#had to look through the ost to find a track I liked (I picked Welcome Home)

[kakyogay]

funny computer virus

[audio referencing this video]

[nat-20s]

Part 5 of Wonderful! Au. *boyband voice* banter’s back alright!

Also on AO3

~*~

Jon: Hello everyone, and welcome back to our regular format. If my husband being horribly soppy-

Martin:-hey!-

Jon: -turned you off the how, this should be a refreshing return to formula, though I can’t guarantee there won’t be further horrible soppiness-

Martin, performatively under his breath: -most people thought it was charming-

Jon: -as that tends to happen when one is recording with the love of their life. If last week’s episode is the only one that you like, too bad, I’m back in full form, and should be at least through the rest of the season.

Martin: This show doesn’t have seasons? Due to the whole lack of a narrative thing?

Jon: I was referring to spring.

Martin: Oh, right.

[A beat passes.]

Martin, flatly: Oh. Great goof hon.

Jon, smug: Thank you.

Jon, sincere: Also, before we get properly started, I did want to actually thank everyone who sent well wishes.

M artin: Yes! We got positively inundated with lovely messages, it definitely brightened both of our days. I would even say it was wonderful.

[Jon groans.]

Jon: I am..not proud of the energy we’ve created for this episode so far, and we haven’t even hit the small wonders. Speaking of, do you have a small wonder this week?

Martin: Mine’s bad action movies.

Jon: Really? I had no idea you even liked them, let alone consider them wonderful.

Martin: Okay, so, saying I like them is a bit of a misnomer? It’s more that I like what they can do more than the movies themselves?

Jon: Elaborate?

Martin: It probably comes as a surprise to no one that I’ve tried my hand at a fair amount of mindfulness and mediation techniques. I’ve found poetry and journaling have been helpful for actually processing life events and whatnot, but when it comes to giving your brain a hard wipe and reset, nothing is half as quick and effective as a shitty shoot-em-up. Somethings about 2 hours of cartoonish, pg-13 violence held together with the absolute loosest of plots brings me to a state of mental blankness that would make a monk jealous.

Jon: How have I never witnessed you doing this? When are you sneaking off to go see Micheal Tarantino or who ever films?

M artin: That’s definitely not the right name.

Jon: Martin, dear, I don’t care. And you’re dodging the question.

Martin, fond: I’m not dodging anything. Since apparently we’re getting into it, you haven’t caught me cavorting with a movie involving more explosions than character development lately because I haven’t been. Haven’t needed it, in recent years. Turns out when you’re not crushingly lonely and working a literal nightmare of job, there’s less of a drive to try and escape your own thoughts. Shocker, I know. Still, to anyone out there that feels like their brain is on fire, go try watching a fast and furious. Any of ‘em, it doesn’t matter. Or even better, Chronicles of Riddick. I can’t remember a single goddamn detail of that movie, which makes it perfect for what I’m talking about.

Jon: I have the strong feeling that th is is a “mileage may vary” scenario.

Martin: Well, yeah, that’s this whole podcast. Plus, I imagine that movies like this would cause more stress to someone who cares about, say, world-building or rules consistency.

Jon: I wonder who you could possibly be referring to.

Martin: It’s a purely hypothetical person, love, don’t worry about it. Any small wonders?

Jon: Yes! Particularly relevant to the last week, my small wonder is stripping the sheets from your bed when it’s been too long between washes.

Martin: How very specific. M ost people would just say ‘clean sheets’.

Jon: Well, for one, I’m fairly certain that we’ve already covered clean sheets-

Martin: Shit, have we? Thank god other people keep track of this, otherwise this show would be unbearably repetitive.

Jon: Christ, yes. I typically check the website a good three times while prepping, and every about one out of those three times I find I’m trying to do an topic we did 30 episodes again. Anyway, um, it’s just nice, I think. When you’ve been too busy or sick or away for awhile, tossing the sheets in the wash makes a room instantly seem nicer. Of all the chores out there, this one, at least for me, has the highest reward to effort ratio.

Martin: Hard agree. Especially when the y have that slight funk of having been around to long, getting rid of that is such a relief. Speaking of, we need to change our sheets soon.

Jon: We can do it after the episode. Who goes first this week?

Martin: Considering last week was only me talking, I’m gonna say it’s you.

Jon: Alright, then. My first thing this week is Martin K. Blackwood.

Martin: Absolutely not!

Jon: Oh, you can do a whole episode on me, but I can’t do one little segment on my husband, whom I love very dearly?

Martin: Not while I’m sat here, no!

Jon: So you’re saying you don’t want me to tell the internet that your resolve to be kind even in the face of indescribable cruelty is one of the mot breathtaking things I’ve ever witnessed, or how I find it incredibly endearing when you get so emotional that your voice comes out as a squeak, or even that, on a more base level, you’re very physically attractive, and I could lose entire days thinking about your arms alone?

Martin, audibly blushing, voice the aforementioned squeak: Oh my god, Jon!

Jon, laughing: Then it’s probably for the best that my actual first thing is best friends.

Martin, peaking the audio levels: Oh you absolute bastard! Do you enjoy this? Do you get some sort of perverse sense of entertainment from riling me up?

Jon: Oh, don’t you start. As if you’re not as bad as I am. Maybe even worse.

Martin: That’s not…

Jon: Yes?

Martin: Okay. Maybe it’s slightly true. Really, what is romance for if not flustering your partner with compliments?

Jon, teasing: I certainly can’t think of anything.

Martin: Hush, you.

Jon: No, I don’t think I will.

Martin: Fine. I suppose you can tell our delightful audience about the power of friendship or whatever.

Jon: I would’ve assumed more enthusiasm, considering this segment is still, indirectly, about you.

Martin: In what way?

Jon: In the way that, to the shock of all, you’re my best friend.

Martin, pleased: Oh, is that what I am?

Jon, exasperated: Yes, dearest husband, I wouldn’t have married you otherwise. Though, upon reflection, I knew you were my best friend before I knew I held romantic feelings for you.

Martin: When was that?

Jon, letting out a breath that vibrates his lips: God it was...2016? I think it might’ve literally been the day after you told me about your CV.

Martin: That early? Huh. I wonder if that’s what people were picking up when they said they we were close.

Jon: What people?

Martin: I don’t know specifically, that’s just what Daisy told me.

Jon: Daisy? When the hell-?

Martin: It...was when she was interrogating me? And, because sometimes I have to be a parody of myself, pretty much my only take away from that interrogation was “people think me and Jon are close”.

Jon: Well then. It’s not like they were wrong.

Martin, smug: No, no they weren’t.

Martin, sincere: And you’re my best friend, too.

Jon: I was certainly hoping that you’re in this relationship for more than my good looks and incredible fortune, both in the monetary and luck sense.

Martin: You say that as if you aren’t good looking, which we all know is patently untrue.

Jon: You’re biased. You’d say I was good looking if I were nothing more than some primordial ooze with thoughts about its station.

Martin: I’m being completely objective. If you were primordial ooze with thoughts above its station, you’d be the cutest ooze of them all. That’s just scientific fact.

Jon: I’m starting to think we might be insufferable.

Martin: Starting to? Might be?

Jon:…

[Jon clears his throat]

Jon: What I find wonderful about the concept of best friends is, to me, they’re the closest thing real life has to soulmates. I don’t personally believe that there’s some..grand mystic force that drives people to be tied together in the manner that narrative typical soulmates are, and if there was I don’t think it would necessarily be the kind of emotional, heartfelt bond one would hope for, but I do believe that there’s individuals that get to know one another, and because of that knowledge, they chose to stick with one another. It doesn’t have to be a romantic, which is why I say best friend rather than specifically ‘spouse’, but I would argue that the basis of a strong romance like you and I have, is very much rooted in that connection. A true best friendship is an equal partnership, and there’s a sense of..matched sensibilities and understanding that can be utterly incandescent when it happens.

I also think that having one or more best friends makes living life on a day to day basis both better and just flat easier. The dark times aren’t as dark, and the bright times shine even more. I know from my own personal experience there are events that I..that I don’t know how I would’ve made it through without you. Hell, last week my..recovery period would’ve taken much longer if you hadn’t been there.

It’s an amazing thing to have someone to share things with, both triumphs and burdens. Um, also, according to Dictionary.com, the term best friends in English has been around since the 1200s. Something about that delights me, like, yes, we’ve had this casual way of referring to a Favorite Person for roughly 800 years. That makes it a hold-out from early Middle English. I dunno, it’s one of those things that make me feel overall very charmed by humanity.

Martin, audibly smiling: No, yeah, hard agree.

Jon: What’s that look for?

Martin: Nothing. Just. I love you a whole lot, you know that?

Jon, voice soft: I may have heard you say that once or twice. Per hour.

Martin: Only that often? I really need to be more diligent about that.

[There’s a bet of silence, presumably where they’re making doe eyes at each other.]

Jon: What’s your first thing?

Martin: Oh, um, right. Rats!

Jon: The expression or the animal?

Martin: Jon, have you ever once heard me say “rats” as an expression? Obviously I’m referring to the animal.

Jon: Ah. Should’ve known, considering that what, a third?, of all your segments have been on animals.

Martin: Yeah? And? You got a problem with critters? With creatures? With lil guys?

Jon, laughing: No, no, it’s very sweet. I’m just surprised you never became a vet.

Martin: Oh believe me, I wanted to. But then I learned that it was not, in fact, a job composed entirely of getting paid to play with other people’s pets.

Jon: You had that job, though, didn’t you? I thought I remembered you mentioning a month long stint at a doggie day care.

Martin, sighing dreamily: Best job I ever had. Too bad that place was shut down after it was revealed to be a money laundering front.

Jon: Good lord.

Jon: Martin did you...did you know it was a money laundering front at the time?

Martin:

Martin: Would it make you feel better if I said no?

Jon: Martin!

Martin: I figured it out like a week in, but, like, who cares? The pay was decent and the floor was super easy to clean, which is very much a plus for even a front of a doggie day care.

Jon: That’s...rather a lot. How about instead of getting into that any further, you tell me about rodents.

Martin: I would love to. But first, we have a shoutout!

Jon: Ooo, a shoutout. Does it specify who should read?

Martin: Let me check. It...does...not…..

...

Jon: Martin?

[A beat.]

Martin: Right! Sorry, um. This week’s shoutout is from Tim, to Danny. It says, “Danny! My favorite person who shares genetic material with me! I wanted to say thank you for your podcast obsession from 4 months ago, and specifically for telling me about these marrieds. They’ve gotten me through many a dull hour at the publishing house. Also, with this shoutout, I’ve officially gotten ahead on the Superior [Last Name Redacted] Brother scoreboard, so suck it. Love you lots, and looking forward to your visit next month, Tim.”

Jon: Oh.

Jon: Um. That’s very..sweet? I think? Mostly?

Martin: Yeah, I’d say so. Uh. We have to take a quick break because, uh, someone is..at our front door! Be back with you all in, from your side of things, just a moment.

[dandywolves]

So, uh, I had a bunch of thoughts and it turned into 1500 words of whatever this is

Building off my previous post about Jaskier getting captured by Nilfgaard or whatever and Geralt being confronted by a Doppler wearing his face (and please be mindful that literally all I know about the Witcher is from Netflix and stuff posted in the Geraskier tag here on Tumblr lol)

-Yennefer was also, at some point, captured by Nilfgaard. Probably during that last big climactic battle after she sort of self-destructed. She eventually manages to free herself, being all magical and badass, and she finds Jaskier in his cell. He’s beaten, bloodied, and generally in really rough shape. Despite their differences, she takes pity on him – even he doesn’t deserve to be subject to Nilfgaard’s cruelty – and she frees him, too.

