#i don't think izumi would listen to this song

[king-bumis-armpit]

What would your headcanons be for Modern AU Mai?

I could talk about Mai for hours! I have so many thoughts about what she would be like in the modern day. I’m working on a modern au fic right now, so consider this a little teaser for that ^^ This was my first time writing head canons, so I hope this is what you were looking for. 

First things first, music. I think it would be a big part of modern Mai’s life:

Her parents definitely made her learn some instrument as a kid, and she didn’t hate it as much as her other forced hobbies

As a teen and adult, she listens to metal, classical music, and top 40 hits indiscriminately. People always freak out when she recognizes Taylor Swift songs because they assume she’s too alternative for that.

But the truth is that she drowns herself in music and always has airpods in, so she listens to a wide variety. Because of her airpods, sometimes her parents think she can’t hear them, but she definitely can. She will play into this by waiting to respond to questions until her mom asks them a few times.

She also writes songs, but she has never shown anyone. Not even Zuko or Ty Lee. Her songs are the place where she feels completely safe to be emotionally vulnerable, so I don’t think she’ll show Zuko until they’re married. Alternately, I like the idea that he finds her notebook at some point after they live together.

There’s a song called “Think of You” by Rose Betts and I swear Mai wrote it about Zuko after one of their breakups. You have to listen to it! It will give you such Maiko feels!! OMG

Career

I think that Mai did very well in high school. Her parents’ invested in the best education of course, but I also think Azula would play a big part in her success. Azula is very motivated to be the valedictorian of her graduating class, so she makes Mai and Ty Lee study with her for hours. (Mai would have done just fine without Azula, but I think she would have cared less about school without the extra encouragement.)

In college, Mai has enough AP credits from high school to easily double major in Political Science and Philosophy. 

She becomes a professor of Political Theory at a small local school and all of her students love her. The job is a bit social for her comfort zone, but she loves studying game theory and political power structures. And working with students reminds her of her time studying with her friends. She accepts no nonsense in the classroom, but her quick wit and dry humor earn her a good rapport with her students.

On the weekends and in the summers Mai also works part time as a tattoo artist. This earns her extra coolness points with her students as well.

Zuko

Our emo cuties are still very in love

I envision them being childhood friends. Ozai is a big politician and Mai’s dad is one of his top campaign donors. So Mai and Zuko and Azula end up at all the same press events and become friends. 

They start dating in her sophomore year (his junior year) of high school and everyone thinks they’re not gonna last, but I say they do ❤️

When they’re teens, they fight because they don't know how else to communicate. They never learned properly for obvious reasons. But they also really value each other since they relied on each other during the hardest parts of their upbringing 

Sometimes they do take breaks in the early years of their relationship, but they rarely if ever see other people. Zuko uses the time to focus on himself and his mental health, and Mai uses the time to focus on her career.

They get better at communication with time and they don’t take each other for granted. Zuko proposes to Mai after her senior year of university (his first year of law school), but they opt for a long engagement and wait until Mai is done with grad school to tie the knot officially. 

When Izumi is born, Zuko and Mai are both fortunate enough to be able to take parental leave from their jobs for six months. They are determined to give her all of the love and support that they lacked. Despite her apprehensions about being a mother, Mai enjoys taking some time away from her busy lifestyle and building her family. (Nonetheless, she’s happy to return to work and have intellectually stimulating conversations again.)

Other Family 

Mai’s parents are SUPER wealthy, but she hates feeling dependent on them. I bet she’d get a crappy customer service job as soon as she's legally old enough to work so that she can have some money of her own saved away

Her parents set very high expectations for her in childhood, which she cares about less and less every year.

When Tom-Tom is little, she tries to counteract her parents’ messaging. They’re a bit softer on him since he’s the youngest, but Mai never resents him for it. She goes to all of his school events and little league games, even when their parents are busy. The two are quite close, even into adulthood.

[harucafelatte]

𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞

synopsis: drabbles on why the relationship didn't work out and how it affects them

pairings: suou tsukasa, sakasaki natsume, sena izumi, saegusa ibara x gn!reader (separate)

genre: angst with absolutely no comfort (depends on how you want to interpret)

content warnings: lowercase intended, not proofread, really just relevant lyrics so people who know the song may go “what?”, wrote this at 2am and on my phone so don’t come after me, self-doubt (tsukasa), slight resentment towards reader (ibara), natsume and ibara are a bit mean to the reader, crying (izumi)

song: dried flower by yuuri

word count: 1,896 words

author's note: wrote this after listening to enhypen's jay covering 'dried flower' with the original artist, yuuri! (please listen to it!!) jay sounds so good singing in japanese?! also, special thanks to @venushotline for allowing me to use her format! do check out her works!

taglist: @kazemiya, @tomago (fill in the taglist form to be added)

you who now stand next to someone else / i wonder if it's going well for you

SUOU TSUKASA always self-doubted himself

"tsukasa? are you alright? you've been really quiet the entire time." your concerned voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"o-oh? have i? sorry…" he replied, giving you an apologetic look, "and don't worry, i'm alright."

lies. he wasn't alright.

in fact, he found himself questioning your relationship with him for the past few months. am i treating them well? am i doing the right thing? they didn't seem too happy with the gift i got them, did they not like it? do i deserve them?

"if you say so…but please tell me if anything's bothering you, okay?" you smiled. you got up from your seat and walked out of the room, leaving tsukasa slightly flustered.

there it was. the smile that made tsukasa fall in love with you in the first place. he swears that you have the best smile in the world. i'm so lucky to have them as my partner.

wait…are they lucky to have me as their partner?

tsukasa grumbled. he knew he had to discuss this matter with you soon.

the next day, tsukasa sat you down on the couch and knelt in front of you, holding both of your hands. "i'm sorry, y/n…i just think that i'm not the one for you and that you deserve someone better. someone who treats you well. someone who can make you happy every day. sadly, i can't be that person."

you knew about tsukasa's lack of confidence but you never thought it would affect your relationship. no matter how much you tried to comfort him, he insisted he would never be enough for you.

"don't say that, tsukasa! i'm sure that-" you were cut off by tsukasa wrapping his arms around you burying his head into your neck.

"i think it's best if we went separate ways, for the benefit of us. i'm truly sorry, y/n." he mumbled. he stayed still for a while before he finally pulled away.

"it was an honour to be yours, y/n…" he whispered, placing one last kiss on your forehead.

.

.

.

tsukasa thought his worries would go away but he was wrong.

ever since the two of you broke up, he couldn't stop thinking about how you were doing.

are they happier? did they find someone better? are they taking good care of them?

tsukasa knew letting go would be difficult. you were one of those who knew about his lack of confidence and always helped him with it. he would always be grateful for having you by his side.

and the thought of you standing next to someone else makes him sick.

such a sad break-up but / time makes you forget

SAKASAKI NATSUME’S harsh words hurt you

"what do you know about this indusTRY? what do you know about being an iDOL? it isn't as easy as you think it iS!" he snapped, glaring at you with annoyance reflected in his eyes.

you were taken aback. you were trying to comfort natsume who was upset about messing up the choreography for one of the performances. tsumugi warned you about natsume being in a bad mood and advised you to leave him alone but you couldn't stand to see him being so harsh on himself. all you did was try to cheer him up but it seemed to do the opposite.

"stop acting as if you understand because you clearly don'T. you're not helping me in any waY. useLESS..." he mumbled the last part under his breath, thinking you wouldn't hear it.

you did, and without saying another word, you left the room.

a million thoughts ran wild in your head as tears threatened to spill. does he not love me anymore? i was just trying to comfort him. did he ever love me?

that night, when natsume arrived home, he was shocked to see you packing your belongings. were going to leave him?

"are you…going to leave mE?"

you turned to look at him, "i think it's for the best."

"is it about what i saID? you know i didn't mean iT!" he was now getting desperate. he didn't want you to leave him.

"natsume, you should be careful with the words you use. not everyone in the world will take them lightly, even if you don't mean it." you say as you walk past him with your belongings. "i'll be staying at my apartment so don't worry about me. goodbye natsume."

as the front door closed, natsume felt a wave of guilt wash over him. he couldn't believe you were gone. and it was all his fault. . . . after you broke up with him, natsume couldn't stop thinking about you even after trying to convince himself that he had to let you go. it was as if you cast a spell on him.

he missed waking up you sleeping next to him every morning, adoring your peaceful form. he missed returning home to you greeting him with open arms and pulling him into a hug that never failed to make him immediately melt into your touch, allowing all his worries to leave his mind - you were more important. he missed all the times when the two of you fought, laughed and cried together.

why couldn't he stop thinking about the memories he made with you? ah, that was because he still loved you.

and all he could do was wait for the memories, which he held close to his heart, to fade away.

colors float in the darkness / red, yellow, blue in the depths of my heart / keep calling out your name / feelings of love still leave a scent

SENA IZUMI was always away

“you’re not.. you’re not leaving again, are you?”

izumi averted his eyes from his watch to you. you were leaning against the door frame, staring blankly at the cup of warm tea in your hands.

