#idk I’m rambling but if you’ve heard the song it would make some sense lol

[tiniestbee]

Drabble/Fic idea based on The Apparition by Sleep Token I will probably never write in the tags 😋👍🏼

[katara0524]

Impromptu Ramblings about the NEO:TWEWY Demo

In case y'all weren't aware, I've been a pretty big fan of TWEWY for a couple years now, and with the sequel coming out next month, the excitement I feel for this game is greater than ever :) I played the Demo for the first time yesterday, and following a couple views of some livestreams of others playing it, I felt like sharing my (very ramble-y) thoughts prior to the release of the full game. This post WILL contain spoilers for both TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY, so if you want to avoid those from now on, please block the tags: #twewy spoilers, #ntwewy spoilers, #neo twewy spoilers, #ntwewy, and #neo twewy ^_^ Oh, and if you wanna keep up with any other posts I make about my experience with this game, please refer to the tag "kat plays neo twewy" :)

-First things first: I have not watched the Final Trailer and I don't plan on doing so to avoid spoilers, especially after the pre-release era of KH3 where a lot of the later trailers spoiled a lot of the endgame content. That being said, I've seen some minor screenshots from the final trailer including what many believe to be characters from the original TWEWY, namely Shiki and Joshua. That is all I know about the Final Trailer and I would very much like to remain as blind as possible going into NEO :)

-The very first cutscene was quite ominous in the sense that this game is likely going to be about "changing fate" (a recently common theme in Squeenix games, which I do appreciate), perhaps leading off from the end of A New Day in the OG and trying to stop an Inversion of Shibuya. Also worth noting that A New Day had similar aspects in which the main character experienced "future visions" of tragic events, although in A New Day these events were not able to be changed, while in NEO it seems like one of the main "powers" our protagonist has is specifically to rewrite these events and avoid a "bad ending." Very interesting indeed!

-I really like the revamped comic book style dialogue scenes, it's much more fluid and modern, which is an excellent direction for the series to take!

-I would love to have an actual PokemonGO knockoff of Final Fantasy creatures, please Squeenix that would be incredibleeeeee

-Also the LINE stickers??? Are so cute???

-I would just like to point out that Fret is an absolute treasure throughout this entire demo, he's hilarious and I will protect him with my life

-UHHHH don't like that Fret picked up some Reaper Pins just out of nowhere.....or the fact that they're apparently popular all over Shibuya.............did y'all not learn anything from the OG game or what lmao

-Okay so when I first got the "curry or ramen" scene and heard NPCs talking about the new curry place replacing the old ramen place I became IMMENSELY distressed that Ramen Don was totally cut from the game because....well, Ramen Don is a King okay?? But I'm glad to learn that no, he didn't fall off the face of the earth, he's still in business and he's the one opening the curry restaurant lolol. PHEW, crisis averted!

-.....I don't like the sudden appearance of a Wall Reaper and being able to read NPC thoughts. Wtf happened when they left the ramen place??? Are they playing the Game alive somehow?

-Okay so I have my own theories about this "Swallow" character and what they're up to but considering this is only the Demo and I still Have No Idea What's Happening, I'm just gonna say that I think Swallow intentionally led Rindo and Fret to the Crossing so they could join the Game. I mean, add in the fact that Swallow still communicates with Rindo during the Game and you've got yourself a suspicious character right there lol

-"Hey they're shooting off fireworks!" Fret honey that's not fireworks oof (see also: "*laughs* I'm in danger")

-WOOOOOO way to traumatize Rindo right off the bat like that LMAOO

-The visuals for the intro are VERY GOOD, the song is pretty decent until it gets all "screamo" (which I absolutely cannot stand sorry lol)

-Shoka is every Customer Service employee ever and I respect that

-Susukichi went from being "meh" to "WOW THIS GUY IS FUN" in the span of 10 seconds and I also respect that (he is also built like an Absolute Unit which is hilarious)

-The Wall Reapers (and just Reapers in general) seem.....way nicer and more helpful this time around?? Like in the OG the Wall Reapers were SO RUDE gfhjgjdfkhn and yeah I'm sure we'll get some like that but the juxtaposition of the first Wall Reaper in the OG compared to the first one in NEO is insane.