-When Geralt finally tracks Jaskier down to wherever he was being held, the place is half-destroyed and Jaskier is gone. He’s left wondering what happened to his bard, unsure if he survived whatever was unleashed on the place.

-Thus starts the wild adventures of Yennefer and Jaskier travelling together. They don’t really plan to become travel companions, it just sort of happens – they spend some time in the same town together for a while, recuperating from their imprisonment, and they sort of bond. Jaskier probably performs Her Sweet Kiss in a tavern somewhere while trying to scrounge together some coin, and Yennefer is like, “First of all, I know that song is about me and Geralt. Second of all, I know that song is about YOU and Geralt.”

-They bond over their heartbreak and form a Fuck You, Geralt club.

-Months or years down the line, Geralt is wandering through a town with Ciri, looking for easy monsters to kill to train her and pick up coin. He hears a familiar voice – Jaskier singing in a nearby tavern. He’s shocked and excited and filled with trepidation – the last time he saw Jaskier, after all, it was a Doppler – but he enters the tavern with Ciri in tow.

-Ciri recognizes Jaskier as Julian, the charming bard who used to perform regularly in Cintra when she was a little girl. Her mother adored him and grandmother was deeply suspicious of him. When her parents died, he stopped visiting. But she knows that face and she knows that voice – he hasn’t changed a bit.

-Jaskier was performing some sort of solemn and bitter song about the White Wolf. Not hateful or damning – he can’t bear to actually sully Geralt’s reputation, given that he a) is in love with the bastard, and b) worked so hard to make a good name for him. But the song isn’t celebratory or happy or adoring. I’m thinking maybe even just the literal Song of The White Wolf from the OST.

-He catches Geralt’s eye shortly after Geralt enters, faltering on a line. Which NEVER happens. When Jaskier stops singing altogether, Geralt gestures for him to continue. “Don’t stop on my account. I’ve not heard this particular song.”

-Jaskier finishes his song. Geralt stands in the doorway like a doofus, listening to him sing, stung by the words, but strangely overwhelmed with relief and fondness to see his bard and alive and well and still doing what he loves.

-When Jaskier finishes the song, he tells his enraptured audience that he will unfortunately have to cut his evening short, grabs his things, and B-lines for a backdoor. Geralt moves to follow, but Yennefer basically materializes from the shadows to block his path. He’s confused and shocked to discover that they’re travelling together, Yennefer tells him to leave well enough alone, and she soon follows after Jaskier with Geralt watching in bewilderment

-Sometime later, Jaskier is again captured – but not by Nilfgaard.

-Yennefer seeks out Geralt. Explains what happened. Jaskier has been brought back to court to serve as Viscount. Geralt is ashamed that he did not, exactly, realize Jaskier was titled, to which Yennefer calls him an ass and points out that she heard Jaskier ramble about it on numerous occasions long before they even went on the fateful dragon hunt together. Geralt had always tuned him out, because he was an asshole and a shitty friend

-They head to Lettenhove. Jaskier is surprised to see Geralt, but quickly masks it with anger. Tells Geralt to fuck off and let him live his life. There’s some back and forth – Ciri and Yennefer try to talk to him, too, but to limited success, and it’s determined that Geralt has the best chance of getting a straight answer from him (because Jaskier is in love with him, though he doesn’t know that, and also because he has known Jaskier the longest and knows how to connect with him, no matter how shitty he actually is at doing so)

-He’s not actually captured or imprisoned or being held for ransom or anything of that sort. He’s literally just gone back to Lettenhove to properly serve as Viscount. But that doesn’t make any sense, because Jaskier clearly never had any interest in doing so, considering he left behind the comfort of nobility to live the rough life of a travelling bard. And he did this for DECADES. Clearly, something happened that forced him to return.

-Geralt finally gets an explanation from him: Nilfgaard (or maybe some other force, idk) has been moving in on Lettenhove. Their movement has been slow and insidious, enough to be a clear danger, but not enough that Lettenhove can seek aid/support from any of its neighbours. They don’t stand a chance against this threat alone, and they don’t want to be sitting on the defensive waiting for the inevitable.

-But if this enemy took an obvious, aggressive action against Lettenhove or its nobility, they could vie for protection and support from their neighbours. Enter Jaskier – a noble who has essentially never served his station, which means he isn’t needed and he won’t be missed. They want to stage an assassination against him and frame their enemy for it.

-Geralt immediately tells Jaskier he can’t do this. Jaskier, scowling at him, sneers, “You don’t control me, Geralt. I decide my own fate.”

-(I also visualize this scene happening while Jaskier is nursing a goblet of wine. He follows up this statement by downing and then slamming the goblet onto a nearby table. The wine has stained his lips red and splattered onto his pale hand, and all Geralt can think of is blood.)

-Geralt tries to follow Jaskier as he walks away, to reason with him, drag him away, maybe even beg him, but Jaskier doesn’t even look over his shoulder as he snaps his fingers and guards converge on Geralt to block his path. Geralt is left to watch Jaskier disappear through a door, slamming it shut behind him.

-Geralt tells Yennefer and Ciri. They are despondent and also like, “Fuck that, nope, we won’t let him be assassinated.”

-The hit is slated to happen at a welcome home banquet the following night. The trio show up unannounced and uninvited to the banquet, and as soon as Jaskier sees them he tells the guards to see to it that they’re removed. As guards crowd around them and start forcing them out of the hall, Geralt shouts, “Jaskier, you can’t do this!” And Jaskier just looks him dead in the eye and says, “Just let me live my life, Geralt. However I choose to.”

-Obviously, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri aren’t about to just LEAVE, but they also aren’t going to fight and cause a huge scene. It’s not just Lettenhove present at this banquet.

-They find windows with a good vantage point, watching for any sign of someone posing as the enemy.

-Later on in the night, Jaskier steps up to perform. He briefly explains the years he spent adventuring and singing, clutching his precious elven lute with a mix of reverence and fear. He says he’s leaving behind that life, but wants to sing one last time, for old time’s sake. Of course he sings, “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher.”

-During that building and repetitious final chorus, it happens. A Doppler had been hired to pose as one of the party guests, blending perfectly, and it emerges from the shadows in the guise of an enemy assassin, firing a crossbow bolt straight into Jaskier’s throat.

-The bard falls to his knees, clutching at his throat with one hand, gasping as blood pours over his hands, and Geralt is outside just SCREAMING because it happened too suddenly for Yennefer to try to stop it with her magic.

-But Jaskier is still clutching his lute with the other hand, and the beautiful filigree and detailing starts to glow. It’s filled with elven magic, unbeknownst to him – the same magic that has kept him so young, the same magic that might have protected him from the Djinn had he carried his lute with him that day.

-In a panic, he tears the bolt free from his neck, the hole spurting and gushing blood – and then it stops. The blood flow slows. And the hole in his throat slowly seals. The glow fades from the lute, all the beautiful detailing gone, and Jaskier is left covered in his own blood but miraculously alive.

-There is a shocked pause before the entire banquet explodes into chaos. People cheering for Jaskier’s survival – outcry at the assassination attempt – demands to find the assassin that a select few people know has already shifted back into the guise of a bewildered party guest by this point, the perfect master of disguise.

-And Geralt bursts in through the fucking window, shoving people out of the way as he rushes toward Jaskier, who he grabs and pulls into the fiercest bear hug. In a low, rough voice, he rasps, “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

-And Jaskier can’t even pretend to be angry anymore, because he genuinely thought he was about to die and he DIDN’T, so he hugs Geralt back and just sobs against his shoulder.

[sjjms]

trust me | 02

pairing: yugyeomxreader length: 2.3k words genre: fluff summary: reluctant avoidance

01 02 03

A chill wrestled with your body as you headed to the front of the company building. The wind was at a constant battle with your face, whiplash injuries could be completely unavoidable today.

“Do you really need to be here this early?” You decide to pick up the pace avoiding the question just asked by Daeho.

“Good morning,” A member of staff greets both of you briefly. Was it really morning? These dark cloudy skies, dull and dreary as anything, never made it feel like it was. For five in the morning, it was almost as if the clock was lying through its handles.

“...You haven’t slept.”

“Minjoon said he would be able to take a look at some of the songs I have been working on.” An opportunity to work with Minjoon was difficult to miss out on. He was often busier than you were. Despite being friends with him since middle school you didn’t like to take advantage of friendships for your own gain.

“Today is the only day I’m free.” Soon enough, Daeho would be putting up a protest and preventing you from entering the company after filming ends for the day. There had been a constant repetition of coming to your music studio whenever you could for the past couple of weeks.

“I know but I would feel better, as your manager if you would go back to your apartment and sleep before coming here.” He grumbles whilst trailing along behind you. By the time the elevator doors were opening, sunrise was breaking the spell of gloomy weather. You shroud your eyes while entering from the sunlight’s reflection and the elevator’s apparently bright lights. Since when had these little tea lights become so intense on the eyesight?

“I left my glasses in the car.” With a disappointing mutter, you let out a deep breath. Your actions and mind both led independent lives, never did they want to coordinate with one another to make life a little easier.

“I’ll go get them for you.”

“Is Aera coming to the wedding on Saturday?” An actress you were friends with was getting married, you were glad your friends were finding their happy endings. They all considered you to be the youngest of the group, each time you met with them they made sure to remind you not to rush into things. They kept saying ‘in its own time love would make its way to you.’ you could only wish these words were true.

“I believe so, it is her brother’s wedding.” Were you really that tired? Of course, she was going to be there! Aera had been saying for weeks she was going to be singing for the couple.

“Is this my descent into madness? I hope Aera will forgive me for thinking she wasn’t going to be there on Saturday,” You slightly pout. The elevator stops preventing you from crouching down and crying. It was alright, you were almost at your studio. Being exhausted never did show you in the greatest of light. Your emotions were in the constant in between, would you overreact or show no reaction at all?

“I won’t mention it, I’ll be right back.”

The hallway’s motion sensor light flickers on as you walk on a slow approach to the door. Your security lock lit up welcoming you to attempt to put in the correct code within three tries. It unlocked on the second try. The pads of your fingertips threaded against the rough soundproof panelling, somewhere along here there was a light switch. A post-it note caught your attention now the room was illuminated.

Peeling the note off you realised it was the reminder to go visit Minjoon, “Ah… I almost scared myself there,” You mutter. You gently pat your chest trying to calm the rising heartbeat. No one was able to get into this room apart from the building manager and what would they want with a desktop and empty notepad. It was becoming difficult to use this room to produce though, you had no access to a piano keyboard which did allow you to experiment with other sounds. If you moved apartments you would move your studio into there but since you were a solo artist, it was a lot easier to occupy one of the studios at the company. You were on the doorstep to many other producing artists.

“Here are your glasses.” Daeho appears and hands them over to you. You place them on your nose and push the bridge up higher.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” You say. It was technically now your only free day of the week which also meant Daeho didn’t need to be watching over you.

“Mhm. At 4 AM.” You were waiting for him to say more, don’t stay here for too long or make sure you sleep today. Daeho, over the years, was becoming more like a nagging mother than your manager but you appreciated it. He was right, you weren’t always taking proper care of yourself.

-

“Minjoon?” You knock on the door before entering, a figure, not Minjoon was resting in a chair in front of the computer. He was playing around with the track currently on screen, you weren’t exactly sure what he was trying to do with it, you would need a closer look to figure that out.

With caution, you open your mouth again, “Who… are you?”

The chair swung around to face you, “It’s only me.” There it was, his friendly smile. You return the courtesy before taking a glance around the room, Minjoon wasn’t here.

“Minjoon will be back in a minute,” Yugyeom said.