"look, y/n, you know how my job requires me to travel overseas." he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"i know…but you just came back…do you really have to go?" you asked, eyes still not meeting his.

silence filled the room. the two of you knew the answer to the question.

finally, you raised your head to look at him and spoke up.

"izumi, i don't think this working out." you smiled softly, trying to mask your sadness.

izumi's eyes widened upon hearing your words. he knew what you were talking about.

"it's just that…you've been so busy with work these days, we haven't been able to spend time together. i just want to be with you but it's almost impossible with you always away..."

the moment you finished, izumi hugged you.

"i'm sorry for not being able to be a good partner, y/n." he whispered. and with that, you allowed yourself to let all your emotions out. the once-silent room was filled with your cries.

none of you wanted this but nothing could be done. . . . after the two of you broke up. izumi tried to keep himself busy with his work but it didn't work.

walking through the streets of cities was no longer enjoyable for him knowing there was no need to find a gift for someone dear to him anymore. in the past, he spent hours in different stores to find a gift for you, knowing that it was the least he could do for you to make up for the time he couldn't spend with you.

whenever he was away, the two of you video-called each other regardless of the time difference. as long as one of you was heading to bed, the other made sure to pick up the call. izumi missed hearing your soothing voice and spent every night in his bed thinking about how you were doing.

"i'm sorry, y/n…i still love you…"

he wished his message could reach you.

your voice, your face, your awkwardness / all of it, all of it I hate

SAEGUSA IBARA always put his work before you

"all you do is work! did you forget that you have someone living with you? a partner?" you groaned, walking out of his study to try to calm down.

"y/n!" ibara called after you.

it was happening again. another one of your weekly arguments over ibara's tight schedule was happening again.

all your friends thought that you and ibara rarely argued due to his composed nature. yes, when the two of you first got together, arguments were rare. he was patient and loving, always finding time to spend time with you. all that changed one day, he began coming home late from idol training and shut himself in his study to work on business issues.

how you wished things could be the same as they were in the past.

ibara found you on the couch, with your arms crossed, and walked over to sit next to you. the moment he sat down, he saw you tense up. confused, he asked, "you okay?" "ah, i was just thinking about something…aren't you busy with work? " you replied, looking away.

"just wanted to spend time with my beloved." he smiled slightly, placing a hand on your head. usually, the gesture would instantly make you feel better so it came as a surprise when you brushed his hand off.

"oh so i have to remind you about having a love life for you to spend time with me?" you asked, slightly irritated.

"what are you trying to say?" ibara questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"you know what i'm trying to say! this place is always quiet! i'm always starting the conversations and checking up on you! have you ever thought about checking up on me? do you know how worried i am about your health? you haven't been getting enough sleep these days. you always push people away. i just thought you’d never do it to me." you snapped. " and you know why? apparently, to you, work is more important than anything, even your own health!"

"is that how you feel?" ibara hissed. "do you still not understand how important my work is? if you can't support me, then maybe we should break up."

surprisingly, you didn't feel sad when he said that.

"fine."

.

.

.

after you broke up with him, ibara told himself he hated everything about you.

whenever he thinks about the memories you made with him, he hates your smile, your voice, your laugh, your touch, your flaws, and everything else about you.

but all the hate disappears when he sleeps - when he dreams about you.

he loves your smile, your voice, your laugh, your touch, your flaws, and everything else about you.

there was something different about the dreams from the memories. although the memories reminded him of the fun time you shared with him, they also reminded him of the arguments he often had with you. however, the dreams showed him the possible new memories he could have made with you if he had not broken up with you.

if he had just tried harder to show you how much he loved you.

flowers that have yet to wilt / i place with you / forever, forever, forever, forever / hold on to them

he couldn't bear it anymore.

he misses you so much.

no matter how hard he reminded himself that the relationship had ended, he couldn't stop thinking about you.

he wants to see you, hear your voice, feel your touch.

he wants to be with you.

all because he still loves you. . . . now, he is waiting at the meeting spot, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers.

he had texted you the day before, asking if you were free to meet him today.

he did not receive a reply but saw that the message was delivered and seen.

there was little hope that you would show up. still, he held onto that small hope.

suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching him.

he took a deep breath, clutching the bouquet tightly.

was it you?

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

Hey look more shuffle song challenge

Run - Awolnation.

“You don't understand a thing do you?” Izumi asked. Her hands were in his pockets as she looked at the heroes in front of her.

 “Don’t understand what?” demanded the leader of the group. “You’re here against your will.” 

 “I’m a human being aren't I?” Izumi asked rhetorically. 

 “Huh?”

 “I’m human,” Izumi smiled, her eyes flashing black. “We’re all capable of horrible things aren’t we?” her grin only widened as her skin began bubbling. Her Quirk was coming in strong. She felt herself rise. “You should run,” she laughed right before he lunged. 

 They shouldn't have tried to talk her down.

 Just another group of idiots thinking they knew her.

Tears of Gold- Faouzia

 “I’m sorry Izuku,” Bakugou was at the door again. Izuku hadn't opened the door, the hero had to yell it. Izuku took out his phone to type out another message to security of his building, reminding them that he didn't want to be bothered by Bakugou. Not now, not ever. Not really anyway. 

 Not after what he did. 

 God Izuku should have known. He remembered thinking he'd been naive after everything. Remembered the tears pouring down his face. Remembering the fact Bakugou had only sent a text not anything else. 

 He'd been so stupid, so foolish to think things would change. 

 Izuku felt the tears in his eyes again, and wiped them away.

 He wouldn't cry over Bakugou again.

 Not now, not ever.

Thumbs -Sabrina Carpenter 

 Things were supposed to be better. Things were supposed to have changed. Things weren't supposed to repeat like some shitty rerun.

 Izuku clenched his hands, refusing to look at the new Commission. Or well, Committee. 

 It was the same shit over again. A power hungry force trying to fore certain heroes to the top to control society. 

 Izuku hadn't obeyed. Had focused on helping others. Most of his class had. 

 And because of this they were nothing. Old has been heroes despite being twenty-five while fame hungry heroes stole the spotlight.

 Izuku gritted his teeth, feeling the Quirk his father mockingly gave back under his skin.

 The cycle just would keep going wouldn't it?

Drag Me Down- One Direction

“Who is my biggest supporter?” Izuku repeated the question. He paused, humming.

 A few people smirked, or smiled shyly, thinking he would say them. Bakugou was ready to take the words, while Inko wanted to bury her face into her hands.

 “Ah that would be Iida! Or Ingenium!” Izuku said after a moment of thought. “He’s always been there for me since I started UA. He and Uravity were the ones who thought I would go far! He's been there for everything, from physical therapy for my arms, to villain fights, and more.” Izuku beamed. “I've never felt more supported than by him.”

 “Really?” the reporter laughed, smiling at the feel good story of friendship. 

 Izuku smiled, aware of what hornet's nest he’d just kicked. 

 He didn't quite mind.

Wait for It- Hamilton Sound Track

 Inko knew she made a lot of mistakes. From sleeping with a man not her husband, to not telling her son the truth of his parentage. To having to deal with the sham her marriage became. 

 To having her son walk away from her. Having him fall to the darkness because she couldn't support him. She was to scared to, terrified of what would happen to him.

 Now she had nothing. There was nothing for her here. Nothing to move on with. 

 There was only one thing she could do. She hovered at the edge of the group, listening to the pink girl describe the machine to take someone back in time.

 It doesn't take her a second to yank it to her. She held the eyes of the hero who tried to snatch it, pressing the button.

 She wouldn't wait to fix things.

Sorry not Sorry- Demi Lovato

“He seems sorry,” Kirishima said out loud, eyes lingering on the 1C table where Bakugou Katsuki was eating by himself.

 “I'm not,” Izuku snorted. He ate his Katsudon with no shame as Kirishima tried to look disapproving. “He's never been anything but rude and mean to me, I don't see why I need to feel sorry.”

 “He…” Kirishima hesitated. Nothing he could say wouldn't sound like victim blaming. It was like saying that Izuku had asked to be assaulted during the final exam that ended up with Bakugou failing. Or that Bakugou shouldn’t have listened to the teachers and stayed inside rather than leaving during the remedial lessons where he got kidnapped.

