#arctic jaeger

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Parasitic Jaeger

Photo: Eric Ellington

"Slender gull-like seabird; the middle-sized of the three jaegers. Breeds on Arctic tundra; spends the rest of the year at sea. Difficult to separate from other jaegers. Breeding adults have a long pointed tail (not as long as Long-tailed Jaeger). Plumage varies from entirely dark blackish-brown to paler with white belly and yellowish on the side of the neck. All jaegers chase other birds and steal their food."

- eBird

[birdblues]

Parasitic Jaeger

[highways-are-liminal-spaces]

Dalton Highway, through the Brooks Range

Taken June 2023

[ornithological]

great skua (stercorarius skua), arctic skua (stercorarius parasiticus) and pomarine skua (stercorarius pomarinus), ireland

[sofiessketches]

art trade! long tailed jaeger and arctic terns

[rafallerart]

Another round of watercolor bird studies, in preparation for a larger painting. These are all Arctic birds that can be found at/near the North Pole...so you can probably guess the theme of the bigger illustration I'm prepping for ;) Fingers crossed that it will be finished in time for the winter holidays!

[supremebirdbracket]

Two birds with unusual feeding methods face off!

Parasitic jaegers, or Arctic skuas, are named for their habit of kleptoparasitism, or stealing food from other animals. They acquire most of their food this way, but will also eat eggs, chicks, rodents, and insects during the breeding season. They breed on the tundra and fells of the Arctic (and northern Scotland), and spend the rest of the year off the coasts of Australia, southern Africa, and South America. While considered Least Concern worldwide, they are classified as Endangered in Europe.

Black skimmers are found in much of South America and on the southeastern coast of North America. Not only do these birds have those distinct, extra-long lower mandibles, but are also unique among birds (even other skimmers) by being the only bird to have a slit-shaped pupil like a cat! As their name suggests, they feed by dragging their lower mandible through the water as they fly over the ocean, grabbing fish. Since they feed by touch, they can even hunt at night.

[zelly-raptor]

I'm guessing Olli is the small Child and Jaeger the big Owl man?

Olli and Jaeger by Evgeny Loginov

[daisynik7]

Hi friends! I hit a personal milestone of +2k followers and I want to celebrate by taking us back to the early 2000s!

Send me your favorite y2k hit and which character you associate it with, then I'll write a little fic (~1.0k - 3k words) based on that. Include whether you want it to be smutty, fluffy, or both! I'm also open to writing some angst (but nothing too severe). Please read my rules/guidelines before you submit anything. UPDATE: This event is now closed for requests, thank you all for participating and reading!

Examples should look like:

"Toxic" by Britney Spears for Toji Fushiguro - smut

"Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé for Kento Nanami - fluff

"Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey for Eren Jaeger - smutty angst + fluff

If you have a particular lyric you want incorporated or a specific trope/scenario, please include that in your ask! And if you need some inspiration about what song to pick, this is a good playlist on Spotify. If you think of another song, but it doesn't fit into the "y2k" era, send it to me anyways! This is all just for fun :)

Thank you all so much for helping me reach this milestone and for celebrating with me! Let's sing our hearts out and have fun!

Playlist:

"Photograph" by Ed Sheeran - Toji Fushiguro angst

"SOS" by Rihanna - Suguru Geto smut + fluff

"Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado - Toji Fushiguro smut

"Me & U" by Cassie - Satoru Gojo smut

“Slow Down Baby” by Christina Aguilera – Eren Jaeger smut

“Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado – Jean Kirstein smut

“I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” by Arctic Monkeys – Reiner Braun smut + fluff

“Try” by Nelly Furtado – Suguru Geto fluff + smut

“Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls – Eren Jaeger fluff + smut

