she could no longer suppress the heartbroken sob that wailed out of her. "Where are all the potatoes? We were supposed to have the potatoes, Liam. They didn’t serve the potatoes. Now the whole night is completely ruined, and it’s all my fault. I'm such a failure as a queen, and you should just send me to the dungeon now and throw away the key. I apologize to all of you for my incompetence and the lack of potatoes with your meal." Riley’s red-hot face, full of tears, plunged into the palms of her hands, then quickly sprung back up as Liam hesitantly tried to place a hand on her shoulder. A strong urge to use the restroom ended her crying spell as if it never happened. “Oh, oh. I gotta pee so bad. I’ll be right back.” She gave a warm smile and excused herself as she pushed her chair back and scurried merrily toward the nearest restroom.

Liam, Regina, Leo, Maxwell, and Olivia watched with confusion as she happily took off, not knowing what to say or what to make of the sudden shift in her moods.

“What the hell was that?” Olivia scowled, her eyes fixed on Liam.

“Is she all right, dear?” a concerned Regina asked.

Liam scratched the back of his head, nearly at a loss for words. “I ... I don’t know. I’ve never seen her that upset … especially over potatoes.” He paused in thought. “She was a little on edge this morning. Still, she’s been working a lot on the preparations and everything else going on. It must have gotten to her.”

Maxwell shrugged. “Maybe she just finally snapped.” 

Leo shook his head, swallowing a forkful of beef. “Or maybe she has the premenstrual syndrome.”

“Leo!” The group admonished.

“What?” Leo bit back, taking in each of their disappointed glares. “Don’t act like it’s not true. Trust me, when I have cramps and bloating, I can go from a happy little Leo to a Bertrand, just like that.” He snapped his fingers, following it up with a frown. “It ain’t pretty, you all.”

Maxwell looked across the table at Liam and agreed, “He has a point.”

Wanting to shed his skin and slither away, Liam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we not discuss something so personal and private, especially while several hundred people are dining around us?”

“I’m just saying, little brother, that you need to be understanding and gentle during this special time of your wife’s 'lady business.' You should speak softly and slowly to her because Shark Week messes with a girl's mind, man. Their brains short-circuit, and there’s nothing left up there but a couple of crickets and man-eating rattlesnakes. One second, you think she’s fine, but if you’re not careful, in the next second, you’ll find yourself with two venomous fangs rattling from your nut sack, dude. She will tear you apart and spit you out like a rabid dog. You can make it through these next few days, but only if you take my advice.”

“That is the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” Olivia spat, boring her eyes into him. “And you’ve said a lot.” She turned to Liam, whose face was slightly pale and void of expression. “Don’t listen to his sexist drivel. Why you haven’t declared him insane yet is beyond me. You should have sent him away with that filthy hairball to Valtoria you had caged earlier.”

“IT WAS MONGO!” Leo erupted, causing the dishes on the table to clatter as he jumped to his feet and hovered over the redhead. Every head in the ballroom whipped around to see what was happening, and a deafening silence filled throughout. Even the orchestra stopped playing their classical tune.

A wide-eyed Regina smiled sheepishly as she glanced out at the quiet audience who were waiting to see what all the fuss was about. She thought fast before calling out, “We were just playing a little game of … 'It was Mongo.'” The former queen snatched Maxwell’s Sunset Rum punch from his hand, thrusting the drink up at her stepson, towering beside her, and instructed in a grandmotherly tone, “Be a good lad, Leo. You lost this round. It's time to chug-a-lug, my boy.” With his face burning, Liam slid down in his seat.

“Ooooo, I wanna go next.” Maxwell bounced excitedly while the guests resumed the festivities. "How do we play?"

“I think I want to go, too,” Liam replied, straightening back up before hurling his napkin on the table. “I’m going to go find Riley.”

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

Riley exited the ladies' room, clutch in hand and a fresh dab of clear gloss gleaming on her pink lips. She stopped walking just as the door closed behind her and smiled with a look of surprise at seeing Liam leaning against the opposite wall. "What are you doing out here?"

He pushed himself off the wall, closing the distance between them and meeting her in the middle of the empty corridor. They wrapped their arms around each other, indulging in the warmth of their lovers' embrace. "Would you believe me if I told you I just missed you?" he answered, placing a tender kiss on her lips that skimmed lower to her jawline. 

"I missed you, too," she moaned with each gentle pressure of his seductive lips, suckling and nibbling along the spot that trailed behind her ear that he knew drove her crazy. "But something tells me that's not the only reason you left the ballroom."

Their gazes met simultaneously. "Leo."

Riley chuckled softly. "Do I even want to know?"

Liam sighed, smoothing back a loose hair behind her ear. "You know my brother and his wonderful words of wisdom." There was no way in hell he would tell her what they really discussed after she left; he could only imagine her embarrassment. "Everyone was just a little worried about you, that's all."

"I didn't mean to scare everyone. I just wanted tonight to be perfect. Instead, so many things went wrong. I can only assume what the court thinks about me now." She lowered her gaze to the red carpeting where they stood. "I let you down."

"I don't want to ever hear you say that again. Riley, sweetheart, you can never let me down. Do you understand that?" Liam lifted her chin; her tentative eyes stared back at him for a moment before nodding. "Good. And just so you know, our guest are used to bombings, stabbings, kidnappings, shootings, and terror plots at most of my palace events --"

"Wait. What?"