 “He deserves it,” Izuku said. It had taken a few sessions with Hound Dog, but he could say it with his full chest.

 Bakugou deserved it. Izuku took a twisted glee in rising high up in the hero course while Bakugou stagnated in general education, his attitude providing a great deterrent from ever getting back into his original track. 

 He should probably talk about that in therapy.

Stupid in Love - MAX, Huh Yunjin

“I’m in love with you,” JD blurted out, unable to stop the words. They covered their mouth. Inko jerked back, the green haired woman staring at the devil with a wide mouth. “Shit. Don’t-” they shook their head and turned away. Inko reached out to grab their arm.

 “It’s mutual.” she said. JD froze, before turning around to stare at her. She held their eyes, not looking away. They couldn't help the smile growing across their face, leaning forward to grab her face to plant a kiss on her lips. Her hands came up to cup their own cheeks, neither able to stop kissing.

 It wasn't their first kiss, the history of friends with benefits coming in.

 But it was their best.

Devil Saint - Luma, Yuppycult

Izuku printed off every piece of evidence. He marked them all, circling each moment. He was through. He did not flinch as he wrote everything down. He did not stop until it was all down.

 He sent each hero school a package. A package showing each horror Bakugou Katsuki and Aldera caused. Each bruise, each word. He then sent it to multiple new sources and sat back. 

 It was time to watch it burn.

Valhalla Calling- Miracle of Sound

“You’re crazy!” Shouto shouted as he caught Izumi from her jump. She shrugged.

 “And?” she smiled charmingly up at the other teen. “I’m not some damsel you can keep locked up Shouto. Now come on, let's get out of here!” the dancer jumped out of his arms and Shouto nearly broke down then. But he couldn't. No, he had to run to keep up with her gait. She flipped around the battlefield, mocking the villains who thought her weak, thought she would bend for them, thought she'd give up being a hero for pretty words.

 “If I die, I die as myself!” she shouted, jumping perfectly over a burst of blue flame. Shouto’s breath caught, eyes wide.

 She was so damn beautiful.

I’m a Mess- Bebe Rexha

Izumi hated how she felt. She hated how Dabi could twist her up like this. Hated how the memory of his arms made her want to cry. 

 She flipped down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

 He didn't love her. It was obvious to her. People didn't love her for who she was. They only wanted what she could give them, what she provided.

 For Dabi it was easy. Sex and intel was what he wanted and she got to feel loved.

 She knew that.

 So why did his fake love make her feel funny? Why did she keep playing with these games?

 God she felt ridiculous. 

 “Baby?” Dabi opened the door, and Izumi tucked away her thoughts, smiling.

 She'd enjoy it while it lasted.

 He was there and willing to pretend at least.

[heatwa-ves]

please explain your izuleo playlist with as much detail as you want im interestedddd

MIKIIII THANK YOU. okay here's my playlist and im gonna do a song by song breakdown... I'll try and keep it decently brief so this doesn't become one million words but we'll see. my playlist is vaguely chronological so it starts pre-checkmate!

astroboy- suggi

okay so this one is just straight up a leo song. you just have to listen to it it's literally about him "I raised my hands up real high, they called me stupid when I asked why we couldn't fly. am I too far ahead of my friends, or I am late?" hellooooo hello. hi. leo tsukinaga everyone!!!! right down to the moon/space theming

"oh, the rain, you're losing your flame, where'd the burn, the passion go? you run through the pain, you're losing your aim, and you feel like you alone missed the grow" LITERALLY about his breakdown post checkmate. uagh.

cheerleader- ashnikko

an izumi song!!! I don't have to explain anything here you get the vibes

brand new city- mitski

having to preface this by saying I do not listen to mitski this is the only song of hers I listen to and only because it makes me think of izumi so much I feel like throwing up.

"If I gave up on being pretty I wouldn't know how to be alive, I should move to a brand new city and teach myself how to die." yeah. izumi sena.

yoru ni kakeru- yoasobi

well I'm sure you know this song and the story behind it "the seduction of thanatos" I think it works very well about the izuleo dynamic around this time when they're very codependent and leo is so severely depressed and suicidal. they're fucked up 👍

it's all so incredibly loud- glass animals

so this one makes me think of izumi going to see leo in a similar vein to lionheart but probably before that and he sees leo so broken and neither of them can bring themselves to say anything. "I tried, for you and I, for too hard, for too long" makes me think of the ending scene of lionheart and so on

softcore- the neighborhood

"you've been my muse for a long time, you get me through every dark night. I'm always gone, out on the go, I'm on the run and you're home alone"

"every time I kiss you, baby, I can hear the sound of breaking down"

you get it. you see the vision. more depression era stuff.

less of you- keshi

depression era leo... there's so many lines in this song that correlate to them but a fav is "too much time in the limelight, gimme your all on the land line, want it so bad but I won't lie and it just gets worse in the night time."

are you happy? - shy martin

"and I know I thought that pain's part of love, but I think I broke you, though I didn't mean to. but are you happy, looking back at us when you met me? would you go back and tell yourself to leave it, knowing what we know?" UARFGHBHBB izumi.... who killed cock robin ass song.

from now on we are enemies - fall out boy

I've talked about this one EXTENSIVELY before but it really is just a song about leo tsukinaga. what else can I say.

always- keshi

well yk.

bad thoughts- half alive

i love when they hate eachother. they don't actually truly hate eachother but man sometimes it feels like it. everything hurts. "like a time you gave your all but just got hurt, like a crack in the mirror bringing out your worst"

to everyone who wants to die- takayan

read the translation oh my goddddd. leo. leo

sing to me- missio

this is a song I DREAM of making an animatic to its just so deeply fundamentally leo

never ending song- conan gray

okay this one is a bit more specific but I like to think of leo while he's out of school seeing izumi in a magazine or an ad or something.. and that brings with it a whole ton of complicated feelings

"but we've grown too close, now it can't amount to nothing. I can hear your voice in the music on the radio, and it goes on and on and on, like a never-ending song" you get ittttt

bodybag- chloe moriondo

more of the vibes more of the complicated feelings . this one is mostly here bc I love it and was thinking about izlo while listening icl. unrelated but chloe moriondo is cool as hell they have some awesome music videos especially the one for this song

love or the lack thereof - isaac dunbar

the epitome of pre/early ! izlo love. to meeee also I just love love loveeee it as a song

last minute - kitty

"you're the loop of rope I hung up in my stupid closet" "you're all poised and im made of poison" do you get it do you GET it. it's leo about izumi frfrfrrr

"could you wrap your hands all the way around my neck, and tell me where I stand, tell me everything I'm wrecking when I spin. take over my breath, in out in, I am missing you to death"

android girl- deco*27

I love this song and while I love the original im partial to rachies english cover especially the lines

"we restart and fall apart together, what we have will drag on in this way forever"

"make it stop, make it stop there's so much guilt and regret, I don't get how I can forget and start to hope again, we haven't even come to the end, so much for promising together forever, we aren't even friends"

the girl in my memories- jeebanoff

"in place of your fleeing love, only my sad solitude remains, even though that time won't come again, the memories that are gone, are forever" more depression yaaay

achilles come down- gang of youths

SORRY it's just such a compelling look at depression and being suicidal... so many of these songs are about Leo's depression but I swear this part of the playlist is over soon and moves further in the timeline. I really love this song it's just... everything about it... leo is achilles here of course and the voices talking him down and telling him to go through with it are his family/izumi and his own mind/the students from school respectively.

calender girl- stars

"all of the things that I thought were so easy just got harder and harder each day. december is darkest, in june there's the light, but this empty bedroom won't make anything right, while out on the landing a friend I forgot to send home, who waits up for me all through the night- calendar girl who's in love with the world, stay alive"

HEALING!!!!! GROWING AS A PERSON!!!!!! OVERCOMING DEPRESSION!!!! DO YOU GET IT

"I dreamed I was dying, as I so often do, and when I awoke I was sure it was true. I ran to the window, threw my head to the sky, and said "whoever is up there, please don't let me die," but I can't live forever, I can't always be, one day I'll be sand on a beach by a sea"

crush of judgement- knights killers

i don't need to explain this one

move me- half alive

THE izuleo song THE reason I made this playlist. won't you be my song when I cant dance WON'T YOU BE MY SONG WHEN I CANT DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!! LIGHT MY FIRE BURN THE TREES!!!!!!!!! also watch the music video it's gorgeous

the third heart- harumaki gohan

first of all go play genei ap rn it's a short mobile game created by this artist featuring lots of their songs about a reserved girl who loves music and her more extroverted friend who asks her for song recs. it's a very izuleo vibes game and just a beautiful game in general I think you'll love it sm mikiii

second of all.... just. this song. play the game and watch the music video for the full impact frfr 🫶 anyway back to izuleo

back around- half alive

depression never truly leaves but you get better!! it gets better!!! there are bad days but there are so so many good days!!! this whole album is kinda izlo vibes

you get me so high- the neighborhood

"you're my best friend I'll love you forever" 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 makes me think of them... kind of talking about their past .... not very well because they have no emotional maturity but still.

