#Maro can’t dance

[ostaramoon]

we’ve been loving in silence 𖤐 dean winchester 

【 pairing 】 dean x fem!reader

【 summary 】 you’re a bartender in sioux falls, dean tends to stop in whenever he’s in town. you’ve played this game of touch + go for going on a decade now. when he stops in tonight, looking particularly worn out and tired, it’s you he’s searching for a restitute in. 

【 genre / warnings 】 smut, explicit language, unprotected piv, needy dean, teasing/begging, aftercare, some plot, mdni, 18+

【 wordcount 】 2.9k

inspired by this song ⤜ we’ve been loving in silence by MARO ⤛ 

you knew the moment those heavy boots waltzed into your bar that you’d be here, stumbling into your dark apartment tipsy and high on his charming energy. you cross the threshold with dean’s calloused palms stuck to your hips. he nips at the side of your neck, making you giggle as you lose your balance. 

“i don’t think you’ve stopped touching me since we got out of the car.” you quip, peaking over your shoulder at those brilliantly green eyes. 

“mhm,” he hums, gently peppering kisses on the soft skin behind your ear, “can you really blame me, sweet girl?” his voice is damn near smokey at this hour in the night. rolling into your body like electricity as you notice even the faintest grunts of impatient desire emanating from him. 

dean effortlessly kicks the door closed behind him, using it to lean on as he pulls you in closer. turning within his grasp, you snake your arms around his strong neck and look up into his hungry gaze. his eyes dance across your face, memorizing each feature with complete admiration. 

“i’ve missed you, sweetheart.” he breathes, barely audible even in your closeness. he always calls you pet names, but you’ve noticed they leave his lips more frequently after a night of honey whiskey. 

“me too,” you smile, unable to deny the relief that left your soul when he came in tonight, “i was worried something happened to you, something permanent this time.” you confess, biting your lips and feeling anxious to express your concerns to mr no strings attached. but you’ve known each other for so long, known what his life is outside of your nights of drink and pillowtalk. when you spend months in radio silence, the fears begin to scream from the corners of your mind. 

“i know, baby, it’s been too long.” he sighs, bringing his hand to your jaw and running one of those large thumbs across your lips. “but i’m here now.” there is a quiet pleading in his words, one that you take to mean leave it, leave those thoughts at the door. and as always, you do.

pushing onto your tip toes, your eyes flutter closed as you collide your lips with his. he groans at the sudden connection, taking no more than a few milliseconds to deepen the kiss. lips messily moving against each other in a needy want. he pulls off your jacket without breaking contact, quickly moving his hands down your body and swiftly lifting you up, your legs wrap around his waist instinctively. 

dean turns your bodies so that it’s your back against the door now. “i need you,” he whispers on your lips, “i need this.” 

his pleas send a heat straight to your core, ricocheting through your body and leaving goosebumps in it’s wake. a mindless whimper escapes you. god, you’ve been starving for the touch of this man. 

your small verbal cue was enough for dean to take exactly what he’s craving. he carries you from the door and into your small apartment. despite not having been here in months he navigates through the dark rooms with ease, distracting you with nips and kisses across your collarbones. you don’t even realize you’ve made it to the bedroom until he lowers you onto the end of the bed. 

you watch with a love drunk gaze as he towers over you, and you can’t help reaching out and tracing the muscular outlines of his lower abdomen while he busies himself with removing his shirts. “you’re a true marvel to see, dean.” you confess, peaking through your lashes to watch how quickly he tries to hide his embarrassment from such a compliment. though you only meet with him in moments, you learned fairly early on how deeply wrong this gorgeous man is about himself. since then you committed to a secret promise to yourself that you’d do your best to acknowledge his beauty whenever he’s near. 

his charming toothy smile is back, “there you go again, being too sweet to me.” he teased. he takes a moment to drink in the sight of you, lips puffy and red from grazing his stubble in the sloppy kisses. your shirt tousled from his constant pawing. he leans down to become eye level, those thick lashes framing such vibrant green irises. “lie back for me, baby.” he murmurs, watching carefully as you follow his gentle command.

it isn’t often you get such a soft side of dean, hell, for years it was highly erotic work the two of you did on these nights. but you can sense something has change in him. maybe it came with age, or the constant reconciliations with life and death he faces on the road. he never shares too much, so you’ve learned to notice the smallest expressions in him to decode what might be going on inside that caged mind of his. 

as of right now, all dean could think about was devouring the sweetness he’s missed over the past few months. 

he gets to work undoing your belt, next the buttons of your jeans until he’s tugging both your bottoms and panties from your body. a satisfied sigh leaves his mouth as he looks over your half naked body. his eyes flick up to your shirt, clearly needing that off, too. so he hooks his thumbs and pulls it over your head, discarding it with the rest of the clothes. hovering over your frame, he trails kisses from your jaw, down your neck and across the plump part of your breasts that stick out of your bra. 

“i need to see all of you.” he rasps against your skin, sliding his hands between your back and the bed to swiftly unlatch your last piece of clothing. 

his hands lead the way down your sides, straight to the sensitive skin between your thighs as he pushes them apart. kneeling at the foot of your bed as if to pray, he works his mouth teasing the areas around your arousal, making the budding heat morph into need. 

you arch your back as his rough hands slowly slide up and down the sides of your legs, sending shock waves into your core, “please, dean, touch me.” you quietly plead. 

“easy, sweetheart.” he responds and you can feel his grin against your thigh as his lips inch closer to where you really want them. he loves this game, warming you up and getting you to quite literally begin to melt before he lets himself devour. 

his uses one arm to anchor himself, large palms squeezing the thick of your thigh while his other hand travels down past your navel, pressing his thumb against your clit as he works gentle circles. too gentle, you think. you want more, need it. 

“dean,” you breathe out, impatiently wiggling under his touch, “please.” 

with a groan his mouth replaces his thumb. sucking and lapping at your sensitive skin as you feel a wave of relief and bliss wash over you. you lose all sense of humanity as you become a mess of whimpers and moans. your sounds fuel his hunger, working you more aggressively with his mouth as his middle and ring finger tease your entrance. lazily sliding in and out, barely pushing in. 

“more, now.” you breathlessly demand. dean lets out a short laugh, pulling away from your heat. the sudden cold making you damn near writh beneath him. 

“beg.” he teases, and you look down to see those green eyes glowing with amusement. 

“please.” you manage, his eyes don’t leave your gaze as he lets his fingers tantalizing massage your clit.

“hm?” he hums, raising an eyebrow, completely indulging in the way your hips buck for more fiction.

 “please, dean.” you groan, throwing your head back against the mattress in defeat. your mind is swirling with a deep need for more of him inside you, on you, touching you in the ways only he can do. 

with a satisfied growl his lips are back to working pure bliss against your clit as his thick middle and ring fingers curl into the warmth inside you. you’re not even sure how his fingers are capable of thrusting against that sweet, aching knot inside the way they do. 

all you can do is squirm and whimper as he loses himself in pleasing you.

“fuck, dean,” you gasp as everything inside tenses and tightens, his lips pull and suck while his fingers plunge deep quickly. like a skeleton key finding it’s lock, dean presses into your dam and the floods break with ease. 

the release rolls through your body, soaking his face and fingers in your climax. you’re left shivering as he pulls away to stand over you. sucking on the fingers he just worked inside you, his face glimmers with pride of just how good he is at undoing you. 

“god, i missed that.” you sigh, catching your breath as dean undoes his belt and kicks his jeans off. his eyes take in every inch of your body as he pulls out his thick cock, working it in his hands. just watching him makes your core begin to ache all over again. 

“on your stomach, princess.” he commands, and you eagerly oblige. sticking your ass up with your thighs pressed together, just the way he likes it, and he appreciates you remembering. 

you felt the mattress dip under his weight as he centers himself behind you, shoving his bulging tip between your skin until it reached your sore clit, the heightened sensitivity making you moan and pathetically hump his cock, desperate for another release. his hands squeezed each side of your ass, applying more pressure to where your bodies meet. 

you rock against him, circling and bucking, trying to reach that itch, but it wasn’t enough. he knew that, but watching you use him like a toy was mesmerizing. 

“mm, please, dean.” you found yourself begging again, “i need you inside me, i need you to fuck me.” 

“fuck.” he groans. pulling away just quick enough to plunge inside, sending his entire thick length in, triggering a gasp from your lips. 

the sudden stretch sent a chill throughout your body, making you melt further into the bed as he fell into a mind numbing rhythm. wet skin slapping against each other cut through your shared symphony of moans. 

“baby, you’re so god damn tight.” he professes, squeezing your hips as he bucks harder into your cunt. his sickeningly deep voice paying such vulgar compliments made you twitch and hum. 

dean’s hand slips it’s way past your navel and straight to your clit, working messily fast circles as he coaxes another release from you. your thighs squeeze together as another knot formed in the pit of your stomach. 

“don’t stop, dean, please.” you begged, grabbing his wrist as if it could keep you grounded while he fucks you into senseless oblivion. his other hand presses into the small of your back, deepening your arch and allowing his tip to reach your sweet spot. 

he thrusts against that spot again and again until you’re making a mess all over him, whimpering and chanting his name like it was an invocation of the divine. 

your shameless release under his doing and hearing his name leave your mouth made dean’s head spin, feeling your walls tense around him turns his rhythm into a sputtering mess.

“fuck, baby.” he groans, his mind falling into a euphoric emptiness as he came inside you, bucking with the aftershock into a seeping wet mess. 

completely fucked out and weak, you collapsed onto the bed. your eyes watery and heavy as you blink yourself back to earth. dean’s warm hands rub up and down your back as he trails kisses across your shoulder blades. 

he didn’t want to walk away from you, have to look away from the beautiful mess he made of you. but, he knew better than to flop over and fall asleep like he did the first time you two shared a night together. then again, he was much younger and more selfish, and he had yet to grow so attached to you. something he would never admit to your face. but a part of him, buried away with the rest of his hope, wondered if you could sense how much care he had built up in the years he’s spent getting to know you in these visits. 

as dean left the room, you used every ounce of strength left in you to crawl up to the pillows, relaxing as you wait, knowing exactly what he was getting up to in the bathroom attached to your room. 

after a few moments, dean returns to your side. “waters warm,” he cooed with a smile, “just the way you like it.” 

you giggle, sitting up “you sure do know how to treat a woman right, winchester.” 

“only the ones i really like.” he responds, that gloating grin making you roll your eyes as you follow him into the shower. 

 ⤜

 the warm water felt incredible on your skin, enveloping your tired body as dean stood over you, his fingers massaging your scalp as he works vanilla scented conditioner into your hair.

“is this shit why you always smell so good?” he wonders aloud, and you could just see his face in that cute puzzled expression of his, despite facing the opposite direction. 

“yes,” you laugh, “my body wash is cookie butter scented, too.” 

“ah,” he sighs, “makes sense. wait, is that on purpose?” 

“what do you mean?” you ask, turning to face him and let the water rinse the sweet soap from your locks. 

“well, i mean, i always wanna take a bite when i’m around you.” he grins.

“are you saying you want to eat me, dean?” you tease, collecting more conditioner from the bottle and reaching up to rake it through dean’s hair. 

“well,” he began, an eyebrow lifting as that familiar smug expression graces his features, “i already have.”

you pinch his arm in retaliation, shaking your head at his smart mouth. 