"All For You" by Janet Jackson - Aki Hayakawa fluff

"Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne - Kento Nanami fluff

"Into You" by Fabolous (ft. Tamia) - Connie Springer smut + fluff

"Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado - stripper!Nanami smut

"How Do I Breath" by Mario - Eren Yeager angst

"Work Song" by Hozier - Nanami angst + comfort

"Meet Me Halfway" by Black Eyed Peas - Jean Kirstein fluff

"Extra Smooth" by Aaliyah - Suguru Geto smut

"Gimme More" by Britney Spears - Kishibe smut

"Fallin'" by Alicia Keys - Kishibe fluff + angst

"S&M" by Rihanna - Toji Fushiguro smut

"Make You Feel My Love" by Adele - Toji Fushiguro fluff

"Drank In My Cup" by Kirko Bangz - Connie comfort/smut

"Love Never Felt So Good" by Michael Jackson - Nanami fluff

"Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake - Suguru Geto angst + fluff

"Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer - Nanami fluff

"Glamorous" by Fergie - Nanami smut + fluff

"Earned It" by The Weeknd - Levi smut + fluff

"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga - Toji Fushiguro angst + smut

"Freek-A-Leek" by Petey Pablo - Eren and Jean smut

[lostintrost]

Valentine’s Playlist ♡

❥ p l a y l i s t l o a d i n g . . .

❥ 14 oneshots inspired by a collection of songs i picked for my attack on titan men

❥ no minors allowed. all content is for adults 18+ only.

track list ─── · · · ♡

01. i wanna be yours - arctic monkeys; jean kirstein

02. casual - doja cat; porco galliard

03. ride - somo; erwin smith

04. night drive - henry; armin arlert

05. everytime - ariana grande; eren jaeger

06. dress - taylor swift; connie springer

07. let me love you - ariana grande; reiner braun

08. good for you - selena gomez; levi ackerman

09. slow down - chase atlantic; porco galliard

10. lights out - nbdy; jean kirstein

11. champagne & sunshine - plvtinum; connie springer

12. middle of the night - elley duhé; erwin smith

13. one of the girls - the weeknd; eren jaeger

14. church - chase atlantic; levi ackerman

[spiteless-xo]

hi! i love your work on ao3 so much ahh 🩷🩷

what kind of music do you headcannon the characters of tbaw to listen to? i’ve been wondering since the reader/eren car scenes hehe

Ok, so it's taking me a million years to respond to this because I'm making PLAYLISTS and I have to listen to a lot of songs I've never heard before, but I don't wanna leave this unanswered for too long.

Here are some of the vibes that I get when I think of music that these boys would like. It might sound like it, but there are no spoilers here for anything in TBAW, these are just vibes ☠

Music Headcannons - Eren, Jean, Reiner

Jean Kirstein

he's pretentious about his music for sure. typically listens to soft, slow alt/indie songs (but like mainstream indie, if that makes sense lol). he might like some of the top hits rn but he'll never admit it. always has to have the aux because he thinks other people have trash taste in music

arctic monkey, the neighbourhood type vibes

songs about falling in love, bittersweet love, unrequited love, heartbreak

right person, wrong time type of love. if things were different they would be perfect but they're not and it hurts knowing things are going to end

pushing people away because it hurts too much to hold them close

meeting the perfect person while out one night but forgetting to get their name and never seeing them again

playing board games with friends on a weekday night

sitting next to the fire on a cool summer night by the lake and sharing your deepest fears and insecurities

cooking dinner together with a glass of wine and kissing on the countertop

making love on a lazy afternoon and whispering i love you into each other's skin

Eren Jaeger

really similar taste in music to jean but a lot more upbeat, produced, and sexual. he listens to big bootie mixes when he's working out and he has random generic playlists when he's hanging out w girls but when he's on his own or w friends he has a specific vibe

the weekend, tame impala type vibes:

songs about sex, passion, one-night stands, and firey type love

a summer fling that you know would never work out long-term but you think about for the rest of your life

bad boy/i can fix him type love. everyone warns you about him but you just can't stay away

sneaking out to go see him in the middle of the night and coming home just as the sun starts to rise

long drives late at night talking about everything and nothing with his hand on your thigh

showering together and then getting ready in the bathroom for a party or some big event, catching each other's eyes in the reflection of the mirror

going to the beach on a hot summer day, making out and wandering hands, needing to remind yourselves that there are people around before you get carried away

burning hot love that you know is going to shatter your heart but you're having too much fun to care

intense, passionate sex. just needing to feel each other in blind desperation, losing yourselves in the whirlwind of pleasure

