#ever after high ost

[luc-elementix]

Ever After High™ App (OST)

Some musics from the Ever After High app shared by Laliz on YouTube

[burntchickenlookingass]

No cuz im not done talking about ffcc

[ericityyy]

Hiii I was wondering if you could do a choi seung hyun x reader where the reader is also in a k-pop group and they do a callab together and they slowly fall for eachother? Sorry if this doesn’t make sense lol

𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨? (𝘈𝘉𝘚𝘖𝘓𝘜𝘛𝘌𝘓𝘠 𝘕𝘖𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘕𝘎)

𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚: 𝘐𝘥𝘰𝘭 𝘹 𝘐𝘥𝘰𝘭

𝙏𝙮𝙥𝙚: 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘍𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: 1525

𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦

𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

Over the years, putting two idols together and creating what some people call a “ship” has become normal in the K-pop industry and its fandom. During the second generation of idols, two particular groups reigned supreme, known as the kings and queens of K-pop then—and even now.

BigBang, the kings, and 2NE1, the queens, each had talented and well-known members. It was the peak of YG Entertainment when these two groups released a song or an album. And due to being in the same company, shipping was unavoidable. T.O.P and Y/N can attest to that.

With every interaction, fans always pointed out how the two looked at each other, how they behaved around one another, how they smiled when the other person was mentioned—everything and anything that related T.O.P to Y/N and vice versa was always watched closely. In times like this, what do fans need? A good collaboration between the biggest, unsinkable ship of the century, as one fan dubbed them during a BigBang interview on a variety show.

“So, what do you both say?” Yang Hyun-Suk, famously known as YG, asked the two idols before him. His usual cool demeanor was evident, his arms crossed as he waited for their reply. “It’s a simple collaboration song for an upcoming hit series, and the music directors specifically asked for both of you. They’d even give you the opportunity to help in the composing aspect, knowing that you are both capable of doing so, right?”

T.O.P looked at Y/N for a moment, her face exhibiting a thoughtful look. His heart started to drum in his ribcage. This was a huge opportunity for him to spend time with her, of course he would take it. “I’d be alright with taking the job, only if Y/N holds the same sentiment.” He tried to act calm and composed, but his mind was repeating, 'Please accept, please accept, please accept.'

His prayers were answered when Y/N smiled up at him. “I would love to. It would be a fun experience.” T.O.P mirrored her look with a smile of his own. YG looked between the two with one of his eyebrows raised, a noticeable smirk appearing on his face.

“Great! That’s settled then. I’ll let them know of your response.” YG stood up from his couch facing them and approached his office chair to face his computer.

T.O.P and Y/N hastily stood up after him, their hands politely placed in front of them. “Sir, if I may ask,” the latter interjected through the sounds of keyboard clicking, “What is the series we’ll be doing an OST for?”

・‥...━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━...‥・

After eagerly leaving YG’s office, they immersed themselves in planning and discussing the possible feel of the song. They knew that this collaboration would hold high expectations from their fans, who had been requesting it ever since they first saw the two idols interact during their debut days. Meeting with the music directors, composers, and producers of the song, they carved out time for late-night studio sessions, leaving others amazed by their commitment despite their tight schedules.

It wasn’t a surprise when “rumors” of their collaboration sparked the internet, trending for days.

—

Koreaboo

—

[TRENDING] BigBang’s T.O.P And 2NE1’s Y/N Are Rumored To Collab In Upcoming Series “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo”

Username 1: I JUST KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE HUGE!!! THE WAIT WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT

Username 2: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH

Username 3: EVERYBODY CALM DOWN! THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!

Username 4: WHAT THE FUCKKKK?!?! THE CAST?!?! THE OST SINGERS?!?! I JUST KNOW THIS DRAMA IS GONNA BE ON MY TOP LIST (pun intended)

—

Reading the comments, the two laughed to make up for their sleepless nights. “I love how excited they are; it just makes me more determined to do our best for them,” Y/N said fondly, looking at her phone, her expression failing to hide her soft spot for their supporters. T.O.P hummed in response, feeling exactly the same way.

He flinched when Y/N harshly slapped both her cheeks. “Let’s do this!” Her face looked determined as ever. It made him more fond of her, especially after the few days they had spent navigating the logistics and artistry of their vision for the song. The music directors gave them a beat, a melody, and some unfinished lyrics for the chorus. They trusted the two to make the music together and to help them in every chance they had.

There was never a dull moment between them. T.O.P softly rubbed Y/N’s cheeks with his thumbs, watching as they reddened from the impact. “Don’t do that again. You can rest if you want, but don’t hurt yourself, idiot.” He flicked her forehead lightly.

Y/N deadpanned at him. “Saying that and flicking me on the forehead nullifies your point.” He just laughed in response. ‘Never a dull moment,’ he thought as he felt his heart race at their proximity.

Y/N opened the notebook given to them for ideas and writing lyrics. She hummed in tune to the lyrics with T.O.P looking over her shoulder, adding some lyrics for his own parts as well. After some time passed, Y/N felt a weight on her shoulder, shocking her. She looked and only saw dark, messy hair. Y/N smiled, patting his head, making T.O.P bury his face more into the crook of her neck. She hesitated at first but then leaned her head on his, not noticing the smile that grew on the rapper’s face.

・‥...━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━...‥・

The shooting of the music video for the OST was simple, with the setting just in the recording studio. The two idols were side by side, singing the song. The director's main instruction was to be themselves and have fun with the song they had played such a major role in creating.

“You ready?” T.O.P asked Y/N as they both put on their headphones, the cameraman ready to capture every moment.

“I’m excited for this; it’s the first time we’re going to sing the song as a whole.” Y/N held T.O.P’s hand for a moment. “I’m proud of us, oppa.” Although he managed to maintain a cool demeanor, he was nervous that his hand might be sweaty, revealing his frantic thoughts.

The director pushed the talkback button. “You guys ready? Remember, this is to give the fans a perspective of your finished song, so just be yourselves throughout the recording. Sounds good?” The two idols nodded. “Yes.”

As the music started playing, Y/N leaned closer to the microphone.

“니 눈앞에 왔잖아 내가 여기 있잖아

너의 입술로 말을 해줘 say yes, say yes”

(I'm in front of you, I'm right here

Tell me with your lips, say yes, say yes)

The two of them looked at each other with endearing smiles as the world around them disappeared, and it was just the two of them enjoying the song. With their group, even in their solo careers, they rarely did types of music that were mellow, romantic, or light. Their music often had a touch of hip hop, so creating this song was a challenge for them, but they were definitely proud of the outcome.

“...love is true.” As Y/N finished her part, it was T.O.P’s turn to lean toward the microphone.

“간지럽게만 느껴지던 눈 빛이

이제는 익숙 하단듯이 웃음 짓지”

(Your eyes that only tickled me

Now make me smile as if I'm used to it)

T.O.P held Y/N’s hand and raised it in front of the camera, making the girl quietly laugh and lightly smack his arm. All the while, the rapper continued his verse.

・‥...━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━...‥・

After the release of the series, the OST, the music video, the groups’ fandom gobbled everything up like they never ate for weeks.