-The puzzles are quite a bit more entertaining this time around even if it's generally the same "fetch quest" formula lol

-"Rindo's Group" way to go Fret HFKJDGHSDFKJ mans really left the default name in there lmao

-OKAYOKAYOKAY so to those who aren't aware I am a MASSIVE SIMP for Sho Minamimoto, he's my absolute favorite and I think about him daily. HIS INTRODUCTION IS. INCREDIBLE. I LOVE IT SM.

-GOD hearing him actually SPEAK FULL SENTENCES is just SO SURREAL I love this sm

-Also the remix of his theme???? NEO TRANSFORMATION????? IT'S SO GOOD????????? It's like gone from a Boss Theme to a more triumphant sounding theme and I am HERE for it (every version of Transformation is just INCREDIBLE and getting a new one is even better)

-I Love Him, Your Honor

-Also idk how exactly but it's kinda weird seeing Sho in the OG vs NEO, cuz while he's mostly the same Insane Math-Obsessed Catboy, he's.....calmed down quite a bit?? Like OG made a whole point of how poorly he cooperates with others (not to mention just being completely unhinged and trying to kill everyone), whereas here in NEO he's......actually kinda working with others??? HELLO???? Sir what happened to you and Neku during those 3 years I would love to know all about it

-I guarantee you Sho is still probably scheming shite and will likely pull some total insane BS later down the road, and I am very much looking forward to that. Also, is he looking for a certain Pin or something??? Cuz he keeps talking about different Pins and even mentions "this is just another Psych Pin" like he's actively looking for a Pin to do something with. Maybe it also has to do with the "latent powers of Players" thing he mentioned as well??? What is this dude UP TO oml (also is he in contact with Neku at all?? they're both technically fugitives at this point right?? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER A NEW DAY I AM BEGGING YOU)

-I seems like Sho ALSO has an idea of what's going on in this specific game (even if he won't admit it straightforward). Per his quote "The game's 142,857. Factor it out," he's essentially saying, "This game is a neverending cyle, figure out how to get out of it" (or at least that's what I got from his "cyclic number" nonsense lolol)

-I do like how Sho mostly stays out of sight until he's needed for a battle or assisting with a mission, that's kind of on par with his whole "uncooperative" quirk from the OG, plus he might literally have to stay out of sight of other Reapers and Players considering he's likely breaking the rules of the Game (not surprising considering him and Neku broke practically every rule in the book during OG)

-The nicknames for Sho- I can't- They're so FUNNYYYY GFHJSDFKJ

-He goes from being called "Pi-Face" and "Tabooty" in OG to "Mr. Minami" and "M-Teezy" in NEO LMAOO

-(Wowee I just realized I've been mostly talking about Sho oopsies sorry y'all, this is what I meant by thinking about him almost daily he is THAT much of a fav of mine ghfkjsd)

-Okay RIP Fret and Rindo for not getting literally ANY explanation as to how the Game works OOF, that is kinda cringe that whoever gets the Pin earns points, not whoever erases the Noise (which like I understand but also URRRGGHHH I WANNA SEE THE SQUAD SUCCEED)

-"I should be going home now it's getting late" Oh you sweet summer child-

-Also love the mention of parents in this game???? KH you could learn a thing or two from TWEWY (poor Rindo's mom fhgjkdh)

-KUBO IS HILARIOUS I SUPPORT HIM AND HIS GROSS FACE (also thank you Final Trailer thumbnail for spoiling my suspicions about him very cool smh)

-Kaie is a LAD I also support him, go King type those funky texts I believe in you

-FRET PLS STOP SCANNING FHGJKSDHKJFGHFKJ he's like me when I scan in OG during Weeks 2 and 3 and see Taboo Noise coming after me ghfjdshfj

-Also Rindo can you stay off your phone for TWO SECONDS ik you're trying to figure things out but Fret is a jelly boi and I don't want him to be upset with you my guy

-Sho being an actual sorta mentor to the kiddos?? Who are you sir this is so unlike you ghfgskj what happened to the guy who tried shooting children in the face 8 times over LMAO (granted he's probably just using them but it's still nice to see him actually cooperating and sharing knowledge with the kiddos aaaaa)

-EYO EIJI OJI THE TIKTOK INFLUENCER IS BACK LMAO

-hgjkfshgkjf "we aren't glorifying capitalism on my watch" THATS SO FUNNY TO ME GFHJFSDGHJKS (also an all-orange ensemble is disgusting you deserve jail for one thousand years fkn Cheddar Goldfish Cheezit ass woman)

-WICKED TWISTERS NAME DROP EYOOO we love to see it

-gfhsgjf Poor Rindo embarassing himself for the sake of the Game that's incredible

-R e t u r n t o M O N K E. That is all.