" -- I assure you, just the fact alone, that none of that took place tonight, and they're all going to leave here soon -- alive -- will be huge for them. Not having potatoes with the meal or the right wine was the least of their worries. They will consider this night a success. And a testament to their new queen. You should, too. I'm so very proud of you."

"I have so many questions about everything you just said."

Liam smiled, caressing Riley's petal-soft cheeks and lowering his head to kiss her again. "All in due time, my love.”

Riley let out a deep, drawn-out yawn she lightly covered with her palm before stretching and rolling her neck. A couple of weeks' worth of planning and endless decisions had left heavy tension in her shoulders and overwhelming exhaustion like nothing she'd felt before. None of it went unnoticed by Liam, who placed his hands on her shoulders and gingerly kneaded the taut muscles. 

"What do you say about heading back to our quarters, taking off all of your clothes, and I'll be up soon to massage this gorgeous body from head to toe? And hopefully, when I'm through, you'll massage parts of me, too … with any part of your body that you'd like." His lips curved into an inviting smile.

"Mmm, that's tempting," she purred, rubbing her hands over his ample chest. "But I can't just leave. It's the Queen's Ball. Without me, it's just ... The Ball." She chuckled, despite herself.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little panties over the ball. Just go upstairs and take them off. I’ll handle everything down here. Then … “ He squatted down to her eye level. “ … I’ll handle you.”

Her heart fluttered every time Liam spoke to her that way. The way he desired only her. She bit the corner of her lip teasingly. “I love you so much.”

Liam smiled. “You better. You’ve got one hell of a husband. I’d even venture to say you’re the luckiest woman on the whole damn planet right now.” Before Riley could respond to his jest, he put both of his hands on her cheeks to hold her head still and began placing playful, wet smooches all over her face, causing her to laugh riotously. After a few seconds of her squirming around and cackling at his antics, he paused to look at her. “You know I love you, too. Now go on up. I’ll be right behind you soon.” 

With a pat to her backside, they went their separate ways.

---------

Liam returned to the ballroom, having offered to finish what little time was left without her. He would offer his apologies for her absence, but in reality, the King couldn’t have cared less what anyone there thought. Since his bachelor party weeks ago, he had grown from a man who had no choices to one who made his own. His marriage and relationship with Riley came first. Her wellbeing was the main priority -- to hell with anyone who had a problem with that.

As Riley placed a hand on the elegant wooden handrail of the grand staircase and took the first step up, her thoughts meandered to where she had been in her life one month ago and how vastly it had changed in such a short time. For the first time in years, she was happy, and it felt so good to be in that place where she could finally let go of the past and move on. Liam was a game-changer, and she was thoroughly convinced he was the only person on the planet who could have gotten her out of her own head and to this level of blissful existence.

Rounding the corner at the top of the stairs, she reached into her clutch to pull out the key card to her quarters, exhaustion slowing her strides. Shuffling past a row of closed office doors and framed artwork, she made her way to the residential wing. 

The squeak of a door behind her and the click of heels drew her attention, causing her to stop and turn to see who was there. 

The color drained from her face as Madeleine casually stepped out, her hands behind her back and a devious, unsettling grin cemented on her face. 

It wasn't the fear that made Riley's heart pound with a sickening thud, but more shock than anything. No one had seen or spoken to the Countess since the confrontation in Las Vegas when she showed up unexpectedly after finding out Liam had married Riley the night prior. 

Now, suddenly, there she was, as if out of nowhere, a gleam in her eye, looking all too pleased to have this run-in with Riley.

"A little dramatic, don't you think?" Riley scoffed, taking one step back the closer Madeleine approached. "What are you even doing here?"

"I'm not going to hurt you, if that's what you're worried about," she answered contemptuously. Her green eyes drifted to one of the cameras mantled at each end of the hallway. Riley placed a shaky hand over her stomach, letting out a low, relieved breath, hoping that was the truth. "Not physically, anyway."

"Well, that sounds promising," Riley replied sardonically. "Now, if you don't mind ..." She turned away, wanting nothing more than to escape this conversation and make it back to her quarters. 

Madeleine reached out and grabbed the Queen by her elbow, pulling her back and harshly twisting her around so they were now face-to-face. "You're not going anywhere until I'm through with you," she hissed with an icy glare. "I told you I would make you regret what you've done."

Riley jerked her arm, trying to free herself. "Let go of my arm, Madeleine!" 

"Not until you hear what I have to say."

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say! Now LET ME GO!" Riley hoped someone heard her yell or at least witnessed what was happening on the camera. Where the hell is security?

While continuing to struggle to free herself, she reached up with her free hand in an attempt to pry off Madeleine's bony fingers that were squeezing tight grooves around her elbow, her manicured nails digging deeper into Riley's skin. "You're hurting me. I said to let me go."

"Very well, then." The woman, who had twice lost her chance at the crown, released her firm grasp, knowing that the momentum would cause Riley to stumble back as soon as she let go. 

Just as predicted, Riley planted a foot behind her for leverage before drawing her arm back as hard as she could, one last time. Her eyes grew wide, and she let out a sharp gasp that sounded well down the corridor. Riley sailed backward, tripping over herself and toppling to the ground. She finally landed with a hard blow on her backside, the rear of her head just inches from slamming to the floor.