“ow,” he feigns, rubbing the spot your fingers were. “hey, can’t say you hated it, right?” 

“rinse your hair, asshat.” you chime, switching places. you take notice in the way his arms flex as he works the conditioner out of his hair. his muscles have certainly grown over the last few months, and you try not to wonder what kind of bad he’s fighting to make him get stronger. 

“oh, aren’t you shameless, sweetheart.” he chuckles, winking before he continues, “checking me out while i wash the girlpoo from my hair.” 

“the girlpoo?” you echo, brows knitting in amused confusion.

“yeah,” he states plainly, “girl-sham-poo.” he emphasizes each part of the words as if that makes any sense of what he’s said.

“dean, it's a conditioner. and,” you smile, “can’t say you hate it, right?” 

“shut up.” he retorts, sending a playful glare. you smile at his usual go-to when he can’t find a way to give slack back. he reaches over and turns off the shower, grabbing the two towels he prepared earlier and handing one over. you internally cringe at the way he barely wipes any water off of his body, stepping out into the bathroom and leaving puddles in his wake. some things never change.

entering your room, you ruffle through the dresser draw packed with sleep clothes until you find your favorite big shirt to slip on. turning, you find a naked dean already beneath the covers, watching you. seeing him in your bed again reminds you of a time before. 

“do you always sleep naked?” you ask, snuggled into the comforter, lying just inches from that gorgeously crafted face.

“no,” dean sighs, “i actually am usually dressed, or close to it when i sleep.”

“why?” you ask.

dean pauses for a moment, those sweet green eyes clouding under whatever memories tumble beneath the surface, “i guess i can’t sleep any other way, always have to be ready.”

you consider his words, you still don’t fully understand the world he lives in but you’ve been trying to, “but not here?”

this earns a smile from the tired man, “no, not here.”

“hey, is that my shirt?” dean’s question disrupts your thoughts, bringing you back into the quiet of your dark bedroom. you look down, scanning the worn out t-shirt you’ve been sleeping in for years now.

“i think so, actually,” you respond, “from… what, ‘08? that time you spent almost a whole week with me for a reason you still have yet to tell me.” 

dean pauses, knowing damn well why he didn’t tell you. and he wasn’t going to now, either, because the last time he told you about his dance with life and death you went on a rant about how even dean winchester himself isn’t invincible, be careful, stay alive, and whatever else you blubbered out like a scolding parent. he wasn’t in the mood for it tonight.

“yeah, don’t remember.” he grinned, lifting his arm to invite you in, “care to join me?” he asks. 

rolling your eyes at his avoidance, you slip into the blankets. his arm finds your waist, pulling you close to his body. 

he brings a hand to your face, stealing a soft kiss before wrapping his arm again, tucking you into his chest. you somehow did forget the way dean cuddles is awfully aggressive, clutching you like a toy. but, as all the times before, you don’t mind it. there's a security in his arms you have yet to find elsewhere. you can hear the morning birds beginning to sing outside your bedroom window. by past patterns you estimate about four hours of sweet comfort before you’re left alone in this bed again. the wondrous dean winchester has a life to get back to, and you do, too. but you can’t ignore the tugging in your chest each time he leaves without a goodbye. 

 ──────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────────

ooof this one was fun to write !!! probably one of my fave things to daydream about is being the one dean returns to throughout the years for some solace in his life (luv being delulu, thinking i could heal this man) but maybe i'll do more oneshots with this scenario tho, hmmm much to think about

[the-void-writes]

15 Questions

Thank you @bloodlessheirbyjacques for the tag! You gave me some wonderful ideas for the wonderful pirate wife, Pedra Castillo.

———————

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not at all, I just named myself something simple. But when Josie says it, I can’t help but feel like some kind of deity.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Sometimes, I have dreams about my old family, and nightmares of that horrid woman, Alma, and of losing my little girl again. They make me cry more than anything.

3. Do you have kids?

Yes, indeed! Sweet, darling Sophie, mi angelita perfecto. She’s got my fire and Josie’s creativity, and her father’s strength and compassion. No one could ask for a better child.

4. Do you use sarcasm?

When the mood calls for it, particularly if Mister Briggs is around. It’s sweet that Will loves him, but Briggs is just too… snarky. We had names for people like him in my old town, but I don’t want Sophie repeating them.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Their voices. My mother could yell louder than any goat or hen, and my father never spoke above a mumble. But Josie, she has the voice of an angel, and she never yells unless someone needs a good slap in the back of the head.

6. What's your eye color?

Deep brown, last I checked. The only part of my body I’ve liked since the beginning. Josie likes it too, thank goodness.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

I’m always weak for happy endings, but Molly introduced us to “drive-in monster movies,” and they’re too fun to pass up.

8. Any special talents?

Sword-fighting seems too obvious… I’d tell you my best talent, but Josie would probably pinch my arm.

9. Where were you born?

There was a small town wedged between Maros and the trading capitals, more of a rest stop than anything else. That was where my family first set up, I think.

10. What are your hobbies?

Sailing, fencing, dancing with my family— Josie teaching me and Sophie how to play piano. If we work together, we might make an actual song.

11. Do you have any pets?

Not in our house, but Sophie is very attached to Will’s dog, the supposed Celestial Spirit of Paradise’s jungle. If you ask me, I think someone’s pet landed in Paradise and read a book. We had a burro in Maros who could read, and he made more money than I ever did on that damn fishing boat.

12. What sports do you play/ have played?

Besides fencing, I’ve been learning from Ruhi to box. She’s one of the toughest ladies I’ve ever met in my life. I still remember how far that sandbag flew, and I wish to replicate that for a live audience.

13. How tall are you?

Five-foot-seven, a few inches taller than Frank. It’s funny, really, having to look down at our new king.

14. Favorite subject in school?

I had a fondness for writing. As a kid, I would buy pens and paper from the market and pretend to be some lonely princess, writing letters of love and peace to other kingdoms.

15. Dream Job?

I would give all the money imaginable to do what Rio’s friends do. Senora Keyes, she made a fire-resistant dress! And her wife made the gun that set it on fire! Where were these ladies when I needed a crew?

———————

Tagging: @circa-specturgia @tryingtimi @sergeantnarwhalwrites @muddshadow @magefaery @italiangothicwriteblr and anyone reading who wants to answer!

[chrancecriber]

Antenne Vorarlberg Chillout Lounge (August 21, 2023)