It was a coincidence Yugyeom was currently sitting in front of you, right? He’d been one of the few people you were wanting to avoid, Daeho was the other. Detaching yourself from the situation was better than falling in love with someone you couldn’t have. But here he was. It was as if your heart had finally received a reply to the long-awaited question. Would your crush develop further from here? You were hoping for the sake of everybody, including yourself, it wouldn’t.

“You can sit down, I’m sure Minjoon won’t care… No, I promise you he won’t.” Yugyeom chuckles as he corrects himself, you couldn’t stop the smile from increasing.

Shit.

“What are you doing?” Changing the subject as fast as Aera could when she was drunk, you sit down beside him to stare at the soundwaves of the track. He continued to fiddle around with one part of the track for a few moments before answering your question.

“I’m producing.” You laugh and say nothing more. Producers more than anyone liked to keep the tracks they were working on private until they were perfect. Only a select few would help out, if they were needed, of course.

“A new GOT7 song?” You press lightly hoping to extract more information out of him.

“You know us?”

“Of course! We’re in the same company. Why wouldn’t I know you?” You protest. Okay… you had heard a couple of songs from them, before entering the company, however at that point you didn’t know who the members were. The most important thing was that you did enjoy listening to them. “Do you know me?” You retort jokingly. You didn’t expect much from him.

Yugyeom glimpses briefly to you with a wide smile on his lips before chuckling, “I do! I’ve been listening to your song, long nights a lot recently.” Ah... That song. For some reason, it had caught the attention of many, giving you the spotlight for the first time in your music career.

A sudden noise prompts you to turn around, Minjoon was here. His tall frame blocked the light from flowing in, he was almost as tall as Yugyeom now that you thought about it. You weren’t entirely sure how Yugyeom and Minjoon knew each other either, it could have been from anywhere.

“It looks like I’m interrupting something.” Minjoon clears his throat to regain control back over his studio.

“I just need to finish looping and then you can have your studio back,” Yugyeom mutters. He calmly returns to fiddling around with the track, it was as if the last few minutes hadn’t just occurred. Your heart was excited just for this? A small conversation. Disregarding Yugyeom, you use this chance to talk to Minjoon.

“Did you get the tracks I sent you?”

“Yes but I haven’t had the chance to take a look at them just yet. I was approached to make a demo for a drama OST… actually.” Minjoon pauses. Before continuing a few seconds later, “Would you be able to sing for the demo?” Sing for an OST? It would be your first time… well, it would only be for a demo though.

“Uh… When do you need me?” You ask still trying to scramble around your schedule in an exhausted brain, nothing was coming to you, but your thoughts seemed to be ringing alarms for the next two days. Best to avoid those two days.

“Right now…?” You feel your eyes stretch as Minjoon reverts to placing his to hands together, almost begging for you to participate. “I need to set up a microphone to record so about 5 to 10 minutes.”

There was reluctance with the following thoughts, dragging you down one by one, whispering to you, you needed to sleep. “Sure, I’ll just go buy some coffee and be right back.” A walk would refresh your mind and hopefully, the coffee would be enough to give you a buzz.

After a short walk, you are greeted by a worker standing behind the green counter, by the looks of it, they were as tired as you were with a college textbook hidden away in the corner. You give them a smile of encouragement before heading to the back of the store. You stare at each brand of coffee for a while, picking out which you had tried before and how useful it was going to be.

“You’re dozing off there.” A familiar voice appears beside you, it wasn’t surprising to hear it anymore.

“No…” You pout slightly and decide to reach in for the largest can of coffee.

“Staring into space for a good three minutes wasn’t you dozing off?” Yugyeom questions with some bafflement, he couldn’t convince himself that you were debating over which brand of coffee to buy for that amount of time.

“Do you always try to discover the secrets of your fellow labelmates?” You glance up to meet his gaze. No matter how many times you had done this, he was still looking with awe, as if the stars occupied his eyes and you were drifting to the centre of his universe.

“I’ll keep it quiet. Minjoon said to take your time, he’s wrestling with the equipment at the moment.” Yugyeom proudly smiles, you wonder if he was involved in some way, nether the less you chuckle.  

“Alright, I guess I will pay for this and sit down somewhere.” Most convenience stores always had a place to sit, usually, the ones you went to had them placed by the window. You say a brief goodbye to Yugyeom before leaving him alone.

You watch the quiet road through the window, most people were still enjoying their last hour of sleep while they could and in some places, market stalls were being set up for the day. With a small yawn, you rest your head against your arm, it never beats the softness of a pillow or even a person’s chest.  

“You can fall asleep, I’ll wake you up in ten minutes.” He was still here? Yugyeom occupies the seat beside you, bringing with him a cup of noodles, luckily you weren’t hungry otherwise the smell would have caused a loud stomach rumble. You didn’t want to embarrass yourself further in front of him. He hadn’t said anything since that day. In some ways you were thankful he had decided not to question you on it, but then it hit you, he saw you in one of the worst states you could have been found in.

Now he had brought up the idea of sleeping in front of him, had you not inconvenienced him enough already? No matter how hard you were trying to keep your eyes open they became heavier as time went by, Yugyeom silently scrolled through his phone. This only became encouragement for you to fall asleep and before you could open the coffee can, you were gone.

Yugyeom faintly chuckles watching your arm fall to the table along with your head. He points his phone in your direction taking a couple of photos to show you later. He couldn’t help but sigh with a smile creeping onto his face.

Would it be so bad if he started liking you? There was an ongoing debate running through his head: liking you without dating vs liking you with dating. He understood the reasons for the dating ban but wasn’t five years too much? Two more years to go and he was already questioning whether to rebel against everything he was warned not to do.

“Y/N.” You open your eyes slowly coming to the realisation you had actually fallen asleep, just your luck and another thing you can tick off your list of embarrassing things to do. You straighten up and swiftly run your hand through your hair wishing you had a mask on you. Your fingers search through the pockets hoping for the soft allergy mask you carried for emergencies. Yes, you were considering hiding your face as an emergency.

Your luck was somehow working today, you pull the mask over your face before finally turning to Yugyeom. He was amused by the small flustered show you had put yourself through. You apologise for falling asleep and get up from the seat ready to walk away.

“Wait! You forgot your drink.” Yugyeom hands the coffee can over to you. Luck was being fickle today. You profusely apologise and thank him once again before you were able to leave.

Was it selfish to ask him to stop appearing in front of you? It would prevent your own metaphorical heart from heartbreak. Shaking your head hoping that the thoughts were clearing themselves from your consciousness. You make a promise to yourself, avoid Yugyeom and keep working hard.

[tikitm]

tiki being a music nerd for 13 minutes straight

uhhHh so oscar and ozpin’s theme are mixing more ?? i hear little bits and pieces of ozpin’s theme , then oscar’s in ‘trouble on the argus limited’

in the same track , ‘trouble on the argus limited’ , ozpin’s theme begins to play , but then takes a ,,, darker, more sinister sounding note instead of that higher , more hopeful note in his theme that he usually has

the main theme , rising can be heard when ruby is telling the plan in ‘trouble on the argus limited’ and it’s soft , but it’s there , which carries on the theme that they’re trusting ‘in the light’ and ‘rising like the moon’

the playful theme in ‘mistral central station�� that captures the character’s excitements ?? amazing

then it goes into dee and dudley’s theme that sound Annoying as Heck , and then it blends into qrow’s theme ?? beautiful stunning amazing bird dad

then you hear ozpin’s theme again , which slowly gets taken over by oscar’s theme again , and they they seem to blend together again , like they have been doing

the piano part of smile in ‘mistral central station’ gave me goosebumps !! ilia has come such a long way as a character and it makes me happy that she funny has a straight path she Wants to go on

and there it is - ‘like morning follows night’ - a perfect , slow , version of it that really enraptures sun’s ,,, softness for blake and how he came to support her and after all , he did support her and help her and that makes me soo happy

but then it trails off into a lighter tune when the camera pans to yang and her friends and hhhHhh im soft

wow then it takes a dramatic tone shift to a dark and sinister theme for ‘spider’s web’ because cinder is starting to get into some Shady Shit™️ because she’s desperate for any kind of information on anyone

and then it pans right into that cue music that neo is Right There™️ , ready to attack , and then it goes into softer , more sinister and mischievous music that shows that wow they’re actually up to something , and it’s going to be big and bad and it’s going to put someone to shame

AND THEN THE THEME OF ALL THINGS MUST DIE PLAYING SOFTLY AND SLOWLY ??? amazing. im so excited akdhsks

all things must die slowly transitions into one thing and that makes me happy because it’s their two themes blending into one another , showing that they’re working together - but the sinister undertones show that they don’t fully trust each other and there Are secrets and undertones being kept

‘say her name’ starts out soft and slow and relaxing , but then gets more mysterious and faster as it goes , showing the severity of the situation

ozpin is being really shady and not that trustful right now , and oscar’s trying to Fight It to give them the information they need and stuff , which shows through the undertones of his theme playing throughout the track , then his theme slowly taking over , showing that he is fighting against ozpin’s control - he wants to be his own person , which is way it’s even more upsetting when qrow says that he isn’t

and then the music picks up and up and up faster and faster and louder and louder , showing ruby’s decision to say jinn’s name -

and then it goes silent. it stops

and whOOsh jinn !! genie in a bottle !! genie in a lamp !! her upcoming theme has a few familiar notes that form a familiar melody , but they’re hard to place

and then the music picks up , showing ozpin’s desperation to keep things ‘close to the chest’ and BOOM the music stops

im literally going to do an entirely different thing for ‘a delicate balance’ because there’s so much to say about this track - and it’s e i g h t m i n u t e s

‘our creation’ - im guessing it’s for the god of light’s moment with ozma

it’s soft , slow , and with the choir in the background , it makes the music seem ,,, important and urgent - like something Needs to be done and that something needs to be done quickly

and oof ozma’s theme soft in the background , showing that after all , he is still human and he wants a normal life and all that and hhhh i feel so bad

im skipping around im sorry

‘brunswick farms’ has that sinister , dangerous vibe , but we’re not sure what it is yet - dangerous , mysterious - we don’t know.

and it’s slow - it slows down at certain points to really emphasize on the scariness

the slow piano at a certain point gives it a certain softness that it shouldn’t have - a false sense of security , if you will . but then it turns into more mysterious , with hints of qrow’s theme (which im guessing is for the part of his drinking™️) that is slow

AND OH SHIT THERES THE PART WITH THE DROPPING OF THE BOTTLE

and ruby YANKS herself up and woAh that’s kinda scary

‘the apathy’ is probably the scariest track in the ost. it’s slow , sinister , and it’s literally telling you something is about to happen

AND THEN THE MUSIC PICKS UP !! ITS THE SLEEP PARALYSIS DEMON BAY BEE

they’re running they’re running they’re running they’re running uh oh sisters

every time the music slows down it stops the melody slightly , that’s the part where the apathy SCREAMS , slowly zapping the motivation out of them

and each time it gets louder and louder and bigger because their influence is getting more and more overwhelming

and then the music slows down slightly because they’re giving up , and the sinister , scary theme is getting louder and louder - and then the silver eyes stops the music for a split second

and maria is over there , trying to coach ruby into using her eyes and then - BAM

and now they’re running out of the house , yelling for oscar to GET THE DAMN TIRE

and weiss sets the HOUSE ON FIRE and wow she’s committed arson

and they have to get the HECK out of there as quick as they possibly can

im doing something completely different for the grimm reaper skjsk

‘welcome to argus’ gave me goosebumps. the soft ,, piano of ‘rising’ gives them hope - gives us hope - because they made it. after all that shit , they made it. finally.

and then it gets into a more cheerful , nice theme of argus , with little notes of oscar’s theme in the beginning because ‘CUTE BOY OZ’ and then they’re touring around argus , looking at all the sights and stuff

ruby’s surprise in jaune’s sister is shown through the ‘ooh !!’ moment in the music that interrupts the melody of the entire track

‘cashews’ is amazing. it’s shows the literal stupidity of the entire interaction - from maria and cordoven’s banter , to a more serious match music , then slower , sadder music because ‘oop racism’ , but then it picks up again lmao

there isn’t much to say about the track ‘silver eyes’ but it shows the softness - the emotion - that goes into using silver eyes

‘jaune’s arc’ gives me whiplash. because it’s slow in the beginning - then it picks up speed to show jaune’s anger as he shoves oscar against the wall and Yells because his love died for ‘nothing’ , and he lets oscar go with sadness and regret , but he doesn’t say anything. and then as they’re looking for him , jaune has time to think things over. you hear the melody of ‘forever fall’ towards the middle , then the melody - the song itself - takes over as something to signify that jaune really Misses her , but gets closure

AND THEN OSCAR’S THEME !! HAPPY , HAPPY BOY !! its so happy !! he feels good about his new clothes - and despite what he says , he gave himself closure for now , but im sure itll be touched upon later because of the cut off of his theme , interrupted by qrow’s theme to show qrow’s grumpiness and all that

and then ruby’s speech !! she had a little bit too many speeches , but the theme ‘rising’ plays again , to show her - their - determination to get to atlas and figure it out because they WILL rise like the moon - like the sun - no matter what. they won’t give up.