—

YouTube

—

[MV] T.O.P & Y/N – Say Yes | 달의 연인 - 보보경심 려 OST

Username 5: MY PARENTS ACKKKK!!! WE NEED THIS LIVE ASAP!!! To those who agree, say “I”

↳ Username 7: I

↳ Username 8: I

– see 800 replies –

Username 6: can you all just see how smitten he is with her :(( our tabi is growing up and falling in love

↳ Username 9: “And if he falls in love tonight... It can be assumed…”

↳ Username 10: can somebody tag me if someone makes an edit of them with “can you feel the love tonight?” lion king style

↳ Username 11: @/username10 no

– see 5 replies –

Username 12: i love how he’s so comfortable with her and is the one initiating contact like T^T

↳ Username 13: I thought I was the only one who noticed that lol they’re so sweet istg

Username 14: PETITION FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN KDRAMA

1k likes

Username 15: But can someone look at how in love she is with him too, i swear JUST SAY YOU’RE TOGETHER

Username 16: no cause if someone looks at me the way she looks at Choi Seung-Hyun I would marry that girl on the spot

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑’𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

this is my first choi seung-hyun (t.o.p) imagine! i really hope yall enjoyed this one cause i would keep writing for that man. he deserves the world fr! keep supporting him 🧎🏻‍♀️‍➡️ also i might do a part 2 on this depends if you all want it 👀

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

none

[starshadyy]

what your favorite splatoon character says about YOU!

obligatory “this is a joke” disclaimer, please don’t take offense i’m only being silly👉👈

☆ ★ ☆

callie: you are a diehard squid sisters fan. you have an intrinsic sense for design and are probably super creative. you hate it when people misinterpret her. others wouldn’t assume it, but you actually need therapy more than most others on this list…😔

marie: you’re really intimidating but probably super nice. you’re actually good at the game and are well-versed in the meta. you may not be the best at communication, but you have a strong intuition and are good at reading people

pearl: an absolute feral crackhead who needs to be kept on a leash. definitely queer. nasty majesty is your national anthem. you breathe life and energy into every situation you enter, and others appreciate you for it. you are pearlina’s strongest soldier! 🩷🩵

marina: you are a massive nerd /affectionate. you either wanna be her friend or you have a fat crush on her. you listen to splatoon ost all the time. your room is packed with stuff from the media you like, including mountains of plushies

shiver: you join her team during splatfests even when you don’t necessarily agree with the platform. you’re likely very sarcastic and always speak your mind. oh yeah, and you’re a weeb

frye: you loved her from the start and defended her honor back when everyone was clowning on her design. you’re very talented but humble about your accomplishments. you would bite someone if allowed

big man: you act laid back but are probably filled with anxiety. i get the vibe that you would own an unconventional pet of some kind [turtle, frog, ferret, etc.]. you’re for sure the mom friend. you know nothing about splatoon lore

captain 3: you are the BACKBONE of this fandom and i have nothing but respect for you. you’re probably ranked pretty high in competitive and are likely a completionist

agent 4: you grew up on splatoon 2 and were sure that they would show up in side order only to be… uh, half right? i’m so sorry sweet prince /gn. don’t you worry, your day [splatoon 4] is fast approaching…

eight: you’re very analytical and derive great joy from the story aspects of splatoon. you either write or read fanfiction and maybe cosplay too. you LIVE for the found family trope, and also probably ship them with captain 3. you have amazing taste :]

neo agent 3: you think lil buddy is the most adorable creature to walk the planet. you wish their initial outfit was actually accessible in the game. you’ve probably only played splatoon 3

cap’n cuttlefish: you’re an og who’s been around since splatoon 1 but still know next to nothing about the lore. you don’t main a weapon, and instead prefer to bounce around. you are… an inscrutable crackhead who i want to study

dj octavio: you’re willing to die on the hill that he is not a villain and only did what he did to support his people [you’re right btw]. you’re actually really chill and fun and i have a lot of respect for you. also, i’m liable to believe that you ship him with cuttlefish, don’t you? DON’T YOU?!?

commander tartar: you’re… ME??? villainous characters are always your favorites. you think octo expansion is a masterpiece [and you’re entirely right]. you’re a splatoon scholar and scour every obscure twitter post and artbook note to satiate your hunger for that sweet sweet lore. there’s something deeply wrong in your head.

mr. grizz: you play a lot of salmon run but are actually kinda bad at it [shhh i won’t tell]. you suffered through after alterna just for his backstory log and the bear ears. i’m going to go out on a limb here and say… you have daddy issues

smollusk: you LOVE the idea that marina and pearl are its adoptive moms. you’ve beaten side order with every palette. you overuse the “🥺” emoji. you miiight be a little annoying, but your heart is in the right place… probably

acht: either the chillest person you’ll ever meet or the most insane. probably both. you’re 100% queer and probably neurodivergent too. i bet you listen to will wood and / or tally hall. i wanna be your friend

harmony: you know every chirpy chips song by heart. you’re probably really sweet and i know you make banger fanart. you have an affinity for cute things and i bet your favorite pokémon type is fairy. DEFINITELY neurodivergent.

cq cumber: ???you both confuse and frighten me!!! what can i even say? you’re a cryptid! but honestly, you’re kinda iconic. i salute you, you freak of nature🫡

iso padre: I LOVE YOU. you’re accepting of all people and are just an absolute saint in general. daddy issues, but you’re coping way better than the grizz fans. also, i’m betting that you’re neurodivergent

sheldon: i didn’t think you existed, but turns out that you do? you actually listen to his rambles. splatoon 2 is your favorite game in the series. you’re able to see the value in things that others tear down and y'know what? i respect that [not saying i approve of your character choice though]

judd: wait, why him? ohh wait, i know! you probably just don’t care about splatoon’s story at all and / or love cats. there, that’s totally it, right?

lil judd: you either DON’T know his lore and just like the cute little kitten, or you DO know his lore and you’re unhinged. i’m scared of you

spyke: you’d bark for him without hesitation and DON’T pretend you wouldn’t. you clown. you absolute freak. i know what you are. /j

murch: if i had to bet, you’re probably the shy type who prefers to let others do the talking for them. you might secretly be a little freaky though, and i think you should embrace that side of yourself. you’re safe here. be free.

[twinklingwatermellon]

ELLY'S TOP TEN K-DRAMAS (with songs to match!)

10. Queen of Tears (2024)

Baek Hyun-woo is relieved to hear that his wife has only three months to live, which will save him the mortification of divorcing her — what he isn’t expecting is to fall back in love with her in those three months. This show gets a little crazy, but the acting is top tier, and the ensemble cast is one of my favorites ever. (Also, the OST is my new most beloved.)

Song for this drama: Don’t Take The Money

9. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Woo Young-Woo navigates her career, life changes, and love as a rookie at Hanbada Law Firm and a woman on the autism spectrum. Young-Woo is a darling, and her boy is the greenest flag ever.

Song for this drama: scales

8. Castaway Diva (2023)

After 15 years stranded on a desert island, Seo Mok-ha pursues her dream of becoming a singer while searching for the boy who helped her escape her abusive father. Despite the horrors, this show will make you believe there is good in the world.

Song for this drama: Sweet Chamomile

7. Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021)

Yoon Hye-jin moves to a seaside town to open a dental clinic and finds the home she always wanted amidst its colorful residents. So funny and the male lead is basically the perfect man.

Song for this drama: Apple Pie

6. Familiar Wife (2018)

A married couple who have fallen out of love get to see each other in a new light after the husband, Ju-hyeok, goes back in time and changes their history. You've never rooted this hard for such an infuriating man.

Song for this drama: No One Knows

5. Marry My Husband (2024)

After being murdered by her husband and best friend, a woman wakes up ten years in the past, months before her wedding, and must fight to prevent her marriage and eventual death from happening again. Swooniest male lead, cutest female friendships, and some of the most legit terrifying villains.

Song for this drama: Funeral

4. Lovely Runner (2024)

Immediately after her idol commits suicide, the devastated Sol is transported back to high school, where she discovers that the two of them used to be neighbors and begins a desperate mission to change the course of his life. Get ready for the most adorable, most pathetic loser of a male lead ever.

Song for this drama: Always Remember Us This Way

3. Crash Landing On You (2019–2020)

After a freak accident lands her in North Korea, Yoon Se-ri must rely on the soldier who saved her life in order to survive, stay hidden, and get back to South Korea. Rips you apart in the best possible way.

Song for this drama: If I Never Knew You

2. Live Up To Your Name (2017)

Renowned acupuncturist Heo Im falls 400 years through time and lands in Seoul, where his life and fate intertwine with that of cardiac surgeon Choi Yeon Kyung. Beautiful, unmatched chemistry.

Song for this drama: epiphany

1. Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Ha Eun Gyeol is mysteriously sent back in time, where he meets his parents as teenagers and discovers he didn't know as much about them as he thought he did. Peak family feels, peak soft couple, and peak enemies to lovers.

Song for this drama: Long Live

[it-happened-one-fic]

Genuine With You - Kalim

Author Notes: Someday, I will feel comfortable writing Kalim, but today is not yet that today. In all seriousness though, I wrote this while listening to "Romantic Flight" from the How to Train Your Dragon OST. I really can't quite decide how I feel about this fic, but I sort of thought it was time for me to post it. As per usual, reader is gender neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-neutral/ fluff/ romance

Word Count: 881

It wasn’t the first time you’d taken Kalim’s hand to join him on a magic carpet ride through the night sky. But something about it felt different this time. 