23:55 Christopher Von Deylen - Free 23:51 Mo' Horizons - Dance Naked Under Palmtrees 23:48 Blank & Jones Feat. Mick Roach - Magnolia 23:41 Edx - We Can't Give Up 23:38 Nto (Fr) Feat. Sofiane Pamart - Invisible (Piano Version) 23:35 R3hab X Lukas Graham - Most People 23:31 Blank & Jones - Flowing 23:29 Above & Beyond - Quieter Is Louder (Original Mix) 23:24 Tinlicker Feat. Nathan Nicholson - Always Will 23:20 Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home (Mousse T. Cocktail Mix) 23:15 Deep Dive Corp. Feat. Dennis Le Gree - Water 23:11 Nora En Pure - Tantrum 23:03 Audiofly Feat. Fiora - 6 Degrees 22:56 Atb - No Fate 22:49 True & Berger - Imprint Of Pleasure 22:45 Blank & Jones With Coralie Clement - Days Go By 22:42 Alok & Timmy Trumpet - Underwater Love (La Vision Remix) 22:39 Felix Jaehn Feat. Jasmine Thompson - Ain't Nobody 22:32 Mashk & Soul Button - Pensées 22:29 Majestic & Boney M. - Rasputin 22:22 Hraach - Delirio 22:18 Sofi Tukker & John Summit - Sun Came Up (Radio) 22:15 Hagen Feetly - Cry 22:10 Van Bellen - Morning Awakening 22:08 Christopher Von Deylen - Arco Iris 22:05 Lost Frequencies, Zonderling & Kelvin Jones - Love To Go 22:02 Robin Schulz Feat. Graham Candy - 4 Life (Original Mix) 21:56 Deep Dive Corp. & Setsuna - Transatlantic 21:53 Lost Frequencies & Elley Duhé - Back To You 21:46 Max Melvin - Earth Inside 21:44 Dj Antoine & Flip Capella Feat. Evelyn - Dark Love 21:39 Sean Hayman - See Of Love (Whisper Mix) 21:34 Klangperlenspiel - Million Words 21:31 Tomas Skyldeberg - Outside The Window 21:28 Norman Feller - Retrospective 21:25 Sanah - Invisible Dress (Maro Music X Skytech Remix) 21:22 Laniia - Fireflies 21:19 Michael Gray & Shelly Poole - Borderline (Lee Muddy Baker Acoustic Mix) 21:16 Italobrothers - Stay 21:13 Alle Farben & Flynn - I Need To Know 21:09 Alphawezen - 4043 21:06 Pretty Pink Feat. Mark V - Don't Dance 21:01 Joachim Pastor Feat. Nathan Nicholson - Saint Louis 20:58 Oovee Feat. Alesha Dixon - Higher Love 20:52 Good Guy Mikesh Feat. Filburt - Place Of Love (Mp Edit) 20:45 Max Melvin - Sometimes 20:42 L'imperatrice - Peur Des Filles (Montmartre Remix) 20:39 Junge, Junge Feat. Jamie Hartma - Wicked Hearts 20:35 Justin Robertson Presents Revtone - Love Movement 20:32 Mike Candys & Jack Holiday - Saltwater (Rework) 20:29 Jelly & Fish - Appreciation 20:24 Redondo, Bolier Feat. She Keeps Bees - Every Single Piece (Original Mix) 20:16 Garlington - Falling To Pieces (Extended Mix) 20:13 Portishead - Revenge Of The Number 20:04 Nor Elle - Silent Storm 20:00 Sofi Tukker X Mahmut Orhan - Forgive Me 19:57 Lucy Neville - Shameless 19:51 Amanaska - Tide 19:49 Srtw & Mave Feat. Sønlille - Last Train Home 19:44 Syntax Error - Träumen Im Gras (Syntax Experience Mix) 19:39 Claptone Feat. Dizzy - Queen Of Ice Queen Of Ice 19:37 Dize Feat. Aurii - Wenn Ich Nicht Mehr Weiss 19:33 Sting - Cool Breeze 19:27 Jens Buchert - Cocoon 19:23 Klangkarussel & Poppy Baskcomb - This Love 19:19 Air - You Make It Easy 19:16 Morgan Page Feat. Lissie - Firewalk 19:12 Dvine - Unknown Reality 19:08 Tontario - Late (Original Mix) 19:04 The Alan Parsons Project - Old And Wise 18:59 Above & Beyond Feat. Zoe Johnston - We're All We Need 18:54 Lux - Northern Lights 18:51 Filatov & Karas - Au Au 18:44 Nora En Pure - Come With Me 18:41 Avaion X Vize X Leony - Pieces 18:38 Tinlicker Feat. Nathan Nicholson - Be Here And Now 18:32 Max Denoise Feat Claire Willis - Bring To Me Life (Original Mix) 18:29 Kygo & Sasha Sloan - I'll Wait 18:23 Tebra - Istok 18:19 Schiller - Sommerregen 18:16 Rosa Linn - Snap 18:14 Le Shuuk Feat. Xilions - Goodbye 18:10 Nicos - Secret Love 18:07 Kygo With Avicii & Sandro Cavazza - Forever Yours (Tribute) 18:02 Atb & Anova - Route 66 17:56 Aisen - Another Day 17:53 Above & Beyond Feat. Zoe Johnston - Treasure 17:48 Lux - Golden 17:45 Sans Souci - Take My Breath Away (Original Mix) 17:41 Ac Venture - Rain In Spain (Roberto Sol Remix) 17:36 Beanfield - Planetary Deadlock 17:30 Lamb - Wonder 17:25 Lstn - Times Of Sorrow 17:23 Crying Robot, Abi F. Jones - Different Sides 17:19 Lstn, Arya Noble - Desert Walk 17:16 Sons Of Maria - Always 17:13 Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still (Ofenbach Remix) 17:05 Jan Blomqvist - Empty Floor 17:03 Luca Schreiner Feat. Johnny Chicago - Its All Gonna Be Good (Junge Junge Edit) 16:59 Sean Bay, Mehdi Mouelhi Feat. Arabella - Maktoub 16:52 Dale Anderson Feat. Anil Chawla - Pimento Grove 16:45 Cosmo Klein Feat. Ynot - When Doves Cry (Original Mix) 16:42 Robin Schulz & Felix Jaehn - One More Time 16:37 Schiller Feat. Jael - Tired (Live) 16:33 Guardner - All Right 16:24 Moby - Too Much Change 16:19 Schiller X Tricia Mcteague - Miracle 16:15 Aural Float - Be As You Are 16:12 Sneaker Pimps - 6 Underground 16:08 Ck West - Aldebaran 2021 16:03 Sine - Smooth Relaxation 16:01 Sons Of Maria - A Kiss Like This 15:58 Sum Wave - Backyard Stories 15:54 Martin Böttcher - Old-shatterhand-melodie (Orbient Mix) 15:50 Above & Beyond - The Inconsistency Principle 15:47 Felix Jaehn Feat. Lost Frequencies & Linying - Eagle Eyes 15:41 Colyn - Unstable Gravity Alert 15:38 Max Johann & Layrz - Tell It To My Heart 15:32 Alle Farben - Sonoro (2018 Rework) 15:29 Pascal Letoublon - Feelings Undercover 15:26 Together Alone - Ain't Nobody 15:22 Set Mo Feat. Deutsch Duke - White Dress (Radio Version) 15:20 Gil Glaze Feat. Dante Thomas - West La 15:16 Nora En Pure & Lika Morgan - In The Air Tonight (Sons Of Maria Remix) 15:13 Tim Plvnk - Just Tonight (Extended Mix) 15:09 Bolier & Leandro Da Silva - Floripa (Extended) 15:06 Mount & Emdey - Venus 14:59 Caf Bar Feat. Sara Allman - Gimme Shelter (Chilled Buddha Session) 14:55 Above & Beyond - Out Of Time (Original Mix) 14:52 Iberis Eguana - Sand Of Time 14:48 Gardenstate & Bien - The Best Part 14:42 Joachim Pastor & Signum - Something You Need (Extended Mix) 14:37 Channel 2 Feat. Tanya - Space Cowboy 14:32 Anrey - Lost Lands (Extended Mix) 14:28 Neptune & Moonnight - I Need A New Love (Original Mix) 14:24 Fritz Kalkbrenner - Void 14:22 Twisted Harmonies Feat. Mougleta - You & Me 14:17 Schiller - Der Goldene Engel 14:14 Starley - Lovers Strangers 14:11 Lizot - Daddy Cool 14:08 Glockenbach - Dirty Dancing 14:05 Lost Frequencies Feat. Sandro Cavazza - Beautiful Life 14:02 Felix Jaehn Feat. Zoe Wees - Do It Better 13:59 Alle Farben - Bad Ideas 13:57 Felix Jaehn, Cheat Codes Feat. Bow Anderson - I Just Wanna 13:50 Nora En Pure - Thermal (Extended Mix) 13:46 Kygo Feat. Maty Noyes - Stay 13:39 Timboletti - Dhunche 13:36 Raffa Fi - Ritmo 13:32 Kygo Feat. Sandro Cavazza - Happy Now 13:29 Armin Van Buuren & Avira - Illusion (Mixed) 13:24 Thomas Lemmer & Andreas Bach - Deep Ocean 13:21 Black Coffee & David Guetta Feat. Delila Montagu - Drive 13:18 Sono - Keep Control (Artbat Remix Edit) 13:14 Sum Wave - Malin's Song 13:09 Placebo - Running Up That Hill 13:05 Loud Luxury - Cold Feet 12:59 Cinemascope - The 7th Dream 12:57 Gibbs & Code X - Close To Your Heart 12:52 Schiller & Tricia Mcteague - Guardian Angel 12:49 Sam Feldt - Be My Lover 12:45 Nora En Pure - World Of Rules 12:42 Robin Schulz Feat. Alida - In Your Eyes 12:38 Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes 12:32 Tebra - Suton 12:28 Blank & Jones - Sunny (Summer Vibe Mix) 12:21 Richard Grey - Need Your Lovin (Murjd Remix) 12:16 Arden - Open 12:05 Cell - Above The Clouds (Live Version) 12:01 Beatkonexion - On Air 11:58 Audax Feat. Ron Caroll - Falling For You 11:53 Schiller & Giorgio Moroder - Lichtjahre 11:49 Avira & Kiko Franco Feat. Nathan Nicholson) - Ocean 11:45 Ambyion - Motion 11:39 Boris Pillmann - Mood Of Moonlight 11:35 Viva La Panda & Finding Molly - Bring It On (La La La) 11:32 Nora En Pure - Dry Sobbing 11:26 Max Melvin - Magnolia 11:22 Backstreet Boys - Chances (Instrumental) 11:19 Sans Souci - Nanda 11:15 Shaun Feat. Conor Maynard - Way Back Home 11:12 Armin Van Buuren Feat. Jake Reese - Need You Now 11:07 Rìfìs Du Sol - Next To Me 11:02 Maestro & Cabal - Rocklands Beach 10:59 Edx - Ecletric (Mixed) 10:55 Blank & Jones - Fallen 10:52 Wave Wave Feat. Lena Sue - Repeating 10:45 Firtz Kalkbrenner - Golden (Fideles Remix) 10:40 Under Pressure - Near The Ocean 10:37 Consoul Trainin Feat. Steven Aderinto & Duoviolins - Obsession 10:34 Sono - Trusting You 10:29 Owen Ear, Stereoteric - Screaming Heart (Original Mix) 10:26 Nora En Pure - Branches 10:23 Dj Antoine Feat. Chanin & Jona Xx - Dancing In Tulum 10:19 Croquet Club - Awake 10:16 Pulsedriver & Tiscore Feat. Anna Grey - We Are 10:12 Robin Schulz - Moonlit Sky (With The Void Pacific Choir) 10:08 Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits 10:05 Hein Klein & Cheyenne - Every Breath You Take 10:00 Schiller - Der Tag...du Bist Erwacht (Mit Jette Von Roth) 09:57 Blank & Jones - Coastline 09:51 Mr.da-nos - San Francisco 2k20 09:47 Melounge - Too Much Sugar 09:39 Miyagi, Sascha Braemer, Dan Caster, Jan Blomqvist - Woodpeckers Love Affair 09:36 Bolier - Another Blue 09:33 Alan Walker Feat. Gavin James - Tired 09:30 Edx Feat. Jess Ball - Take Me Home 09:27 Kush Kush & Sickmellow Feat. Kazhi - Blacklight 09:19 David Broaders - Curracloe 09:13 Beyhude - Terso 09:10 Tiesto - Lay Low 09:05 Bissen & The Crossover - Quicksand (Chillout Mix) 09:02 Nora En Pure - Fibonacci 08:56 Axwell / Ingrosso - Something 08:53 Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano - Let It Lie 08:49 Tonenation - Hijo De La Luna 08:44 Ganga - The Wind 08:42 Blank & Jones Feat. Coralie Clément - Cest Mieux 08:37 Rìfìs Du Sol - Alive (Anyma Remix) 08:34 Major Lazer Feat. Dj Snake & Mø - Lean On 08:26 Julian Wassermann - People 08:23 Alan Walker Ahrix - End Of Time 08:20 Bebo Best & The Super Lounge Orchestr - Come As You Are 08:15 Ac Venture - Penang Waltz (Roberto Sol Remix) 08:13 Alok Feat. Alida - Love Again 08:08 Rue Du Soleil - Manush 08:04 Gestört Aber Geil & Anna Grey - Thank You 08:00 Los Alamos Country Club - Children (Ambient Remix) 07:58 Mike Candys, Sb Mont & Salvo - Turned To Dust 07:50 Armen Miran Feat. Jivan Gasp - Lost Memories 07:43 Marcel - Departure 07:38 Mike Candys & Jack Holiday - La Serenissima 07:35 Kungs Feat. Jhart - Dopamine 07:30 Mikael Delta - The Last Storm Of Words 07:27 Nora Van Elken - Okinawa 07:24 Klangperlenspiel & Puzzls - Kyoto (Wish You'd Move On) 07:19 Diamans - Perception 07:11 Monolink - Don't Hold Back 07:09 Zaz - Demain C'est Toi 07:01 Desert Dwellers - Union 06:52 Blond:ish Feat. Bahramji - Omnipresent 06:48 Zero 7 - In The Waiting Line 06:44 The Ocean Piano - Piano Mi Camino (Blue Wave Mix) 06:41 Trinix & Ian Urbina - Bad Things 06:35 Nora En Pure - Don't Look Back (Extended Mix) 06:32 Gamper & Dadoni - My Lovin' 06:28 Schiller - Summer In Berlin 06:26 Braaten - Enjoy The Silence 06:23 Shallour & Riah - Lie 06:18 Fous De La Mer - Luces 06:10 Cabeiri - Plants Telling 06:06 Moby - My Only Love 06:03 Fritz Kalkbrenner - Daylight Is Falling 05:58 Blank & Jones - Coming Home (Afterlife Remix) 05:54 Daniel Steidtmann - Pigeon Lake 05:51 Mark Ronson Feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart 05:48 Kamrad - Feel Alive 05:44 Hallmann - Always Be 05:41 Mila - Herzlos 05:38 Nora En Pure - Stop Wasting Time 05:33 Lyke - Stay With Me 05:28 Tosca - Natural High 05:24 Sum Wave - Goodbye Earth 05:22 Minelli, Filatov & Karas Remi - Rampampam 05:14 Ost & Kjex - Queen Of Europe Feat. Anne Lise Frokedal (Solomun Remix) 05:07 John Kah - Carina (Enui Remix) 05:04 Edx - Neptune 05:01 Alle Farben - Berlin 04:53 Blank & Jones - California Sunset 04:48 The Alan Parsons Project - Lucifer 04:45 Nora Van Elken - Interstellar 04:41 Lost Frequencies & Mathieu Koss - Don't Leave Me 04:38 Kygo Feat. Ellie Goulding - First Time 04:33 Worakls - Caprice 04:30 Hugel - Can't Love Myself (Feat. Mishaal& Lpw) 04:25 Rodg - Life Is Life (Chill Mix) 04:22 Rita Ora - You Only Love Me 04:19 Above & Beyond Feat. Justine Suissa - Little Something 04:11 Menachem 26 - Hal (Anatolian Sessions Remix) 04:09 Melonia - Sweet Child O' Mine 04:06 Steve Forest, Te Pai - Never Gonna Give You Up 04:03 Ed Sheeran - Photograph (Felix Jaehn Remix) 03:59 Schiller & Peter Heppner - Leben... I Feel You 03:53 Rodg - Jacqueline (Chill Mix) 03:50 Shaun Frank & Takis Feat. Shells - Don't Say I Love You 03:47 The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn Of A Friendly Card 03:42 Blank & Jones - 10.000 Emerald Pools 03:39 Duboss - Losing My Religion 03:34 Faithless Feat. Nathan Ball & Caleb Femi - I Need Someone 03:28 Hotlane - On My Own 03:25 Daniel Portman - Sensual Desires 03:18 Röyksopp & Jamie Irrepressible - The Next Day (Mind Against Remix) 03:16 Dennis Lloyd - Nevermind 03:12 Sum Wave - Beach Memories 03:08 Robin Schulz - Above The Clouds 03:03 Velvet Lounge Project - Dimelo Tu (Mix And Magix Remix) 02:59 Undressd - Forever Young 02:55 Stone Van Brooken, Henri Pfr - Tarida (Original Mix) 02:51 Edx - Vommuli 02:44 Soul Button - Circadian Rhythm (Hraach Remix) 02:41 Sixth Finger - If I Can't Have You 02:38 Vize & Leony - Dolly Song (Devil's Cup) 02:36 Nora Van Elken - Honshu 02:32 Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine 02:30 Trinix - Soweto 02:27 Thrdl!fe & Sleepwalkrs - Outta My Head 02:24 Xillions - Somebody Like Me 02:20 Kygo & Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It 02:17 Blank & Jones Feat. Kyle Pearce - All Of Me 02:13 Tiesto - Everything (Acoustic Version) 02:09 Sound Nomaden - The Morning After 02:04 Bent - I Love My Man 01:58 Röyksopp Feat. Susanne Sundfør - If You Want Me 01:55 Yves V X Bashkar - Halfway (Feat. Twan Ray) 01:52 Adara, Egzod, Sinego - Free 01:47 Kidsø - Fir 01:44 Chicane - Capricorn (Back Pedal Brakes Remix) 01:40 Consoul Trainin - Take Me To Infinity 01:34 Edx - Conundrum 01:30 Lost Frequencies Feat. Love Harder - Beat Of My Heart 01:28 Trinix - Rodeo 01:24 Swedish House Mafia & The Weeknd - Moth To A Flame 01:21 Alex Zind Feat. Lisa Schwab - Cruel Summer 01:18 Sam Feldt - Post Malone (Feat. Rani) 01:15 Hypnosis - Pulstar 01:11 Rìfìs - Like An Animal 01:09 Mahalo - High Life 01:04 Cosmic Soul & Tom Novy - Like A Dream 01:01 Eelke Kleijn Feat. Ost - Lost Souls (Nora En Pure Remix) 00:57 Robin Schulz & David Guetta - On Repeat 00:54 Basixx - Stay In Your Sunlight 00:50 Lenny Ibizarre - Smooth Temptation 00:47 Loud Luxury And Frank Walker Feat. Stephen Puth - Like Gold 00:43 Passenger 10 - Voices In Her Head 00:38 Perfect Silence - Di (Original Mix) 00:36 Mellowdy - Rise Up 00:32 Jan Blomqvist & Bloom Twins - High On Beat (Sofi Tukker Remix) 00:28 The Weeknd Feat. Daft Punk - Starboy (Kygo Remix) 00:22 Goa Foundation - (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight 00:18 Schiller - Liebe 00:12 Anrey - The Forgotten (Extended Mix) 00:08 Pirra Feat. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix - Limousine Lies 00:06 Robert Manos - With No End 00:03 Nto (Fr) Feat. Sofiane Pamart - Invisible (Piano Version)