‘the heist’ !! a theme that gives everyone Anxiety because no one thought it would work , and the moment it did work , it didn’t . weiss and maria sneak onto the airship and take them out , with the others standing around waiting , and yang and blake off on their own

a small version of oscar’s theme plays as he comforts ruby , showing how much he’s grown into his own character

and then the music picks up and oof it turns suspenseful because oh Shit where’s blake

‘into the canon’ is not only scary on screen , but also scary music wise. it’s suspenseful , it mixes both blake and yang’s fights and the other fight together. the music is fast and urgent , showing that they have to get away and fast and if it doesn’t work , bad things will happen. bad things are going to happen.

but first !! the battle music for cordoven’s fight. fast , playful , serious at the same time. it shows both perspectives of the fight - absolute absurdity , which cordoven feels , and the urgency that the team feels. cordoven thinks this is childish - disgraceful. the team thinks this is important - something that Has to happen or else they can’t complete their mission.

and ruby goes DOWN THE CANON

i have to do an entirely different thing for ‘protecting each other’ too

OH NO HERE COMES THE GRIMM

the music gets dangerous , crazy , fast - they have to do something quick or bad things will happen and that won’t be okay. huntsman and huntresses are supposed to protect - if they can’t do that , then what are they good for ?

jinn’s theme , then the hopeful theme of indomitable is just 👌👌

-‘flight to atlas’ gives closure - peace that they couldn’t find for a while. it’s slow , soft , showing that they made it - it was a long , stressful process , but they made it. with a lighter version of qrow’s theme , small undertones of ozpin’s and oscar’s theme , and then how the music SWELLS when they see atlas because it’s beautiful - it’s grand , it’s amazing - and they made it. there’s a sense of triumph in there , a sense of urgency and a sense of pride. they rose , and they’re going to try and stay there

uhhHHh thanks for sticking around to hear my literal Ramblings about the ost and me being a music nerd - this ost is just so good ?? and if you haven’t listened to it go give it a listen ! the vocal tracks are Amazing , and so are the instrumental ones.

[every1studio]

“wow” [stray kids]

genre: FLUFF + comedy + reverse harem 

ficstyle: #whatwouldtheydo/reactions + bulletpoints + storyline + LONG

prompt: based on this photo / how would Stray Kids check you out?

note: xxx hope you like this~

You took a deep breathe; here you are entering JYP Academy as a new transfer student. You were never big on finding love or developing crushes since your main focus was studying.. So the main idea was to focus on your studies.. but somehow 9 popular boys of the school were going to focus on you...

WOOJIN

he sees you walking in the hallways

most likely to the teacher’s office

but you were definitely lost

Woojin noticed you from the entrance of the school since he is the president of the student body

(are they new? they’re so good looking...)

he wasn’t following you... he’d tell himself

he was just walking in the “same” direction as you

you heard another set of footsteps and stopped

you turned to see who was behind you

Woojin did a terrible job at hiding himself

“can I help you?” your soft voice echoed

“uh.. I was wondering if you want help..”

“what?”

“I’m Woojin the president of the student body.. you look.. lost?”

you were trying to wrap your head around the fact that this boy was following you because you were..lost?

“uh yeah... trying to find the teacher’s office...”

he quietly slid into the shadows of the corner so you took it as he was going to show you where it was

Woojin starts walking towards the office as his face is beaming red

(THEIR EYES OH GOSH THEIR EYES ARE SO MESMERIZING!!!)

“he-here it is..” he announced softly

you looked at the sign that read “Teacher’s Office” and you turned to look at him

“thank-”

but he was gone

CHAN

you entered the teacher’s office 

and the first thing you saw...

was a young lad swirling his arms around in happiness

“congratulations on getting that scholarship, Chan~”

he stops to nod his head to bow as a thanks to his teacher

when he looks up, he sees you

“whoa..”

he didn’t mean to say that out loud

his teacher looks at what he’s looking at

“oh.. you must be y/n, the new student?”

you nodded

the teacher gestured you over 

Chan was watching your every movement

(yo... how can someone be this good looking...)

“Chan? Chan!”

he looks back at his teacher

everyone just caught him checking you out

“you have the same class as y/n.. would you please bring them to the homeroom? I need to pick up from prints..”

Chan nodded and showed you the way to the classroom

“here we are~”

MINHO (LEEKNOW)

...

silence filled the room as Chan opened the door for you

“this is y/n.. they’re the new student, let’s welcome them..”

the first person to welcome you was Minho

he had a smug look on his face 

as he eyed you up and down

(he looks like those typical bad boys..)

“aye shawty you’re quite a looker.. I’m Minho, wanna be my seatmate?”

(definitely a bad boy..)

“what makes you think I want to sit next to you?”

he smiled at your sassiness

“because I’m good looking? good looking people should sit by each other..”

you scoffed

“thanks, but I’ll pass on that offer..”

lots of girls in the class glared at you

in that small time frame, you realized that he was probably the school’s heartthrob and that he had a lot of fans/girls following him

“save that seat for someone who wants to sit there..” you mumbled 

Minho smirks at your comment, “it’s always open for you, sweetie~”

CHANGBIN

“Minho, leave em alone...”

you thought this other guy was another “bad boy” 

“sorry.. he doesn’t know when to stop...”

(Minho’s always like this... I hope he doesn’t scare them away or I won’t get a chance... they’re so pretty/handsome...)

you were surprised that he was so polite about it

he looked a little more reserved and dark 

but he was actually soft with his words and actions

“it’s okay..”

he smiles softly as the window’s curtains blows into the classroom

“I’m Changbin..”

you were slightly flustered by how cute he was

“n-nice to meet you...”

the wind blew in some flower petals into your hair

he reaches over

“excuse me..”

he carefully picks the petals out of your hair

Changbin realized how close he was to you

“if you ever need my help.. I’ll be in my seat...”

he says as he averts his attention away from you

“HYUNG!!”

HYUNJIN 

some guy entered the classroom

“HYUNG!!”

you turned to see a taller, full lips guy yell for his upperclassmen friends

he immediately stopped in his tracks

the first thing he noticed when he walked in was your backside

and when you turned away

the main OST from “My Love from Another Star” played in his head

(how can someone look so perfect?)

a smile crept onto his face 

as his hyungs would wave their hands in his face

“I mean.. we all know that the new student is a cutie but like Hyunjin, can you not?” Minho said from his seat as he leaned back into it

“Minho you should be the last person to say anything like that to y/n....” Chan announced

you just wanted to sit down

so you eyed around the class for an empty seat away from commotion

you walked towards the seat in the back near the windows

but one of the female classmates stuck her foot out 

you noticed it last minute so you tripped on it

Hyunjin grabbed your arm and pulled you back

you landed in his arms

your eyes widened as you fell into his chest

giving him full access of your deep eyes

he was mesmerized

“so-sorry...” he helps your straightened up

“it-it’s okay...” you mumbled out of embarrassment as you wanted into your seat

the bell rang for class to start and you were ready to get out of the spotlight and focus on school

JISUNG (HAN)

it was lunch time and he had to bring some handouts to his hyungs’ classroom

he walked past the windows of your class 

straight away he notices you

because you slid the door open to face him

causing him to drop the handouts

“oh my gosh!! I’m so sorry...”

you didn’t even look at him 

since you were busy picking up the handouts

he was just gaping at you 

(WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW VISUALS!! I STAN VISUALS!!)

then he realized that you did most of the work as he was just squatting there

he reaches out for the last couple of handouts 

on the very last one, both of your hands touch each other

“o-oh s-so-so-s-sorrry an-and th-than-thank you-”

he gets up and rushes into your class

you were just on your way to use the restroom as you hear the boy’s voice echo into the hallway

“WHO WAS THAT? THEY ARE SO..WOW! I ALMOST DIED WHEN I MADE EYE CONTACT WITH THEM!”

you were just blank faced the whole time

(man is this tiring or what...)

FELIX 

after you dried your hands, you exited the restroom

there were a flock of girls surrounding the guys restroom; waiting for someone

their neckties indicated that they were a grade below you 

“I SAW FELIX LEAVE OUT THE WINDOW OF THE BATHROOM SO THAT MEANS HE’S IN THE COURTYARD!!” someone called out to the group

at that moment, the flock of girls rushed to where the courtyard was

you heard a “pst” behind you

“pst.. are they gone?”

you turned to the guy’s restroom to see a blonde hair boy

you looked around again

then turned back to him and nodded

the boy sighs in relief

“thank you so much.. I didn’t even get to dry my hands...all the paper towel was gone and I couldn’t find paper towel with a flock of classmates..”

you looked at his hands that were dripping with the sink’s water

you reached into your pocket and took out your handkerchief

“I only use this when there’s no more paper towel.. you can use it..”

he finally takes the time to look at you

word has it; he heard about the new beauty of the school

he’s never seen you around and he knew that he would notice you somehow if you did 

“h-how am I gonna return it to you..”

you didn’t want to deal with his “classmates;” since they were a little obsessive over this guy

“you can keep it.. I can just get another one.. have a nice day..” 

you nodded as he nodded back

he runs his fingers over your embroidered name on your handkerchief

 “y/n, huh?” he smiles as he dries his hands with it 

SEUNGMIN

it was PE; another class was using the baseball field

your ears felt like they wanted to bleed due to the girls from the other class screeching over a homerun 

you looked over to see a reddish-hair boy running through all three bases and sliding onto home base

“Seungmin, he’s such a cutie~ and he’s really good at baseball~” 

you heard gossiping from your classmates 

your class was doing tennis; which held place in the courts next to the baseball field

you decided to by singles since you were the odd one out; without a partner

“I’ll be your partner~” Minho offered

“no thanks..” you said coldly but softly

you threw the ball onto the ground a couple of times

when you started playing, you gathered lots of attention from both classes

“oohhh~”

Hyunjin taps on Seungmin’s shoulder as they were taking a break

“have you seen them? the transfer student beauty.. I didn’t know they were athletic either...”