When your hand had slipped into his warm one and he’d tugged you through your window and onto the surprisingly soft fabric, you’d felt strangely shy. 

Kalim seemed like his normal self, though, if perhaps a little quieter, as he steered the carpet to take you up higher until you were sailing above the clouds and could see the moon in all its pale glory.

You wrapped your arms around yourself in a feeble effort to protect yourself from the cool night air, “Does it ever get old?”

Your eyes were stuck on the moon even as Kalim looked over at you with a surprised expression that soon melted into one of understanding, “Never. It’s just as magical everytime.”

You smiled, oddly comforted by his words. Somehow, being up in the sky with Kalim by your side made everything feel just a little bit simpler. Your problems seemed distant and far away, with even the school itself appearing tiny.

But perhaps distance had a way of putting things into perspective. While NRC often seemed larger than life, it was just a small part of this great, big world.

Amusingly, you never felt closer to anyone than when you were with Kalim, sailing through the sky high over the sleeping campus. There was a strange serenity, and though Kalim was always joyful, his happiness seemed easier and more relaxed when it was just the two of you.

It wasn’t like you thought he put on for others, but he did seem a little more genuine when it was just you and him. After all, it was only when it was just you and Grim around that you’d ever truly heard him voice any sort of complaints.

“It’s funny; you’re easy to be around,” Kalim’s voice interrupted your musings and spoke your thoughts aloud. You turned to look at him with no small amount of surprise, and he had the good grace to look slightly embarrassed, “I know it's an odd thing to say…. But I really do feel that way.”

You felt a smile creep onto your face at his words, feeling both touched and relieved that he felt the same way. “It’s not odd; I feel the same way about you.”

Now it was his turn to stare at you with wide, disbelieving eyes that had you letting out a laugh, “Is that really so surprising?”

He let out an almost sheepish chuckle and actually nodded, startling you even as he began to explain, “Yeah, it is. A lot of people seem to think they have to put an act around me because of who I am. Even Jamil….” 

He trailed off, looking down as the smile on his face faded at his friend’s name. You’d known for quite some time that the events of winter break…. Jamil’s overblot was still weighing heavily on Kalim’s mind.

And though you entirely understood why that was the case, it pained you that everything that had happened during that time still bothered him so much. But you had no words to comfort the young man, even though you desperately wanted to. So instead, you decided to distract him by continuing on with your previous vein of thought.

“I’ve never felt that way,” You responded honestly and almost immediately regained Kalim’s attention. He no longer looked as sorrowful as before, and the longer you continued speaking, the happier he looked.

“I’ve always thought you’re one of the most comfortable people to be around at this school. I’ve never felt like I needed to be wary or put on an act around you. I can just… exist.” You glanced back at him, a smile on your face as you awkwardly lifted a shoulder.

“You just strike me as a really genuine guy, and I guess I want to be just as genuine with you as you are with me.”

It was like your words had opened some sort of door for Kalim. His eyes shone with both unshed tears and joy, and the next thing you knew, all the cold air that had been blowing around was blocked by his body as he tugged you into a tight embrace.

Because, despite the fact that Kalim was a carefree boy who seemed to do little work, he was by no means small or weak.

You let out a tiny, half-startled laugh as you wrapped your arms responsively around him and received a tiny squeeze in return as you reciprocated his affection.

“Thank you, Y/n; that means so much to me.” The young man leaned bac and you wished you’d had time to brace yourself for the unadulterated affection that shone in his garnet-colored eyes.

“I feel the same way. It’s easy being with you, and I’m so glad you’re here. Even if you aren’t originally from Twisted Wonderland, you mean the world to me.”

He held your hands in his, maintaining eye contact in a way that felt incredibly meaningful, even though you could never read the myriad of emotions that floated through his gaze, though you did catch a few.

Gratitude, honesty, joy, and pure, unfiltered love.

[yamsgarden]

looong Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia rambling incoming:

I was chatting with my buddy about Tales of Vesperia and Tales of Symphonia and idk by what miracle this could ever happen, but I truly wish someday Bandai Namco could make a TRUE remake of Tales of Symphonia but with Tales of Vesperia's cel shade graphics

Because so far, all "remakes" are just more or less good ports from what I read/ saw? And TOV still holds up to this day, even 20+ years after even if the animation is a liiiittle stiff it' still works, but yeah TOS could really have a fantstic revamp

I want her so bad to experiement this journey too, but I totally get it that the graphics are a turn off... Which is also so sad because to me they still feel cute and I grew up with them OTL

idk... I understand TOS isn't necessarily the most insane RPG out there, same with Baten Kaitos but they have their own identity and amazing writting and complex stories and charming characters aaa even 20+ years later and I still hold these games in my heart and still listen to their OST, it really feels like magic

It's not like today where you have to constantly play daily for grinding or worry about being tempted to buy micro items in the shop with real money, it was a one time payment and one shot story and had an end... And that's what made it great too imo... if that makes sense, idk what I'm saying anymore, I guess I just miss so much how things used to be haha

Where games had more soul and personnality and passion behind it and ofc you still have that today but i feel it's... Rarer and back then I feel it was still experimental but that's what made it so great, now there are so many copy cats and it feels like a race to which one can be the next lottery... and I know they're all companies BUT LIKE at least I could feel my money was well spent you know?!

Now it's feels like, "we have your money AND you have shitty rushed half-baked product, you're welcome"

If only Llyod could have made it into Super Smash Bros Melee at the time, I feel it could have helped the Tales of popularity even more OTL I remember reading somewhere he was considered to be added to the roaster but maybe it was rumors too... But the thought of it is so cool. I rly don't think it's for nothing TOV and TOS keep getting so high in popularity polls when it comes to general Tales Of games, those two are really memroable and beautiful.

TOS almost feels like the blueprint for TOV to me, so they are very similar but different enough as well. I must have played TOS on my gamecube at least 10 times in my whole life and everytime my gameplay reaches 60h-80h+hours, it's just so much fun everytime

aaa but yeah.. all that to say I just wish it could get the remake of a lifetime so more poeple could experiment it too OTL I don't think it'll ever happen but yeah.... If only if only if only...

and lowkey so i would have more poeple to talk and gush about it.

[greenleaf4stuff]

Of Convenience 10.1

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage AU, 10th snippet, part 1. The alliance moves their forces to the city and manages to gain entry. Celebrimbor finds himself confronted with a problem he did not anticipate.

So, this is the (pre-)ultimate chapter of this multi-part adventure of mine. Fear not, I am planning on writing a little epilogue as I am uploading part 10. I still can’t believe I’ve come so far. Thank you guys again for your continued support, your comments, your reblogs and likes, your messages. It means so very much. Also, an additional thank you to @plotdesigner for giving me some pointers for this snippet and cheering me on! That being said, enjoy the (almost) final leg of this journey! <3

Celebrimbor had to admit, he had feared getting into Eregion to be a far more difficult, far bloodier endeavour than it ended up being.

Then again, the combined armies that had marched on Ost-In-Edhil must have looked quite impressive from the city itself – the riders from Lindon were at the front, flanking the High King as well as Elrond, Galadriel, Celebrimbor and Adar. After them came what appeared to be an endless sea of uruk warriors, hundreds if not thousands of them, following close behind.

From what Celebrimbor could see of the city guards, they were all decidedly shaken, mouths hanging open in obvious shock as they shouted warnings amongst themselves, but none of them dared to sound a direct attack.

No archers sent deadly arrows their way. No stones were thrown from the city walls as the elven-uruk troops came close.

The alliance reached the gates without encountering any resistance.

What followed was an exchange between the poor head of the city watch, Gil-Galad and Adar, with the guard’s voice audibly shaking as he tried to deny entry to both the High King of the Elves and his entourage as well as the Lord Father of the uruk with his giant army.

"Lord Annatar has expressly forbidden us from opening the gates – to anyone!" he declared.

Gil-Galad huffed and squared his back, regal as Celebrimbor had ever seen him. "Lord Annatar is not who he claims to be. And even if he were indeed an emissary of the valar, he has no right to forbid me from gaining entry to this city. Open the gates!"

"He has told me that you would believe Lord Celebrimbor, who has abandoned Eregion to conspire with the orcs," a growl from Adar, "in a fit of madness; I reassure you, my king, Lord Annatar has no ill intentions, he has merely been framed. And fears for the safety of the people of Eregion, hence our orders to keep the gates shut."