[fridorolfos]

It’s Maro in the back for me

[skiyoosmi]

– caramel frappucino | 22

marga’s notes. because no one deserves to be confronted just through texts ♡ i recommend y’all to listen to the songs below while reading cause… the feels!! + some of the lyrics fit in their story :((

♪ CHAPTER PLAYLIST ♪

tokyo by joseph & maia | i can’t make you love me covered by dave thomas junior | still feel it all by maro

previous | masterlist | next

Every chime of the small bell hanging by the café’s glass doors had your head snapping up, anxiety plastered on your face while doing so. Sweat kept on forming on your palms as time seemed to tick slower. I probably look like a fool looking at every new customer right now, you thought as you looked around the area, nervous that he might’ve already arrived and you just didn’t notice it yet. Too occupied with your unnecessary thoughts, you have failed to notice the figure making its way towards you, hands deep in the pocket of his denim jacket.

“You look like a mess,” his monotonous voice told you, chuckling by the end of his statement as you gasped and sat up straight, acting as normal as possible. Your somewhat sympathetic eyes followed his figure as he took a seat in front of you.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s still too early to break my heart, you know?” he joked although there was a stinging pain that passed in his heart as he said that… but you don’t have to know that, he thought.

The café was quiet; too quiet that as more seconds pass by, the faster your heart beats. If you were to be honest, you didn’t know where to start. You didn’t even know how you have gathered enough courage to meet him today. After what Tooru had told you last night, you hadn’t even slept a wink. You just couldn’t.

“Uhm… so… Tooru… uhh,” you stuttered, mind going blank as you tried to form your words that you have practiced so many times while you were in the bathroom, getting ready a while ago. What in the world are you doing, [y/n]? Speak! you internally screamed, already imagining yourself regretting your decision by the end of the day.

“I know. He told me that he told you,” he softly spoke, giving you a small smile of reassurance; just like what he’s been doing in the past years and with that, you felt your heart shatter as your thoughts flooded you once more.

How could you have not noticed it? Looking at him, you could see it now – the eyes that stared at you lovingly; the hand that twitches every now and then as it longed to touch you, or pull you close; the smile that held back so many feelings; and the heart that holds his love that was solely kept for you… how could you have not noticed it?

“I’m sorry,” you whispered as you felt tears welling up. Frustration grew inside you when you heard him chuckle. How could he even manage to laugh right now? You had no idea how he did it. In your case, guilt surged in your insides as if it was an ocean threatening to swallow you whole. If you could shrink yourself into oblivion, you would probably do so.

Slowly, he reached over your hand that was neatly folded together on the table, caressing it with his thumb as he held onto it tightly. You were sure that if anyone who doesn’t know both of you sees you, they’d probably think you were just another couple out on a simple date but no. You two were best friends who fell in love with each other, both in wrong times. You were two young adults who danced in fate’s hands, clueless that you were being played by time.

“Don’t say sorry. It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault except time, [y/n],” he told you, lightly squeezing the hand he held. You sniffed a little bit, finally gathering the courage to look back at him after your short turmoil.

“I should’ve told you…” you both said at the same time, catching each other off guard. Light chuckles turned into a fit of giggles as you shook your heads at your silliness. Unbeknownst to the two of you, your thoughts matched one another’s while you had your lovely moment. You were made for me, but not in ‘that’ way, you both thought; hands still intact with each other.

“I expected you to be more… crybaby,” he commented after a few moments of talking. You sadly smiled after releasing a deep breath.

“I had my crybaby moment last night already,” you shrugged as you fiddled with your fingers out of nervousness. The deafening silence has returned once more as Hajime stared at you, rather longingly… but again, he thought you don’t have to know that.

“Stop being so guilty, you baby. It’s not our fault time was against us,” he softly spoke with reassurance and comfort.

“You like that Sakusa now, don’t you?” you meekly nodded, an eyebrow rising at the sudden query.

“Then be happy with him.”

You opened your mouth to say something against his statement, only to be shut down as he held his hand up. When it comes to Hajime’s firmness, no one can go against it; not even you, his sole weakness.

“Don’t think about me. I’ll be fine soon… having this closure with you… it’s enough for me,” once again, the small wound in your heart burst open and soon, tears formed in the corner of your eyes while you hastily wiped them off. He was too kind, too pure for this world, even for you. He whispered a quiet ‘stop crying’ while wiping the salty liquid that escaped your eyes.

“W-what did I do to deserve someone like you?” you whimpered, not even caring if the other customers looked at the two of you weirdly.

“W…what can I do to repay this kindness?” you asked him as you looked with a pair of melancholic eyes.

“Just spend this day with me like what we normally do… then be happy.”

And you did. From going to an amusement park, watching a movie and at some point during your friendly date, he managed to ask you one of the questions that kept him up from his sleep as well.

“So… uhm… I may or may not have read one of your texts with Sakusa about the strawberry ice cream,” he muttered, sheepishly scratching the back of his head as he looked at you, who in turn, shrugged.

“I used to love it; you know? Those boxes of strawberry milk you got me throughout middle and high school. It gave me the hope that maybe, I was special to you too…” you softly told him while you both walked along the park, having had enough of the rides that almost made you two puke your internal organs out. “… until third year came when I accepted that it won’t happen; we will never happen. Anything that had strawberry in it tasted bitter. I felt bitter.”

He never said anything back and soon, you found yourselves eating dinner in a fancy restaurant that he told you he’d been saving up for to take you someday.

Little did you know, Hajime’s heart has been erratically beating due to the fact that the time he dreaded neared as you were almost done eating. You were already at your desserts and soon, he will have to say goodbye; not as your friend but as your lover. As soon as the day ends and tomorrow comes, he will – finally – have to let you go.

“In our next lives…” you looked up from the caramel custard you were poking with your teaspoon as he spoke up. You hummed, signaling him to continue, unaware of the gulp he took while trying to formulate his next words.

“In our next lives, I will love you first… I will make you happy and I will give you the love you have always deserved. For now, be happy with Sakusa in this timeline.”

The walk to the train was quiet, but no longer the same quietness you hated that morning – it was comforting, it felt like home as you walked together hand in hand, no pain lingering around your hearts as you both accepted your fate.

“Well, today was… fulfilling, Haji. This… this is my ride ho–”

“I’ll take you home. Let’s go,” he announced as he pulled you inside the train packed with office workers who were dying to go home and rest. You wonder why he suddenly thought of taking you all the way to your house. He literally has to travel for another hour because of this, you internally screamed while glaring at him for his impulsiveness.

“Stop glaring at me. It’s only right that I take you home for the last time,” he spoke, not even bothering to look at you. How did he know you were glaring? You honestly have no idea.

Thirty minutes later and here you both were, walking side by side along the empty street leading to your home. His firm statement back in the restaurant lingered in your mind as you remembered how it struck your heart when you heard it. Because of that, you didn’t even know how to respond and remained silent. Still, he held no sadness nor remorse in his face, only a determined look that almost convinced you that it will happen soon.

As your simple house came into view, you both stopped, knowing that he has to go back to the station now or else he will have to wait another thirty minutes for the next train to arrive. He was quick to ruffle your hair, silently bidding his goodbye.

You knew that if one of you speaks at the moment, you were sure as hell that one of you will also go into full-blown crying. But you know what? Damn this all, you thought.

“Iwaizumi Hajime!” you yelled as soon as he was about twenty steps away from you. You could see him stiffen but slowly turned around. You didn’t care if you woke some of your neighbors; you could deal with their complaints tomorrow.

“In our next lives, I will choose you… you better find me, okay, Haji?”

Tears were spilled from both of your eyes as he solemnly smiled and nodded, choosing to mouth his reply. Nonetheless, you understood it with your whole heart.