Seungmin looks over and sees you winning while playing against two people

“that must be hard...” Seungmin mumbles as he is intrigued with you

the way you played tennis made his heart flutter

(how can someone look so good sweating in PE...)

the person you were playing against swatted the ball overhead and out of bounds rolling into the baseball field

it stopped in front of Seungmin’s feet

he grabs it and jogs over the tennis court

the only thing that separated the field and the court was a thick net

you ran over to get the ball

“thanks,” you said as you brushed your hand over his to get the ball

you wiped your sweat before heading back to the game

he grabs his heart

(no.. thank you...)

JEONGIN (I.N)

it was the end of the day finally

you wanted to check out the clubs before heading home

even though you wanted to focus on your studies, your parents wanted you to have a high school experience

immediately after leaving your homeroom, you were bombarded with sport clubs

“you have a good built for basketball!”

“no! did you see them? they were made for tennis!!”

“I bet they’re secretly a volleyball player..”

you didn’t want to be physically exhausted since you were already mentally exhausted from school 

“I’ll think about it,” you mumbled, knowing that you won’t join the club at all

you started to walk around school; in hopes of finding a club that you liked

you passed a light rock band club 

“Jeongin.. you’re good at singing but... something feels empty.. maybe because our bassist already graduated..” you heard

you knocked the door of the club

“I heard.. you guys needed a bassist?”

Jeongin looked up to see someone so beautiful, he dropped the mic

causing feedback to stab everyone’s ears

“so-sorry!!”

he picks it up and dusts it off; trying not to smile stupidly in front of a beauty

there was the blonde guy you saw earlier at the drums, Chan, from your class, at the keyboard, the president of the student body with a mic/acoustic guitar and the clumsy guy that had the handouts at the electric guitar

“oh y/n! I thought you’d be more into sports..” Woojin said

Jeongin looks at Woojin

(he knows them?)

“let’s test how good you are at everything, huh? you have a bass?” Chan says without making eye contact with you

honestly no one was able to make eye contact with you; but they kept sneaking in looks at you

“I’m not good at everything... I just..like to experiment a lot so I try out everything I can get my hands on...” you softly spoke, “I didn’t bring my bass...”

Jeongin gets up and walks to the music room’s closet

he hands you a case

“it..it’s my dad’s bass...”

you looked down as you opened the case.. it was a beautiful Rickenbacker 4003w Walnut

you tuned it a little and started playing it a little

Jeongin was sending you heart eyes

(literal perfection) is what he kept on saying in his head as he admired you

“you’re in...” he says 

Honestly this school was a little hectic.. but hopefully.. you’ll be able to enjoy your school year at JYP Academy.

END + [MASTERLIST]

[rkjei]

   WELCOME TO THE MGAS   //   episode seven       . .       #4011  -  김진희.*  KIM JINHEE.    ━━━━━━       .   .   .    INTERVIEW at NOVA ENT             CURRENTLY JUDGMENTAL.

the first thing she thinks when she’s led into the room is that this is not her job.

jei’s absolutely sure that this portion of the show is just being done for dramatic effect, to see where loyalties lie or to figure something out she hasn’t quite put a finger on.  regardless, it’s not her job to sit in a tiny little room with a camera and choose between talented kids just because she’s asked to.  that’s a problem for the judges, not her.  still, her face doesn’t show any of these thoughts, carefully kept into a cool neutral expression as it always is - her eyes cast over the pictures as she sits down in front of them, lifting her gaze only when there are instructions for her to choose.

yes, that’s what she already gathered and yes, there’s still the annoyance in her that she even has to do this.  if they’ve made it this far, clearly these kids are talented.  it’s obvious that the companies can’t take all of them, but to make her choose the best is not her place.  

“ maybe i won’t choose the best.  i guess that’s a subjective term regardless, isn’t it? everyone has their own views of what the best really is ..” she pauses, leaning back in her chair.  “ still, there are bound to be better dancers, better singers, better rappers than the ones i choose.  i know for a fact there probably are, even on this competition.” jei says finally, eyes lifting to the camera.  “ but i will choose the best ones, to me.  my favourites, and ones i’d like to see do well in the future.  if you haven’t guessed yet, i’m quite loyal to people i care about so you probably won’t be surprised by my choices.  i’m actually not sure how interesting this is going to really be.”  meaning, she’s not going to be cutthroat, or cocky, or anything else which is probably what they wanted to hear. “ though, i think you’ll have a hard time finding many who won’t choose their friends.”

they didn’t give her a time limit to speak, so she’s just being honest.  with that, her eyes cast down to the table to find her choices - she already knows who she’s going to choose, so it doesn’t really take too long to snatch their photos from their places.

“ first, singers.” she holds up sungwoon’s photo, eyes glancing over it and then back to the camera.  “ i choose the show’s tiny giant, ha sungwoon.” she doesn’t really go into specifics about their friendship - in fact, it might come as a bit of a surprise that she alluded that they are friends.  “ if you ask me why, it’s because i like his tone.  his voice is soothing, and i think it’s nice to listen to for a long time.  sometimes, i think voices can be a bit annoying to listen to after awhile, but i’ve never been annoyed by his.” she pauses for a moment, eyes flicking to the ceiling as if in thought - and finally she says, “ and, he’s charming.  he made me laugh, which we all know is a hard thing to do.  so he has my pick.”

“ for dancers, i’ll have to go with hwang hyunjin.” she holds up his photocard, though this time she doesn’t look at it. “ not only is he a hard worker, but he’s very creative.  i think he’d do well and stand out, both because of his talent as a dancer and his ability to communicate.” jei pauses here, biting the inside of her cheek.  “ i think communication is a very important quality for a dancer to have, whether it be through expression, movement, or even in the way hyunjin does it through sign language.  he’s very original, so i think his solo performances especially are interesting to watch.  i’d be interested to see how that would translate to an idol group, but i am concerned that being in one will take his performance .. colour away.”  by colour, of course, she means his unique ability.

“ and for rappers, i bet you thought i’d pick kim hyuna, didn’t you?” here, jei holds up her best friend’s photocard, but a thin lipped smile crosses her features.  “ .. you’re right, hyuna’s very talented as a rapper and there’s nothing i could say that you don’t already know about her.  but i also think that jung jaewon will surprise you.  he was eliminated early, but it was a mistake.” the words she speaks are blunt, but this is an opinionated interview so she doesn’t see a problem with them.  “ i said for dancers, that expression is important.  and that’s true too, for rappers so i understand the reason why he was eliminated from the show.  but regardless, it was a mistake nonetheless because he’s very .. mm, different from others.  it’s hard to understand him sometimes.  but i’ve worked with him once before, on a backing track for his submission to the market o contest.  i know he’s got talent, i think he was just having a hard time at that moment and ultimately he was eliminated.  so i think he’ll manage to do well, if he can overcome his own weaknesses.”

finally, the ending question .. jei holds the photos in her hands, eyes staring straight into the camera.  “ if i had to choose, i’d like all of these people to win because i think they all have potential to be great performers.  however, if i’m honest, i have a few concerns about hyunjin and jaewon in an idol group.  they’re so unique, it would be a shame to take that away from them as performers.  but this is what they want, so it would still be nice if they could win.” she pauses.  “ i think, though, that i would say hyuna has the most potential to win this entire thing again.  she did it once, so i have no doubts that it’s possible.  everyone is supporting her, and that includes me, too.  i know she has the talent and i know her performance skills are top notch, especially as a former trainee who has faced three survival shows.”  her expression turns fond as she looks at hyuna’s photo and places it down, finally gripping sungwoon’s in her hand.

“ as for sungwoon, i think it’d be foolish to say he won’t win or can’t win just because hyuna more than likely will.” the words are said with confidence, though jei shrugs her shoulders gently at the thought of it.  “ i think he has all of the qualities that it seems the judges are looking for, besides .. dancing.” jei crinkles her nose a little when she smiles here, but the smile itself is short lived.  “ but he improves as he works, and he works hard at it so i don’t think that it would be a problem for him to learn as time goes on.  i think he’d make a good candidate for drama osts, personally.”

with that, her segment wraps with the staffer cutting her off.  jei stands from her seat, putting the photos back in their places one by one - each of them with a fond look in her eye that’s covered by the way her head is lowered.  finally, all she does is leave the room.

[burmecianblackmage]

♪

Send me a ♪ and I’ll shuffle my music, and describe a short scenario involving our muses inspired by the song that pops up! Maybe it’ll inspire a full thread! - Always Accepting!

[[Oooh, this is absolutely not what I expected, but it gives me such a nice idea! In the game, this theme is used when you are told the legend that explains the basic setting for the game, and it’s a story of love and betrayal, of a greedy king and a hurt spirit that curses the world and turns all the animals into monsters. It’s a sad story, but the feeling you get while listening to it and this melody, it is truly magical.]]

Kimitaka Matsumae - Legend of Arcana - Clandestine Meeting (Jade Cocoon OST)

The Kiss of the Goddess

The woods were misted by a thick fog, rendering it difficult for any wanderer to find their way. The path had long since vanished, leaving the lone soul to find it’s own route instead, leading it deeper and deeper, towards the heart of the forest, where they only wanted to find their way back out.

With the misty fog, clinging to the ground as though it flowed forth from it, and the tall treetops covering the sky, it was difficult to tell night and day, and the lonesome wanderer had long since lost track of time. How many days he had spent wandering these woods, he could not tell, All the wanderer knew was that his provisions had run out quite a while ago, and that what little he found in the forest as he continued walking would not be enough to sustain him.

And yet still, he never once gave up, never stopped moving forward.

And it is that, which caught her attention.

This forest was hers, her dominion, her realm. Here, she was at home, here she held power. She knew it’s paths and trees, the animals and plants. Naught in this forest was unknown to her, and there was nothing that escaped her notice.

For she was a deity, a goddess, and such was her essence.

It was far from usual that mortals walked her forest, yet it was not as if it had never happened before. Usually, they would turn back before long, heeding the warning of the mist, and be on their way. Very rarely they dared venture further in, but they always fled before long. For this forest was hers, and hers alone. A mortal held no right to be here.

And yet still…

Something about this one was different…

It was not much longer before the wanderer reached the end of his strength. His vision blurry and his steps unsteady, he still tried to move forward, to keep walking, but he doesn’t come far: A single root is all it takes to trip him up, to throw him to the ground.

And once he was laying there, there was naught left to keep him awake any longer, to prevent him from passing out at last…

It is more than a day later, when the wanderer next opens his sapphire eyes.

At first, he is utterly surprised, confused as to how it can be that he still breathes, how it can be that he feels no hunger. Did he succumb to hunger and die? Is this the afterlife? No, that could not be… but where was he? 

Looking around, he recognizes the woods that he had wandered, sees the same trees, the same plants as before, and that old familiar mist. No, he could not be dead, he had to be alive still, for he could not fathom the afterlife to look just as this.

« I see you are awake, Wanderer. It would seem that your resilience serves you well. »

It is a warm voice that reaches the wanderer’s ear, prompting him to abandon his questions in favor of heeding it. A captivating voice, one whose presence seemed unmatched by any mortal’s. But where did it come from? Who had such a voice that it seemed to speak straight to one’s heart rather than one’s mind?

There was a silent elegance and beauty in the step of her bare feet, and the mist parted before her, gently giving way as she approached the mortal. In her hand she held a bow, her bow, cast of silver that shimmered like the light of the early winter’s moon on the first snow. Her hair fell gracefully over her shoulders, colored like the beautiful purple of the iris flower, and her eyes, warm and welcoming in their russet coloration, looked ahead to where the mortal still laid.

For the goddess it must have been something quite normal, something usual and ordinary even, but for the wanderer, it was nothing short of a magnificent spectacle. Her presence, so strong and yet so warm, encompassed all as she drew nearer, and on her fair features was a smile that could melt a man’s heart.