-Dialogue during boss battles is HELLA cool i love that

-HHHHH THE KANON SCENE MADE ME A N G E R Y FRET STOP SIMPING MY GUY says the girl with a Literal Simp Encyclopedia and simps for pixels on a screen daily

-Can't wait to see the other Reapers :eyes emoji:

-CAN'T WAIT TO SEE NAGI MY BELOVED YEAHHHH WOOOOOO AAAAND that's about it for the demo lolol, I absolutely CANNOT wait for next month, this game is gonna be INCREDIBLE holy hell Prepare for more simping, more screaming, and more vibing from Yours Truly :) I fully intend on sharing more general thoughts like this on both Tumblr and Twitter so it's not just reblog-retweet-reblog-retweet with the occasional comment fhgskjd

If you wanna witness my insanity up close and personal I have a Square Enix Discord server called Sea Side Dreamers! You can look it up on Disboard, or you can add me on Discord @Katara0524#9244 for a direct link :) We have topics about Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, NieR, and ofc TWEWY (as well as other topics!), so if you want some good ol' chaos and chitchat, you're more than welcome to join!

[nevergenders]

Can we get a recap summary of what is going on w Maxx and everything??

thank you for letting me ramble and it’s NOT JUST MAXX

so i have no idea how much you’ve been seeing so i’ll say like Most of it

so for ALMOST A MONTH NOW HOLY SHIT i’ve been moderating for cody’s discord server!! and i’m happy about it but it takes so much TIME and idk how to keep up with SCHOOL so i started going to maxx’s streams a lot less. but god every time i show up he sounds so fucking happy that i’m there and he’s like excited to talk to me.

fun fact! in fucking february i bought him a birthday gift, but he didn’t get it before quarantine started, and when he finally got around to check it wasn’t in his po box? so eventually i showed him what i got him and he was like OH??? so he went to check again and finally got it and let me tell you! i was only gonna go into the stream for like five minutes that day (because i didn’t realize he was going to stream FOR TEN WHOLE HOURS) but i went in just to say hi, and as soon as he saw me he went. WAIT. NICK. DON’T LEAVE YET. I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU GUYS. and he jumped up to go get the shirt (which was already on a hanger) and he looked so fucking happy about it?? mind you this was a whole TWO MONTHS after his birthday lol but he showed the shirt on the hanger and then he didn’t show the sticker i got him so he might have just stuck it on something already? and a couple days later i couldn’t make it to the stream for long but as soon as it started my friend madi messaged me like MAXX WEARING THE NICK SHIRT. HOW MUCH SEROTONIN WILL HE GET. i went into maxxs stream DURING CLASS just to comment on it. and god yeah today when i showed up, one of the FIRST THINGS HE SAYS ON STREAM, like he does the “hello! thanks for coming! etc etc” and then he went “nick’s here!!! a rare nick sighting :)” and everyone in his chat was also very happy and excited to see me?? i would die for this community

and in CODYS STREAMS. i feel a little more obligated to go to them because i moderate for his discord lol but there’s not nearly the same sense of community yet, and i have a different group of friends there, idk that’s still developing but like. it’s tough when you have the community formed around the drummer vs the community formed around the singer because you KNOW people act differently when it’s the singer, and trying to get past that and form more of a community vibe is tougher. also like... moderating is one thing, but there’s also this new sense of trust in us he has? like he calls subscribers on discord during streams sometimes, and one day he called my friend aris but was using the wrong pronouns for him, so i slipped it in the chat and as SOON as he saw it i saw his face drop, he felt so fucking bad and he apologized multiple times. and IMMEDIATELY after the stream he went into the chat for just mods with “i feel like such a jerk” and we basically just had a heart to heart with him to help him feel better and y’all??? i got emotions.