“I’ll come to you… so please wait for me.”

[fireladybuckley]

Eurovision opinions! I liveblogged the whole thing, but this is just a masterpost for my thoughts on each song, partially so I can remember later which ones I liked!

Czech Republic Lights Off - We Are Domi It’s not a bad song by any means, but I just found it okay.  Kinda catchy, but kinda generic.

Romania Llámame - WRS Love the outfits, pretty catchy, pretty gay.  Not bad!

Portugal Saudade, Saudade - MARO For a ballad this is nice.  I like their voices a lot and the vibe is very peaceful.  I still want more craziness, but I definitely don’t mind this one.

Finland Jezebel - The Rasmus My people!  Love it.  I never know my heritage would include hard rock but you know what, I’m here for it.

Switzerland Boys Do Cry - Marius Bear Honestly... I took a bathroom break during this song.  I love that it’s against toxic masculinity but such a slow ballad >.>

France Fulenn -  Alvan & Ahez Wow.  This is not at all what I was expecting from France, its pretty fire tbh.  Surprisingly good.

Norway Give that Wolf a Banana - Subwoolfer This is honestly a much catchier song than I expected given the weird ass gifs I’ve been seeing.  Still weird AF but I might actually listen to this lmao

Armenia Snap - Rosa Linn Honestly this sounds like something I might listen to normally, I like it.  Not really feeling the ESC vibe, but it’s a decent song.  

Italy Brividi - Mahmood & BLANCO Can’t say I’m a fan of this one tbh.

Spain Slomo - Chanel Idk maybe I’m the wrong kind of gay but I expected more from a song that “gives the gays everything they want” besides some thongs and raunchy dancing. 

Netherlands De Diepte - S10 Eh.  Boring ballad.  Sorry Netherlands.

Ukraine Stefania - Kalush Orchestra Well that was not what I was expecting but I like it!  Takes the vibes from last year and puts it into a new genre.  Catchy AF.

Germany Rockstars - Malik Harris Not a terrible song, but again, fairly generic.  It’s okay. I can’t not hear “farst” instead of “fast” though lol

Lithuania Sentimentai - Monika Liu It was fine.  Can’t get over that hair though lmao

Azerbaijan Fade to Black -  Nadir Rustamli Nice voice.  So slow though.  I can’t.  Starting to fall asleep.

Belgium Miss You -  Jérémie Makiese I appreciate the aesthetic and I love that he studied geology.  Not a fan of the song though.

Greece Die Together -  Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord Nice voice, but eh.  

Iceland Með Hækkandi Sól - Systur I wish I understood the lyrics.  Really like the vibes.

Moldova Trenulețul -  Zdob şi Zdub & Advahov Brothers Oh hell yes.  As usual, Moldova brings prime Eurovision mood.  Love it.

Sweden Hold Me Closer - Cornelia Jakobs I truly love her look and shes got a good voice.  But I’m just fed up with ballads at this point and I know there’s more so I’m just kind of not paying attention by this point.

Australia Not The Same - Sheldon Riley Another ballad.  This guy really does have an incredible voice and the song is beautiful.  Crazy outfit, love that.

UK Space Man - Sam Ryder Love the hair.  Song is meh.

Poland River - Ochman Another ballad?!  good god.  In terms of ballads, it was decent.  But I’m tired of ballads.

Serbia In Corpore Sano - Konstrakta That was... interesting.   I honestly have no idea what else to say about it.

Estonia Hope - Stefan It was okay.  Kinda boring pop number.  He’s cute and I like the sorta western vibe, but a lackluster ending to the songs.

[popblank]

Eurovision Semifinal 1: 

As usual I avoided spoilers during the day and watched after work.

I wonder if people tried to anthropomorphize remote control cars after those became popular.

Oh we have a theme song of sorts. This segment reminds me a bit of the “Rainmaker” interval act from Copenhagen.

The LED (?) background behind the hosts looks very odd. I know there were issues with the stage so I am assuming (I hope?) this is probably not how it was intended to look.

Rooting for Lithuania, Iceland, and Armenia tonight.

Albania, Ronela Hajati, "Sekret" – Dancing seems a little tentative at the start.  She hits the low parts very well but chorus is weaker. So is the idea that she is unashamed of relationships with both men and women (i.e. she’s not keeping it a secret)?

Latvia, Citi Zēni, "Eat Your Salad" – Well, they have a lot of energy, but I really don't get it.

I'm not that into these postcards.  

Lithuania, Monika Liu, "Sentimentai" – Song is very good, but not a fan of the camera work.  It seems designed for a different type of song with dramatic crescendos and strings.

Switzerland, Marius Bear, "Boys Do Cry" – The shadow effect is cool, but it’s a little much with projections and effects. With these last two songs I'm wondering if it was really necessary to have so many camera cuts.  It's not really conveying the sort of intimacy the songs suggest.

Slovenia, LPS, "Disko" – Okay, this sweeping camera with its repetitive zooms is very strange.  It was a solid performance but was the camera supposed to move that fast and be focused so oddly?

Ukraine, Kalush Orchestra, "Stefania" – The floor effect is cool, good use visual. Overall a good show, quite a bit stronger than at the national final.  Ukraine as usual coming through with the staging.

Bulgaria, Intelligent Music Project, "Intention" – It does sound a little better than the recorded version.  They are certainly a band.

This waterfall stage seems cool as a concept but when I see it it makes me think the performers are trapped behind a moat and can't get to the audience.

The Netherlands, S10, "De Diepte" – Here the camera work actually seems to work with the music and is not gratuitously swooping. Quite good.

Moldova, Zdob şi Zdub & Fraţii Advahov, “Trenuleţul” – Hmm.  More rock and roll than I was expecting, kind of preferred the folky intro. Oh they used this satellite stage... and there are giant LED panels?  Slightly confused but good to see something else.

Portugal, MARO, "Saudade, Saudade" – Starting off in darkness. Oh Portugal uses the water as background very effectively, and we get to see the audience in the shots too. This music has a watery feel to it so it fits nicely. Really enjoyed that.

Croatia, Mia Dimsic, "Guilty Pleasure" – Not too bad. The Croatian part at the end gives it a bit of variety and the dancers tell most of the story.  Pretty straightforward and I think it works.

Denmark, Reddi, "The Show" – Lots of enthusiasm, but not that much different than the national final.

Austria, LUM¡X feat Pia Maria, "Halo" - They look like they're having a lot of fun. Singing could be stronger.

Iceland, Systur, "Með hækkandi sól" – Oh they got outfit upgrades. Glad to  hear the audience get into it. Not sure the song translated that well to an arena. Seems like some of the changes didn't quite come together tightly but the little changeup to the bridge was nice.

Greece, Amanda Georgiadi Tenfjord, "Die Together" – Playing up the creepiness with her dress and the chairs, she looks like a Victorian ghost trying to relive old memories in an abandoned house.  Much more memorable than the music video, well done.

Norway, Subwoolfer, "Give That Wolf a Banana" – The word graphics are very in-your-face. Was someone in the audience shouting at the end of the song?

Armenia, Rosa Linn, "Snap" – Audience is clapping immediately, nice. Really staging for the the TV audience. Could the live audience see anything before she tore down the curtain?

Portugal and Greece really moved up for me with their staging and I think Portugal may have been my favorite tonight because of that. Croatia and Ukraine improved quite a bit from their official videos. I already liked Iceland and Armenia (in fact just bought Armenia's song about a week ago), so no big changes there.  Lithuania and Albania were a bit underwhelming on stage.

Is that the audience singing “Fai Rumore”? Wow.

Who is this narrator? This seems right out of Melodifestivalen.

The Junior Eurovision winner's song sounds pretty catchy.

"You're good to go."  Well, maybe that catchphrase will grow on me in a few years.

Yes Armenia and Iceland! And Lithuania! And Portugal!

Wow, the results were far more to my taste than I expected.  I might have swapped in Croatia and Albania but overall I am pretty thrilled with the results.  Six of my top ten are already in the final (seven including France)!

[leaschuller]

Hi! Maro anon. Again again! Okay, so I’ve watched the short clips everyone suggested and I’m super impressed by her French. She must speak, what, 3 languages in addition to Hungarian? French, English, German? I find languages very challenging so I’m always impressed when someone is bilingual or multilingual. That clip with the captions said her mom made her dance and learn piano and I think we need Mama Marozsan to break out the family albums. Are there any clips of her at camps goofing around and playing piano? For Rail Me Anon, I can see where you’re coming from! She’s tall, fit, dark hair, and mysterious seeming with the raspy voice. Going to take a softer approach and say To me, she seems very shy and like someone who doesn’t talk a lot but chooses her words carefully. I think she’d be a great player to be friends with if you had to like choose 3 players or something. Thoughts?

Hi Maro anon!

Yeah I think there was another language but I can’t think of what it is right now, it is very impressive though, and I like how she always speaks slower so you can tell she genuinely cares about the language she’s speaking. 

There may have been something years ago with Maro playing the piano, I’ll have a look around and see if I can find it, but yeah I agree, she definitely would be one of the players I’d pick to be friends with if I was ever asked that question.

Who would you choose?

[weeb-alcove]

2020 English Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77pv5URcE8ZBT4DTVUYXWSn9BPeC4JOL

In English:

100 Ways - Jackson Wang

21 - Gracie Abrams

88rising ♪ from their album Head in the Clouds ♬ History La Cienega

♪ from their album Head in the Clouds II ♬ 2 the Face  La La Lost You Need Is Your Love 

Aliso - Dylan Jordan

A Little Messed Up - June

All the Stars - Kendrick Lamar & SZA

All You Need to Know - Gryffin & Slander & Calle Lehmann

Are You Bored Yet? - Wallows & Clairo

Ariana Grande Goodnight n Go  Stuck with U

♪ from her album Positions ♬ Just Like Magic Motive  Positions

At Least I Look Cool - Sasha Sloan

Au/ra Broken Ideas

Ava Max Kings & Queens  Slow Dance

BØRNS American Money Faded Heart Past Lives

Baby I’m Yours - Arctic Monkeys

Backyard Boy - Claire Rosinkranz

Bad - Lennon Stella

Bad Idea - pxzvc & Shiloh Dynasty

Bad Ideas - Tessa Violet

Bedsheets - Tia

Be Okay - Jordan Fisher

Blackbear ♪ from his album everything means nothing ♬ Half Alive If I Were U  me & ur ghost Queen of Broken Hearts

Boy Pablo Beach House Dance, Baby!  Hey Girl

Breaking Me - Topic & A7S

Breathe Again - Corbyn

Bright Side of the Moon - Christian French

Broken Hearts - Davai & Lovespeake

Broken Record - Golden

Busy - Axel Mansoor

Call - Ocean Heights

Cancer - Twenty One Pilots

Candy Choppa - Warrenisyellow & Chasu

Cardiac Arrest - Bad Suns

Carsick - Maro

Cheat Codes Between Our Hearts  Stay

Choke - I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Cigarettes - Carlie Hanson

Clean - Hey Violet

Cologne - Alec Wigdahl

Come Through - Eric Nam

Conan Gray ♪ from his album Kid Krow ♬ Affluenza  Checkmate  Comfort Crowd  Fight or Flight  Little League Wish You Were Sober 