« You have wandered my woods for many days, far longer than any other ever dared. Did you do so due to your resolve? Or was it foolishness that led your steps? I very much would like to hear your answer, thus I took you in and saved you. »

 The divine presence she exuded alongside her words proved to be a bit much for the wanderer at first, and so he regarded her with a mixture of confusion and awe. It is only when his sapphire eyes meet the russet of hers, that he seems to grasp the situation.

Getting up on his knees, the wanderer immediately bowed his head in both reverence and thankfulness, before voicing his appreciation in a deep, soothing voice.

“You have my deepest gratitude then, oh Goddess. There is little doubt I would have perished had it not been for your intervention.”

Looking up once more, the wanderer tried to take it all in once again. The presence of the goddess, her beauty, the warmth of her eyes, the mist parting around her, these mystical woods - it was, for lack of a better word, simply divine.

« You seem to wish to ask me something, do you not Wanderer? You gaze at me as though mesmerized and yet still so mystified… »

The goddess’ words take the wanderer by surprise, causing him to blush somewhat in the process and abashedly look away. That… He had been rude, to stare a her like that, he… he should apologize, right…?

“Oh, uhm… please… please do forgive me, I did not mean to… mean to stare at you… I… I have never stood before a being like you, before a deity, and well… I…”

It is the goddess’s amused chuckling that stops the mortals words.

« There is no need to be so nervous, young Wanderer. If it had been my intent to harm you, I would not have saved your life, would you not agree? So you may speak freely. »

“Uhm… Yes, that’s true… so… uhm, well… if I may be so bold… Would you please tell me… who you are…?”

« You are an honest soul, worried I might take offense at your ignorance, are you not? But rest assured: There is no need for such worries. I am naught but a humble Goddess of the Woods and the Hunt. There is no need to feel intimidated. »

“A Goddess of the Woods and the Hunt, I see… - But I wonder, what is your name, fair Goddess?”

« I have no need of a name. I know the Woods and the Woods know me, and that is all I require. It is you mortals that feel the need to give names to all and everything, Wanderer. »

“Ah, I see… So… do you… do you never venture beyond your forest…?“

The deity scoffed at the question, an amused look on her face. To her, this question was a foolish one, for the answer was fairly obvious to her. She was a being of the forest after all, what need would she have for the world beyond it’s borders? 

« The woods give me all that I could require, it is home and friend alike to me. What ever could I need of the world beyond, that it could not provide me? »

“…so you have never set foot outside of your forest…? Hmm…”

The wanderer seems deep in thought for a moment, pondering the deity’s words - until an idea strikes him.

“Oh Goddess, I have already wondered what I could offer to you in thanks for saving my life, as words of gratitude seem insufficient to me. What would you thus think of this? In return for your kindness, I could offer you stories and gifts of the world beyond your woods, so that you may see what they could offer you, without the need to leave yourself. What do you say?”

« …You have my ear. Please do continue. »

And so it came to pass, that the wanderer would tell the goddess of his native lands, of a kingdom doused in eternal rain with paths of stone. Capturing the goddess’ interest, he promised that he would return with more stories should she allow him to leave at will, and other gifts as well. Intrigued, the deity showed him a hidden path, one she asked the woods to provide to the mortal and only to him.

After that day, the wanderer would often go and visit the goddess, each time bringing her a little present from the world outside her woods. Not only material things, oh no. While he may have brought her things like food to try or even some small jewelry, he also brought immaterial goods many times. Things like stories, like songs and poems, tales of far-off lands.

And it all pleased the goddess greatly.

So much so, that what had at first been but a pleasant occurence soon became something that even she, a divine being, looked forward to every time. Each day she’d wonder what her mortal friend would bring her the next time. Just what might guide his hand when he picked a new gift to bring her? It had become a fun pasttime to her, one she held quite dear.

Until one day, he did not come. Nor the day after. Or the one after that.

The goddess was distraught, her heart heavy as it never had been before. Why had her little mortal wanderer not returned? Did he no longer wish to see her? Had he grown tired of visiting her, of delighting her with his gifts?

Or had he, perhaps, mortal as he was, lost his life?

The goddess’s heart was filled with sadness and uncertainty, and her woods fell into the same deep depression as she. The mist became thicker, the trees malicious and the ground treacherous. And even the animals, the goddess’ cherished children and prey, became warped, corrupted as the months went by, turning into monsters.

The goddess’ woods had fallen into darkness. And for many a year, no mortal would dare brave them again.

It is nearly twenty years later that a hooded figure with a walking cane passes through a village and hears a rumor about a cursed forest. A rumor of a nameless deity that had suffered betrayal at the hand of man, and turned the woods wicked in her anger. More, the people do not know, they all just know the story from hearsay, and figure it must be true, due to the monsters roaming the nearby forest.

But the hooded figure knows better. He knows that the goddess was not struck with anger, but with sadness instead - and he seeks to right that wrong, even if it may be the last thing he would do in his life.

The villagers consider him a lunatic, a fool, a man running to his own doom, when he tells them he wishes to see the forest for himself. He does not care, remains stubborn in his desire. And so they let him go, fully aware that he will never return. No one that stepped into those woods did.

When the hooded man arrives at the border of the forest, he is out of breath. Twenty long years had left their mark, twenty years that he had suffered. First the war, that engulfed his home and kept him from returning, then his capture and how he was sold into slavery. He knew there was little hope of him ever being free again, but he never stopped thinking of the goddess in the woods.

When his owner found out that the hooded man had fallen ill, destined to perish in but a few short months, he had gifted him his freedom. “Return to these woods you speak of so fondly”, he had said, “I know your heart yearns for this, and I cannot deny a dying man’s wish.” He had served him well, and so the master saw fit to grant him this chance to find some peace of mind. And the slave had thankfully accepted.

Twenty long years it had been, and they had changed him greatly. But the forest too had changed, had grown vile and wicked. And yet still... when the hooded figure whispers those never forgotten mystic words, it remembers as well, recalls the old path it once showed a certain man, and that man alone. And as if he were a shining ray of hope piercing the darkness, it allows him to pass.

Finally. It had waited so long... She had waited so long...

When tired feet, assisted by the wooden cane, finally manage to carry him to the goddess’ sanctuary, the hooded man is greeted by a saddening sight. Where once warmth had reigned, a chilling cold now resided, and the radiance of old had long since vanished. He does not see the goddess, for it has gotten hard to see and the mist is thick here. But he knows she is here. He knows she still waited.

“...I’m sorry it took so long... oh Goddess... but today... I bring you this...”

The hooded man’s voice is weak as he reaches into a pocket, and draws forth a Wild Rose, young and lively as he had once been, and every bit as resilient. When he hears no answer, sees no reaction, he slowly kneels down, his joints aching at the movement. Slowly, carefully, do calloused hands dig a little hole, just barely big enough to house the flower he had brought.

“...I’m truly sorry... I wish I could have been earlier... could have returned sooner... I’m sorry, my Goddess...”

With shaking hands, the hood is slowly lifted from his head, revealing brown hair besieged by strands of silver, and a single, sapphire blue eye, tears brimming at it’s corner. The other eye, it has long since lost it’s light, taken away by an enemy’s blade during the war.

“Please... please believe me... I have never once, not a single day... not a single day... have I forgotten you... have I not wished to return... But I could not... And now, as my time runs out... and I’ve been granted my final wish to come here... all I want is to see you again... one last ime...”

His plea, it does not fall on deaf ears. Hidden from sight by a veil of thick mist, russet eyes slowly open, roused by a voice that seems familiar and yet so different, changed by twenty arduous years. A shimmer of hope shines upon her heart, and a silent prayer finds the way onto her lips.

The mist does not part around her as it once did, not today. Nonetheless, she finds her way with certain steps, trusting the woods to lead her to where he must be. And indeed, she soon finds him, stepping out of the mist - and is greeted by a weak, tired smile as her little wanderer finally sees her.

“Ah... so I do get to see you... one last time... Thank the heavens...”

« My Wanderer... have you truly returned to me, at last...? »

It is alas in the nature of tragedy that the wanderer, finally having returned, is a mortal, and that his time had come. He does not get to answer her, does not have the opportunity to explain to her why he was so late. But he got to see her again, one last time, and that is all that matters to him.

And so, when he collapses onto the cold ground, there is a content little smile on his lips. His life, ended by an illness no healer could cure, at the very moment his wish came true... 

« No! This cannot be, no, I... I won’t allow it! »

Never before had the goddess felt such joy only for it to be taken away so abruptly. Never before had she felt loss quite like this. Never before... had she felt so powerless in her own woods.

There was naught she could do for this mortal, and she knows this as soon as she reaches his body, taking it into her arms and cradling it. So long they had waited, and now it all was for naught... She had always known that her dear wanderer would one day perish, that death was inevitable for the mortals. And yet still, she could not help now but to feel tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

« Oh my Wanderer, my dear little Wanderer... we have waited so long, and now, all we had was but a fleeting moment - it is too cruel. I understand that this is how it must be, that your life was always meant to return to the earth, and I will not stop it. I cannot stop it. But.. before I let you go... Grant me too one final wish... »

And so, the goddess would lean down, planting a short kiss on her wanderer’s lips.

A kiss filled with longing. A kiss filled with sadness. A kiss filled dreams. But above it all... a kiss filled with her power...

The legends of the woods would differ in whether it was intentionally done so, or if it had been born from deep felt desire, and happened subconsciously. But what they all would agree on even hundreds of years after that day, is a miracle.

A dead man, rousing from the eternal slumber, no longer a mere mortal but rather like a deity, awoken by the longing kiss of a goddess, forever to be her companion.

These legends, they would speak of a nameless Wanderer that fell in love with a Goddess of the Woods and the Hunt, and that was loved by her in turn. Of a man, that became akin to a deity, sworn eternally to be at her side.

These legends, they would speak of a pair of gods, residing in a forest covered in thick, misty fog, a serene and calm forest where no monster roamed. They would speak of a Goddess, old and wise as the Woods themselves - and of a new, younger God, one of Tales and Songs, of Poems and Legends.

And of how everyday, the God would tell a new story to the Goddess, forever devoted to delighting her.

And of a love, that overcame the boundaries between mortal and deity.

[bad0mens]

Hi! For the Musical Challenge, may I prompt you with Snowfield from the Clannad OST? I hope you don't know the anime because the context would influence your writing and it's a very pretty piece of its own, but if you do it's ok too ;-D

Oh boy again, I’m sorry this is so so delayed. I do have a little context for Clannad even though I’ve never watched it, but this song was so lovely to write to anyway. I hope you enjoy this.

Snowfields

The world was soft and white beneaththe glittering winter stars. A cloud bank, flat and grey, was rollingin from the north from the mountains to shower Aurnion with even moresnow. He had expected this sort of weather given the season. Thewhole town was hunkering down to wait it out, safe in the warmth oftheir homes. Flynn didn't have that luxury, even though what hadbrought him here in the first place had been a chance to relax. Thefact of the matter was it was all Yuri's fault.

Flynn trekked out into the dark world,lit only by the distant fires of the homes in Aurnion and the whitemoon reflecting off of the blanket of snow that lay knee deep acrossthe plains below the mountains. It crunched beneath his feet as hemarched through, cloak wrapped as tightly as he could manage andstill get to his sword, and eyes ever on the ground. He was followingtracks, Yuri's and Repede's that cut trails through the snow. Hecouldn't wait for them to return any longer. It was too dark and toocold and with the threat of more snow on the horizon, he couldn't putoff trail lest it be covered. It wasn't that he wanted to talk toYuri, or even look at his face right now, but he did want to findhim. They could finish their argument later, once the frost in thetips of fingers and toes melted back to the warmth of life. And itwould be an argument to the very last breath.