Reiner Braun

definitely made a playlist when he was in highschool of all of his favourite songs and hasn't listened to anything else since but somehow still doesn't know who sings what song

red hot chili peppers, simple plan type vibes

songs from when you were kids that make you feel nostalgic for the past, songs that you don't know the name of but you can somehow sing every word, upbeat songs that somehow make you feel sad

reminiscing and romanticizing the past just because things in the present are overwhelming. wishing you could recapture the innocence and obliviousness of youth

hanging out with old friends and talking about people you once knew

long road trips with the windows down, music blasting, and singing along to every song

being woken up at the crack of dawn by someone with way too much energy for this time of day but somehow still feeling excited

being with friends outside and playing lawn games like bocce or cornhole

(crying with your head down late at night at the office, feeling like you're an imposter and you don't deserve the job you have.

still feeling like a kid even though you're legally an adult. never knowing what you're doing but feeling like you're expected to have your life together.)

[mcyt-as-birds]

Hey!! I hope I'm not bothering you but I just found your blog (love your blog it's amazing) and, as a fellow mcyt enjoyer & bird enthusiast, I just have to ask you what birds you would assign to Niki, Quackity, Ranboo & Jimmysolidarity, based on their character/personality/looks? I'm just asking because I'm making a mcyt harpy AU and you seem like someone knowledgeable in birds and generally like a cool person so I hope I'm not intruding on your time!

So far I think Niki could be a flamingo (despite looking pretty they're pretty tough lol but I'm having second thoughts on that), Ranboo could be a long bird w long legs (maybe some kind of stork or stilt i dunno), with Quackity I'm torn between a Loggerhead Shrike and a Goldeneye Barrow's duck (or any duck bcs well, it's in his name lol. I actually can't decide if I should go for his dsmp character or general mcyt persona) and Jimmy I have no frickign idea (maybe a canary??? I've been thinking about this for days and I have no clue lmao).

Anyways hope you have a good day/night and once again love your blog :]

AAAAAAA so sorry I didn’t see this ask until now!!!! I’ve been absolutely going through it lately since moving but it’s getting better and I’ve successfully seen and photographed a bunch of new lifer birds so like win!!

So, absolutely depends on which SMP for these characters but if we’re going DSMP for niki, ranboo, and Quackity then these are my assignments;

Niki: my first instinct for niki is American kestrel (Falco sparverius), but she also fits one of the jaeger sp pretty well. Personally I’d go with Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) also known as the arctic skua. They’re incredibly skilled aerialists that are called “parasitic” because they pursue other seabirds until they give up their catch and leave it for the jaeger. Girlboss of them. Jaeger is also a German originating word meaning “hunter” so it’s double cool! They look like this! They remind me of marble a lot.

Quackity: I’ve given him two assignments before, but both were for QSMP!Quackity which is very different vibes to DSMP!Quackity but I think they’re generalized enough to still work. The first one, for a General Vibes quackity is the ferruginous duck because duh, duck, but also They Have Secrets. And Know All Of Yours. Just look at those eyes! (Only males have the bright yellow eyes btw.) Barrow’s goldeneye IS a good choice as well so if you wanted to I’d say go for it! I also think ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) is a great choice personality wise because they are Mean Little Bastards to each other and others rip.

Here’s a male ferruginous duck! Oh god what does he know

I am, however, a HUGE fan of hummingbird!Quackity particularly for the small size->bigger aggression of some species. It’s so unexpected! There’s also large parallels with how they have to constantly be on the move and eating insects and drinking nectar, with some species needing to consume up to three times their bodyweight each day just to survive! It reminds me a lot of how DSMP!Quackity is always trying to do Bigger and More Things and just never stops, ever, ultimately to his own detriment when he can no longer keep up. Again rip.

Anyways the species I assigned him before based on coloration of the art is the violet sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) which is one of the larger but less aggressive emeralds. HOWEVER they do end up completely intimidating other species away from feeding flowers just from their size and General Vibes. They’re also cool as fuck so I won’t be changing that. But if you wanted something more aggressive then I’d go with ruby-throated hummingbird.

Here’s what a violet sabrewing looks like!