Cool Out - Imagine Dragons

Cutepink - Lukey & Raphael

Daddy Issues - The Neighbourhood

Daydreamer - Kidsnot$aints

dhruv Double Take  Moonlight

Doin’ Time - Lana Del Rey

Do You Love Me - Stephanie Poetri

Dreams Where Ur Murdered - X Lovers

Drunk Me - Davin Kingston

Dua Lipa Un Dia (One Day) 

♪ from her album Future Nostalgia ♬ Break My Heart  Love Again 

Far Away - Qaayel, Cnebce

Far Away - Utah & Kyl

Fletcher ♪ from her album The S(ex) Tapes ♬ If I Hated You Shh… Don’t Say It Silence  The One

Free Love - Honne

Gallant ♪ from his album Sweet Insomnia ♬ Compromise Sweet Insomnia

Get You - Daniel Caesar & Kali Uchis

Golden Dandelions - Barns Courtney

Halsey Be Kind  Graveyard

Harry Styles ♪ from his album Fine Line ♬ Sunflower, Vol. 6  Watermelon Sugar

Heat Waves - Glass Animals

Hell and High Water - Major Lazer & Diplo & Alessia Cara

Holiday - Lil Nas X

Homage - Mild High Club

Honey - Tyler Sellers

Hot Tub Dream Machine - Tobi Lou

Hummingbird - Mark Diamond

Hush - Ricky Himself & Kailee Morgue

I Don’t Know Why (Ellis Remix) - NOTD & Astrid S & Ellis

I Don’t Want No Champagne - Chimmi

i go high, you go low - Matt Sato

ily (I Love You Baby) - Surf Mesa & Emilee

Intentions - Justin Bieber & Quavo

Isaac Dunbar God, This Feels Good Intimate Moments Miss America Woman On the Hills 

♪ from his album Isaac’s Insects ♬ Comme Des Garcons Makeup Drawer Scorton’s Creek 

Jaden ♪ from his album CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3 ♬  Everything  Falling for You LUCY! 

Joji ♪ from his album Nectar ♬ Daylight Gimme Love  Pretty Boy Run 

July on Film - Zeauxi

Just Buried! - iamnotshane

Justice Carradine Limbo  Necessary Evil 

K/DA ♪ from their album All Out ♬ More  Villain

Keshi Don’t Leave 

♪ from his album always ♬ Always Drunk

Khalid Be Like That  Off the Grid  Suncity 

Lauv Mine (You Can’t Find Love in Mollywood) Slow Grenade Who

Little Mix ♪ from their album Confetti ♬ Not a Pop Song  Sweet Melody

Loneliness for Love - lovelytheband

Lonely - Finding Hope

Lostboycrow Candy Wine Devil’s in the Backseat  The World’s Always Been Ending

Lotus Inn - Why Don’t We

Love Birds - wimp

Love in My Pocket - Rich Brian & Eaj

Love Lost - Harbour

Love Me Like a Friend - Fly By Midnight

Mad at Disney - Salem Ilese

Madison Beer All Day and Night  Hurts Like Hell Selfish

Magic in the Hamptons - Lil Yachty & Social House

MAX Naked Take Over 

♪ from his album Colour Vision ♬ Blueberry Eyes New Life Working for the Weekend 

Medicine - Shawn Wasabi & Tia Scola

Monsta X ♪ from their album All About Luv ♬ Got My Number Happy Without Me Love U 

Moonmap - Meego

My Favourite Clothes - Rini

Natalie Don’t - Raye

Neon Trees ♪ from their album I Can Feel You Forgetting Me ♬ New Best Friend  Nights 

New Hope Club Paycheck Worse

♪ from their album New Hope Club ♬ Flight Away Just to Find Love Know Me Too Well Remember We Broke Up in a Dream

Next to You - Becky G & Digital Farm Animals & Rvssian

Nico Collins Happy?  Our Way Out We’ll Never Make It 

Niki Dancing with the Devil I Like U  Spell Sugarplum Elegy Vintage

♪ from her album Moonchild ♬ Nightcrawlers Plot Twist Tide 

Ok On Your Own - mxmtoon & Carly Rae Jepsen

Older - Shallou & Daya & Felix Cartal

On the Low - Justin Park

Paradise - Lil Uzi Vert

Paragraphs - Luke Chiang

Peach Tree Rascals Mariposa  Not Ok 

Pink Sweat$ At My Worst Icy

Play Date - Melanie Martinez

Post Malone (GATTUSO Remix) - Sam Feldt & RANI

Pure Imagination - Unclenathannn & Shiloh Dynasty

Quinn XCII ♪ from his album A Letter To My Younger Self ♬ Coffee  Sleep While I Drive 

R3HAB Am I the Only One Dream of You  Make Friends One More Dance Whiplash

Rabbit Hole - AViVA

Real Love - Rei Brown

Rockets - Waki

Ruel Empty Love Up to Something 

Runaway - Tiffany Young & Babyface

San Francisco - Galantis & Sofia Carson

Scrambled - Havelock

Selena Gomez Boyfriend It Ain’t Me 

Shawn Mendes ♪ from his album Wonder ♬ 305 Teach Me How to Love 

Someone Else - Duncan Laurence

Space Makes Me Sad - Fiji Blue

Splash - Public

Star City Cafe - Hevel & Evito

Stay with Me - ayokay & Jeremy Zucker

Sunlight - Maty Noyes

Surf. - Wave to Earth

Take Yourself Home - Troye Sivan

Tell Me U Luv Me - Juice WRLD & Trippie Red

Therefore I Am - Billie Eilish

The Vamps Burn  Hair Too Long  Part of Me

Tiffany Day Clout Chaser  Commitment Issues Gonna Be Okay

Time Flies - Drake

Tomorrow Tonight - Loote

Up All Night - Clevt

ur just a fan - Suggi

Watching You Walk Away - Stephen Puth

Will Jay ♪ from his album Perfectionist ♬ Must Be Nice  Talking to Myself  Writing a Song Pt. 1

Yellow Roses - Charlie Powers

Young Heart - Kara Marni & Russ

Zayn Rumors Scripted

In Spanish: 

Clandestina - FILV & Edmofo & Emma Petersz

Electronic:

Howls Moving Castle - Theodor Ellefsen

[archived18482939204848]

First 10 of that emoji thing for aphys

thank you peach for my lyfe

I already used ur artwork for the previous ask :-(

💀 Has your OC ever lost anyone to death? Multiple people? People close to them? How does the loss make them feel?

OOF! Aphys never really “lost” her parents, she was pulled away from them and assumed she had been left behind. It felt like a death anyway. And then there was the whole Purification thing. And then Lucien. And then waking up in the 4th era so everyone she knew was dead. Death becomes a factor of life when you are a.) someone killing people and b.) dragons are eating people

🙏 Is your OC religious in any way? Why or why not? Do they have other beliefs that govern them in any way?

Aphys, while she was still in Valenwood, honored the Green Pact and Y’ffre. Despite going from Cyrodiil to Skyrim, she still prays to Y’ffre and Mara and views them as some sort of “guardian” or guiding light. In the Dark Brotherhood, she grew to honor the Night Mother and Sithis as some sort of subversion of the two deities she actually honored. She didn’t grow fanatical in her ���worship’ of them until the 4th era, though. She didn’t worship nor care about many daedric princes (except for Hircine to bless her hunting trips) until she got tangled up with 3 of them and their issues.

💍 Does your OC have a specific item that is priceless to them but may (or may not) be completely worthless to someone else? Is there a story behind this item or is it just because they like it so much?

An old shitty stuffed frog. One of her siblings made it for her when they were still young children and it’s become an ultimate comfort object. It stays everywhere with her. If she can’t carry a bag, it’s strapped to her belt. If she can’t do that, it’s shoved in place of a weapon in its holster. It never leaves her.

☄️ Does your OC believe in fate and destiny or do they think it’s a load of garbage? Would they ever get this fortune told? What would a fortune-teller tell them about their future?

Aphys fears fate to the point that her actions will become completely erratic in an effort to try and avoid it. She lost her trust and instead developed fear for fate when the Night Mother pulled her whole “we’ve been watching you :-) sorry ur friends died :-)” and she realized that otherworldly forces really do fuck around with the mortal plane too much.

📓 Write a typical diary/journal page by your OC! (or if you’d rather not, describe their journal. Do they keep one, why?)

Answered :-)

⚖️ What is the biggest crime your OC has committed? Are they a theif, a cheat, a liar? What is the smallest, most petty crime they’ve committed? Or do they not do crime at all?

Probably killing the emperor. She isn’t a thief despite being in the Dark Brotherhood, and even then she does a lot of mental gymnastics to keep justifying her continued presence in the Brotherhood. A lot. The pettiest crime was probably doing something stupid like pushing her sibling out of tree or something that we’ve all done to our siblings.

💰 If your OC had all the money they could ask for what would they do with it? Where would they go and what would they buy? Are they the only one who benefits from this wealth?

Aphys used her money she had hoarded to build the Lakeview Manor. Ideally, she’d go back to Valenwood if she had more money and more time. She doesn’t usually go out and shop until absolutely necessary and it’s rare for her to splurge unless she sees something she REALLLLY likes it. Most of her money goes for other people’s needs

🤕 What is the worst injury your OC has ever suffered? Do they have any scars or lasting physical reminders of it? Do they get sick often or have any lasting medical conditions?

Probably getting her head cut off by the Penitus Oculatus

🍵 Are there any rumours about your OC hanging around? Nasty ones or just good humoured? Got any gossip to share about them?

In the DB, there were a lot of awkward rumors about her and Lucien’s relationship (justified rumors) and then in Skyrim, vilkas took the fall for letting someone who was convicted of murdering the emperor and commander maro just Hang Around in the companions

🎨 Is your OC artistic? Can they draw or paint or do they prefer another medium? Are they a writer or musician or do they do something else? Give us a quick run down of what they can get creative with

I have never actually given much thought into whether or not Aphys is creative. She’s always in her own little world but I’ve never been able to think of a medium - writing, art, dance, music :-(

[dovahgriin-archive]

Betrayal

Iveria comes home, injured and covered in blood. Gisli isn't sure if it's hers, or... someone else's. Pairing: Iveria/Gisli Character(s): Iveria Loriusa, Gisli, Gaius Maro (mentioned), Astrid (mentioned) Warnings: Blood, graphic descriptions of injury

         Gisli looks up from her book as the front door of Proudspire clicks open and closed. If Iveria comes back drunk one more time… She shuts the sixth volume of A Dance in Fire with a sigh, then stands and goes to go and greet her wife.

         The sight that greets her in the foyer takes her breath away, and not in a good way. Iveria is crumpled on the floor, bruised and bloodied, strange black armor damaged beyond repair. Blood seeps into the porous stone of the floor.

         “What in Oblivion happened to you?!” Gisli strides over to Iveria, kneeling at her side as her hands hover over her wife’s prone form. Iveria looks up and smiles at Gisli. It is a terrible sight to behold, blood staining her teeth crimson and dripping down from her broken nose.

         “I was betrayed,” she rasps, breath coming in short gasps. “Astrid… Astrid told Gaius Maro, well… It doesn’t matter. The plan didn’t work, and now…” Blood bubbles on her lips as she wheezes.

         “Where are you injured?” Gisli doesn’t know much restoration magics, but she can stop the bleeding long enough so that she can run for healing poultices from Angela. Iveria chokes out a laugh.