silent oath- knights

for obvious reasons

reunion- harumaki gohan

I imagine this is after the end of ! era .. they've both grown and matured immensely as people.. it'd probably have more impact if I read requiem but um..... I'll get to it... (I've been saying this for a year and a half) to me it's a goodbye to their teenage years and the ups and downs and them moving forward into adulthood and a more stable relationship

don't be so hard on your own beauty- yeule

they help eachother heal 🥹. this one is a bitttt more reliant on some of my takes on izumi that I don't really wanna get into rn but yk. it's here. it's vibey. things were bad and now they are better. there's sunlight streaming though their apartment window. they don't have anywhere else to be this morning. yk.

work of art- downer Inc, kellin quinn

ueeeghhvhb they love eachother.... izumi brings leo inspiration.... these descriptions are getting less and less coherent

I swear ill never leave again - keshi

ueeeeueueueuehhhehhehhehuuueueue

infinitely ordinary- the wrecks

I like the romance of mundanity.. I think they could be happy.. it's very hopeful and a good ending to the playlist

[laithraihan]

Hey I really love your art - I wanted to ask if you use references from anywhere specific.

Also, have you considered the idea of Reigan becoming Minori's Guardian Ad Litem? I agree that Reigans not exactly the kind of person to make the most responsible father (at least where we leave him in the show) but I could totally imagine him becoming her guardian for some legal reason.

He's really the only adult she'd know to trust outside her father.

I can imagine they're put a whole court case together with Reigan as her guardian just for legal reasons and they win, and then Minori's like. "Oh shit where do I go? Guess your my guardian for real now." And Reigan is like.

What?

Thank you 🫶💜 hmm well for pose references including clothing etc I just get them from google stock images, I generally try to avoid making the pose too similar to the images I see so I sometimes draw in different angles (honestly most of the time I struggle looking up references because I cant find a picture in a specific angle I want, so I go with my intuition even if it's wrong), honestly google is probably the place I rely on the most for this. Like if I forget what a shoe looks like then I'll just google it.

If you're talking about where I got inspiration for my art style (or what I look to get ideas for my art etc) I'd say the major ones for me are ONE's sketches on twitter (especially his shaky lineart and how he draws eyes), early episodes of Detective Conan (clothing folds, color choices sometimes, body proportions like the chest being pointed etc), Revolutionary Girl Utena (also clothing and body proportions), FLCL (I have no idea what parts of it influenced my art but I feel like it's an obligation to list it here)

Uhh for the fun drawings that require more effort I'd say music is inevitably the most important part of it. 99% of the time my drawings that arent plain sketches are modeled after a specific song I listen to (primarily from ZARD but other artists too although not as often) even then I think my sketches are still influenced by ZARD somehow. Wait I completely forgot to mention I also look up images of ZARD on Pinterest for poses or just... to draw anything honestly. Theres a good number of pictures of her in various angles (I remember one of her photographers said she was very photogenic so most of her pictures are very casual as if a camera wasn't present) I think it's good to look at them if you are looking for something natural. Just looking up "Izumi Sakai" there will give you results.

For text placement/colors/vibe/whatever I like to look at old media I grew up with like MADs, shitty websites made in the 90s/2000s, old anime subtitled in Arabic (I have plenty of DVDs with anime dubbed/subbed in Arabic that I have no idea where we got them from, I assume it's all pirated. Anime openings/endings in Arabic also have very poor aesthetics when it comes to logo placement/text color/text animation/etc but that's exactly why I like them) I also have a Pinterest board with outdated ZARD edits that I look at often while drawing. For image textures or backgrounds I use this website. If I struggle with art block or don't know how to draw a specific thing I also look at everything I previously listed and reference from there. Anyways I talked a Lot but hopefully I could help with that.

As for Reigen being a guardian .... I never considered it seriously but I think he could pull it off. He'll definitely make mistakes but he could succeed if he had a daughter. I just have to kill off Minori's real dad or something and it'll work. The only problem would be that Minori has to live with the fact that her new father is broke and unable to spend thousands of dollars for her every week.

[mihai-florescu]

Hiiii could i ask about what exactly happened between leo and izumi? I've read checkmate, but I don't quite get it about how it's izumi's fault why leo started to lock himself up and all that stuff, especially when leoizu started talking during the performance. It's a bit confusing, but from what I understood, leo crumbled because of knowing the fact that he's been used and not loved, and chess breaking up from the inside. Thank you!!

Hii I'll start by saying that this is what I've made sense of this plotline for myself based on what i've read but I am welcome to other interpretations or insights or anything from anyone, it's also likely i could be forgetting things etc so if you have different views I'm curious to listen🫶 i totally welcome the possibility that i could be interpreting or piecing things together wrong (i'm mainly going off of checkmate, hortor night halloween, and next door) so, yeah, putting the disclaimer out there.

Let's see...

Things start going downhill since Leo realizes his music is seen as a weapon and chooses to act accordingly, and to make himself into one too. There's a response to rejection and to a world that doesn't think and feel like he did. But Leo loves bringing joy to people and doesn't actually like destroying others, so the pressure adds up. That's not what breaks him quite yet though (we'll return to that). He has Izumi he's vowed to fight for, a lifeline. But Izumi is driven by his pride and that gets bruised the more they fight, the more opponents' resentment follows them. They were doomed since the moment they started fighting through the dreamfes system. Making enemies out of fellow students when the system is based on student votes is bound for failure, let alone the mental turmoil being constantly surrounded by hatred and fighting brings.

So... Izumi and Leo are on edge more and more, sinking further with every battle. They already struggle with not really understanding or getting through to one another, or to interpret each other. Izumi believes Leo's breaking point came from being hated by others, and that he caused it alone by bringing the sensitive, trusting Leo to fight with him against the other students (taking advantage of Leo, even though Leo himself offered it. And he's not as blameless or stupid as one would think...). He never shows Leo gratitude or love anymore, is always unhappy and the 2 start arguing more seriously, their mental states plummeting the more they struggle, knowing it's futile. So when Leo breaks, Izumi can't help but blame his actions, his ambitions, him using Leo, him and his pride.

On the other hand, we only get Leo's pov in the Next Door monologue, where he reveals what broke him was using his genius songs as weapons and thus drowning out every other individual song that wasn't as skilled but could've been loved by someone. And at some point he starts doing it knowingly, in a way selling out. The unbearable atmosphere of wanting to win that sucks all joy out of music. While Knights is getting resented, Leo uses his composing of songs for others as weapons, drowning out their own voices and creating more destruction. So... it's still his love for people that breaks him in the end, in my opinion, just not what we originally thought through Izumi's view, or at least not fully that.

Leo's breakdown comes with a musical slump. And having tied so much of his worth to his songs, it takes the biggest toll on him. But... I really think it's a combination of everything. Leo's surprisingly self loathing the more you read stories with him so I don't fully believe his monologue in Next Door where he says it's all his fault, especially considering the state he was in during those chapters. I don't believe any of the characters when they say it's all their fault, too many little things were at play and piling up into tragedy, and none of them are really...reliable narrators. They're all in terrible headspaces when they thinks about what happened. But that's also why I feel like I myself could still be interpreting things wrong and welcome new insights and views.

Also... imo Izumi doesn't quite realise how much he cared for Leo until he's out of the picture, broken down, and they can't get back what they had. Ah i got side tracked. What was the question again. Did i even answer the question at all. All these guys are self loathing unreliable narrators...

[animehouse-moe]

Media I Experienced In 2022 That I'm Thankful For

It's certainly been a big year in a lot of ways, and everybody makes sure that everyone else knows that, mostly through top lists and favorites and stuff like that. But I'm not good with favorites or Top 10s and the like, so I prefer to do things a little different. I want to take a look back at the year and look over the animanga that I was really thankful to have experienced this year. Fair warning, there's a lot of reading to do, sorry!

Jujustu Kaisen 0

I remember this movie clear as day, come hell or high water I was watching it. It was a cool spring afternoon, I had to reschedule some meetings with professors and even skipped a class so I could drive 20 minutes to go to a theater that was showing it, and I even left early. Of course my luck, a huge traffic accident happened on the highway so there was a massive delay. Do I stick it out or fly down the back roads hoping to make it? Without somehow getting a speeding ticket I made it to my seat in the theater right when the movie started. It was incredible, beautiful even. King Gnu's song for the end credits sticking in my mind even as I went to peruse the bookstore next door with everyone else that watched the movie. Certainly something I'll remember for a very long time.