Ranboo: This is a bit of a tricky one, because it would be extremely easy to go “black and white bird boom done” and I don’t think that’s like bad but there is More To Him. Past assignments I have given him include swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus) for a miss beloved design, purple-crowned fairywren (Malurus coronatus) for a general streamersona/r800 ranbrand, and violet-backed starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster) for r800.

But if we are going purely DSMP!Ranboo, I have two different ideas.

Personality: killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Design: secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)

Personality wise, the killdeer fits mainly because of its well-known predator responses “broken-wing display/injury feigning” and “ungulate display.” The former is where the adult killdeer will pretend to be injured (and thus, an easier target) in order to lead predators away from their nest and chicks. Then, they’ll lose or frustrate the predator until they give up and it’s safe to return to the nest. The other predator response is what I affectionately call the “fuck it, we ball” response, where the bird lowers its head, raises its wings, and charges at the predator. It is frequently fatal. I don’t think I have to explain why it’s so Ranboo coded but if you need evidence look up anyone threatening Michael lmao. Also you probably didn’t want to hear that much about them but listen I love them so much they are so cool and baby.

They look like this when doing the broken wing display! They also just kind of have the panicked deer in headlights look that I feel like he embodies.

The second option, the secretarybird or secretary bird, is even funnier looking but fits the aesthetic so well and honestly some of his strange and unsettling vibes. The secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is the largest bird of prey by height and length. They are almost entirely terrestrial and hunt their prey by—get this—stomping it to death. I’m not kidding. They have been described as “what you get when you mix an eagle, a stork, and a bad hair day” because of the stupid little feathers on the back of their head. They kinda look lights on but nobody’s home sometimes. Drumroll please for this absolute fucking creature (affectionate)

Yeah, I wasn’t exaggerating. Why do they look like that.

Jimmy: is an extremely difficult one, tbh. Everyone assigns him canary which, like, fair—but honestly it does not fit his personality or his design, and only really works for life series!Jimmy. And they don’t even give him a specific species! (Although ppl usually mean domestic canary without saying it.) No hate to people who do this and the canary in the coal mine symbolism is cool I just have Opinions and Propaganda and I’ve been Enabled.

I have assigned him one bird before, the eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) and I kinda stand by it for the content creator, but it doesn’t fit his general minecraft sona.

To figure this out, we must go even deeper. Into the deep dark, mind the wardens. You probably didn’t want this but Too Bad you’ve activated my trap card and now you have to suffer.

Jimmy is a peculiar character because he is very dear to everyone, but also the butt of every joke—and he likes it that way! He’s a key player in many important events in storylines, but also the most often discarded. His luck is terrible, yes, but it can be argued that he brings about misfortune for others more than he himself experiences it. This is across hermitcraft, the life series, and empires.

So I propose this to you and the general fandom:

Jimmy is a snowy albatross.

The snowy albatross (Diomedea exulans) previously described as the wandering albatross along with the Amsterdam, Tristan, and Antipodean albatross sp, is a bird that is heavily steeped in superstition. While generally considered a bird that would bring sailors good luck, to harm or kill an albatross was to bring about the sea’s wrath upon the entire crew. In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the Mariner kills an albatross that is being cared for by the crew. The crew became very angry with him, believing that he had called upon bad luck, and forced him to wear the albatross around his neck. This is where the metaphor “an albatross around his neck” comes from, symbolizing an unwanted burden causing anxiety and distress. At the end of the story, the mariner learns to care for all the sea creatures and his releases from his curse, but is forced to walk the earth for eternity and tell his tale. This is where the albatross has also become a symbol of past sins, regret, and atonement.

Jimmy personifies these qualities so much, along with hidden power, vulnerability, and unconditional love SO MUCH I need the fandom to see my vision so bad. Albatross Jimmy propaganda!!!!

They look like this

And the chicks are so cute it’s not even funny.