the main reason i was yammering about cody this morning. i hate saying this because it feels so self centered. but Very Long Story Short (i will explain it to you if you want me to) i’m pretty sure cody and i spent most of 2019 convinced the other hated us, or at least extremely worried about it. i spent a way too long thinking about it and i’m pretty sure that’s how he felt. so yesterday during his stream he was talking about some of the music he was writing, and he said “there’s this song i’m writing about like social anxiety online, like sometimes i’m terrified to go on social media because someone’s gonna hate me today” and i didn’t process it until later but when i did my brain went WOOOSH and of COURSE if he wrote a song about that it’s probably not SPECIFICALLY about me and theres NO WAY OF ACTUALLY KNOWING but the fact that i feel like i’m probably a part of that???? i don’t know what to do with that thought?????? i don’t know what emotion i was experiencing about it but i almost started fucking crying omg last year was a fucking ride and considering the change in the level of trust we have it’s gonna be SO different the next time i see him WAAAAAAAA

anyways today maxx was talking about how much he misses touring and i got fuckin emotional about that too because now i KNOW next time i see them it’s gonna be so fuckin different, especially after such a long break and with these kinds of things happening, i’m gonna fucking lose my mind,,, codys other mods wanna meet up together and be like “sorry we can’t make it to any dates on this tour!” and then all show up at the same place. power move.

and final sidenote we really had to ban someone multiple times from cody’s AND maxx’s discords and then find out that they were emotionally manipulating minors in the discords to tell us to let them back in, and gaslighting, and threatening the mods behind our backs, and talking shit about us, and i REALLY HOPE we never have to hear from them again, but last thursday we had a whole team of us going SHOO. NONE OF US WANT YOU HERE. IF YOU TRY TO SNEAK BACK INTO THE SERVER WE WILL CATCH YOU AND BAN YOU AS MANY TIMES AS WE NEED TO. so i hope they got the memo, we haven’t heard about them in a couple days.

tldr; i’m pretty much on the level of trust with cody and maxx as like friends and i love them to death and it’s cool to see them the same way

there’s your update! it’s been interesting but overall, despite my updated sense of social anxiety, i’m having fun

[allsassnoclass]

15, 18 (specifically for the tie me down 'verse ending since i KNOW you were talking about that but if you don't want to disclose then that's cool i just think about it a lot), and 20 go crazy love you a lot xoxo bella

Thank you bella :)

okay these are going under a read more because they got ridiculously long. I really enjoy talking about my writing lol

also some spoilers ahead....

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)? I think this really depends!  On occasion, I’ll have a title while I’m writing a piece, but otherwise titles are pretty difficult for me because I really want them to have some sort of meaning. I don’t like just plucking song lyrics for them unless the song has some sort of significance to the fic, but sometimes I have to because I can’t think of anything else and that’s the accepted way to name fics.  Something like All I Really Want Is You is okay because I referenced slsp in the fic.  Something like Puzzle Pieces was taken from a running metaphor in the fic, which I feel better about because it’s something that is more specific to the fic itself.  Summaries are also difficult because sometimes I don’t have a few lines that I feel properly introduce the fic and hook the reader without giving things away, but I feel like people are less likely to read if there isn’t an excerpt??? idk.  tags are pretty easy though even though I’m always guessing a little and worried that someone will say I should have tagged it with something else or that it doesn’t fit a tag I added.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them. For the most part, I don’t have alternate versions unless it’s a prompt fic that I started out going one direction then deleted and flipped it around.  HOWEVER the Tie Me Down trilogy DID have a possible different third installment (spoilers ahead)

If I had written the epilogue from Jack’s perspective, it would’ve been a little bit of a different ending.  Something I mentioned in both of the first parts was Jack’s restlessness and Alex’s desire for something more settled, and one day I was listening to peace by Taylor swift and was like “wow this is Jack from the tie me down verse,” and that song could’ve very easily been the inspiration behind the third part.  Alex’s epilogue was based on best years because he recognized that he hadn’t treated Jack the best but resolved to then make up for it by giving Jack the best years possible ahead with all of his love.  peace as an epilogue song would’ve pushed the story away from a crystal-clear resolution.  that would’ve focused a bit more on the struggle of making it work with two people who want/need fundamentally different things.  It would’ve had much more to do with the compromise of Jack being able to give Alex infinite love and devotion, but not the peace that he craves.  Inevitably, something would go wrong.  “The rain is always gonna come if you’re standing with me.”  The epilogue would’ve then been about Jack living with that knowledge and trusting that Alex would stay anyway and that their relationship would be enough, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty of an imperfect relationship in that song, and it inevitably would’ve ended up in the fic.  that’s why the Alex epilogue was the one I went with: I needed a strong, conclusive, and positive ending for them, and Jack’s epilogue would not have given that