A shockwave of pain coursed up Riley's spine from hitting so abruptly. Before she had a chance to respond or process what happened, Madeleine crouched down beside her, holding a DVD up and gaining Riley's attention. 

The pain had morphed into a throbbing ache that was soon forgotten as the Queen stared quizzically at the object displayed in front of her like a grand prize. 

"What is that?" her voice trembled.

"It's my ace in the hole," Madeleine stated, then wagged a finger. "Someone used to be a very naughty girl." 

Furrowing her brows, Riley responded. "I don't know what you mean."

"You know precisely what I mean, but just in case, please allow me to refresh your memory," Madeleine smirked before rising to her feet and prancing around as if she were having the time of her life. "I did a little digging after my brief visit to Las Vegas and came across a man who knew you very, very well at one time. I made some calls. We exchanged e-mails, a transfer of money or two. And he was all too eager to accept my offer of payment for any dirt he could give me on you."

There was no point in asking "who" -- she already knew; the thought made her nauseous. Riley closed her eyes and muttered. "Tyler?"

"Yes," Madeleine beamed, " Your ex-husband. He had a lot to say about you."

"I'm sure he did. Does it even matter to you that he's a liar and a cheat -- not to mention greedy? He would make up anything if he thought he could profit off of it."

"Oh, it matters. Personally, I don't believe a damn thing he had to say. Honestly, Riley ... even someone like you could have done better than that slime."

Riley cringed in pain as she pushed herself off the floor and turned to her oppressor. "Just get to the point, Madeleine. Clearly, he gave you something you thought was valuable enough to use against me, so just spit it already."

Madeleine smiled, "How very astute of you. You're correct. He did." She held up the disc as Riley regarded it suspiciously. "On this disk are several hours of the two of you ... together. Very graphic, if I do say so myself." Riley's jaw dropped upon hearing those words as Madeleine continued, "Now don't worry. I only watched it long enough to make sure the video was legit --"

"Give me that!" Riley reached out to snatch the DVD, but Madeleine pulled it away just out of her grasp. A burning sensation filled inside her chest and spread across her face. "You're lying. I never made videos like that."

"Oh, I think you did," the blonde countered with a mirthful tone. "You just didn't know about it. Your ex admitted as much to me ... an asshole move, for sure. But nonetheless, I purchased the copy from him for a hefty sum. And ... well ... here we are now. You're more than welcome to take this disc and see for yourself; I have it downloaded as a backup, knowing you'd want proof."

At that moment, all Riley wanted was for Liam to walk down that corridor where she now stood, pick her up in his arms, whisk her away to safety, and tell her it was all a bad dream. Not that she did anything wrong -- she was married at one time to the man, presumably on the video, and would have been a consenting adult. 

No, it was the fact that Tyler Brooks had taken intimate videos with her during their marriage, without her knowledge. Now Madeleine had possession of them.

God only knew what she planned to do with them, but Riley had a pretty good idea. "What do you want?" she whispered in defeat, afraid to hear the answer.

Madeleine grinned from ear-to-ear. "For you to leave Cordonia tonight and never return, or I release everything to the press."

Riley shook her head. "No. As much as I don't want anyone to see that video, I did nothing wrong, and I won't be blackmailed or intimidated by you so that you can get your grubby little paws on the crown."

"Is that so?" It wasn't a question so much as a remark meant to convey who was in control. 

Maintaining her position, Riley raised a brow, refusing to give in.

Madeleine was far from giving up, though; she had manipulation in her blood. "Very well, then. I'll release the video in the morning. It should be interesting to see how the world reacts to yet another scandal by this monarchy. Their Queen plastered all over the internet again, except this time, uploaded on every porn site on the web. 

"The news will run the story with your blurred-out silhouette in the background. Your father will see it, and his business will become a target.: Your friends. Family. Students. They'll all be inundated with your sexual proclivities. But the worst part will be the tribunal. The council will have no choice but to question Liam's decision-making abilities after not only squandering his pick of queen on some American nobody, but now one whose ass will be featured on the desktops of teenage boys across the world. It's a shame that he'll lose his reign, all because of you. Would you really do that to Liam? Do you genuinely believe you're worth all the trouble it will cause him?"

Riley froze. She knew Madeleine was taunting her with the people she cared about the most. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass each of them. But to possibly cause Liam to lose his legacy, his birthright, and the rulership of a country he loved so much? It was something she couldn't shake. 

Staring blankly, twisting the bands of gold that belonged to Liam's mother, she couldn't get the question Madeleine just asked out of her mind: Did Riley believe she was worth the trouble it would cost him? 

Nothing was damning on that video, aside from the fact that she never knew it existed. But she already had so much to prove; another video in the press' hand would tarnish Liam. Maybe the Countess of Fydelia was right: He would lose it all.

"Time is ticking," Madeleine reminded Riley as she tapped her watch. "What's it going to be?"