A pause, during which Celebrimbor could hear both Adar and Galadriel curse under their breaths. He himself had clenced his hands at his sides, quietly fuming at how brazenly their common enemy was yet twisting the truth, how he still kept Ost-In-Edhil under his spell.

The smith only hoped the three elven rings might begin to ease this foul sorcery; Narya, the last of the three, had been brought to Adar’s camp just this morning by none other than Círdan. While worried, the shipwright held a deep conviction that those rings would turn the tide against Sauron and his influence – just as Adar did.

Elrond, who had given Nenya back to Galadriel just after Celebrimbor’s outburst, now held Narya. As Círdan had claimed, Elrond’s skeptical outlook towards these rings made him the most qualified to wear one into battle. The herald, as torn as he had appeared at the suggestion, had ultimately accepted it and now wore the trinket on the middle finger of his right hand.

Celebrimbor felt the subtle touch of another arm against his own, just the pressure of one limb against another. As he looked to the side, he found the face of his husband turned towards him; the smith released his clenched fists at the other’s look, and tried to relax. While Adar tried to keep the look on his face neutral in front of their opposition, it was a reassurance to have his attention.

The elf risked a small smile of thanks and, when that seemed to satisfy the uruk, they turned back towards the head of Eregion’s city watch.

"I have talked to Celebrimbor," Gil-Galad answered, and his voice was beginning to take on a more impatient tone. "He is neither mad nor has he framed anyone. He’s fled this city because he discovered that your Lord Annatar is, in fact, not a giver of gifts but an enemy of all things in middle earth, and I believe his words."

"He is Sauron!" Celebrimbor couldn’t help but add, and stared at directly at the head of the watch, who likely hadn’t recognized him until then. They were all wearing helmets and armor, safe for Adar, who – despite urging from Celebrimbor and the other elves – had refused a helmet. To say that this circumstance was keeping the smith on edge would be putting it mildly.

"Tirithion," Celebrimbor pleaded – he knew this elf, who came from a line of guardsmen and whose forebears had served the house of Feanor. "I know not what he has told you and the others about me, before or after I fled the city, but you do know me – I would never abandon Eregion willingly, not unless I was forced to do so. In your heart, you know this, I am sure of it."

Tirithion looked unsure, now, as he looked at Celebrimbor. He faltered. "M...my lord- I-" He made one last, valiant effort to stand his ground. "That is impossible. He cannot be-"

"Listen to yourself," and this time, it was Adar who had spoken up. Celebrimbor sucked in a breath, and turned towards his husband. The other looked as impatient, nay, angry as Gil-Galad had sounded earlier. "You are arguing with your own lord despite your better judgement. Let me tell you this, too, because I would have had no reason to believe baseless lies – the one in your midst is your enemy, and he is in fact the one who has lied to all of you."

"Your lord speaks the truth. He only wishes to save and protect you. Do not try and turn him away now."

"Open the gates," this was Gil-Galad again. "We will not ask again. I do not wish to besiege my own people, but I also won’t leave Ost-In-Edhil under the enemy’s control one moment longer. It is up to you, now, guard – to decide whether or not there will be bloodshed."

Again, Tirithion hesitated. It was, at last, Adar’s words which began to break his resistance. "Take a look around. The High King of Lindon stands before your city, with his army ready to fight for him. And I have brought mine as well – you cannot possibly hope to resist the force of both. Do not risk your people for some lies."

The guard narrowed his eyes at Adar. "And who are you, then, to so brazenly demand entry, orc?"

The smirk on Adar’s face was audible in his voice. "My name is Adar, Lord Father of the uruk. And I am in an alliance with your High King, for the purpose of driving Sauron from of your city," A pause. "And since he has fled your city, I have become the husband of your Lord Celebrimbor. Therefore, I demand entry not just to his city – but mine."

The guard seemed to finally deflate under the intense scrutiny. "Times must indeed be dire, if the elves and the orcs are willing to attack this city together," the smith heard one of the other guards mutter.

And then, "My lord," the guard was addressing Celebrimbor. "Are you certain that is what you wish? For us to open our doors to a hoard of-"

"Uruk," Celebrimbor interjected before the Tirithion could finish his sentence. He nodded empathically. "Yes, I am certain that I want you to open these gates for my friends and my husband. Please, Tirithion."

A moment of silence, a heavy sigh, and then, "You heard our lord. Open the gates!"

Relief flooded Celebrimbor for a brief moment, even as it was mixed with dread.

The feeling ended up tipping into confusion instead when, as the gates opened and he made to walk into his city, he found an arm blocking his way. When the elf turned to Adar, there was a look of determination on the uruk’s face.

Which was how Celebrimbor came to find out that his friends and his husband had decided that he would not join them in their fight against Sauron. Without consulting him.

"Don’t be absurd!" Celebrimbor wasn’t often indignant, but this certainly felt like the right time for it. "Of course I will."

"No," Adar said. He’d fully turned to Celebrimbor, who stood in a circle of his friends, looking at each of them incredulously. "It is too much of a risk. You are not a fighter. The only outcome for you would be for you to get caught, or worse."

"If he gets his hands on you," Galadriel argued, touching the smith’s shoulder, "Then all of middle earth will be lost. We cannot let that happen."

"This is my city," Celebrimbor seethed. "I have just as much of a right to see this through as any of you. Maybe I am not the commander of the northern armies, but I can wield a sword or a bow just fine. I want to- I need to help."

Gil-Galad spoke up next. "This is not up for discussion."

As Celebrimbor sought out Elrond in the hopes of finding an ally in him at least, the herald squared his jaw and turned his face to the ground. It was clear he wasn’t of the same mind as the others, at least not exactly. But he also wouldn’t argue with his king. "I am sorry, my friend. Their reasoning is sound. You’d be of more use to us behind the frontlines."

When the smith tried to argue once again, he suddenly felt another hand on his shoulder. As he turned back around, Adar was looking at him imploringly. "We need someone to stay behind in case we fail. Someone who can lead both the elves and the uruk to safety, or into an attack, should the rings and the sword not be enough."

Celebrimbor drew a shuddering breath. "That is nonsense. I am not a tactician-"

"I trust you," the smith blinked at those words, momentarily struck mute as Adar stepped closer towards him and grabbed his other shoulder as well. "Unlike any other. Enough that I will place the safety of my children in your hands, for I know you have come to care for them enough to safely guide them away if the worst should come to pass."

It was a sobering confession, and one that threatened to undo the elf’s resistance to the shared decision of the others.

But he feared for them, and he had promised himself especially after whatever had passed between himself and Adar the day before, that he would see to it that none of them perished in this battle. Especially not his husband.

Not before he could- not before he found the words that had failed him the day before.

However, the smith knew further arguing would not help him in that regard. Gil-Galad would forbid him, and his own city guards, his friends and his husband would likely watch him be escorted back to the relative safety of the uruk camp.

He could see Glûg and Gurlak as he peered over Adar’s shoulder. The two were exchanging dubious glances. Glûg, especially, seemed to shoot daggers at the back of his Lord Father’s head with his eyes.

It gave the smith an idea. Daring, yes, but he’d managed to slink his way out of the custody of his own guards before. He’d defied the Deceiver himself, and escaped. He could do it again.

The smith lowered his gaze, struggled with himself – and then affected a slump to his shoulders and a deep sigh, before he looked up again with what he hoped was a convincingly contrite expression. He stared at Adar from beneath his lashes as he said. "I...you are right. I’m sorry."

The other’s expression was too skeptical for his liking, so he laid it on a bit thicker. "You are all right. I am no fighter. I only...I wish I could come with you, to help protect and aid you in your fight. But if you need me to stand down and watch from afar, to make sure our troops can withdraw if worst comes to worst-"

He shuddered as the thought sent a wave of terror through him. He had to fight to get out his next words. "Then I will do that, and I support you this way."

It took a moment, but finally, Adar nodded at him. He squeezed Celebrimbor’s shoulders, and then let one of his hands sink to the elf’s elbow, where he did the same. "I know. You are already helping us – this sword and these rings, they are your doing. Your protection. They are the reason we will win this fight."

Celebrimbor had to bite his lip and nod to hold back his retort, but managed to hide it behind a facade of concern and resignation. "Just promise me you will be careful – all of you. That you will return."

As he looked around himself, they all nodded at his request, but none spoke the promise aloud. It was damning to witness, and again, the smith had to fight to keep his tongue in check.