Heike Monogatari

Initially, I don't even remember if I was going to check this one out, I only really ended up watching it because a mutual name dropped it saying I would like it. They were absolutely on the money. Such an emotional and modern approach to a traditional and incredibly classic story, Science Saru really outdid themselves. Whenever I think of this show, I think of the prayer to the fallen that ends the series. It's just so incredibly beautiful, it's hard not to get emotional when watching/listening to it each time, or reminiscing over the series in general.

⚠️Warning: Video Contains Spoilers From End of Series⚠️

Sasaki and Miyano

What a lovely slow burn romance this was. I don't think I really had any sort of expectations for it, but once I got into it, I fell in love. The characters are all so unique and varied, and they work wonders in tackling the endless angles of same-sex romance, both from a personal and exterior perspective. It just sort of opened my eyes to the genre. I never had much experience with BL beforehand, and it doesn't really have the best connotation within the community, but this does wonders to change your mind. It's so fresh, and open, it gives you an entirely new perspective that Rom-Com watchers most likely do not have. Just a lovely approach that compliments the romance and comedy wonderfully.

Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie

I was feeling very burnt by My Dress Up Darling's approach to a rom-com in the Winter season, so I was originally loathing Shikimori for how "popular" it'd become because of Shikimori. Morbid curiosity deemed that I at least check out a little bit of it and I was stunned. Everything that I despised of Dress Up Darling was rectified here. Warm and positive relationships, more than just the main characters, actual romance and development, hurdles, challenges, the triumph of youthful optimism. It's an incredible blueprint for a post-get together rom com. Izumi and Shikmori aren't just lovey-dovey, they don't get focused on alone, the romance has its challenges and steps forward. It was a shock, I really was shocked. And now I have all the volumes out in English on my shelf. It restored faith in the "traditional" rom com, it was such a breath of fresh air in a very much bogged down genre.

Shadows House Season 2

This was more so awe. They changed up the ending for S1 in case it didn't get greenlit for a second season, and they kept expectations for it very low. I was stunned when they announced the second season, and was so incredibly excited to get it in Summer of this year. So more than thankful for what Shadows House itself did (though it's an outstanding mystery series), I'm much more thankful that it got its second season (and I'm hopeful of a third!).

Call of The Night

Yeah, I might be pretty critical on the adaptation for stuff like voice actors, its average creative output, and how much important content it skips, but I'm still thankful for it alongside the manga this year. Some truly incredible character moments in the manga in regards to Ko's development and emotions. It's a beautiful series that takes a look at love and life from an entirely different angle than the norm, and I have to be thankful with the anime encouraging so many people to pick up the manga. And as always, if you want an idea of what the series is like? Listen/look at the lyrics for the song by Creepy Nuts where Call of The Night gets its name from.

Akiba Maid War

The dark horse of the season, if not the year for me. An Uramichi Oniisan experience, where I saw it and thought, "Well, what's the harm in checking it out?", before being blown away by comedy, action, and camp in equal parts. It's a stellar tale of creativity and passion run wild that results in a compelling and helplessly engaging series that feels criminally underappreciated by the community for what it does. Anime Originals have been really rough, but this Fall 2022 season has given me so much faith via stories like this, or DIY!!. Just a moment of restored faith in the creative process outside big names and big productions, a reminder that creativity is still capable of appearing from anywhere and that it doesn't take a hail mary to get surprisingly good series.

Bocchi The Rock

I mean, is this any surprise? Bocchi The Rock quite literally rocked the world of viewer's. It quietly appeared to be scheduled for the season, and after that first episode finished, it was pandemonium. Bocchisweep has trended on platforms like Twitter several times over, and it even toppled the most anticipated anime of the season (and perhaps even year) in overall rating (8.85 for Bocchi and 8.82 for CSM at the time of writing this). It's a beacon of hope to the measure of creativity and freedom in the medium, and for that I'm ridiculously thankful for what it came in and did in 12 episodes flat.

Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide

I was getting very tired of the traditional lens of romance and rom coms at the start of this year, so finding this manga alongside Sasaki and Miyano was really a blessing. Adult characters, a mature look at romance, and worldwide travel? It was really great catching up with the 2 volumes currently released (Vol 3 in 2023!), and it brought forward some great thoughts and approaches to LGBTQ+ romance through its main and supporting characters. Plus? It made full use of the locale to sell the story aspect and even inject some beautiful value about the wonders that the world and its people have to offer. Easy recommend to anyone looking for a nice take on romance that doesn't feel inherently gimmicky.

Nightfall Travelers Leave Only Footprints

You might be thinking, "wow, that's a pretty cover", and you'd be right.... but also wrong. The actual art of the manga is even prettier. It's stunning. It's so unique and incredibly creative.

I'm very much an impulse buyer with manga, and this ended up being one of those volumes. I saw the art and a brief synopsis, and as weird as it sounds, it was love at first sight. The concept was wonderful, discovering the beauty in horror and deepening an emotional and curious bond. It really is a one of a kind story, and along other very niche and off-color series like Sheeply Horned Witch Romi, is a reminder of the awe-inspiring work that waits patiently to be discovered still.

Everybody always says, "Oh this is gonna be the best year for manga! X is going to give us the greatest chapters of the series and this new (and often times generic) series Y is finally dropping!". In a way, they're not wrong, but I feel like it's a misconstrued reason for their hype. Comparison. Everything is compared to something, everything has a sibling that everyone wants it to perform better than, an author that has to one-up their previous work in every way. It's suffocating, especially with the incredible desire for people to rank and compare things in the first place. The reason each successive year is "going to be better" isn't because of some objective reason, it's because of everybody's perception of it. It's another year that you get to immerse yourself in the hobby and medium, another year that you get to set out and discover new series, new authors, new approaches and genres. It's another year of falling in love with all sorts of things. And I remain incredibly thankful for that opportunity. For all the weird and wacky series that I get to place on my shelf year after year, all the new and unique authors that become staple of my collection, the new genres and expanses that continually widen my horizons.

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure Drama CD 2 (Character Song + Mini Drama 2)

It's pretty funny how both this CD and the previous one begin with Butterfly. I guess the CD needed an OP just like the anime! Christmas isn't mentioned once on this CD by the way...

Download link

Drama Translation

Koushiro and the Missing Whereabouts of Love

In this mini drama Koushiro is writing a love letter on his laptop and the gang find out. Everyone mobs him with questions and excitement and then he flies away with Kabuterimon to escape.

I don't have much to say about this one because it was so short. The only thing I found kind of amusing was that Yamato defends Koushiro at first but then is like "actually, I want to see it too teehee."

When I read the translation for this, there were actually more characters involved than I realized. There were so many people talking over each other that I completely missed Gomamon was there lol.

Image Song 1 - VERSION UP (Koushiro Izumi)

Translation

I hate to say it, cuz Koushiro is my fave, but I think this was one of the weaker image songs. I like the appropriately nerdy title, but the lyrics were too abstract to be interesting. Something about changing the world for the better.

I did get a kick out of hearing Koushiro singing at least. I kinda wish the digimon had duets with their human partners. Hearing Tentomon singing would be hilarious (maybe that comes later).

Mimi’s Overly Self-Conscious Plans for World Domination

The gang capture Koushiro and continue debating over who he wrote his love letter to. Mimi is very confident that it's herself and goes on and on about how all men fall for her. Koushiro is apparently gagged so can't protest.

Kinda weird jokes in this one. They say that Koushiro would be unhappy with Sora because she'd have him whipped (which...where did that come from?) And then they do the whole "you can't date my younger sister" crap. Yamato chimed in that if he was Taichi he wouldn't let Koushiro date Hikari...why does he care? Just unfunny early 2000s gags lol

Another obscure reference joke. This time about The Kindaichi Case Files. Definitely had to wikipedia that one. This CD wasn't exactly written to hold up in the future, huh?

Image Song 2 - Because We Can See Each Other Anytime (Mimi Tachikawa)

Translation

I loved this one, extreme Mimi vibes. Nothing to do with saving the world or facing your fears, just a poppy love song. I guess there's definitely a tinge of melancholy to it. It sounds like it's about a long distance relationship.

I liked the lyrics and imagery in this one, especially the line about minds leaving bodies and meeting without any restrictions. It almost felt like a song about love during COVID lol.