----------

@burnsoslow​ @dcbbw​ @ao719​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @jessiembruno​ @texaskitten30​ @janezillow​ @merridithsmiscellany-blog​ @mskaneko @callmeellabella​ @queenjilian @sirbeepsalot @drakexwillow @caroldxnvxrs​ @jovialyouthmusic​ @forthebrokenheartedthings​ @bebepac​ @kingliam2019​ @lovablegranny​ @cordoniaqueensworld​ @amandablink​ @liamxs-world​ @choiceskatie @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @charlotteg234 @annekebbphotography​ @txemrn​ @thecordoniandiaries @alyssalauren​ @cordonianroyalty @monsoonbloom12 @mom2000aggie​ @theroyalheirshadowhunter​ @princessleac1​ @kimmiedoo5​ @graceful-leah​ @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @thegreentwin​ @gkittylove99​ @cinnamonspongecake @lifeaskim @neotericthemis​ @pink-diamond13​ @walker7519 @natureblooms24​ @yourmajesty09​ @gabesmommie1130​ @sweatyrysconnoisour @kat-tia801​ @debmcg1106

Liam x MC: Cordonia-gothqueen

FRI Series Tags:   @narrytheworld​​  @queenwalton​  @cordonianprincess​        @zaffrenotes​ @zilch3​  @drrookie​ @sfb123​​

[johannesviii]

Top 12 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 2012

We’ve now entered the first year in a trio of fantastic years for hit songs, so yeah, it’s a top 12.

You won’t like some entries on this particular list.

Disclaimers:

Keep in mind I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these top 10 things. There’s songs in English that charted in my country way higher than they did in their home countries, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

Of course there will be stuff in French. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible and I’m not a critic, just a listener and an idiot.

I have sound to color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

Still working in Paris in 2012. Getting rapidly fed up with that. In constant stress to pay the rent because the landlord is bad and refuses to pay for stuff he should actually be responsible for in the flat. Other than that? Life was pretty good. “Having Money(tm)” meant being able to actually eat decent food and my health started to improve. Also I adopted a cat. That’s also the year I discovered the French branch of the SCP Foundation and started to contribute a lot to it. I also made this Tumblr blog!

I subscribed to a magazine called Elegy which always came with a music sample, which was great to discover new and vaguely obscure stuff.

Quite a lot of notable albums that year: Some Nights by fun., Night Visions by Imagine Dragons, Monkey Me by Mylène Farmer, Living Things by Linkin Park (with poorly chosen singles unfortunately imho), Revelations by mind.in.a.box., Babel by Mumford & Sons, Neverworld’s End by Xandria, and most importantly, the dreamy and emotional Valtari by Sigur Ros and the dark and excellent Hide & Seek by The Birthday Massacre (even though my year was mostly ruled by Automatic (VNV Nation) that came out the previous year in 2011). Actually having money meant I could finally own the albums I had wanted for years, and you can bet the fact that I owned zero The Birthday Massacre albums even though I had loved their stuff since 2008 was quickly rectified.

Nothing too annoying as far as non-elligible songs go this time, apart from the fact that more stuff from Mylo Xyloto (Coldplay) should have charted higher, and that I kinda regret the absence of La Vie Est Belle by MC Solaar. Not even sure I would have put it on the list, but still, great song.

Honorable mentions first!

Dusty Men (Saule) - Nothing to say about this. Pretty cool.

Young And Wild And Free (Snoop Dog) - That is a super chill and nice song.

Happy (C2C) - At the time, my brother was part-time DJ and opened a gig for these guys, and I was so proud of him! And I was also really glad to see some of their songs become hits. Very good stuff.

Midnight City (M82) - Borderline annoying or very good, depending on my mood.

Burn It Down (Linkin Park) - As I said, my opinion is that the singles from that album were poorly chosen, and Castle of Glass should have been the first one because let’s face it, that song is fantastic. Burn it Down isn’t bad at all, though.

Glad You Came (The Wanted) - I love how this song is written and it’s a lot of fun to hear every sentence starting with the end of the previous one.

I Cry (Flo Rida) - A ton of energy, very propulsive song.

Domino (Jessie J) - There’s a shit ton of weird metaphors in there but it’s still a very solid song.

Princess of China (Coldplay ft Rihanna) - I know I keep going on and on about Mylo Xyloto and how weird it was that the biggest hits from the album weren’t at all its best songs, but still, that’s really good stuff.

Ho Hey (The Lumineers) - The last cut from the list. This song is adorable and always puts me in a good mood. It’s so cute it almost feels mean to leave it out of this top. It’s also elligible for 2013 but I had even less room on that list, so...

And now, a top 12.

12 - Diamonds (Rihanna)

US: #94 / FR: #5

Was considering leaving it out of the list, decided there was no way I could leave it out, realised there was no room left, and added a slot. Welcome to a top 12 instead of 10. But yeah, love that song even if it’s no longer on my playlist nowadays.

11 - Bangarang (Skrillex)

US: Not on the list / FR: #92

Yes.

The other reason this list was turned into a top 12 was to put Skrillex on it.

I’m not even remotely sorry.

Make fun of dubstep all you like, that track is an explosion of sharp colors and edges, like an audio version of edgy street art. It’s almost impossible for me to listen to it without miming the shapes of the sound with energetic gestures and some hand-flapping. Perfect stim music.

10 - Die Young (Kesha)

US: #85 / FR: #78

This is no Take It Off but it’s the next best thing available, and it’s catchy and has a lot of fun little details (like the dirty socks line), and also, unlike the previous two, it’s still on my mp3 player, so yeah, 10th spot is fair. I love a party song with some sort of apocalyptic mindset.