I could go on and on about how Jimmy is so albatross coded it’s not even funny and facts about them AND I WILL LETS GO albatrosses have specialized wing anatomy that allows them to lock their shoulder in place and fly hundreds of miles without flapping their wings even once! They also follow ships and will eat anything and everything presented to them, including garbage, and will gorge themselves on food until they are so bloated they can only float on the water. They can live for over 50 YEARS, the oldest known lasyan albatross (and bird in general!) is a female named Wisdom who is 70 years old and still kicking! They are often considered silly or ugly birds by people unfamiliar with them but are very beloved by those within the birding and research communities and snowy albatrosses are one of the most researched bird species in the world! They are fiercely loyal, highly protective, and also absolute little goofballs. Like Jimmy. They are also social birds, with a huge range of vocalizations and displays LIKE JIMMY they are kind of bad at survival (but mostly human threats) and need a lot of help LIKE JIMMY (please protect your local albatrosses) and they are very loud LIKE JI—[*I am forcibly yanked off the stage by a shepherd’s hook in cartoonish fashion*]

[highways-are-liminal-spaces]

The final 20 miles of Dalton Highway—to Deadhorse, AK

Taken June 2023

[hrodvitnon]

Some Ideas/Headcanons for Abraxasverse GxK!

So, after having seen The New Empire, I already already have quite a few ideas for how it could fit into the Abraxasverse! I’ll write up a more thorough breakdown of how I’d do it sometime soon, but I figured I might as well start with some of the basic ideas. So, here goes!

- Just for a bit of context, I’m going by @zerm2v0hg’s awesome “Clash of Silver” fic as how the Abraxasverse’s version of GvK would’ve played out.

- Since GxK takes place in 2027, I’d have Ladon be officially introduced in 2025 and Shin in 2026 (both as Godzilla clones created by Apex), so they would both play a role in this version. Kiryu’s new body might still be under construction (since it took 5-10 years to build Mechagodzilla in canon, so I don’t know if 3 years would be enough time to finish building his second body after the first one sadly got destroyed in Clash of Silver), so I don’t know if I’d have him play a major role here, but either way his new body’s construction would be overseen by Project Powerhouse, the same division of Monarch that creates Kong’s new gauntlet in the movie. Maybe Ren Serizawa would be in charge of that project in this timeline, now that he’s not working for Apex anymore?

- For the events of The Hunted, I’d probably have it go pretty much the same way as canon, but I do love the idea of having Monster X be the one to go up against the Hunter mech rather than Kong, just because that way they’d be able to give Raymond Martin (aka Dickhead Tech-Bro) a Reasons You Suck speech while beating the crap out of his second-rate Jaeger ripoff.

- Scylla & Tiamat would probably still end up getting into fights with Godzilla or one of his sons, but while Scylla might still end up dying if the events of The Hunted play out similarly here, Tiamat probably wouldn’t, assuming that the potential backstory of her having a connection to Ozymandias is actually Abraxasverse canon.

- To give Godzilla & his allies more to do in the Abraxasverse version of GxK, I feel like it would make sense to incorporate the Xenilla arc into this portion of the timeline. So I’d have him land on the surface and start causing trouble for Team Godzilla at around the same time that Kong discovers Skar King’s hidden empire in the Hollow Earth, which would eventually lead to the final battle being a three-way battle royale between the Scarred Apes’ army (led by Skar King & Shimo), the heroic Titans (particularly Godzilla’s family, Monster X & Kong), and Xenilla.

- In this timeline, instead of Mothra being the guardian Titan of the Hollow-Earth Iwi civilization, it would be Leo. To me, that seems like a perfect way for him to be introduced into the Abraxasverse: as Godzilla & Mothra’s offspring who was born thousands of years ago, took up residence in the Hollow Earth during the Ice Age, and essentially “adopted” the surviving Iwi tribe after Skar King presumably abandoned them at some point. I’d also ditch the “prophecy” angle from the canon movie for Jia and just focus on her other connections with Kong & the Iwi, as Mothra already has a human link in the form of the Chen family.

- Godzilla’s transformation wouldn’t just be a random evolution/powerup; instead, it would be a side effect of his being badly wounded & infected by Xenilla during their first fight. Mothra would narrowly manage to cure & heal him (after taking him to Tiamat’s Arctic lair so he could absorb a bunch of extra radiation to fuel the healing process), but his appearance would still be permanently altered as a result. That’s where the elbow & tail spikes and the new color of his energy would come from, as he’d end up assimilating some of the crystal’s power for himself. As a beneficial side effect, his new form would also be immune to any further infection attempts by the Crystal Cordyceps.