otherwise though I don’t think my fics shift too terribly much between when I think of them and when they get published.  nothing is coming to mind, at least not for things that I have completed.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?) Okayyyyyy a lot of my symbolism is in the short angsty fics and when I talk about it I feel like I didn’t do it well lol but for my unrequited lashton (I was done but you undid me) (spoiler) the buckling of the seatbelt was something I thought about a lot and ending the fic with that action was important to me because it was Luke making the conscious decision to protect himself in this situation.  there’s a lot of symbolism in the lie to me music vid in general but back seat of the car/no seatbelt is very significant because 1. he can’t swerve, he just has to take the crash and 2. he isn’t doing the bare minimum to protect himself from the hit, he’s letting himself take maximum damage from it.  while Luke may be in the passenger seat in the fic, he can still take that little step to protect himself metaphorically, which goes along with the decision to protect himself by not trying to pursue something with Ashton or try to get the validation from him that he wants but that would ultimately be a lie.

also fun fact! my angsty Luke song is putting the dog to sleep by the antlers, which partially inspired the bear-trap metaphor despite bear traps not being mentioned in the song at all.  when I wasn’t listening to a version of lie to me while writing that, I was listening to that song.

the tie me down trilogy also included a whole bunch of metaphors that first appeared in tie me down and I hate that for you.  when I do song fics, I really look at the songs for inspiration, so a lot of the figurative language and images in the songs were incorporated into the fics, then I combined stuff for the third installment.  best years arguably had the least amount of influence over the installment out of that trilogy.

I have had a few people ask if the cocktail chats reference in off-screen was intentional.  it was.  that moment in cocktail chats inspired the entire fic.  it all stemmed from a desire to put that one little moment into a fic.  also my personal thought is that off-screen Ashton pretends to dislike petunia but he actually adores her and calls her darling all the time when they’re alone.  Luke heard him do it once and teased him mercilessly.

now for puzzle pieces!!!! sorry bella I know that you asked this question and haven’t read this one yet but I want to talk about it so you can stop reading now because that’s what the rest of this ask is.

I talked about this briefly once, but the colors for puzzle pieces were chosen specifically!  there was thought behind it! 

Michael got red not just because of the iconic red hair, which is how I almost think of younger Michael, but because it’s a pretty loud and brash color.  Michael (especially when he was younger) doesn’t really filter things and wears a decent amount of his personality on his sleeve. that’s red to me, baby!

Calum has always been forest green to be.  This is partially influenced by the empathy hoodie (even though that’s a bit brighter than forest green), but it’s more because my associations with green have always said it’s a very dependable, stable color.  It reminds me of pine trees, and I think Calum can give off that same sense of reliability in weathering the seasons.  It’s a quieter color but can really pop next to another one.  It also worked out nicely that Calum and Michael’s colors were compliments

Luke gets gold because he is a sunshine boy!  Luke actually was the person I had the most trouble with, because I was flipping between gold, a lighter blue, or pink.  Pink ultimately was too close to red to make me be able to visualize what the marks looked like on each boy to my satisfaction like it just looked ugly.  I went with gold because there is a lot of outward brightness in Luke.  He’s the kind of person where if he’s happy everyone else gets a bit happier, and gold also seemed fitting for the eventual shift into a rockstar and the amount of talent he has

Ashton gets purple, but a deeper purple.  Dynamic but still relatively stable, has a lot of depth.  Purple is a secret color, but it’s still beautiful and it draws people in.  When I visualize it it ends up being a really dark shade, but in reality he’s probably more of a royal purple than a plum purple