9 - Skyfall (Adele)

US: Not on the list / FR: #2

I usually don’t give a damn about James Bond movies but I sincerely loved that one, with its stakes becoming smaller and smaller and more personal as the story progressed, and most importantly, it had some visually striking colors near the end, and this wonderful, wonderful song. As I already said about the previous Adele song, I only like slow, emotional songs when there’s some energy behind them or at least some sort of dramatic atmosphere, and boy that’s some quality Drama(tm) right there.

8 - A l’Ombre (Mylène Farmer)

US: Not on the list / FR: #86

If C’est Une Belle Journée was the “last great Mylène Farmer song”, A l’Ombre might just be her best single released post 2003, at least imho. It’s only #8 because the general quality of hit songs in 2012 was insanely high, otherwise it would be way higher.

It’s about losing your identity and as you might already know I’m a sucker for that theme ; also the music video features Olivier de Sagazan, an artist who puts layers of clay, paint and mud on his own head and body to sculpt new faces, and it’s disturbing in all the best ways (obvious body horror tw for the link even if it’s clay and very abstract. Also there’s wolves. I’m just saying because I have one friend who’s scared of them).

7 - Thrift Shop (Macklemore)

US: Not on the list (#1 the very next year obviously) / FR: #7

Finally, a song about my favorite type of clothes: the cheap, comfy, unfashionable ones. With a great beat! And really fun lyrics! And a great music video! And a couple of actually insightful lines! Can’t even imagine how happy I would have been if this had dropped 3 years earlier back in university when I was still called “the hobo”.

I was still wearing that same old black coat from 2006 in 2012, mind you.

6 - Lights (Ellie Goulding)

US: #5 / FR: Not on the list

This song looks fantastic and, just like Fireflies by Owl City which to me looks exactly like fireflies flying in the night, it’s incredibly satisfying to hear a song titled “Lights” which looks like a series of pulsing semi-distant lights in the dark.

5 - We Are Young (fun.)

US: #3 / FR: #21

As far as favorite bands go, the 2000s charts gave me Linkin Park, Placebo, The Killers and My Chemical Romance. The 2010s charts were a bit less generous and only gave me fun., who’s own arrogance killed them right when they were at the top of their game and that’s nothing short of a tragedy considering how f█cking good their few hit songs were.

I guess your band either dies a hero, or it lives long enough to see itself become Imagine Dragons.

Oh well. At least we had some of the best songs (if not the best) of the 2010s while they were there.

4 - Turn Me On (David Guetta ft Nicki Minaj)

US: #35 / FR: #57

Ooooooh I bet some of you are furious this is placed 5 slots above Adele.

Listen. You know I love dance music, especially when it’s aggressive or with a darker edge. And yeah, that sounded like a lost Benassi Bros track, and it had a great (but way too short) rap bridge. You also know how literal-minded I am. So when I first heard Nicki Minaj’s voice with a ton of electronic distorsion saying “Make me come alive, come on and turn me on”, I didn’t picture anything sexy, but a robot. I’d rather pretend songs are about interesting things instead of generic supposedly sexy club anthems.

PLOT TWIST! As it turns out, the music video, instead of featuring some generic club stuff, featured everything I wanted and more: a weird, steampunk world of robots in which an inventor just created an android that looks way more alive than all the previous ones, and they all become jealous, and break his door down. With an axe.

Framing is everything. I absolutely love it. What a gift.

3 - It’s Time (Imagine Dragons)

US: #91 / FR: Not on the list

Believe it or not, I used to love Imagine Dragons. I still love the album Night Visions, which, apart from a couple of duds (like Demons, which is dreadful), is damn good. I don’t know what happened after that. I really don’t. Everything became slow, and heavy, and kind of boring. It worked fine for Radioactive, because that was a post-apocalyptic song, but when you try to apply the same formula to motivational songs, it simply doesn’t work.

Oh well. At least, for now, there was It’s Time. The music video, with people walking through a wasteland, is the perfect imagery for that song. Rebuild something new, but don’t change who you are. Things might get broken, but we’ll make art with them. We’ll plant trees over the graves of people who burnt them. Positive pessimism only, lads.

2 - Good Time (Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen)

US: #38 / FR: #40

The most innocent song about parties ever written. It IS always a good time when you listen to it. It reminded me of the parties at the campus at my job training the previous year, where we’d make dumb contests like “best disguise but if you buy anything you’re disqualified” and I made Freddy Krueger claws in papercraft and a friend won with his “emperor Nero” disguise which was basically a toga made with his bed sheets, a crown made with ivy he found outside, and him looking incredibly punchable on purpose.

It’s an incredibly cute song, it never outstays its welcome, always puts me in a good mood AND gives me some much needed energy. You already know I loved Owl City to begin with, even if I wanted him to have way more hit songs, and Carly Rae Jepsen was going to end on my playlist eventually, with several fantastic future songs. I’m glad this was a hit. They both deserved it.

1 - Some Nights (fun.)

US: #14 / FR: Not on the list (why. how. f█ck off)

There’s drums! There’s ‘woho-woho’s! There’s guitars! It’s a perfect pop-rock earworm that never ever gets annoying! There’s a goddamn solo made with an autotuned version of the singer yelling “aaaaaaa”!! What more can you possibly want from a hit song?