- In keeping with that idea, Abraxasverse Xenilla would basically look like a fusion of the classic SpaceGodzilla and a more advanced version of Godzilla’s Evolved form, with white crystal spikes & plates, longer spikes on his elbows & tail, and red bioluminescence (to fit with the idea that the pink color of Goji’s Evolved form is a side effect of his partially undergoing that process but stopping it halfway through). I think it could also look really cool if he has crystal wings that unfold from his body when he needs to fly, and reform into a layer of extra armor around his torso when he’s on the ground. For how they’d look, I’m thinking maybe something like an all-white version of Tabuu’s crystal wings from the Super Smash Bros video games.

- Shimo would actually be the key to taking down Xenilla once she’s freed from Skar King’s control, as the heroes eventually discover that while Xenilla’s crystal armor has adapted to resist Godzilla’s atomic breath, it’s highly vulnerable to Shimo’s ice-breath. As a result, it ends up being a tag-team effort from her, Godzilla & Mothra (plus Ozzy managing to fight back from within) that ultimately brings the parasite down for good. It’s tragic, of course, given their past relationships with him, but they’re able to take some comfort in the fact that their victory also allows Ozzy’s spirit to finally rest in peace.

A longer, more in-depth breakdown of what I’ve got in mind will be coming soon, but I figured I’d see what you thought of the main bullet-points first. 😄

Oooh, here we go!

I've actually reached a point where I'm willing to call The Clash of Silver a part of AbraxasVerse canon. Hey, @zerm2v0hg! Have some canonization, as a treat!

Yeah, Kiryu being out of commission for a while makes sense, and it feels fitting that he'd be handled by Project Powerhouse. Ren could definitely use a job at Powerhouse after how his gig at Apex ended... and hopefully a therapist, depending on how he's been handling the whole "nearly got electrocuted to death and something happened to his brain but he doesn't know what".

AbraxasVerse Raymond Martin I feel can definitely stand to be less cartoonishly evil than his comic counterpart; maybe instead of gleefully trying to kill a pair of cubs after slaughtering their mother, his trauma from 2014 has reached the point where he simply can't stand seeing a happy family, human or monster, because it gets into his head that that ought to be him and his family. He's still a douchebag tech-bro who hates the Titans and would probably consider Monster X a traitor of sorts for embracing their new monster existence, he's just more clearly a broken man futilely raging against forces of nature because that's all he knows what to do now.

Scylla in MonsterVerse canon is a real nasty piece of work and while AbraxasVerse Scylla is comparatively better, I won't feel bad if she still ends up dying as a result of Martin's nonsense causing her nuclear feeding frenzy; this would be a good way for Ladon and Shin to make an impression on the world, that they're willing to fight to maintain the worldly balance just like their dad. Tiamat however has potential thanks to the Ozymandias backstory and I feel she can be better utilized in AbraxasVerse, especially in light of @tosho89's ritual idea...

Xenilla showing up here would be cool... maybe he was sent out to scout the planet in case a Titan of comparable power to Ozymandias has shown up in the time since that abduction? Leo being the Hollow Earth Iwi guardian could be a neat way to tie in MV!Mothra's reworking Phosphora/Phosphera's (how is that supposed to be spelled?) placeholder role without being too jarring.

Huh, Goji nearly getting infected is a GREAT idea for the sake of tension and sheer "oh SHIT" factor! He goes out of commission for a bit while Mothra heals him and Tiamat does her ritual, and he returns to the fore more powerful than ever... at the cost of becoming a beacon for the nefarious forces behind Xenilla's existence to home in on. And I am ALL FOR Shimo having more to do!

Cool ideas all around! I'm looking forward to seeing what else you've got!

[kaijuposting]

Please reblog so we can see what as many people think as possible!

[themelongum]

Rehearsals with Eren

multi-chaptered rating: explicit main pairings: eren/reader; jean/reader AU: college; band

A dent to the left. A dark spot of unknown origin almost in the middle, not centered just enough to annoy a perfectionist. With my legs hung over the armrest of the old couch, I studied the ceiling of the Jaegers’ basement, giving myself a rest while the others experimented with the new tunes.