"Go now," Adar said, and gently pushed the elf in the direction of the forest. "Gurlak! Assemble a group and take Celebrimbor back to the camp."

Then he turned towards her, too. "Listen to his orders. Make sure the others do as well. If anything happens to me- he is my husband. My army is his. He will take care of you and lead you to safety."

Gurlak’s face was completely expressionless, but Celebrimbor guessed that she was as unhappy as he himself felt. "Yes, Lord Father," she simply replied. "Let us hope it won’t be neccessary for him to lead us; no offense intended." The last part was said towards the smith.

"None taken," Celebrimbor answered. He let Adar and Gurlak have their goodbye, and turned to his friends to see them off as well.

"I’m sorry," Elrond whispered to him as they hugged.

"I know."

Finally, the group went to make their way into the city, accompanied by a large group of elves and uruk who were streaming into the city to ensure none of the citizens would interfere in the proceedings. Adar was the last of them, and he turned back to look at Celebrimbor. The elf himself was just getting ready to be walked back to camp.

"Take care," Adar asked him.

"Live," Celebrimbor replied. And then, because he couldn’t help himself. "Come back to me."

Adar seemed to falter for a moment. His face was going through several emotions, too quickly for Celebrimbor to name them, but ultimately caught himself and just said, "I will try."

The elf smiled, sadly, and nodded. It was perhaps the best he could ask for in this moment. Turning his back on the other and asking Gurlak to take him back to the camp felt like the hardest thing he’d ever done, and Celebrimbor felt Adar’s eyes on his back even as the smith and his uruk guardians finally began trudging towards the woods they’d come from.

If a tear slipped Celebrimbor’s eye, and he rubbed it away as he determinedly squared his shoulders, no one but him and Gurlak would have to know.

"Gurlak," he quietly asked her as they walked. She thew him a quizzical look.

"Could we take a slight detour through the forest over there?" He subtly pointed his chin, in case anyone was still watching them.

Her resulting expression was one of confusion, but she nodded. "Sure. Why?"

"Because I got an idea," he willed his face to convey what he did not dare to speak in words, at least not while they were so close to the city still, where someone might overhear.

Judging by her intrigued look, and the raising of her eyebrows, he had managed. "Well. You usually have good ideas," she replied. The smirk that grew on her face was mischievous. "Let’s see where this one takes us."

Despite the circumstances, Celebrimbor felt a small smile steal onto his face in response. He nodded back at the uruk, and allowed for hope to grow in his chest once more.

[autumnslance]

Dawntrail OST - Smile Official Lyrics

(Got my CD today, any transcript errors are mine)

Music: Masayoshi Soken Arrangement: TomoLow, Masayoshi Soken Lyrics: Michael-Christopher Koji-Fox, Phil Bright Lyrical Concept: Natsuko Ishikawa, Tomohiro Kawasaki, Magumi Onozuka Lyric Translation: Natsuko Ishikawa Vocals: AKINO from bless4

-

At the crossroads, standing here Not a star in the sky to guide me tonight Left for lost, and lost in fear Deep in darkness drown my cries

All this pain inside of me Don't know where it starts or when it'll end Try and tame the agony As I close my eyes and scream to the wind

Look around and find I'm standing all alone (Look again, we're standing there) 'Cause the storm has taken everything I've known (Leaving loss you needn't bear) Don't know why I thought I'd make it by myself (After all that we've been through) Out of time, I'm runnin' blind. Can't somebody help? (Know we're always there for you)

Learned so much in life I couldn't understand (Understand we're by your side) Standing tall we'll face tomorrow hand in hand (Mine in yours and yours in mine) Weaving mem'ries, through the warp and weft we wend (This, our tale, a tapestry) Never losin' sight of everywhere that we've been (And everywhere we're gonna be)

In lightning's wake did naught but ash remain Yet with the rain, does life's song ring again O'er ancient forests, out beyond the plains It carries on, we'll carry on, whoa

So smile and let the rainbow sing (Red and yellow, blue and green) Alive with everything it brings (Laughter, peace, and harmony) We walk a neverending trail (In our hearts, we carry hence) One love, no, it shall never pale (This is our inheritance)

I turn around and what do I see? (Turn around and there we'll be) A light that guides our way to the key (Do you still remember me?) A silent flame that burns ever bright (What you've lost you won't forget) To see us forward out of the night ('Til tomorrow comes and then…)

Tight! Seize the day and hold on tight The sun is risin' Life, take it slow and take a bite

So high, on the dawn we set our sights A new horizon Fly, ever forward, starry-eyed

Hold tight, this land we call our home (Built upon a common dream) We fight to never let it go (Arm-in-arm, we still believe) Of fire, we have not seen the last (And the storm on which it rides) We'll rise again once it has passed (All for one, we march in stride)

And if you think you're ready to fly (I'll lift you up and carry you) We'll spread our wings and take to the sky (There is nothing we can't do) Come wipe away the tears in your eyes (What we've lost we won't forget) Together for the rest of our lives ('til tomorrow comes and then…)

The path ahead is steep And from the heavens the gods shall grant no relief Still we go on, we carry on, oh Never can we stop Never can we stop

Here come together, this land we'll defend Now and forever, for we won't end

[glorious-sunset]

LBFAD is the most inspiring series I have ever watched and here is why…

Although Love Between Fairy and Devil (LBFAD) only caught my eye on Netflix in December 2023, I’m so glad it did and that I didn’t miss out on this stunning and thought-provoking masterpiece. It is the most inspiring series I have ever watched for many reasons. Aesthetically, I found the beautiful 4K production quality as enjoyable as high-budget productions such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. I frequently felt the need to pause and admire the well-designed sets, and exquisitely detailed costumes of even minor characters. The acting is superb across the board, and the leads act and respond very naturally to each other. The long hair of male characters is especially well-done, falling naturally with subtle highlights and looks real. All these details breathe life into this fantasy world and make it very realistic.

Every line of each song from the phenomenal OST is brimming with hidden meanings related to the series, adding lots of additional context! The artwork created for the opening and ending sequences is also full of meaning (minor spoilers ahead). Take, for example, the last picture where the OTP are sitting on a boat in the Oblivion River, the junction between their two tribes, the male lead has removed his crown and hence his responsibilities at least for the moment, and they are watching the sunrise together for the rest of eternity after the close of the series (sigh!)

Every single character of note in the series goes through profound character growth, the only exception being the abstract ultimate villain Taisui. Even the secondary villains and dictator of Shuiyuntian have grown and changed their perceptions by the end. It made me believe that anyone is capable of opening their minds and bettering themselves. Both lead and side characters are repeatedly faced with overwhelmingly bleak choices and heartbreaking challenges, especially in the last ten episodes. Yet every time, they show courage, sacrifice and selfless love that is amazing and very inspiring.

It is rare to find this kind of poignance in any production. I used to find Game of Thrones inspiring due to Daenerys freeing the world of slavery…until Season 8 happened. LBFAD tops Game of Thrones in this regard by freeing two distinct realms from conflict. The actions of the OTP break through a hundred millenia of mutual hatred and relentless conflict between their people with no end in sight, to create a new dawn of lasting peace. LBFAD reminds me of Lord of the Rings in terms of its cinematographic beauty and themes of never losing hope and prevailing over overwhelming odds. However, the stronger focus of LBFAD on the lead couple’s development and on creating multidimensional villains and side characters made it, for me, more engaging to watch.

The world-building and depth of characters has many layers in LBFAD, to the extent that much of the context was clear to me only in retrospect on rewatching the series and on deep reflection. The fast pace of the series also means that a lot of action occurs off-screen in between scenes. There are no filler scenes, there is no room for them. Every scene adds new plot twists and depth to characters, making the series highly addictive.

I am not a native mandarin speaker, and came to realise how beautiful the language is only on encountering LBFAD and its OST. It inspired me to learn mandarin, which makes rewatching the series highly enjoyable as I am able to pick up new nuances. I’m embarrassed to be late to watch LBFAD after its release in August 2022, but have thoroughly enjoyed the posts on Tumblr from fellow fans, including enthralling artwork, meta and links to fanfiction. It has encouraged me to post on Tumblr myself. I have started to post my interpretations of artwork, mandarin names, xianxia concepts, and story-format reflections on each episode. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful community!