         “Where am I not injured?” She raises a shaky hand to wipe the blood from her lip; all it does is smear it in a macabre imitation of lip rouge. “I was stabbed in the back. Might’ve, uh, might’ve pierced a lung. It was poisoned. My magicka is drained.”

         Gisli rolls Iveria onto her belly as she whimpers, exposing the ugly wound on her upper back. The edges are ragged and turning black. Gisli sucks in a sharp breath. Blood bubbles out of it as the injured woman breathes.

         “By Talos… They really did poison you.” Gisli’s muttered oath to the Man-God goes unnoticed as she lays a hand over the injury. “This will hurt, I think,” she tells her wife, gathering the soft golden healing magic in her hands and running them over the wound. Iveria tenses and bites down on her glove, muffling a scream.

         Gisli gags at the feeling of flesh knitting itself back together beneath her hand, bile rising sour in her throat. She does this again, and again, and again, unwilling to do a half-assed job. When she is certain that she has healed the wound in Iveria’s back, she pulls back, wiping her hands on the fine fabric of her skirt. It leaves behind a stain in the shape of her hand. Iveria breathes a little more normally, and, satisfied with her handiwork, Gisli jogs to the alchemy station in the storeroom on the lower floor.

         She rummages through the chest next to the alchemy table, pushing aside potions and poisons — I should organize this mess later on, Gisli thinks idly — labeled in careful calligraphy until she wraps her fingers around the bottle that she was looking for. The reddish liquid sloshes in the phial, reminding a slightly-queasy Gisli of the blood dripping from Iveria’s wounds and staining her hands copper. She hurries back upstairs.

         While Gisli was gone, Iveria has pulled herself into a sitting position against a basalt pillar, arms sitting limply by her sides. Her sun-bronzed skin is pale from blood loss and her eyes are hazy with pain. Blood is congealing along her hairline, clumping Iveria’s sweaty hair together. Gisli tsk’s at Iveria, stifling the panic at seeing her wife — her wife — lain so low. It is… unnerving for her.

         “Drink this,” she says, uncorking the phial of potion with her teeth and holding it up to Iveria’s swollen lips. Her wife opens her mouth just enough for Gisli to tilt the contents of the mixture into Iveria’s mouth. It must be bitter – although she keeps drinking it, Iveria’s face scrunches in distaste.

         “Ugh,” she says after pulling back. “Remind me to add honey to the recipe. That tasted like shit.”

         Color begins to return to Iveria’s face after her announcement and Gisli giggles in relief. Iveria smiles up at her, Nordic blue eyes sparkling. “How did you know that this potion was in the chest?”

         “I… I didn’t,” Gisli admits. Iveria raises an eyebrow in silent surprise. “You spend so much time experimenting down there that I thought… I’d hoped… and was proven correct. I can still run to Angela’s, though, if that wasn’t enough.”

         “No, no, you did well.” Gisli flushes at her wife’s praise. “But now that I’m not on the edge of death…” Iveria snaps her fingers and a spark of electricity sizzles between them. “... I need to go.”

         “Wait, what?” Gisli scrambles to stand as Iveria struggles to get her feet underneath herself. “You can’t go! You have to —”

         “I don’t have to do anything,” Iveria snaps, voice cold. “But I need to go. My family… My family is in danger.”

         There’s a dangerous, frantic glint in her eyes; they flash red-gold briefly as she rises to her full height — she is still shorter than Gisli, but the energy surrounding her makes the Nordic woman suddenly feel very, very small — and looks at Gisli, determined. Gisli swallows against the misgivings building in her chest, throat aching with words that she can’t put voice to.

         “I thought I was your family.” Unbidden, unwanted tears well in Gisli’s eyes and she scrubs at them with the back of her hand, suddenly furious with herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. Iveria softens, eyes returning to their usual warm blue.

         “You are. But I have other people who rely on me, too.” She reaches out, like she might brush Gisli’s cheek with her fingertips, but then pulls back, uncertainty dancing in her eyes. Iveria clears her throat, and the moment is broken. “Stay inside, Gisli. Stay safe.”

         Iveria turns invisible with a wave of her hand, and Gisli hears first her footsteps and then the sound of the storeroom door opening and closing before silence falls upon the house again. Sighing, Gisli turns to the puddle of blood on the floor. “Damn her, now I have this mess to clean up…”

[moonvalecrossing]

Moonvale's Pokemon Commentary: #535 Tympole

Status: Eyebrows.

Just for Looks:

Tympole is a really weird looking pokemon to me. I mean, I don't hate it (not now anyway, when I saw a leaked drawing someone did after having seen it somewhere I was sure this strange eyebrow tadpole was fake) but man is this little sweetheart an oddball. The things on its head (which are likely warts, based on its final form being covered in em) kinda look like headphones, but Bulbapedia describes them as speakers. They don't look like speakers in any way, shape, or form to me. That's kind of a strike on this line for me. They made it sound based but, unlike the Wismur line, I can't honestly say I see sound when I look at this thing or its evolutions. Even once Tympole evolves I don't see any sign of its secondary typing either. It just looks like a water type to me.

Those warts are how they produce warning sounds and such according to the pokedex. Personally I'd have done something with them to make them look like they produce sound. Instead of looking like weird headphone pads, I'd have made them more transparent- somewhat like the sacs you see on Bubble Eye Goldfish- with an actual speaker looking gland visible inside on its body. With some sort of reference in the dex that the special fluid inside amplifying sound. I'd also remove the eyebrows. The rest of the line does not have anything resembling the eyebrows so they're just weird to me. I don’t care if they’re supposed to resemble music notes.

I can't say too much on the colors though. They at least look alright together. The shiny replaces the blue with yellow, so it still works with its cream colored face. To be honest, I like the shiny more than the normal one.

What's in the Name:

The ‘pole’ part of Tympole is obviously from tadpole. The Tym part however could be from Timpani (a super low drum beat; or that feeling you get in your gut when a low drumming sound is produced), tympani (a type of drum), or from the tympanic membrane (your ear drum).

Its Japanese name, Otamaro, comes from otamajakushi (tadpole or musical notes) and maro (shaved eyebrows). Man, it's really weird that even its name mentions those weird eyebrows and they don't even continue past this stage. Also, now I know why tadpoles and frogs have been associated with music more than once in Japanese things I've been exposed to! (Otamamon, Gekomon, and Tonosama/Shogun Gekomon in Digimon, the tadpole side thing in Super Mario RPG, the fact that the notes on the town tune board in animal crossing are represented by frog heads...)

The 'Dex Says:

Not much here. Tympol communicate with each other and warn of danger by vibrating their speaker warts. The sounds they make this way can't be picked up by human ears. Hopefully that's over 16,000 HZ because I'd hate to constantly be able to hear that sound if I lived near a Tympol pond. Cuz that frequency makes the very top of my head and brain feel like cotton is dancing on top of em. Yerrrgh I listened to a hearing range test for this. MY BRAIN.

It's Rating Time!

2/5 I don't hate Tympol by any means, but it doesn't really have a lot going for it. Maybe its evolutions will have some interesting dex entries or something to make me more interested in this line.

Want to read more of my reviews? Click here!

[isitneccessary]

HelloPro Kenshuusei - 43Do Lyrics

Today I have lyrics translation for another song from the Kenshuusei album Rainbow x2 written by our favorite idol turned lyricist, Fukuda “Maro” Kanon. Like Tadashii Seishun tte Nandarou, these lyrics seem to draw on Fukuda’s experiences as a member. 

In an interview with The Television magazine, then-KSS now-BEYOOOOONDS member Yamazaki Yuhane said this song is her favorite on the album, and that because both the melody and lyrics are fun she likes listening to it while working out. I personally like it because the live performance heavily features my Kenshuusei oshi, Yonemura Kirara. 

4/19/20 EDIT: Translating this segment on tiny tiny made me realize that this song’s title is not about taking a really hot bath, but about how Kenshuusei are encouraged to practice with the heat set extremely high in their home to simulate the heat of the stage lights. Japanese bathrooms can be set to high heats separate from the rest of the house, and have enough flat empty space to practice dancing, so no doubt many girls do practice in their bathrooms.  In addition, I updated the lyrics in various other places.

43 Degrees

Lyrics: Fukuda Kanon

Composition: Kujime Shingo

[Original Lyrics]

Now hold on a second, always being serious is my strong point I'm accepting letters of challenge 24 hours a day But I don't have the free time to squat in front of convenience stores Or so I say but I'm still an immature 15 year old I’m naive to the rules of society But don’t think I’m taking everything as a joke Age doesn't matter in a serious battle We'll show our stuff in 3, 2, 1 Chickening out is out of the question We're aiming for the new wave It's in reach but I can't reach it Wavering is unlike me Criticisms stab like a knife Without love, I'd have broken down long ago If you're not prepared to throw away your pride You won't be able to make it here Now hold on a second, the world has started to change color When we move the world moves with us Valuing today over yesterday And tomorrow over today is obvious Or so I say but I'm still a hopeless optimist From time to time I start thinking I can take the easy way out But I set the temperature in my bathroom to 43°C and sweat it out When you defeat one enemy another comes We'll show our stuff in 3, 2, 1 Will it come true? Our future We're making on a wish and betting our whole lives Even the person I admired is my rival now Playing defense is out of the question I’ve been breaking my curfew Have I grown up a little? I realized the true identity of Santa Claus In 2nd grade and told everyone

Chickening out is out of the question We're aiming for the new wave It's in reach but I can't reach it Wavering is unlike me Criticisms stab like a knife Without love, I'd have broken down long ago

Will it come true? Our future We're making on a wish and betting our whole lives Even the person I admired is my rival now Playing defense is out of the question I’ve been breaking my curfew Have I grown up a little? I realized the true identity of Santa Claus In 2nd grade and told everyone

Notes:

Squatting in front of convenience stores is stereotypical Japanese juvenile delinquent behavior. 

The literal translation of “But don’t think I’m taking everything as a joke“ is “I won’t laugh if I drop my chopsticks“, playing on a Japanese expression “The age where it’s funny if your chopsticks fall“ referring to girls in their early teens who laugh at anything. 

[foxcoloredcat]

On Queerbaiting

Hello friends! I know with Nissa, according to Maro, being pulled from the story that there’s a lot of talk about queerbaiting going around. I’ve seen a lot of people citing several parts of story where Nissa and Chandra explicitly have feelings for one another and I kinda just wanna put my two cents in here. (Under a read more of course to spare those of you who would rather scroll on by.)

Sometimes I think we’re too hard on queer representation. Time and time again I have seen LGBT+ characters (especially wlw like y’all really harsh on them) never be “queer enough”. This isn’t one of those times. 

To me, a bisexual desperate for representation, Chandra def reads bi/pan and Nissa reads as a lesbian, but if I am being honest it’s not explicit especially when put next to Chandra’s feelings about Gideon. I want to stress this isn’t a knock against Gideon either FYI. I love that she has feelings for him too because if she’s bi I think it’s good to express that she’s interested in more than one gender. It just comes down to how it’s expressed.

Here’s two moments where Chandra expresses her attraction to Gids. 

She waved pale fingers in the air and rolled her eyes, theatrically. "Surely you've thought the same? It feels like I have to ask him to put a shirt on every other day."

Chandra rubbed her left eye and yawned again. "Hey, I don't mind the view. I wanna get breakfast on the way. Lunch. Whatever. You coming with?"