Hikari’s Weak Constitution

Okay, this one was basically just a shit post lol. It starts off following up on the previous part with the gang discussing who Koushiro is writing a love letter to and then it just descends into chaos. Very "lol randum" kinda humor with the characters saying lines that have nothing to do with the situation. Kinda funny, mostly stupid.

Booo we don't even get to figure out who the letter was to because they beep it out. Hikari politely asking us to listen to her song was cute tho lol.

Image Song 3 - Holy Light (Hikari Yagami)

Translation

Another kind of abstract one only this one has weird psuedo-religious vibes. Typical of anime to do that though. I guess it makes sense with all the angel digimon. Gonna interpret this one as being about having faith in dark times. (Maybe not in the Christian sense tho lol)

Hikari's voice is really cute. I kind of wish there were animations of the characters singing these. Maybe if someone made an AMV with lip sync...

Preview for the Next CD

There's a little "next time on Digimon Adventure" preview at the end haha. Nice touch. No translation so I had to figure this one out on my own. Something about "hatsu yume" which is the first dream you have in the New Year.

I cracked the code, the reason why the cover art for this CD is Christmas themed is because it came out in December. Still weird, but okay...

[fedekanejbrainrot]

Taylor Swift albums as Bungo Stray Dogs characters

1) Debut👢🎸🚜

obviously, the first character than came in my mind when thinking about debut was kenji mirazawa and do i even need to explain? the country vibes, the innocence and optimism...it fits him so well. because one of the biggest themes of debut is about finding our place in this world (there's even a song titled this way) i think that also tachihara michizou is another great fit

2) Fearless👗🐎🪞

after spending a lot of time thinking about it, i realized kyouka izumi is definitely a fearless girlie. i mean, fearless is the grown up version of debut, kenji and kyouka are the same age but the later is much more mature while still maintaining a kind of innocence. fearless is an album about overcoming our fears, which is an important theme in kyouka's character. she is fearless.

3) Speak Now🎇💍🎤

probably at first impact this will not make sense, but i promise you it does. kunikida doppo is speak now. sn is an album about standing up for ourself and give importance to our opinion. one of the biggest traits of kunikida's character is the firmly belief in his ideals, which really resonates with speak now's message at its core. also, it's literally canon that kunikida has irrealistic standards regarding his ideal partner, and many speak now songs match his deluluness lol

4) Red 🧣🥀💄

the first bsd character that comes into my mind when thinking about red is yosano akiko. and for obvious reasons: i always thought of red as the "wine aunt" album, and yosano is definitely a wine aunt. it's a particular album, that goes from happy to sad, like a rollercoaster. knowing yosano's backstory and how much of a rollercoaster was it, i really think they match so well

5) 1989🗽🎉📸

ehm ehm, idk abt you, but i think chuuya nakahara was definitely born in 1989. all the songs on it are soooo chuuya it's insane. i wish you would? all you had to do was stay? bad blood? new romantics? my dear ball of sunshine (he kword tons of ppl) he's soo 1989 stop

6)Reputation🐍♟️🪦

i love reputation, because it's lover but emo. it has got a bad reputation, and it lives in it, it feeds that bad reputation, it wants to pass for the scary bad guy. but, if you look past behind look what you made me do and i did something bad, most of the songs are love songs. and most of all, they are delulu songs! delicate, gorgeous, king of my heart, call it what you want...they are basically song where they worship the person in question, they would die to get back even a bit of the love they gave, but we don't know if the feelings are reciprocal. if you reread all of this again, you'll notice how, other than describing reputation, i'm also describing akutagawa ryunosuke.

7)Lover🎀💌🏹

and if reputation and lover are the different sides of the same coin, if aku is reputation atsushi nakajima is lover. he's the light after the dark, he's been recovering from a very bad mental state. i also think that lucy maud montgomery is very lover, she has that hopeless romantic vibes.

8) Folklore🌲🏞🧚‍♀️

okay with folklore i literally went with vibes only instead of a deep analysis of the characters but listen: folklore is about these stories, right? y'know who is a novelist who writes? edgar allan poe, exactly. and some lyrics reminded me of sigma, so there's that also. for instance, the whole mirrorball song. or "i can go anywhere i want just not home" from my tears ricochet?? he's folklore stop

9) Evermore🍂🥂🏚

i don't think i even need to explain why osamu dazai is evermore. the vibes, the lyrics, it's all there. songs like evermore or right where you left me. i also got evermore vibes from oda sakunosuke, but for entirely different reasons

10)Midnights🌒🌃⛈️

and lastly midnights is for ranpo edogawa. he's the mastermind. his mind waters in all different ways. he relates to all the fears depicted in midnights, the fears that creep into you in the middle of the night

[gayleviticus]

Alphonse Elric or Wrath (03) for the ask game :)

ALPHONSE ELRIC

favourite thing: I love how nice and gentle and sweet he is despite everything going on, but also in 03 how he has this anger and almost self disregard bubbling as time goes - when he's captured by envy thinking he should have died so many times in the past, when he tries to rip wrath arm off to give it to ed, when he recklessly sacrifices himself to try and save ed

least favourite thing: I feel like cos shortchanges him way too much. we get such a compelling insight into ed throughout the whole series even if much is implicit, but cos doesn't really reckon with either al losing his memory and how he feels about that or have time to deal w him regaining it and what that means for him and ed. and I get it's prob partially intentional because amnesiac al feeling more unknowable deliberately alienates us from him - he genuinely feels different, and we have to wonder if the recklessly cheery attitude is a facade to cope w missing ed. but nonetheless it feels like cos kindve demotes al from the co protagonist position he had throughout the series

favourite line: not fav for any deep content but i love the delivery - the bit in cos where ed lands in the armour pile, sees a helmet that looks just like al - and then its eyes light up and you hear a 'niisan..? NIISAN!!'

brotp: ed and al!!!! I love their relationship so much it is so deep and powerful. but also scar and al is such a nice duo - the way scar vicariously lives through the elrics brotherly love because he regrets letting his crush on human lust get in the way of telling his brother he loved him 😭 also al/wrath post COS bc the film left so much of their relationship unexplored and I need to know

otp: I think al/fletcher could be kindve cute. al/wrath too - I know some ppl find it icky bc of wrath viewing sloth as his mama but I feel like aside from the sloth/trisha distinction it doesn't really create a brotherly relationship btwn the elrics and wrath. and im just as content w it as a brotp too anyway so

random headcanon: not cis and not straight - being trapped in a body you don't recognise and feeling cut off from really living and engaging w the world is dripping w queer subtext! more specifically I like nonbinary gay al but I can really see it going in any direction. (altho I can't think of any girls I would want to ship him with in 03 or fmab)

unpopular opinion: uhh... I don't know how unpopular it is but him and mei as a couple in fmab does not make sense to me lol

song: currently I literally only listen to fma ops lol so I can't answer

fav pic: this is a tough one.... but

WRATH (03)

fav thing: he is just such an interesting addition into the gaps of the source material?? making izumis baby who she tried to transmute into a homunculus is soo interesting even just in a meta sense, and the whole parent child switcheroo between sloth/izumi and wrath/elrics is so good

least fav things: I need to know more about him post COS and his relationship w al and winry and izumi!!!! especially since he was one of the few people who really knew wtf was going on down in the underground city along w rose

fav line: 'she was your mama too' when the elrics kill sloth. brutal

brotp: as above him and al but also I'm dying to know what his dynamic w winry was. and come to think of iit envy too honestly

otp: al/wrath ig (per the disclaimers above) but aside from that idk lol who do you ship him with

notp: I guess like with any adult I just don't like those kinda pairings. sloth w izumi would be especially yuck

random headcanon: he likes cats too. idk. just popped into my head

fav picture of them: DO I HAVE WRATH PICTURES? I'm sorry... my folder is dominated by the elrics... lemme see... I have this shot from the 4th ED lol

[hitsuyou-fukaketsu]

shav could you please tell me about izuleo

Yes thank you i love you so much for this ask

Okay okay first look at this bc idk where to start

Okay

Idk how much you know but to put it simple their relationship is friends-> breakup->second chance

I'll go for parts

Izuleo during their first year in the yumenosaki:

They meet! Leo thinks he is super pretty but sings awfully, sena gets flustered and angry at him and throws him a chair (and other things). Sadly we don't know much about them during their first year, but they become really close. Sena would usually go to leo's house to spend the day, he even befriended Ruka-tan! Leo's sister!! He loves cute little kids and she's adorable <3 and really shy!! The fact that they could become close is a sign of how much time sena would spend with leo.