Links to some of my other LBFAD articles:

Character Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

Location Names in LBFAD - Meaning and Significance

LBFAD Opening Artwork - Hidden Meanings

Here is a link to my episode 1 review (contains spoilers). All of my LBFAD articles and episode reviews can be viewed with the tag #lbfad reflections (hyperlinked) and the table of contents to these is here.

[ur-l]

The lyrics for Polish (Polski) are actually:

Royal i Rebel

I idź i uwierz w siebie

Lub leć jak ptak po niebie (To twój czas Ever After High)

To Ever After High

The () is in the background tho, starts during the 3rd verse, and ends along with 4th

EAH FANS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD, I NEED YOUR HELP! I’m trying to collect the full lyrics of this Ever After High Theme Song multilanguage.

The missing parts are:

- Latin Spanish (Espanol) - Finnish (Suomi) - Danish (Dansk) - Norwegian (Norsk) - Swedish (Svensk) - Mandarin (*) - Hungarian (Magyar) - German (Deutsch) - Polsh (Ploski) I got lyrics but I’m not sure if there are right. - Dutch (Nederlands)

…………………………………… LYRICS ………………………………………….

English: They told you everything was waiting for you They told you everything was set in stone

Latin Spanish (Espanol): (…)

Finnish (Suomi): (…)

Italian (Italiano): Per noi, tu sei speciale E poi in fondo è uguale Ribelle o Reale Alla Ever After High

Danish (Dansk): (…)

Portuguese (Português): Ooooooh… Tens os dados? Vais lançar, É o teu jogo! Hoje és tu que fazes o teu trilho! Reis e Rainhas a estrada iluminam, Só precisas é do teu brilho.

Norwegian (Norsk): (…)

Bahasa Malaysian (Melayu): Kehidupan, teruskan Ke depan, kenangan…

Swedish (Svensk): (…)

French (Français): Qu'on soit Royal ou Rebel, La vraie vie qui nous appelle Nous donne des ailes À Ever After High!

Mandarin (*): (…)

Hungarian (Magyar): (…)

German (Deutsch): (…)

Polsh (Ploski): (Not sure if there are the right lyrics) Royals i Rebelsów Idz i uwierz w siebie I lec jak ptak po niebie To Ever After High!

Castilian Spanish (Castellano): Real, Rebelde Tú eres quien elige Tu vida y tu destino En Ever After High

Dutch (Nederlands): (…)

 - THE END - 

[themalhambird]

@malkaleh Disa, a few weeks after "learning" of Celebrimbor and Elrond's apparent deaths. CW for some blunt description of what Sauron has done/is likely to do with the corpses of politically important elves.

***

Disa does not believe it.

This isn't the desperate refusal to believe that heralds the first real wave of grief. No. This is carefully considered- for she had believed it, at first, she had felt the crushing tide of loss and sorrow these past few weeks but- but.

It does not make sense.

Not that she thinks Sauron is above senseless killing, but the story goes thus:

Mirdania fleeing Ost-in-Edhil, taking his rings, his life's work with her, had led Lord Celebrimbor to despair and die. It was already too late when the High King sent Elrond and Galadriel to try and rescue the Lord of Eregion, and so Elrond was captured and died for nothing.

Alright.

The thing is, that's not quite what happened with Mirdania is it? Celebrimbor gave her the rings and told her to run, to get to Lindon for help. He had given her, besides the rings, the authority to act for Eregion in his stead, and a memento of her flourishing skill. Disa is a princess. She understands the importance of heirs, of regents, of contingency. Lord Celebrimbor would have known that the likeliest consequence of remaining in the city, having defied Sauron and intending to defy him still, would be his own end- it was wise to prepare for that eventuality.

But that defiance doesn't square with an ending where he just fades away and dies because Mirdania did what Celebrimbor himself asked of her. Disa is a parent. If she had sent one of her children away on a dangerous task that was, nevertheless, also the surest way of getting them to safety, she would be fighting like hell for every last breath in the hopes of hearing something-anything- that confirmed she'd made the right choice.

So if- IF Lord Celebrimbor died, it wasn't in the manner Sauron wants them to believe. And the manner Sauron wants them to believe he died in seems to be calculated to cause the most amount of pain to those left behind.

And if he wants to cause pain, the question becomes- where is Celebrimbor's body?

Sauron sent the corpse of Galadriel's brother, perfectly preserved, from his thrice cursed tower to the elves in Doriath. To hurt, to sow division- because Celebrimbor's father and uncles had been involved somehow, Disa doesn't recall the details. If Sauron has Celebrimbor's body, why not send it as proof of his death? Destroy any possibility of hope, stamp his victory over the High Elves with the mangled remains of the Line of Fëonor...why not? It's what Sauron would do.

Unless he didn't have a body to do it with.

Now, Elrond- Disa does not let herself examine the case of Elrond too closely. He is dear to her, as dear as her husband and children and if she had ever had a brother then Elrond would be dear as he and there- there Disa thinks it might be the desperation of grief clouding her judgement, because a world without Elrond is as awful a thing as Khazad-dûm without light. She only thinks, again, that it is odd to have neither recovered nor to have been sent a body. And thinks on the fact that the Lady Galadriel was with him. And of the Lady Galadriel there has been no news- and if Elrond had died, there would be news. Either whatever had killed Elrond had had to get through her first, in which case Sauron would also be gloating about that. Or she had seen Elrond fall but escaped herself, in which case her Wrath would be written all over Mordor in fire and the blood of orcs. But there is nothing. And though Disa will not yet allow herself to properly hope, she will allow herself to wonder- and should any of the enemy's forces be taken prisoner, she decides that she will be sure to speak to them herself.

[magistralucis]

2025 Translation Tuesday Entry - 08/52 Title: Князь Тишины (The Knyaz'/Prince of Silence) Artist: Наутилус Помпилиус (Nautilus Pompilius) Album: Невидимка (The Invisible, 1985)

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

По лунному свету блуждаю, посвистывая (Under the moonlight I roam, whistling,) Но только оглядываться мы не должны (But we must not look back around.) Идёт, идёт, идёт вслед за мной (He comes, he comes, he comes, following behind me,) Вышиной в десять сажень добрейший князь (Standing ten sazhens* tall, the kindest of princes,) Князь тишины (The prince of silence) Добрейший князь — Князь тишины (The kindest of princes, the prince of silence.)

Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence,) Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence,) Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence,) Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence.)

И горе мне, если впал я в безмолвие (And woe is me, if I should fall silent,) Или уставился на лик луны (Or gaze up at the moon's visage.) Стон, треск — стон, треск, (A groan, a crash - a groan, and a crash,) Растоптал бы меня, (He would crush me,) Растоптал моментально, добрейший князь (Crush me in an instant, the kindest of princes,) Князь тишины (The prince of silence) Добрейший князь — Князь тишины (The kindest of princes, the prince of silence.)

Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence,) Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence,) Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence,) Мой князь, Князь тишины (My prince, the prince of silence.)

*. - A sazhen (сажень) is an old unit of measurement, roughly 2.1m or 7 feet.

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

Ah, good old Нау (Nau)! 🥰 If you have any knowledge of Russia in the 80s-90s, chances are very high you know this band, or have been exposed to their music (perhaps without you knowing it). If you've ever watched Брат (Brother, 1997) you immediately know what's up, since part of the protagonist's story involves tracking down an album from this band, and their songs form most of the film's OST.

Established in 1982 by Vyacheslav Butusov and Dmitry Umetsky (both born in 1961), Наутилус Помпилиус (Nautilus Pompilius) cut a blaze through the most productive years of late-Soviet rock. They went from self-publishing their first albums underground at the beginning of the 80s to reaching the height of their popularity by the end of the decade - even after their disbandment in 1997, owing to creative differences between the musicians of the band, they remain legendary to this way. They've had several reunions since then, and Butusov retains a solo career.

But today's commentary isn't about the band's history. This version of 'Князь тишины' isn't actually what most people recall when they hear the title. The version released four years later is much more famous, and serves as the title of their 1989 album:

The lyrics are same across both versions. The overall structure of the song is, too, even though the 1989 version is clearly more polished and the 1985 version is more... janky, I suppose? 😬 It couldn't be any other way, since in 1985 Nautilus Pompilius was playing in small festivals and had just settled into their sound, whereas the recording of Князь Тишины (1989) marked the first time the band had ever been in a professional recording studio.