From “Homesick”

It's been a long time since anyone held me like this. If Gids had done this four years ago, it would have made me feel tingly in all the places I like.

From “Burn”

She’s plainly vocal that she finds him attractive. It can’t be argued against that there’s some degree of interest in him whether it’s sexual or romantic. Meanwhile here’s how she feels about Nissa (also from “Homesick”.)

She's sitting cross-legged on a patch of moss. Dark hair unbound, spilling in waves over her shoulders, trailing across her lap. She's woven little flowers around the crown of her head. Butterflies are dancing around her. She pays them no mind. A shaft of light through the leaves paints her in golden sun. She smells like anyone's best childhood memory.

She hasn't taken her eyes off me. Just sits. Listens. Waits. It's making me itchy and I think I'm sweating.

When was the last time I took a bath? Aren't elves supposed to have super dog noses or something?

I’m not going to post the whole passage it goes on for a while her being all nervous and flustered. It’s cute and poetic and honestly on it’s own it was a fine scene to introduce her attraction to her. The fact of the matter is every subsequent scene where it feels like we might finally get explicit confirmation the way we do with Gideon ends up going about the same way. 

I’m not really great with words when I’m in a mood the way I am now so I don’t have a good way to wrap up the post. I just feel like a better job could have been done and I wanted to show the difference to anyone who might have been confused about what people were saying today.

[gizedcom]

Rugby Star Maro Itoje Talks Politics, Art, And That Sensational World Cup Semi-Final Against New Zealand

Dubbed “The Pearl” by his teammates and “Super Maro” by the country, 25-year-old Maro Itoje is widely considered the greatest rugby player in the nation. Barrel-chested and nearly two metres tall, his relentless discipline is his not-so-secret weapon, and has cost him some formative experiences. 

The Saracens star has missed family weddings and friends’ birthdays in his pursuit of greatness – and not just on the pitch. Itoje attended boarding school at St George’s School in Harpenden before earning a sports scholarship to Harrow, where, at A-level, he achieved straight As. While studying politics at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, he made no friends – devoting himself entirely to practice and his studies instead. 

But the sacrifices were worth it: in the World Cup semi-finals last October, England defeated New Zealand – the first time the All Blacks had lost a World Cup game since 2007. Maro was named player of the match; the crowd chanted his name throughout. Still, that doesn’t mean he wants to talk about sport. Here,  the Renaissance man tells Vogue about his life beyond the scrum.

“My Entire Life Had Been Building Up To The 2020 Olympics”: How Team GB’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson Rediscovered Her Purpose

Was it hard to balance rugby with academics?

“It was tricky. That whole period was a time management exercise, to be honest. I had to be very disciplined about when it was time to train or to study. I missed out on a few events that I would have actually liked to go to, but I knew what my goal was, so all in all, it was 100 per cent worth it. If I went back, I’d do exactly the same.”

Where does that drive come from?

“I’ve always wanted to achieve. I’ve always wanted to be a great player. I come from a family where just being ‘good’ wasn’t good enough. I thrive on competition, and I want to put the best of myself out there.”

What’s it like going out onto the pitch for such an intense collision sport?

“It’s exciting, to be honest. Rugby is such a confrontational, physical game. You have to be dominant, so you have to be extremely physical, and the opposition are trying to do the exact same. I feel like the physical part of rugby is why it’s so loved. When someone makes a big tackle, you get excited just hearing the crowd’s volume raising. I personally look forward to it; I like it when games get a bit gritty.”

How did beating New Zealand at the World Cup semi-finals feel?

“That was a great game for the team, and myself, individually. Our mentality was to go out there and not give them any space to breathe. I think, by and large, we executed that game plan. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable and physical games I’ve played for England.”

Did you see Ross Kemp’s viral video reaction?

“I did, yeah. I don’t think I even got that excited! But it’s always nice to see things like that.”

You seem pretty apathetic when talking about rugby; would you be watching the game if you weren’t playing it?

“Without a doubt, if I wasn’t at the World Cup, I’d be waking up early to watch it. But the questions in sports media are quite repetitive, so it just gets a bit dry to talk about. Rugby is a huge, important part of my life but I have many more interests. I like listening to ’90s R&B and Afrobeats; watching biopics, documentaries, and sports like football, athletics, and basketball; and politics has always been an interest of mine.”

What are you reading and watching lately?

“The Last Dance on Netflix is phenomenal. Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime was amazing. I’m reading Alastair Campbell’s Winners: And How They Succeed, in which he talks to successful people known for winning in sport, business and politics and picks out the key principles that run through all of them. I plan on reading Tribes: How Our Need To Belong Can Make Or Break Society by David Lammy. I read a lot of nonfiction books – I’m not too good with fiction.”

Have you picked up any tips from Winners that you plan on incorporating?

“One was the importance of clear communication – you can have a great strategy or tactics or goal to achieve, but if you don’t communicate that plan clearly to your team, the message isn’t going to get through.”

You collect art; who are your favourite artists?

“I love going to the art markets in Lagos and picking up pieces from street artists who aren’t widely known. I go back about once a year and always find time to pick one or two additions; I really enjoy seeing their work. I’ve seen a lot of UK artists with a similar dynamism on Instagram too, like [Gabrielle Oke, known as] Gabee Paints (@gabeepaints), Angela Chilufya (@angelachilufya), and TJ Agbo (@teejgram).”

Can you describe your experience of being a Black student in British public boarding schools?

“I was lucky because I wasn’t navigating that space by myself; there was a group of Nigerian British boys I found myself boarding with, so I had a support network. When I moved to Harrow, it was a new environment, but still loads of Nigerian Brits, so I had people to talk through any micro-aggressions with. The best friends I had at 15 are all still my best friends. What was interesting was how right-wing the students’ and teachers’ thinking was. I think being right-wing is not necessarily a negative thing, per se, and it was interesting because I then experienced the complete opposite in SOAS. Going to institutions on two completely opposite sides of the political spectrum added a bit of balance to my formal education.”

Did you feel yourself become more right- or left-wing as a result?

“No, because at school age I was still figuring out what I believed in. And to be honest, I think sometimes the left-wing versus right-wing ideology can be extremely unhelpful because it often clouds what the right thing to do is at that particular time. If you’re governed by ideology, you’re going to make some terrible decisions. For example, if Rishi Sunak was governed by ideology, he definitely would not have created that stimulus budget and shown that support for workers and the self-employed. Obviously, it’s important to have a political framework and conviction in the things you want to achieve, but when you’re hell bent on it, ideology is very dangerous. Especially when it comes to party politics – you have to govern the whole country, so you need to appeal to people on the left and right.”

What are the political issues you care about the most?

“I care about inequality and justice – both racial and gender-related. The older I have got, the more I started to understand certain issues like feminism, which to me is just appreciating that, when breaking things down economically and sociopolitically, women face more barriers. I don’t advocate equality of outcome, but I do advocate equality of opportunity.”

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How do you describe your personal style?

“I’m a bit of an awkward size because I have long arms and shoulders, a thin waist, long legs, and big feet, so it’s not always easy to shop. I take a lot of inspiration from the ’90s era. I love granddad colours, simple neutrals like black, white, beige, cream. I like wearing designers at events but I shop mostly at ASOS or Gap.”

It’s said that you are the highest-paid rugby player in the country; what do you splurge on?

“I don’t know what other people are paid, so I can’t speak to that, but I’m a very simple guy. I’m not too flashy. I like spending my money on just the basics – a nice house, deck that out – but besides that I don’t really live a crazy life.”

No Gucci belt?

“That’s not me.”

Have you imagined life after rugby, and what you want to achieve before then?

“Hopefully, it’s still a long way away, but I would like to go into business, although I haven’t decided exactly what yet. And I want to win the next World Cup in France 2023. We came really close last year and fell short, so that’s definitely the goal.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read the full interview in the August 2020 issue of British Vogue.

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[elsewhereuniversity]

“There’s only so much a person can do.”

This is what the police say at the emergency meeting in the dorm hall, organized by panicked RAs to calm even more panicked freshmen. The policemen look at each other before continuing. “Listen, we know you all must be scared and confused. All we can tell you is that it wasn’t suicide or, um, foul play.”

An RA pipes up.“Th-there was nothing anyone could do-” and freezes in the gaze of four hundred pairs of eyes. Oh, they know. They’re all well aware.

Those same hundreds of eyes were there, peering through cracked dormitory doors and squeezing shut as the horrors of the night unfolded. As the stretcher rolled by. As the paramedics walked down the corridors alongside the police. As a misspelled text from an RA drew everyone away from their doors just before the body bag came into view. As the wails of a mother echoed through the vents, haunting the entire hall with her personal apocalypse.

The policemen sigh, look into the crowd, say, “If anyone needs to talk about it, the counseling center has opened emergency spots for the students of this hall. You can also call the hotline.”

The eyes follow the police as they leave.

____

It’s good to have you in my office, Achates. Shall we begin?

What happened? “Someone died. Someone literally fucking died. No, not died, was found dead. Paramedics don’t walk to a person who still had a chance. Mothers don’t mourn a child who only might have passed on, right? I-”

Did you notice their absence that day? “No, no, would it have helped? God, it would have, wouldn’t it. If someone had noticed, had called in time- could I have helped, was this my fault-”

It wasn’t your fault. What happened next? “Well, uh. I went out of my room when it was quiet. I couldn’t think, the lights were so bright and I didn’t want to be near the vents.” A pause. “I went outside.”

What next? “Uh…. I ran, I think. I was somewhere in the trees, maybe. I don’t remember.”

What happened in the trees? “I…. met someone.” A hand cradling his face, a whisper asking him what was it that bothered him so. His fears laid out, friends dying around him, no one knowing where or when or why. His pleas for anything, anything at all, to help him watch over the people he loved.

You met someone? “Yeah.” The hand moved from his face, the whisper pondering out loud. You can’t watch over your friends because you can’t see like I see. Achates, would you like to see how I see? Don’t cry, we can fix this, you and I…. Achates, would you like to make a deal? “Someone kind.”

Oh? What happened then? The hand returned, and he grasped it firmly. A freedom for a freedom, a rule for a rule. Done. “…. I, uh, I think I blacked out. For a long time.”

You were out for a week, didn’t you know? “I.. yeah. Shotgun told me that already. He brought me home."  He did. He carried you home. "H.. he did? I don’t- I don’t remember that."  Ask him about it sometime. "I- okay. I’ll do that.”

We’re out of time today. Next week, same time? “Yeah…. yeah. Take care."  Take care, Achates. "Oh, uh. That’s, uh, that’s not my name anymore.” Oh? “It’s Maro.” Oh, okay. Take care, Maro.

____

A freedom for a freedom, a rule for a rule. You shall have my sight beyond sight, but I shall have your entering when unwanted.

A few students, invited by the fairies, venture into the woods for a revel. They roll their eyes at the warnings of the others. What could they know? They move past the tree line and on into the woods.

Between the music and the cheering and the dancing, they almost can’t hear the heaving sobs. The desperate pleas of someone forced to watch this parade of lost souls for the second time today. The incoherent wails of someone watching doom unfold from the outside but who cannot come to the rescue. The shuddering breaths of one with perfect knowledge of where and when and why, rendered completely useless by a simple lack of invitation. Maro’s wails echo through the trees, entertaining the entire forest with his personal apocalypse.

After all, there’s only so much a person can do.

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