Izuleo during their second year:

I think we all know this story, this is when the story 'Checkmate' takes place and when Eichi did his revolution. Leo and Sena were part of one big unit in yumenosaki, Backgammon and later changed to Chess. These large units didnt have a limit of members, everyone in the unit slacked off (this includes ritsu and naru) and left everything to leo and sena. Leo would write songs for them and mistook them for friends or allies but they didn't really cared about him. This started to wear on his mind but sena realized this late.

I would reccomend reading checkmate for this one.

We know how it ends, leo disappears from the yumenosaki since he couldn't take it

Izuleo in their third year:

This one is divided in leo isnt here and leo returns to the yumenosaki

Leo isn't here:

Eichi's revolution succedeed and every big unit got erased, Knights borns because of Sena. He is the one that got ritsu, naru and tsukasa in it, but Leo was still the leader.

An everyone knows what happened in the DDD (sena kidnaps makoto)

But not everyone understands why that happened so let me! Explain!

This is when the short novel lionheart happens, he goes to leo's house to make him sign the permission to participate in the DDD.

Ruka is the one that opens him the door, and when she sees izumi she starts to beg him to say something to Leo and make him eat, he doesn't go out of his room and if it's sena he would listen.

Sena's hearts sink but he keeps being firm

That's when leo appears to tell him to not make his sister cry, but sena is not the reason she is crying.

That's when sena realizes that the Leo he knew is broken and will never come back. He makes him sign the permission, tells him to eat something and gets out of the house. Then he has an angsty monologue about how leo was the only one that truly loved him and how he was the one that killed him and couldnt protect him.

This feeling of guilt is really redundant through sena's character

This is the reason he became so obsessed with makoto, makoto was also a person in his life he could protect (they were in the same model agency, and makoto was a neglectfed child) Sena always likes to take the role of the caregiver but his obsession of protection was what lead to makoto's kidnapping. IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE

It's also important to note that according to Leo, he saw sena countless of times arround his house before their meeting

Leo is in the yumenosaki!

Okay this when leo returns, but you see their issues aren't solved yet

Kingkillers blabla leo becomes king again! But even though he's here he cant shake off the feeling that he doesn't belong here. He comes across new faces and old faces but they all have changed. He struggles a lot with fitting in with the rest and this is seen in plenty of stories like tsukimi live or fleur the lis, he doesn't want to participate in lives, he helps them but he doesn't want to put himself under the spotligth.

Izuleo come back again to their silly relationship... More or less... They keep having their silly bickering and tension until requiem, knights' graduation event, where honest sena makes an appearance and he's powerful (always makes leo flabbergasted)

Then right after that !! Starts

They have a lot of izuleo moments in !! Actually but they are Moments in specific stories so...

The one i truly reccomend reading is next door<3!

[corpseaten]

OH, I also produce Valkyrie!!! They're awesome, I really like the songs and aesthetics! And I would say Knights too but, honestly, I don't really like Knights music and I only reaaaally like 3 of them ^^u But the ones I listen a lot are Trickstar, they're cute I think

I'm too shy to talk to other people so I've never met a FineP before, but they're really nice too!

With Alkaloid I don't really like their music besides one or two songs...? so I get it

Yeah, I adore their songs, right now I can’t stop listening to shukufuku no library. Yeah! I love all the members of knights besides Tsukasa, but god. knights are allergic to making good songs, it sucks since they have such good members. Arashis center song will haunt me forever why did they give her that boring thing, the same with Ritsu. They got done so dirty! Though I actually do love one of their songs, Or the beautiful golden drop is like listening to an angel singing. They allowed Izumi to cook. I don’t listen to trickstar much, but I really enjoy Romantic X-Day, whats your favourite song from them?

Ahhh yeah I don’t know many FineP myself, but, people seem to say there’s a lot of us? It’s confusing.

I do like half of their songs, kiss of life is an insane debut song, but, then they released some real flops as well.

[oc-beehive]

Do you associate your magical girls with any songs/musicians or specific musical movements from the eras they were based off of? Other than Etsuko being grunge ofc (but if you have songs do share)

I hope you don't mind that I'm answering this as a textpost and not a drawing!! It seems more directed to me as a creator + i want to include links and you can't do that on an image. lol

I'll go in chronological order in terms of inspiration! This got REALLY long because I am insane so please excuse the paragraphs.

Disclaimer that I am American and thus my perception of music trends is pretty warped through the lens of what was popular in the US around these times.

Aimi - It's hard to mention the 50s music sphere without mentioning Elvis Presley. That's just a given. The 50s was the major rise of rock and roll, and there's a bit of that inspiration in Aimi's character. But her biggest association for me is no question Doris Day. Specifically songs like "I didn't slip -- I wasn't pushed -- I fell" and her version of "A Bushel and a Peck" (you know, the song from Guys and Dolls!). "Candy Lips" too. Very much the tail end of big band music that pervaded the 40s. I won't include more links because it would just be her entire discography. All those saccharine flowery metaphors about love??? Totally up her alley. I like to imagine that her magical girl transformations are similarly accompanied by those jaunty string plucks.

Hikari - The 60s! The British Invasion! Hoo boy. Initial honorary mention here goes to Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman". Outside of that, though, she's definitely a Peter, Paul, and Mary typea girl. "If I Had a Hammer", "Weave Me the Sunshine", so on. A bit more folksy than one might expect, and completely ignoring the elephant in the room, but I think it fits her well! Throw in a couple early Beatles hits if you really must - "Love Me Do" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" come to mind. Anything simple but upbeat, with a focus on guitar in the instrumentals. "Lemres," you say, "that's every single fucking pop song from the early 60s". Yes. Yes it is.

Akane - Time to get your groove on. The 70s kind of exploded in variety for popular music, and Akane leans heavily towards the disco side, but it's not exclusive. Immediate picks are anything by Earth, Wind and Fire - "Shining Star" and, of course, "September". I am legally obligated to bring up the Jackson 5. "Blame It on the Boogie" is a good pick. Don't tell me you can't imagine a planning montage to these bass lines. Lots of pop and rock acts emerged around this time, but most of them don't seem her style. She'd love David Bowie though. We all love David Bowie. Specifically Diamond Dogs. Shoutout to "Rebel Rebel".

Izumi - Listen man, I had to save writing this blurb for last. The 80s spans so much music. Izumi is a clusterfuck. I guess that makes this appropriate? AC/DC is definitely up there in terms of artist inspiration, with some Journey and REO Speedwagon on there too. I think they deserve a little bit of power ballad, as a treat. Also glam metal/rock, like Poison. You know what? I'm just gonna throw a bunch of songs out there and make you figure it out. "Back in Black", "Walk this Way", "Nothin' But a Good Time", "Once Bitten Twice Shy", and so on. They're having fun and that's what matters.

Etsuko - As mentioned, Etsuko is chiefly inspired by grunge bands! The good old Seattle Sound. Nirvana are obviously the poster child band for that - Pearl Jam and Soundgarden coming in a very close second and third. The latter two of those bands hate(d) being called grunge, by the way. Song examples are "Lithium", "Even Flow", and "Outshined". It's like if you took punk rock and played it through speakers submerged in molasses. Good shit. Mudhoney is also a GREAT example, especially songs like "Good Enough". This is the perfect genre for Etsuko because most of it is composed of complaining vaguely about Society™ and relationships, which is all she does in life.

This has been a glimpse into my sick and twisted mind. If you'll excuse me I have about 40 tabs of YouTube to go and close now.

[quickdeaths]

As she slowly realized that Copia was considering her, Izumi's eyes widened as a smile bloomed on her lips. She was going to have some kind of job! She wouldn't be a washed-up has-been - a ridiculous thing for a girl so young to even consider for herself. Almost nodding too quickly, Izumi couldn't wait to express her agreement. "Yeah! Definitely, that would work! Probably it wouldn't even need to be that extreme, so long as I'm not involved in that part of the show."

As long as no one was grabbing at her or teasing her or thrusting towards her, it shouldn't be an issue. Although... Copia hadn't actually said what she'd be doing, had he? The talk of stage shows made her think of some kind of live performance arrangement, but it was better to be clear about things. "Well..." Faintly, her brows furrowed, trying to be thorough and think things through, rather than jump at any opportunity. Even if it was, as it was, an opportunity that seemed so exciting.

"You didn't exactly say what you want to hire me for," she added with a small awkward laugh. It was too much to hope for to wonder about becoming some full member, and at the same time, Izumi wasn't even sure if that was something she wanted. ONI needed to cement herself as a professional to get work, and working anonymously for years under a mask - er, a different mask - might not be the best for a career still in its infancy.

Idly, she tapped on the table, frowning as she tried to do math in her head. Maybe four or five songs she could do record-perfect already, and maybe another four or five that she knew well enough. Then again, what was their setlist even like right now? Maybe discounting that all was better, and just giving big estimates. Doing better than low expectations was preferable to failing to surpass the high ones.