But this song was cooking for a long time before any of that. In 1982 Butusov 'accidentally' came across an anthology of 17-19th century Hungarian poetry. He adapted some material from it into the earlier albums, but one particular poem grabbed his attention: 'In Front of Good Prince Silence' by Endre Ady. I append the original Hungarian text and the English translation below, sourced from this page here:

Jó Csönd-herceg előtt

Holdfény alatt járom az erdőt. Vacog a fogam s fütyörészek. Hátam mögött jön tíz-öles Jó Csönd-herceg És jaj nekem, ha visszanézek.

Óh, jaj nekem, ha elnémulnék, Vagy fölbámulnék, föl a Holdra: Egy jajgatás, egy roppanás. Jó Csönd-herceg Nagyot lépne és eltiporna.

In Front of Good Prince Silence

Through my chattering teeth I whistle, Walking the woods on a moonlit track. Sixty foot tall, looming behind me, Good Prince Silence Follows and woe if I dare look back

Woe is me if I ceased my whistling, Or I stared at the moon, even tried: Sound of a wail and a snap - and - Good Prince Silence Would trample me down with a stride.

Everything in the poem made it directly through to 'Князь тишины'. I think it's the only song with the anthology's material where that happened. Butusov was clearly deeply taken with the existential weight of the poem, interpreting the figure of Prince Silence on one occasion as Jesus Christ. Apparently this is his favourite song from the NP repertoire; right now, I still prefer their nineties stuff a little more, but I admit 'Князь тишины' and their earliest work have grown on me since I began this project.

I'm one of the people who prefers the 1985 version, too. The vocal quality isn't the best, true, but I think the roughness of the instrumentation goes perfectly with the lyrics. It adds a note of imposing dread to the figure of Prince Silence, which is in line with Endre Ady's own comment on the matter:

"The good Prince Silence is not a wicked prince; it is the greatest power, and I was thinking not only of when you go alone by night and frighten off the terrible, fearsome silence, but also that it would be all up with me if ever in my life I allowed a silence dreader than Death to descend upon me." (Endre Ady, 1910)

[razielim]

Razielim's Playlist Recs

For focus, entertainment, and relaxing.

✍🏼 For writing: Assassin's Creed II OST. No spoken words to fuck up your writing process; immaculate vibes. (Side note: Venice Escape is one of my favorite pieces of music ever. Perfection.)

🎨 For painting: Assassin's Creed II ambience: collecting treasure chests OR walking around Florence. The first one has a lot more chaos/action happening, the second one is more peaceful/predictable. Both can be helpful for focusing, depending on the mind's current state.

🎨 For painting: Assassin's Creed IV sea shanties + ambiance. Works best when you're working on rendering something very dull but necessary, especially if you know the words well enough to sing along. Y'know, the way this music form was initially intended to be experienced, just with less rope burns.

☔ For progress: Zelda lofi + thunderstorm. When it's raining and you need just a little bit more energy to get through working on your fic or art, this is great. Also good wind-down music when you want to listen to something intense enough to not be boring, but not stimulating enough to stay up another five hours.

📚 For reading: Classical piano + thunderstorm. Whether it's actually raining outside or just very grey and you'd like to pretend it's raining, this collection of classical pieces just can't be beat for curling up with a good book/fic during overcast weather.

🥘 For cooking: Now We're Cooking. It's got everything. A fuzzy weather report, some classic Peter Parker humor, and just really good music. Put this on repeat, don an apron, perhaps pour a glass of wine, and meal prep flies by.

☕ For mornings: Sunday Joyride. The music-lover's lofi. No mid, half-formed notions of "relaxation aesthetic" here. It starts humorous and goes hard on enjoyable, varied mixes. Funky, groovy, fun. Perfect for a morning drive to the grocery store or cafe on those days when you wake up feeling good and intend to ride that high for as long as possible.

🎃 For October: Dark lofi Halloween mix. This ain't your grandma's chill lofi beats with a Halloweeny picture slapped over it. A malicious mix boasting a legitimately spooky soundscape, it samples Junji Ito, Lovecraft, and other unsettling storytelling. Put this on while going for a long walk after dark to properly get you in the spirit, only to never return or be heard from ever again.

🍂 For autumn: Vintage, autumn, jazz. Great stuff. For sunny walks, overcast windy walks, drinking bourbon and cider, curling up under a blanket, scrapbooking and doodling. You'll find yourself singing these on your own before long, whenever the air is particularly crisp or when wistful moods strike up.

🌱 For relaxing: Chill songs. Great on slow walks with boba when the weather is perfect, or for soaking in the tub or in the sun. I don't like relaxing, but I'll drop everything and relax if this is playing.

[twinklingwatermellon]

ELLY'S TOP TEN K-DRAMAS (with songs to match!)

(an updated version of this post can be found here)

10. Would You Like A Cup of Coffee? (2021)

Centers around Kang Go-bi and the regulars of 2Dae Coffee. Coziest show ever.

Song for this drama: Slow Down

9. Our Beloved Summer (2022)

Former high school/college sweethearts Ung and Yeon-su are brought back together by work five years after breaking up. My favorite OST!

Song for this drama: skinny dipping

8. The Matchmakers (2023)

A royal decree to marry off old maidens forces uptight prince Gyeongwoonjae and professional matchmaker Soon Deok to join forces. Prettiest show you've ever seen.

Song for this drama: Caught In A Blue

7. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Woo Young-Woo navigates her career, life changes, and love as a rookie at Hanbada Law Firm and a woman on the autism spectrum. Young-Woo is a darling, and her boy is the greenest flag ever.

Song for this drama: pov

6. Familiar Wife (2018)

A married couple who have fallen out of love get to see each other in a new light after the husband, Ju-hyeok, goes back in time and changes their history. You've never rooted this hard for such an infuriating man.

Song for this drama: No One Knows

5. Castaway Diva (2023)

After 15 years stranded on a desert island, Seo Mok-ha pursues her dream of becoming a singer while searching for the boy who helped her escape her abusive father. Despite the horrors, this show will make you believe there is good in the world.

Song for this drama: Sweet Chamomile

4. Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021)

Yoon Hye-jin moves to a seaside town to open a dental clinic and finds the home she always wanted amidst its colorful residents. So funny and the male lead is basically the perfect man.

Song for this drama: Apple Pie

3. Crash Landing On You (2019-2020)

After a freak accident lands her in North Korea, Yoon Se-ri must rely on the soldier who saved her life in order to survive, stay hidden, and get back to South Korea. Rips you apart in the best possible way.

Song for this drama: If I Never Knew You

2. Live Up To Your Name (2017)

Renowned acupuncturist Heo Im falls 400 years through time and lands in Seoul, where his life and fate intertwine with cardiac surgeon Choi Yeon Kyung. Beautiful, unmatched chemistry.

Song for this drama: epiphany

1. Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Ha Eun Gyeol is mysteriously sent back in time, where he meets his parents as teenagers and discovers he didn't know as much about them as he thought he did. Peak family feels, peak soft couple, and peak enemies to lovers.

Song for this drama: Long Live

[ebbsea]

finished datv - this is pretty long, oops

[shoutout to bystander ghostzzy who witnessed the hit and run that was this game.]

well. the game felt without teeth, no bite. datv was wrought by a long dev-cycle, a slew of firings, and several rewrites, but i put cynicism aside because i genuinely wanted to give it a chance. unfortunately, it started going downhill pretty quickly from there.

i want to be fair, so i will start with my personal positives:

-robust character customization

-the locations were very beautiful, there were times where i just wanted to stop and soak up the visuals

-the actual gameplay was very fluid and quick, and the rhythm once you find it was fun 

-i liked the solas memories, and some more insights into felassan

-i liked that your character could be explicitly trans, but it was so jarring to hear the words trans and non-binary in this setting. i think they did it so there would be no room for plausible deniability, but it still felt so out of place. we understood what it meant when dorian said he preferred the company of other men instead of using more modern terminology. also if someone misgendered me and started doing pushups i would feel so embarrassed for them.