The red coating chipped off under my fingers. Not that I intended to ruin anyone’s couches, but the thing was already ramshackle, with the top layer hanging by a thin thread, begging to be detached. Anyway, this couch—and the basement itself—looked way out of place compared to the furniture upstairs, clearly indicating they didn’t care much about it.

“Are you done lazing around?” Eren’s voice cut through my train of thoughts, full of irritation.

Propping myself on the elbows, I turned to meet his frown with one of my own. “What? You were busy anyway.”

“What Eren wanted to say,” said Armin, glancing at his friend, “is that we’re done with the break. And if you’re ready, we can continue.”

“Yeah, sure.” I sent him a smile, springing to my feet and approaching the mic stand. “The same one?” I looked between the guys, and they all gave me a nod—well, almost all.

We had been rehearsing it for quite a while. And though this Arctic Monkeys’ song was among my favorites, singing “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” over and over again could easily make me hate it if we weren’t sprinkling some other songs in between. Yet, practice was essential, and besides, the vocals were quite uncomplicated, so I didn’t have much demur, especially since it did sound better with every new try.

From the moment Armin’s bass and Connie’s drums kicked in, I merged with the music, tapping my feet and bopping my head to the rhythm. Singing the lines with due confidence, I would lock eyes with Marco whenever he joined my voice. Sometimes my gaze would find Armin’s instead, and the same joyous smile would be shared between us.

Everything went fine. Until it didn’t. Caught up in the moment, I let my eyes land on something—or rather, someone—they weren’t supposed to land on. And on the most inappropriate line they did. And at the exact moment he was looking at me. On the inside, I was dying; on the outside, I finished the line, still holding Eren’s gaze.

It was after I averted my eyes, though, that the embarrassment really kicked in. Not that I had done anything embarrassing. Looking at my bandmates during the performance was only natural, wasn’t it? Yet there was some sort of implicit agreement that Eren and I were supposed to refrain from any expression of cordiality or camaraderie, and I was quickly reminded about it.

Occupied with those thoughts, I forgot to take a breath when it was necessary, so the next couple of lines came out rather weak, my voice slightly trembling towards the end. We weren’t even half into the song when the guitar stopped, causing everyone else to halt as well.

“It doesn’t sound right,” Eren said. “Something is off. And you,” he said, turning to me, “keep messing up.”

I was about to retort—to say that it was just once, that I didn’t keep messing up, that he should’ve continued playing instead of making a scene. But I didn’t say any of this. A wave of self-doubt washed over me, and the little bell in my head rang that maybe I was wrong. I did mess up. And perhaps I was messing up all along without noticing. Perhaps my judgment was corrupt. What did I even know at this point?

As the feeling of self-consciousness took root in my body, I wanted nothing more than to hide from all the gazes in the room. So, I fixed my eyes on the worn-out carpet underneath my feet and bit the inside of my cheek.

“I messed up a little towards the end. That’s probably why it seemed off,” Armin said.

“Maybe it’s enough for today?” Marco suggested. “We’ve been here for a while now, and we’re all just tired.”

This proposition made my shoulders drop, releasing the tension I wasn’t aware of prior. My eyes met Marco’s as, with a serene expression, he sent me a subtle but nonetheless amiable smile.

“Yeah, that’s enough.” Connie stood up from his seat. “I need at least four hours of ‘Call of Duty’ after this.”

“It will have to wait, though. We still have a project to work on…” Armin said, taking off his guitar.

In an instant, Connie’s face dropped. Following Armin and Marco, he trudged upstairs, groaning and lamenting about “this stupid project”.

Same, Connie. I almost forgot about it myself. Not even half of my initial enthusiasm was left. It all seemed jarring now, and the prospect of staying in this house any longer steeped me into a state of despondency.

Walking up the stairs, I could hardly discern Connie’s silhouette a few steps away due to how dark it was. So, when I felt someone’s presence right behind me, my heart skipped a beat and my breathing halted.

“No offense,” Eren said in a low voice, inches away from my ear. “You just needed to pull yourself together, so that’s why I said that.” He drew back and moved past me, leaving me puzzled.

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