I’m saying this right now: this is my favorite elligible hit song of the entire decade. Spoilers, I know. The #1s for 2013 and 2014 both come really close, but they aren’t as anthemic as this one. What did we do to deserve something this f█cking good in that day and age? I have no clue, but clearly, we didn’t deserve more of that, because these guys split up very quickly.

Anyone know some kind of magic spell to bring them back for an encore?

Next up: The Year When Just About Everyone Dropped An Excellent Album

[zentheknightingale]

I took examples from my own experiences to do this, so sorry if the scenarios look iffy, or even a teensy bit angsty to some :P

I am so sorry that 707′s is huge! I got carried away with it :P ~Admin Bloo

RFA+V+SAERAN REACT TO AN INSECURE AND CHUBBY MC

Yoosung

Most of the times, it doesn’t even pop up as often.

Pizza nights, game nights and go out for movies. It’s like the perfect college love life.

But one day, Yoosung was meeting up with a bunch of friends, and he wanted to bring you along.

You had already met them through webcam, so why were you suddenly so anxious to see them in real life?

The day before the meeting, you suddenly pull out.

This poor boy is so confused.

Why won’t you meet them? You’ve talked to them before? Are they not nice? Did they say something to you?

It was very difficult to calm him down, but you finally tell him that you were insecure about how fat you were.

He’s super quick to correct you that he doesn’t even let you finish.

“You’re so soft, both inside and out. It’s just who you are, and there is nothing to be ashamed of about that.”

This prompts the both of you to share your insecurities with each other.

By the end of the day, you both feel like you know each other better.

“No matter what you look like, it’s you as a person I love.”

Zen

The insecurities got worse when you started dating him

Every time you’re in public, you can practically feel everyone judging you from every angle.

You start going out on dates less frequently, and this irritates Zen to no end

Especially since you couldn’t bring yourself to tell him about what’s been on your mind.

One day, you tell him you want to go to the gym with him

He’s ecstatic (since this is the first time you wanted to go somewhere in weeks) but confused as well.

Then he sees how hard you’re trying to work out, but tire so much quicker than him that you start sulking.

When he stops what he’s doing, and asks you what’s wrong, it all comes pouring out.

About how he’s so perfect, and you’re not, and you don’t deserve to be with him

*cue dramatic gasp*

“Sometimes I wonder what did I do to deserve such a kind and pure person like YOU, and here you are worried about what you look like?”

“I fell for you because of how you supported me through tough times, not because you looked a certain way.”

Jaehee

She’s already super busy, yet she still looks so pretty and slim.

It gave you an inferiority complex on so many levels.

Overtime, she notices that you want to go out less; preferring to stay at home and relax.

Which she doesn’t argue over; it is nice to have room to breathe once in a while.

Your clothes are always loose and free flowing; She admires your style a lot.

Overtime, you have lessened your food portions to the point where now it is half of your usual.

Get ready lads, shit is about to hit the fan now.

Suddenly your behavior, your clothes, and your patterns.  Everything makes sense.

She forcefully serves you how much you should be eating, despite your protests.

“There is absolutely no reason to adopt unhealthy practices simply because you have all these misconceptions about yourself.”

Before you can defend your “misconceptions”, she heaves a big sigh and apologizes for snapping at you.

“Your beauty shines through every little action you do; your body has very little to do with it. So please, don’t worry and be happy.”

Jumin

This man thinks the entire world revolves around you; and sets his standards according to you.

This leads you to try to match the standards of everything a corporate heir’s significant other should be like.

One day, he had decided to take you shopping, just to shower some love on you.

One day, while you two were out window shopping, he had found a shimmering black dress that he absolutely wants you to try on.

When you tell him that it is a few sizes too small, he immediately calls in the manager of the store to ask for a size more suitable for.

The manager looks at you very piercingly and then states that the store does not cater to plus sizes.

It tore you apart to hear the words that had been toiling around your mind the entire day. His world doesn’t provide for plus sizes

Jumin very easily sensed your mood rolling downhill and threatened the poor manager to rid him of his job by the end of the day.

Before Jumin could ruin anymore livelihoods, you drag him out of the store.

He doesn’t understand why you let that manager and other people talk to you like that.

He is rambling and ranting as you two continue walking around the area.

“You are still leading a better life than all those women who starve themselves to death just for the sake of something as shallow as appearances.”

It’s almost funny how much offense he is taking on your behalf.

You pull him to kiss him on the cheek, and he stopped immediately.

He takes this as a nice way to shut him up and takes you to your favorite café

707/Luciel

Boi has military training to back him up on his unhealthy obsession with junk food

MC YOU CANNOT CALL HONEY BUDDHA CHIPS AND PHD PEPPER THAT DREADED J WORD 

You scold him every. Single. Time. And all he does is take another packet and eat it in front of you as you’re yelling at him.

Even you don’t understand why you yell at him so much, it’s an uncontrollable reflex at this point.

One day you were enjoying a family sized packet of Doritos by yourself in the kitchen.

Seven strolls in, whistling as he grabs a packet of HBC.

Then he notices your packet of Doritos

Both of you narrow your eyes at each other playfully.

You thought it was going to be another match of Doritos vs. Honey Buddha Chips

DORITOS IS BAE FIGHT ME

You bring out your usual point that HBC has a lot more fats in it than Doritos.

But then he points out that you’re the one who is fatter than him, so you were just projecting your problems against HBC

OH NO YOU DIDN’T

You look down in silence, suddenly extra aware of the fact that you are wearing shorts.