"But..." Wrinkling her nose, she bobbed her head back and forth. "If it's for a live show? That's what it is, right? Then, maybe if it's two hours of music, and if I don't already know anything, then maybe..." With perfect pitch, and a good memory, and her guitar in her hand so she could estimate the fingering even when just listening, and accounting for choruses and verses repeating three times or so but only needing to be learned once... "Four hours? Ish. Is that too long?" If it was, she could try to optimize.

So consumed with the thinking was she that Izumi barely heard Copia's last question, looking to him with confused, blinking eyes. "Manager...?" BAKEMONO had one, or, had had one. She was used to DIY though, between her internet solo work and the unique way she'd been brought into her old band in the first place. Maybe Michiko? She had a business degree, Izumi though. "Um... I guess I'm my own manager?"

The thrusting. The. Thrusting.

It isn't a secret that the Rituals were provocative in some ways, a few of which it had taken Copia some time to get used to, and a few that he had been so inclined towards that they had become problems. The suits from his time as Cardinal, for example, had been too tight, the way he had used his cane too direct, leaving little to the imagination.

Like Terzo in the past, he had wanted to appeal to the congregation in the pit, craved their attention and affection, wanted to churn their wants into a frothing mass of adoration, singing back to him with open hearts and darkened souls. But there were sometimes children there, and there were sometimes people just there for the music, interested in the teasing taunt of a false maybe.

Izumi struck him as one of those.

He stares at her over the metallic rim of his sunglasses, so pointlessly stupid in a lowlit hotel bar where the only people present were him, her, and the bored bartender who was eying him up, trying to weight the consequences of asking him if he was going to get anything to drink against a better business sense.

Tempting was only fun if there was temptation to feed into; pure discomfort was not the desired outcome.

But she was talented and he was desperate; there wasn't time to summon another Ghoul to fill the place of his injured one, and Izumi under her stage name ONI could be a draw in and of itself, tempting those who might not have attended a Ritual otherwise.

The Japanese market could be feral about these sorts of things.

"We could, ah, fuck, I don't know... put you around? Eh? Face you back towards the backdrop. Could talk to the Ghouls, put the fear of..you know, yes? The fear. Put the fear into them, get them to leave you alone on stage."

Gloved fingers tap against the worn, smooth wood top of the bar, and Copia rolls his eyes towards the ceiling in thought, calculating where they could put her to avoid the worst of his and the front line Ghouls shenanigans.

The Ghoulettes had, as of yet, not misbehaved. Izumi acting as ONI could stand with them, facing them. They would keep her safe.

"Ehhhhhh, there is the question, of course, of... how quickly can you learn the--"

His hands move quickly, miming holding a guitar, fingers plucking at the imaginary strings, pressing at the dreamed frets. It's meant to look clumsy, but a talented, knowledgeable eye would be able to discern atleast a familiarity that speaks to obscured ability.

"The songs, yes? How long will it take you to comfortably learn to play my music? Shouldn't you have a, uh, manager or something here?"

She's so young; too young to be handling this kind of thing on her own.

[heatwa-ves]

Mmmmmmm tell me about an izuleo au you have (or multiple). I lowkey want to write more for them (ignoring my other large project wips here 🙈🙈) and would love to know what ideas you have :3

answering this month's late oopsies but here's a few concepts I have :]

my knights (mostly izuleo) bad end au. this is the most fleshed out idea on this list it's like a child to me I surprise myself with my own genius tbh. the basic idea of the au is what if leo never came back to yumenosaki after checkmate and it's kind of a future au the main plot happens when leo and izumi are about 24/25? long story short leo never comes back knights decides to disband after izumi graduates he then goes on to leave japan quit his idol career and work solely on modelling I can talk more about this one if you want to hear

ghost leo au. this one is very inspired by one of my favorite fics of all time which I read a few years ago and it changed me as a person forever. basic plot is it's a non idol au so they're just at regular high school there's a rumor of a ghost in one of the music room izumi goes to check it out because his beloved yuukun was scared and he meets leo there and they slowly become friends and meet almost every night to talk, leo died at the school (how? that's for me to know and you to never find out because there's a minute chance I'll ever write this) and was given x amount of days to compose x amount of songs by idk the grim reaper or whatevers there after death because he died so unfairly. it ends on a bittersweet note of leo having to pass on because his times up and they never really had a proper goodbye but he leaves a song he composed for izumi a la lionheart

genei ap: empty heart au. just play the game. please I beg it's so good and the music is incredible and most importantly it's free and takes like an hour tops to completely play and it's soooo izuleo coded I'm sick. I think izumi spica and leo mikage makes the most sense but personally I'm partial to leo spica izumi mikage...

au where they never met in high school and meet for the first time because they take the same train for their commute so they see eachother for like fifteen minutes a day and move from strangers to Train Strangers to acquaintances to friends .. their first meeting would be leo asking izumi what he's listening to because music and all and izumi (who isn't listening to anything but wears headphones so people won't talk to him and it's Not Working) is annoyed but leo keeps talking to him every day and eventually grows fond of him and idk it goes on from here there's drama there's mental illness

finally here's one that actually takes place in the canon universe. I want izumi and leo to have a big fight and instead of taking it out izumi decides the best option is to run off and not say where he's going and so he impulsively takes the first train to paris and shows up on shus doorstep and there's izumi shu bonding and idk I just think about the parallels between them a lot and I really want them to be closer friends. they talk and stuff and izumi stays for like two or three days has some realisations and the conclusion would be him returning to Florence and I guess being honest for once with leo and genuinely apologising and idk. but this is izumi sena so I don't know if he'd fucking do that. whatever it's my au and if I want an emotional scene of genuine honesty I will fucking have one

[yandere-daze]

I've just thought of something angsty. In the au where the player gets transported into enstars as an idol, the characters don't hold anything back when it comes to harassing the player, right? Imagine if the character that's directing their hatred towards the player was a comfort character. The player loved them a lot and when they were feeling sad, all they had to do was open the game and see their favorite idol. Now, that very same idol was looking at them with hatred, sending insults and just outright breaking their heart and probably hurting them mentally as well. The ones I think that would go all out are Izumi, Shu, Tori, Madara, Hiyori, Ibara, Himeru and Nantsume 🤔 Those are just my opinion though.

And even if they do find out and try to apologize, it's likely that the player won't be able to look at them the same way ever again. (The other idols might see this as an opportunity. Less competition and if they manage to cheer you up, you might turn to them for comfort instead.)

Thanks for listening to my rant ejfnfi Have a nice day, Daze! Also, can I be 🌟 anon? Or maybe 🦐 anon?

You absolutely can be 🌟 anon! Welcome aboard :D I hope you have a nice day as well

gn reader

tw yandere, obsession, insults and threats towards the player, mentions of the idols treating you poorly

What if the character that hurt you the most was your comfort character?

But yes omg that would hurt so badly! A comfort character is something so personal and special, as the name suggests, they probably gave you a lot of comfort when you were going through some rough times. Whenever you saw them, you couldn´t help but smile because they always managed to cheer you up. Maybe you would put their solo song on loop sometimes or you might look up fanfic on Tumblr for them and happily giggle to yourself whenever you found something new you hadn´t read before. They meant so much to you, you really loved and adored them!

Which just makes it hurt even more when they sneer at you when you enter the room or they just outright throw insults at you, asking you why you´re even here. You´re not the one they want, just leave before they hurt you

Like, it´s already so difficult because you´re trying to come to terms with the fact that you just entered the world of the video game you adored and everything is so strange and unfamiliar. But you think to yourself, at least you´re finally able to talk to the idol you love so much! Isn´t it just like a dream come true?

But if anything, it´s more like a nightmare. You´ve barely stepped foot into ES or exchanged a single word with anyone, but they all seem to immediately hate you for some reason. Being so heavily disliked for an unknown reason feels terrible, it´s like you have no one to turn to in this strange new world.

But more than anything else, it hurt when your comfort character treated you just the same, if not worse than the others. They know that the player liked them more than anyone else, they were getting most of the attention, but then you came and chased them away. How dare you?

It´s all too much, they´re so different from what you always imagined them to be and it just hurts so much, You wanted to believe that at least they would be on your side but you were very mistaken.

(Btw I think you´re spot-on when it comes to the idols that would be the cruelest to the reader in this scenario)

When the truth finally comes to light, they´re on their knees, begging for you to accept their apology. They didn´t know it was you! How could they do something like this to you? Please forgive them

But those apologies just leave a bad taste in your mouth. You´ve seen what they´re really like and no matter what, your view of them has been forever tainted