-there were moments where i did feel endeared to characters, even if briefly

now onto the stickier points.

i can not get over the lack of worldstates. it also puts such a sour taste in my mouth that they waited so long to announce there wouldn't be any. it gives veilguard the feeling of being grafted on.

pacing was weird, companion quest beats were at times out of place. some moments did not feel adequately built up or often had us going "that's it?"

man, oh man, do i miss trevor morris' touch. years later i still listen to the dai ost for drawing or walking/biking, and i just do not feel the same compulsion for datv's score.

the chantry has always been a presence in these games, and they're just gone. they were practically breathing down your neck in games previous - where are they now?

i was expecting to be able to go to minrathous' "high town" so to speak. we don't see any slaves or any other magisters. we don't see the black divine. it feels like they were afraid to broach the subject. after years of talking up how corrupt and hard it is to navigate tevinter life, it's disappointing to not see it. additionally it was disappointing to not explore an actual rivaini city.

major lore reveals were treated with such a blase attitude. perhaps it is the ten years of anticipation, but the way it was presented was done so quickly and no one seemed to have much of a reaction.

i hated the waves of faceless enemies that were just evil for the sake of evil. the evanuris’ motivations just didn’t feel compelling. power for the sake of power, and nothing else. was also deeply disappointed in the lack of dread wolf elven movement and the cutting of espionage plots. wish we saw more groups aligning themselves with him, even if he was only just using them. it would have been interesting interacting with an antagonistic group that wasn't outright evil.

choices (or lack thereof)

i sure wish we had the ability to make more difficult choices throughout the game and to have to carry the weight of them. seeing the ruined base and the aftermath of a dragon attack was neat, but the decision itself felt hollow. having to wait until the point of no return to get anymore just made the lack of meaningful decisions before then more obvious.

izzy asked one of the best questions ever. why is rook in charge?

the other protagonists of the dragon age games were very clearly thrust into their role. there's a blight, a betrayal, and the warden and alistair are the only ones who can do something about it. da2 didn't have world ending stakes, but we were clearly following hawke and their contained story. the inquisitor has the anchor and many eyes on them. i think they wanted rook to be just some guy, but it just feels so strange. can't get past the why them feeling.

the game tries to posture rook and solas as equals, a mirror unto the other, but i didn't feel it. other than the faction blurb we start off with, rook is not given any other difficult decisions in which sacrifice is incurred (minrathous/treviso doesn't feel earned to me). the narrative is constantly reminding us that solas got his hands dirty in the pursuit of a goal, doing whatever it takes by any means necessary to achieve it. you would think they would give us more opportunities to make more challenging decisions.

the factions could have been more morally dubious, instead of this weird conflict-free sheen they all have. they all get the sparkling-eyed-rebel retcon. it feels like they’re trying to recapture the vibe of origins, but it shakes out differently. origins gives you the context of your character’s place in the world, and veilguard doesn't. there is no meaningful change we could make within the factions themselves. they feel redundant.

i like decisions where you really have to chew on what’s being offered to you. it doesn’t have to be between being a perfect angel and the mustache-twirlingly evil option. i didn't mind the minrathous v. treviso decision in theory, but it felt too soon. too uneven. 

that in turn makes the replayability factor questionable as well. where are the major differences in choices? games previous you could play fully-fleshed out characters with enough variance to be distinct from each other. rook is just rook. no matter how you shake it. 

companions

the found-family dynamic feels inauthentic, more forced-family. many moments of sentimentality/opening up feel completely unearned. it takes the fun out of getting to know the companions when they are ready to spill their hearts out from jump. i do miss that we can't be blunt or just sometimes outright mean to our companions or the world at large.

grossly lacking in character reactivity. part of the fun of dragon age is being presented with a choice, and experiencing your companions' various povs. even those who you get along with may have wildly different ideas and philosophies than you do. 

there is no way you could miss out on any companions, just refuse to recruit them, get them kicked out, or have them leave autonomously. no one challenges you or your world view, and you can’t really do the same back. the companion quests got tedious after a certain point, and it quickly got exhausting when the bulk of them devolved into rook playing therapist. negatively impacting your companions isn’t something you do by choice, it’s only something that occurs with inaction. which, in a what's-supposed-to-be a choice-driven rpg, is a pretty boring way to negatively affect your companions’ stories.

maybe it’s misplaced nostalgia, but dao-dai companions were so human. sometimes their worldviews clashed with each other or your pc's, or they made terrible mistakes, and you had to decide whether or not you would stand by them or turn away from them. they had a choice to stand by or turn away from you.

in datv there is little friction.  there is no human complexity. it’s impossible to get on anyone's bad side. they are seemingly always agreeable. they don't have uncomfortable or ugly facets to them. they don't feel like real people with their own sense of right and wrong. but we also don't have many situations where their values can be challenged. and what are the consequences? slower level ups? 

taash's personal questline bothered me so bad. when a character's whole arc is about how they want to escape the binarism of gender, it comes off pretty condescending when, in practically the same breath, you enforce a binary choice on their culture. the choice between qun vs. rivaini comes off even more insidious when the qunari have been explicitly referred to as "islamic borg." it's implied that the non-qun choice is the "better" option. to have that juxtaposed side by side makes it that much more insulting. people have been critiquing the depiction of the qunari for over a decade at this point, so it's disheartening that they haven't paid attention to that criticism, to say the least.

lucanis. the world's softest beige-est pillow. he probably suffers the worst from flanderization - i started getting irritated with him and all his cafelitos. i expected spite to be a much more challenging character, but really it just felt like making sure the kid you’re babysitting doesn’t run out into the street. 

i think the climax of emmrich's questline was the first character specific decision i actually really liked. i liked that neither choice was the "wrong" choice, if that makes sense. it reminded me of the cole spirit/human decision in inquisition.

neve's character arc felt thrown together, kind of meandering around a crooked line. i really like how dry she is and how hesitant she is to let go of the worst case scenario. but she she feels like an afterthought to the devs. playing with a hardened neve did not feel particularly different than when we met her earlier.

with bellara i could feel my interest diminishing as soon as her baby brother was revealed to be alive. as soon as cyrian's reintroduced, it becomes more about him than her. would have been cool to see her struggle with the choice instead of him. i kept seeing ghosts of merrill whenever i had her around.

davrin was the character that felt most dragon age to me. additionally he was probably the only one that felt like we were hanging out and connecting vs. being the team's in house therapist. that being said, it did get tedious having to go walk his puppydogbird so often. i wish we had more chances to talk to him about him though. he went into weisshaupt fully ready to die, and the conversation following that felt so lackluster. like we had to hurry up and pivot back to assan.

harding feels like she regressed maturity-wise. i do like how we get some dwarf-specific content, and some more titan info, but overall it felt like something was missing. also at the back end of her questline, she shares titan-visions with the kal-sharok dwarves, and playing as a dwarven rook had me sitting there like. i would also like to see it. hello.

i think my overall issue with the companion quests this time round is how passive they feel. it feels weird that rook has the final say-so in their lives. many of their personal quests don't connect to the main issue at hand, which, when we are supposedly at the behest of a ticking clock, messes with the sense of urgency. i like the companions well enough, they just don't quite itch my brain. it could be a matter of needing more time to think on them, but this is based off first impressions.

the varric twist was goofy. we kept saying he should have died on those stairs and i guess he did but huh. he never left the room, and we immediately attributed it to bad writing instead of hinting towards a twist. we just assumed they only wanted to pay brian bloom for a day's work and didn't bother to record enough lines for him. easy to dismiss as a cheap nostalgia grab, especially when the other cameos (isabela, morrigan, dorian) illicted the same feeling of seeing those folks in cheap mascot suits.

my only real hope for this game was that it would tie up the story in a neat bow. that we would have satisfying closure before moving on - from dragon age altogether or perhaps to a different era in thedas. but with what we were given, i don't know. classic gnawing feeling of is that all? i did start off feeling very hopeful, and there were moments that did shine through to me, but eh. eh. /minor pet peeve but i don't like the trend of always upping the stakes for each installment (if i get into the executors i will simply pass away).

i don't know what would have fixed this game. it's clear from the info in the artbook that they really wanted to do more. and the waves of firings, and having to pivot so many times came at the expense of the quality of the story. headcanons can only carry you so far. when you have to fill in all of the empty gaps with your own load-bearing headcanons, there is a problem. it’s fun to extrapolate on what’s there, but it feels hollow in this instance. i have always had nitpicks with certain details of the dragon age world, but this game really knocked the wind out of my sails. i'm not looking forward to what comes next. maybe i just need time to let it all marinate, but my gut says no.

i still have a lot of love in my heart for dragon age. but still.

overall disappointing.