He’s slapped his mouth shut and is raining apologies upon you, but you just get up and leave; leaving behind the packet you were munching on as well.

Over the next few weeks, he’s doing everything he can to apologize

Grabbing onto your leg, bowing and begging, bringing your favorite food.

But you just wouldn’t budge.

What finally wins you over is the presentation he made of Doritos being better than HBC while wearing a sumo fatsuit that puts regular sumos to shame.

“You’re still my wonderful and bootyful MC; maybe the Doritos have some kind of power to give you such beauty and grace.”

V/Jihyun

He had invited you as his date/honored guest to his latest photo exhibition

You were so happy about the level of success this particular collection had achieved, you had bought a dress just for the occasion.

YOU WERE SO HAPPY, EXCITED AND PROUD ASDFJKL;DFLKG;J

He had headed out to the gallery before you to check on some things, so he gave you a peck before saying goodbye

It’s a good luck kiss, don’t I deserve one?

You hurriedly go and change into the beautiful dress- looking forward to V’s reaction when he sees you

But when you put it on, suddenly it doesn’t look as good as it did before?

Was it always this short and tight?

Were your arms always so... bulbous?

You sat there in front of the mirror and tears started pouring out of frustration

You were planning out how were you going to cancel on him, until suddenly he burst into your shared bedroom and grabs his camera from the bedside table.

He then looks at you and jumps at the sight. You get even shyer aww

“You are so stunning in that dress! But why are you crying...?”

You hug him and mumble something about not deserving to be standing next to someone so acclaimed as him.

“Do you know why you are my muse for most of my photos? It’s because no matter how many different ways I click the camera, I’m never able to capture your perfect essence.”

Unknown/Saeran

It was never an issue that stayed at the forefront of your thoughts. Back of your mind, sure.

Saeran was never particular about how you looked, and you knew that.

One day, you had finally coaxed him into going out on a date.

But then surprise surprise, all your nice clothes are waiting in the laundry pile

Both of you are just too lazy to do chores and now it’s just biting you in the butt

Now all you have is the lacy camisole you had bought last week, which could go with some capris.

You weren’t sure why you bought it; it just looked pretty at the time.

You refuse to wear it, and try to find something else to wear but it’s just. not. right.

Saeran literally doesn’t give two shits about your problem.

“Why don’t you just wear what you’re already wearing?” No I just wanted to wear something special

He holds up the camisole “What’s wrong with this then?”

You stammer out that it doesn’t compliment your figure and it shows off your flabby torso.

You could practically see the irritation on his face and just give up and wear it to prove that its not good enough.

But when you show it to him, he suddenly can’t look at you in the eye.

See, I told you this looked bad.

He then looks up in alarm and grabs your shoulders.

“THIS DOESN’T LOOK BAD. IT LOOKS FINE”

You’re probably just saying that so that we can get going.

No matter how much he is refusing, you try to change out of it, but he doesn’t let you.

Instead he’s practically forcing you out the door.

“For Christ’s sake, MC. The one time I agree to go out so that I can show everyone that you’re mine and you want to just sit there because your tee shirt is too small”

You want to correct him that it’s a camisole, but you let him go as you both make you way to the mall.

[thecompadre]

Ventrue posting

Evening, fresh blood. I guess you want me to give you a nitty-gritty run-down of our lovely little organization, now, do we? All things considered, I’d rather tie you to my bike and paint the high-way a lovely shade of red with you, but who has time for the bloody clean-up anyway? Besides, wouldn’t want to piss off the Arch-Bishop, now, do we.

So, welcome to our lovely little club of bastards and monsters – the Red Crusaders: the Sabbat’s first Ventrue MC.

What we do is pretty simple, as a matter of fact. We scour the highways of this country, raising hell wherever we can, spreading information between Sabbat strongholds and aiding our brothers and sisters in their efforts against the Camarilla. We’re a well-trained legion at our best and highway brigands at our worst. I should know, I’ve had ample experience with both.

I’ve been working on this band of bastards for the better part of 50 years by now. Granted, some of the mates with me now have known me since way back when, especially Reginald – most of us call him Reggy, but I call him Reginald since I know it pisses him off. The name? Well, I was personally aiming for the Crusader Legion, but we’ve been called the Red Crusaders since some of our blokes fanned red flags back in the day – folks thought they was soviet flags and we stopped using them, but the name stuck and that’s that.

We’re always open for new recruits, whether they be from our own little family or good lads we meet on the road, as well as some exceptional individuals that, well, let’s say fate puts in our way and leave it at that.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – we Ventrue aren’t quite the sort to move around a lot, aye? What, with our rather particular tastes? Well, can’t deny that you have a point. Despite some Ventrue’s sensibilities about not calling our taste’s a weakness, but a proof of our superiority and taste… Look, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s precious ‘feewings’, but cut it however you like, a chink in an armour a chink in an armour, a flat tire’s a flat tire, there ain’t no denying it can get a bit impractical. Now, while most Ventrue tend to lead a more sedentary un-lifestyle to keep their thirst in check, some of us can survive – hell, even thrive – in the conditions our little club has to offer. ‘Tis why we keep a close eye on every recruit and their particular taste. For instance, one of my blokes has got a taste for bikers. Fancy that, perfect fit. Another has a taste for meth-heads. I don’t judge, helps us make a bit of profit on the long run. We just make sure he doesn’t get a taste of them after they’ve had their fix – it’s a point of pride for me that my men stay as clean as they can be. Accidents happen, of course, and as long as they stay accidents, they’re brushed off. Now, if you have a taste for mail-men or accountants or what-not I suggest you find a nice little town to bury yourself in. As we say, God wills something else for you.