Everything up to this had been a pain,so why not this part of their vacation, too. Flynn had planned it,the vacation, not the pain, and it all went downhill immediately fromthere. A skirmish near Heliord between the Empire and the Guilds hadonly resulted in the further building of tension between thefactions. Lives had been lost in a needless conflict, and it was upto Flynn to try and smooth things over with the people that they weresupposed to be allies with. It was enough to delay the vacation bysome weeks, the plans originally set for the middle of fall beforethey might have been frozen into Aurnion. After that, the beginningof winter drove hungry monsters into towns across the Empire insearch of food, and he had to deploy support immediately. Fortune'sMarket wanted an increased rate of pay due to the danger of theroutes they were being forced to take and the shortages that werehappening the world over. More negotiations. The Council wanted tofight him on everything. The troops were thinned by illness andhunger and the surge of monsters, and replacements were hard to comeby. But regardless of all of that, he and Yuri had made it here, to aplace that held a special memory for them, the place where they hadresolved so many feelings and troubles before, only to arrive andcreate new ones.

Flynn was at fault, too. Yuri wouldn'thave left if he hadn't taken the bait on the argument, if he had justlet things lie a little longer, given Yuri the space and time that heneeded, even now, to think about how far they had come and where ithad brought them. He had been just as much to blame for the fight,and so he trudged on through the snow guided by the stars. They hadalways led him to Yuri in the past.

The path wound and narrowed,footprints becoming less defined in the areas where there had been afight, the carcass of a monster remaining, and Yuri and Repede'ssteps moving on. Although he could not have been walking for a fullhour, Flynn could no longer see Aurnion behind him, only a trail ofhis own steps walking beside where Yuri had walked earlier, vanishinginto the darkness. Still he walked. The wind was picking up,whistling by him as the clouds rolled across the dark sky.

Howling reached his ears, the soundsof beasts baying in the dark on a moonlit hunt. It caused the hair onthe back of his neck to stand on end and his skin to prickle and hisstep to quicken until he was running toward the sound, one hand onhis sword. There was a fight ahead, snow kicked up by feet andblurring his view, but he knew without a doubt who was involved. Ofcourse Yuri would come out all the way into the middle of nowherebefore a blizzard to get in a good fight. It was Yuri through andthrough.

And Yuri was the one who stood there,sword in his left hand, Repede at his side, surrounded by a halfdozen of the sleek white wolves that roamed the land. Even this manyshould have proven no trouble for Yuri at all, and that's how Flynnknew something was wrong.

“Yuri!” he shouted over the snow,drawing the attention of the monsters.

He drew his sword, and quickened hisstep as they turned toward him, hungry mouths gaping. They rushed himin a pack, swift feet over snow rather than through it, andmaneuvered to surround him. He let them to keep them off of Yuri fora moment, and let them circle him, taking long, deep breaths, untilthe moment when the first one charged.

A quick strike took it down, the sprayof its blood painting the snow. The next two lunged forward, Repedeattacking one with his knife, and Flynn taking on the other. Beforeanother attack, warmth met his back, but he didn't flinch at it. Hehad no doubts about it being Yuri.

“Nice of you to show up,” Yurilaughed hoarsely.

“Well, I knew that you'd end upgetting yourself in trouble if I left you for too long.”

“I needed a chance to cool off.”

“Now that you've had it, can we endthis?”

“Gladly.”

The last three wolves didn't bother towait their turns, diving forward at them only seconds apart in spiteof how quickly the others of their pack had been dispatched. And theydidn't last a second longer, cut down by a pair of swords andRepede's knife, leaving their forms scattered in a rough circlearound them.

Flynn took a deep breath and wiped offhis sword before sheathing it. He didn't look at Yuri immediately, aflash of anger still lingering in him. He didn't want to startanother branch of the argument, but if he spoke now, it might happenanyway. Squashing it, he finally turned.

The motion came just in time to seeYuri go limp, sword slipping from his hand and falling into the snow.

“Yuri!” He was at Yuri's side inan instant, propping him up. “Hey, stay with me.”

“I'm fine.” His breath and voicewere ragged and his eyes glassy with pain.

“Don't lie to me.”

Flynn only had to peel back a cornerof Yuri's cloak to see the wounds on his arm and side, multiple roundand sharp punctures in the pattern of mouths full of teeth, deep andbleeding. It He didn't dare touch the wounds and risk causing Yuripain until after he tried a first aid spell. It was weak compared toEstelle's, only staring the process of repairing the bones crushedbeneath the skin.

“What happened?” he asked in a lowvoice, lingering over Yuri. Repede sat beside them, whiningworriedly.

“There were more than I expected.And hungry I guess,” Yuri tried to laugh, but it fell far short ofnormal.

“Let's get you back to town.”

He lifted him as gently as possible,although he could still feel the tightness of Yuri's muscles and thehiss of pain that he hid behind clenched lips. Repede dashed forward,looking back, and proceeded to lead the way for Flynn to followed.

“How are you feeling?”

“Oh, just great.” If he was ableto joke this much, he was still somewhat lucid. For now, that was allFlynn could ask for.

“Hang on. We'll be back soon.”

There was no reply. Yuri just laid,slumped against him, still warmth, still breathing, but hisconsciousness slipping away. And Flynn couldn't do anything right nowbut keep walking through the dark, snow covered world, hoping thatYuri could hold on.

The lights of the town flickered inthe dark, ghostly as foxfire, but Repede and his nose led them onfaithfully. He felt colder, Yuri heavier, with each step he took.Still he trudged on. He had to keep going, especially with new snowfalling, tiny razors of ice cutting at them, stinging in his eyes.The warmth of safety, of civilization was so close. There was nogiving up. Either they both made it out of this, or neither of themdid.

“Yuri?”

There was still no reply, butbreathing came, even but shallow.

“Do you remember that blizzard inZaphias when we were kids?”

Yuri wasn't conscious, but the threadof his words might have given him something to cling to as theytrudged on. Anything to keep him there with Flynn.

“The orphanage was full. We... wewere living in the corner of a warehouse. It was so cold that winter.I was out late for some reason, I think I had gone to find ussomething to eat.” Flynn needed this as much as Yuri did. Flynnneeded to hear his own words, to hear Yuri's breathing, the beat ofhis heart. It was the only thing convincing him that he wasn't justwading through a never ending hell after freezing to death. A threadfor them to share. “I guess you had gotten worried and had comelooking for me. Out in that snow bank... I had never seen you soscared before. But we made it. We made it here. We kept our childhoodpromise, you remember? We used our swords to make people smile, toprotect what we love.”

Only the howling wind responded,bellowing like the cries of spirits in his ears.

“You can't give up yet. I won't letyou.”

His strength was fading, draining awaywith the cold and the snow, but he held all the tighter, even as hisfeet fumbled to feel, to hold him up. The lights were closer now,brighter, warmer, welcoming. They were so close now, Repede stillbarking back at them to keep them on the trail. It helped his focus,even just a little, and he fought through the pain and the cold andthe weariness.

“I love you, damn it.” The waterin his eyes was threatening to freeze. “And I can't do this withoutyou.”

The roar of the wind sounded likeshouting, like screaming. His frozen feet marched on. The sounddrowned out everything else, his own voice, although he knew that hewas still talking, still speaking over chips of ice to keep thatthread pulled tight between them. His frozen fingers still clung toYuri. The gate of town was within sight, a pair of lanterns likefiery eyes in the dark, and a pair of soldiers left to guard.

All at once, everything stopped, andhe stumbled, fighting to stay standing, to stay in movement. Theshouting was closer now and through his snow crusted eyes, he couldsee the lanterns grow closer. Almost there. Emptiness filled hisears. Another step, and then another, no sound, no light, nothing.His face hit the ground, molten pain surging through him not dimmedby the snow. There was only darkness and the cold.

Light and warmth brought feeling backto him, but it was slow. The whole world had frozen in time, but theyhad marched on. And he hadn't failed.

Flynn couldn't have been out for verylong when he woke, propped up by a roaring fire, stripped of his snowcrusted clothing and wrapped in a blanket. The cold of the earthstill stung at his bones and half frozen flesh. Ice clogged his lungsand throat, making his first word on waking nothing more than awhisper.

“Yuri?”

He tried to scramble to his feet, butnone of his limbs would respond.

“Yuri?” he called again, panicrising in his voice and trying to look around the room. Their roomwas the same as they had left it.

A soldier entered the room, bringingwith him a flurry of cold air from the outside, and saluted him.“Commandant, you're awake.”

“What happened? Where's Yuri?” Hetried again to stand, having only a little better luck and managingto make it onto one knee, and pulling himself higher with the help ofthe fireplace. He was standing on wobbly legs in short order.

“He's with the doctor. You should beresting.”

“Not until I see him.”

The soldier simply sighed, and leadFlynn out into the snow and across the town of Aurnion to thedoctor's building. The bitter cold bit at him ever harder, but hewalked on with weak legs. The warmth of the doctor's building hit himlike a wall, but the smell of the crackling fire could not cover thesmell of illness. The doctor shot up out of his chair, dark and tiredeyes coming open at their entrance.

“Commandant, you shouldn't be upyet,” he said.

“I told him that as well,” thesoldier replied.

“I need to see Yuri.”

Silence prevailed in the room for amoment.

“Please.”

“This way,” the doctor finallyrelented, and led Flynn in an adjoining room with where a few bedswere set up.

In the bed closest to the fireplaceset into the room laid Yuri, bandaged and pale, with Repede crushedclose to his side, wagging his tail only slightly at the sight ofFlynn. Flynn moved to his side as quickly as his aching, frozen bodywould let him. He lay, still and silent save the very light sound ofhis breathing.

“His injuries are bad,” the doctorsaid softly from his position across the room. “As of yet, I can'tmake an guarantees about his condition. And he has yet to regainconsciousness.”

Flynn nodded back mutely, taking aseat on the empty bed beside Yuri. He hunched over, elbows on hisknees and twining his fingers together. He looked for words toquestions he wasn't sure that he wanted the answers to, his throattoo stopped up with grief and pain to let him speak them.

“You should really get some rest,Commandant.”

“I'd rather wait here.”

“Commandant, I must insist.”

He could only shake his head. He wasfrozen through, aching for the ice in his blood and bones. Other thanexposure, he was largely uninjured. None of that mattered. The wearand tear on his own body, whatever illness or fatigue might plaguehim. None of it. Here he would sit until Yuri woke up. He didn't wantto think about the other possibilities. For Flynn, there was onlyone. Yuri was a fighter, endlessly strong and stubborn, and he wouldfight through this. He would fight through this to the death, andFlynn would remain by his side until that fight was over. The threadsthat connected them would allow him to do no less.

Heedless of pain or grief, the snowcontinued to fall.

[recentanimenews]

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore Is Sweet Music to Our Ears

  When news of a Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem collaboration hit, most people seemed to initially assume it would be some sort of strategy game, like Fire Emblem, with SMT trappings, or a SMT style RPG featuring Fire Emblem in some way. With the popularity of the Persona series due to Persona 4 and the announcement of Persona 5, a lot of people’s thoughts were going in wild places. When Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE emerged, many people were rightfully a little confused about what the game actually was, or how it was even connected to either franchise, as it featured characters no one recognized in a third-person RPG world, centered mostly on… idols?! 

The reality is that TMS is greater than the sum of its initial parts, a fun and light RPG with nods to Fire Emblem characters and Persona-lite gameplay trappings. Unfortunately for the game, it was released towards the end of the Wii U’s lifecycle, meaning that a lot of gamers either never got a chance to play it, or easily overlooked the game on its initial release. With the release of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, however, Switch owners now have a chance to take this fantastic, unique RPG for a spin; and if you played it before, you’ll find that there’s still something new here for you, as well!

Following a mysterious mass disappearance 11 years ago, the game picks up with the spotlight on Itsuki Aoi, a somewhat bland but otherwise fine protagonist. He isn’t the silent type like SMT protagonists tend to be, and feels a bit more like the player insert character Robin from Fire Emblem Awakening; a character with a set personality that can be adjusted slightly through basic choices. Anime fans will likely pick up on a lot of the character tropes that the cast of TMS are putting down, from the dopey but genki Tsubasa Oribe to the hero-wannabe Touma Akagi, these are familiar characters that are easily likable and have great chemistry with each other. 

Itsuki and Tsubasa find themselves in trouble as an idol talent scout turns out to  be a trap to capture “Perfoma," a type of energy that humans possess, that the mysterious Mirages attempt to obtain for their own needs. By strokes of luck, Itsuki and Tsuaba prove to be Mirage Masters, able to control and bond with Mirages in order to battle against other Mirages, and these beings prove to be the Fire Emblem flavored link between the two game series; Itsuki partners with Chrom, while Tsubasa partners with Caeda. Other Fire Emblem series staple characters come into play as more Mirages appear, and even Tiki the dragon appears as an “uta-loid," a Mirage that also acts as a virtual idol like world famous performer Hatsune Miku. This is generally where the Fire Emblem connection ends, however, and for the most part TMS is a SMT-lite or Persona-lite RPG, with characters traversing the “Idolasphere” in between visiting real-world locations in areas of Tokyo, like Harajuku or the famous Scramble Crossing. 

The real plot of the game revolves around solving the mystery of the disappearances, their links to Mirages and Perfoma, and the individual characters striving to achieve their goals in the entertainment world, as everyone in your party is somehow connected to performance in some manner: Tsubasa wants to be an idol, other members are already idols, some are models, actors, managers, and other entertainment related jobs. TMS has a mini-social link system, like Persona, in which Itsuki’s interactions and choices with characters influences their goals and successes in their dream jobs; if you manage to achieve all of the links to success, the ending will change to reflect this as a bonus. 

Characters are lively and animated, and the game has a somewhat unique system of featuring characters as almost full body figures while they talk to you, with expressive facial features (Tsubasa’s “awawawa” shock face is my personal favorite!), and extra dialogue scenes related to side quests happen in a very amusing in-game re-creation of chat app LINE, complete with stickers. These little optional conversations are generally how Itsuki affects the social link options, but they also provide a fun view into how characters talk to one another, with group chats and solo chats appearing as the cast expands, making it feel similar to Vincent’s phone in Atlus’ Catherine series. Gameplay in dungeons works similar to Persona 3 and 4, with players piloting Itsuki around various dungeon maps, striking enemies for first hits, and then transitioning into lavish battle sequences that feature the game’s truly interesting battle system, specifically the Session System.

Battles are turn-based, and the SMT/Persona influence becomes very apparent here, as TMS feels very similar to Persona 4’s battle system (and, in retrospect, almost feels like it had some influence on later mainline game Persona 5’s system as well). The player has control of 3 characters, with Itsuki being a mainstay, and the other two swappable at any time during a battle. Finding enemy weaknesses is the main way to deal extra damage, and each enemy has a range of weaknesses to various physical and elemental damages. Unlike SMT, where weakness striking triggers turn skipping, TMS instead allows players that have discovered enemy weaknesses, and who have the corresponding skills on their various party members, to unleash powerful Session attacks, where multiple characters can attack out of turn sequence to devastate opponents. Exploiting Session abilities is key to survival in TMS, and in all honesty the game is fairly challenging at times, even on normal difficulty, meaning that players will need to stay on their toes and be mindful of what skills work best, when to be defensive, and when to swap party members to ensure victory. 

Pursuing character side stories unlocks more powerful abilities, called Duo Attacks, and even more abilities, Ad Libs, can be discovered as players progress further. While the story of TMS is light and fun, the battle system is where the real excitement lies, and this game ensures that players who enjoy SMT style combat will probably find a lot to love. Newcomers to the SMT sensibilities of RPGs will similarly find the game accessible and easier to understand than Persona games, as players aren’t required to worry about fusions or being killed in one hit by the enemy striking your new Persona’s weakness. Instead, as players explore the world, they can farm items from enemies that will allow them to continually unlock new weapons they can equip, letting their Mirages learn new abilities and skills that deepen their usefulness in combat. Having static weaknesses on your player characters lets you learn everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, and allows you to plan better as battles become more challenging, keeping things fresh and exciting.

Overall, the game looks great, and even though it originally came out on the Wii U in 2015, the game has aged very well in the transition to the Switch; in fact, the game looks fairly vibrant and gorgeous in a lot of cases, and the Switch seems to be able to pull out some of the beauty even better than the Wii U did. Travelling between the city scenes and Idolasphere dungeons are always colorful affairs, and the game really does try to make things seem alive and popping, even rendering faceless NPC characters in crowded scenes as rainbow-colored people, rather than grey shapes. Major dialogue in the game is also fully voiced, however there is no dub track to the game, meaning Japanese voices are the only option for audio. While the performances are all great, this does mean that people in need of English audio, or who may rely on non-Japanese audio cues, are a bit left in the lurch by this decision. The fairly barebones release of the game on the Wii U likely meant there was no dub planned, and this re-release seems to mostly work off of existing translations and assets from the original release. 

In general, this isn’t a big problem, but it is a bit of a bummer that the game isn’t quite as accessible as it could be due to the lack of dual audio options. Since music is a huge part of the game, players will be happy to find out that the OST and songs in the game are all fantastic, with some being homages to Fire Emblem music, and others being completely new arrangements and performances of unique songs made directly to tie in to the idol-focused nature of TMS. Audio and visual wise, TMS is a real treat for players, and the Switch seems to take advantage of both of these things far better than the Wii U did. 

If you already played TMS on Wii U, you’ll be excited to learn that there’s plenty of new things to explore, as Encore features new playable characters and side stories, expanding what you can do and see during the game. I found this to be a really welcome addition, but was surprised that it wasn’t really advertised very well; I actually had no idea until I was presented with options and characters I didn’t have in the original game. These new scenes are all great, and they really help flesh out the already fun cast by adding in some new changes and additions. 

Not only that, but each of them feels natural, meaning that you likely wouldn’t know what was new content or not if this were your first time to ever play the game. While there isn’t much other content added, all DLC for the original game is also included, making this version of TMS the superior and overall best version of the game. If you missed it on the Wii U, or you just want to play it again, pick up Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore for the Switch and engage with the truly weird and wonderful mash-up of idols, Fire Emblem, and Shin Megami Tensei. 

REVIEW ROUNDUP

+ Lost sleeper hit gets a great new update and wider release.  

+ Game runs and looks great on modern hardware, and sounds great too.

+ Controls are simple and clean, with game systems being easy to understand and accessible.

+ Characters, story, and a unique world are all fun to interact with and experience.

+ Variable difficulty provides just the right level of challenge, and even on Normal can prove to be a test of wits!

- Lack of a dub track means that some people may have a harder time accessing the game and enjoying it fully. 

  Did you play the original Tokyo Mirage Sessions? Will this be your first Fire Emblem or Shin Megami Tensei game? Let us know what you think of the game in the comments!

    ----

Nicole is a frequent wordsmith for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[sonnetxli]

A Little Rain Never Hurt Anyone

May 14

Akihabara, Jimbocho, Imperial Palace Grounds, Tokyo Tower

Today we were able to start out a little later, which was nice. Our first stop was Akihabara, home of electronics and anime. It was raining a little so we made sure to bring our umbrellas along. I had wanted to visit a store that I remembered from last time that sold new and used books, DVDs, and CDs to look for game OSTs, so we headed there first. It took a while to find the right section but once there I made a great discovery - the Chrono Cross OST, which I bought immediately.

Next we retraced our steps past the station and started to wander through Akihabara proper. Full of huge buildings with flashy anime ads, electronics shops, and arcade game towers, it’s quite a place to see! I wanted to check out another store I remembered that had about 8 floors and was jam-packed with all kinds of items, so we headed on up. Near the top were two arcade floors. Although they were ridiculously noisy, they were still interesting and we chose to walk around them to explore. Gianna tried out a claw machine a couple times on one floor, while I opted for a round of DDR on the next. I rarely get a chance to play proper arcade DDR so I was keen to try it! I played two songs on basic and then decided to play the final one on difficult for fun since it was the last round. I definitely didn’t make it through that one but I thoroughly enjoyed it anyways!

At this point we were quite warm and in need of food so we returned to street level for some fresh air and decided to look for a place to have lunch. I encouraged G to lead the way and we set off down a side street. In short order we were able to find a ramen restaurant which had small stools to sit on and tablets to place your order. I selected chashu tonkotsu ramen and G went with a garlic version of the same. I also added extra green onion to mine, which turned out to be a very generous helping but was fresh and thus so yummy! The restaurant was a great place to relax a little and catch our breath.

Next we took the subway over to Jimbocho, a district known for its book shops. One of the most interesting things is that a large number of the book shops are on one main street but are only on the south side of the street - but this is because the booksellers want to protect their wares from the sun.

We made our way along this primary avenue and either peeked into or walked through the stores. Many of them sold old or specialty books so it was fun to look through them and see the varieties on hand. Traditional Japanese books are also just so beautiful! And of course, the stores smelled heavenly.

Our feet were a bit sore so we crossed the street and found a cafe to stop in for a moment. It was quite busy inside. After ordering our drinks we tried to find a spot upstairs but the only available table was in the smoking section, so we turned right around and came back down. Luckily someone had left and a table with two chairs had opened up, so we nabbed it right away.

A little more recharged, we continued on via a small pedestrian bridge and headed south until we reached one of the gates of the Imperial Palace Gardens. It was quite windy as we walked, which made holding onto my umbrella a two-handed endeavor (and made me laugh). At the gate we stopped to have our bags checked by a kind security guard, picked up an admission token from the office (you can enter freely but they like to keep track of your presence) and then ducked inside. The large walls made for a much more sheltered interior, so I was able to safely use my umbrella again.

The Imperial Gardens was an area that was new to both of us and we were very impressed. It covers a large space and is full of various special sections, though what I liked most was the large walls and the many beautiful old trees throughout. This turned out to be the perfect place to visit on a cool, rainy day, because the grounds were quite extensive but there weren’t too many people around, and we felt like it would have been uncomfortable if it was too hot. We had a great time walking through and also took a moment to sit on a bench and observe our surroundings.

When we finally felt like we had seen everything we handed in our tokens and headed out the east gate to find the train station. After a couple of stops we alighted and reoriented ourselves to track down the final aim of our day - the Tokyo Tower. G found a way through a park and after crossing a pedestrian overpass and walking a bit more we got to the tower quite easily. There were some renovations in progress but we were still able to go to the main viewing deck partway up. We enjoyed looking out on the views of Tokyo and it felt very similar to the Calgary Tower back home. We also had some soft-serve ice cream - strawberry/vanilla for me and matcha/vanilla for G - and it came in cute tower-shaped holders.

We descended again via the elevator and walked downhill to find a different train station to connect to our usual line. Unfortunately it was rush hour, so the trains were quite full and everything was very busy. However, I do feel like riding a busy train is part of the Tokyo experience so I was glad for that! As we reached our station we were welcomed home by the familiar musical jingle that plays (again, they are different for every station) and gratefully returned to our hotel.