Our organization is structured on a simple basis: we’ve got squires, knights, mercs – and then there’s me. At least, this is the short version. For what it’s worth, I dislike the distinction between squire and knight: it implies an inferiority that is completely out of place, mostly fueling the ego of some of our ranks. And believe me, I’ve enough experience with troops like these to know they’re going to be at each other’s necks on their own. Boys will be boys and all that cal. Now, on to the nitty-gritty: whether you end up a squire or a knight depends on whether you’ve committed the Prayer to St. Gustav*. Those fresh within our ranks first join the squires, or as I like to call them, the frumentarii. Their role is mainly a support one – we need to keep the blood and the cash flowing if we want to stay on the road, and that is where their aptitudes are most appreciated. Our knights, or legionnaires, are our more perceptive fellows. They keep an eye out for trouble, help plan routes and logistics, and stand as security during our more private events. Squires who wish to become knights are welcome to join – the choice is theirs, and I wouldn’t keep them from it. Our mercs are different – see, all things considered, they aren’t true Red Crusaders. They’re the ones that are dragged along on our way, mostly Panders or Salubri looking for some violent thrill, or folks who wander with us for a while for the sake of safety. All in all, we treat our mercs well, but they’ve got to pull their weight and understand: this is a Ventrue club. They’re here because we let them be here. Anyway, that’s all there is to it. What, Praetorians? I’d love to know where you’ve heard that from, mate. Well, let’s just say everyone knows I’m the head here, and old Reginald is my right hand man. Let’s pretend for a while that I keep my own little Inner Circle just to make sure things are kept nice and tight without needing to butt my head in everyone’s business all the time, and leave it at that, shall we?

Reginald, however, is special. Knew the bloke for longer than most lads have lived, and he’s always been good to me. Tad hard to express it, what with him being a mute and all. The boys like him, especially since he knows a trick to fix you right up if you’ve gotten too fucked in a fight. Some of the lads, however, sometimes come up to me on days when the authorities seem to be in on our every move, and other mysterious things start happening – I should note this is mostly around Camarilla territory. They have a little theory that the Tremere are somehow tracking Reginald, or at least trying to. For my part, I’m quick to remind them that Reginald’s one of the pillars of this club, and that’s that. Sure, he’s technically a merc, but the lads don’t need to know that, now do they?

Now, un-life on the road can be tough, and sometimes it’s difficult to hold an event where all involved can have their fill of the good stuff, so we started organising a little game. Some of the lads started calling it the Blood Cup, and I’d be supportive of it if it didn’t take a large shit on subtlety. Anyway, rules is simple: We gather around a safe location, and those of us who want to have a snack for the evening – and hell, those who are looking for a laugh – bring a candidate for the game, which they embrace. Then, we let the newly-woken childer pass through the Creation rites. Those who dig themselves out pass the first round, and get to eat the ones who didn’t. Round two involves them fighting each other, getting nice and full of fresh vitae. This is the part where bets are made and cash starts rolling for those who care about it. Now, after a few bouts, the weaklings were crushed, fat’s been cut and the piggies are ready for the culling, so we move on to Round three. Whoever wishes to try their luck against them is free to go for the meal. Now, we do place some limitations – we don’t want this to be too easy after all. Fighters are forbidden from using any mind tricks to tame the fresh meat, and it’s preferred they don’t abuse their physical powers. Hell, most of the time we don’t need to enforce that one – most of them are just hungry, but know not to waste any blood on an easy fight.

But what if the fresh Cainite holds his own? Well, if a fresh one like that holds his own against one of us, then we’ve got a nice bike and jacket for ‘em.

However, here, as in all things, there is a degree of etiquette involved. It’s considered bad sport to bring in a hulking goliath to this match – after all, where’s the fun if we know who’ll beat the other useless fops. Hell, even if he stands his own in the third round – big whoop. I often urge my lads to remember this is, first of all, getting fed. If we find a nut too tough to crack – all is well, but that’s not the point. Besides, if you’re going to throw a giant of a man in there just so he can try and survive the third round, he’ll either be a new recruit or a meal that was more trouble than it was really worth it, so why not save us the trouble and Embrace him instead? However, this goes the other way as well – look, if you’re new, I’m gonna let it slip once, maybe, but after seeing it again and again and again I can confirm that watching a paraplegic fight for his life is a lot less fun than it sounds, and if a miracle happened and they passed the second round, none of us would think about letting them join us anyway.

Lately, our little game has proven quite popular, so we sometimes put on a show at a local Esbat, with the ‘winner’ at the end of round three either being accepted by a local pack or eaten like the rest. We make a tidy profit and get to slake our thirst, so who could complain? These events are also quite helpful for us if we plan to make in-roads finding connections in the scene of the event’s location, allowing us to further our own goals and to ease access to our required herds. And yet, a voice asks me from the heavens if that isn’t a tad against the purpose of these events, since they are designed merely for the thirst. I would agree, truthfully, but to hell, it’s bloody good fun!