I have a lot of favorite moments in that fic but one that’s standing out now is right when Ashton and Michael do their first touch: “The dark purple reminds him of spilling grape juice on his clothes as a kid, and when he collapses into Ashton he feels like they could have known each other at that age, too.”  There is something so charming about meeting someone later and feeling like you’ve known them your whole life, and that was significant here because Michael has known Calum and Luke since they were younger (although Luke did come in the picture when they were tweens/young teens instead of kids).  I wanted to be sure that although Michael, Calum, and Luke are the triangle, Ashton is an equal part of their soulmate group.  He doesn’t have the same history, but that doesn’t matter because it feels like he does.

also pretty early on in the fic (I think it’s when Calum is in Brazil) I say that Michael is always touch-starved for Calum, and I brought that line back in the hair dye scene because baby seasons change but people don’t!  one thing is consistent about Michael and that is his love for Calum, expressed here through the love language of physical touch

As for clues for future scenes... :)

anyway! ask me some fun meta writer asks!

[n0t-actually-satan]

rating cwmay songs

okay nO one except me cares about this and lovelytheband is criminally underrated but yeah I wanted to do this so why not :)

flowers - on my grave - oh my god. this song. this fucking song. I need it like oxygen. I listen to it everyday. the desperateness of it gives me so many emotions. and the synth thing going on in the chorus is awesome. I think the lyrics are really interesting and incredible. it’s so catchy and while it’s sad it totally makes you wanna get up and dance. plus I think it really shows off Sam’s drumming and I’m here for that. one of those songs that just leaves you with a feeling...

i hate myself - w o a h. I love this song so much. I honestly love songs that sound like this, with funky chords and lots of fun, interesting noises. again, I love the contrast between the verse and the chorus. it starts out just with the quite, sad, and kind of bitter vocals and piano, and then there’s just an explosion of sound and it turns into a whole bop. I really love the loud drums there. you can even tell the difference in Mitchy’s voice between the points, he sounds kind of quiet and reflective on the verses, then bold and bitter on the chorus and it really makes the difference. I also like how they strayed from the typical synth after the chorus to whistling, it’s really interesting and fun.

silly - the way this song set up the end of the album... I remember listening to the album for the first time and I was just like “THIS IS SO GOOD” and then like every song after that I was just vibing to so hard. I’m alWays a whore for a good sax solo, too, which you now know from how high I rated waste. and the lyrics so exactly hit how it feels as you’re getting over someone... wondering if they really care I guess. and the way all the instruments come together to sound so uncertain, especially at the bridge, is pretty amazing. fucking amazing, honestly.

emo - oh shit. this might get long. what an incredible song. the way it just comes in with that sweeeeet guitar sound. and the first verse just already sets up the vibe of the song immediately. and the synth part that starts after the first verse and goes through the song is so catchy and fun. I love the melody on the chorus and I think Mitchy sings it amazingly. and the way it hones in on his voice near the end but then you hear those drums and you’re just like oh hEck yeah it’s not over and you get another chorus and you’re just rocking out and singing along. this song is one of the simplest on the album I would say, but it’s a nice contrast. so simple, but so good and so catchy. it’s constantly stuck in my head. love. it. so. much. makes me feel better about being called emo in middle school haha.

buzz cut - ah yes, the last single. this song got me so hyped for the album. it’s so unlike any of the other lovelytheband songs, like, it’s happy??? what is that??? in all seriousness though, they should do happy more because they do it so well, surprisingly. from the very beginning you know it’s gonna be awesome. the line “it’s only a feeling, until you make it more than that” I really like. but it’s the chorus that really makes it. I don’t know what the effect on Mitchy’s voice is but I love it so much. and to be perfectly honest I did think the post-chorus was kinda dumb until I realized that I, too define periods of my life by my hair decisions. I’m only a little disappointed they didn’t shave Mitchy’s head in the video... but I really like his hair it’s so iconic so I guess it’s a good thing. but enough of that rambling. I don’t usually like really cheesy love songs but I can’t help but love this one. it’s just being so shamelessly in love and I love that, but it also sounds more real that a lot of pop songs. it’s the kind of song that always cheers you up and makes you believe in love again.

loneliness for love - someone will probably come at me for this. sorry. it’s a bop for SURE that’s why it’s ranked six. I seriously love it, love the guitar part, love the lyrics, it’s so upbeat yet sad which I love and who can’t say it’s relatable? but I gotta say this album is so packed full of bangers it’s still sixth. it’s probably also a little because this was the first single to come out and songs are more exciting when you’ve listened to them less I would say.

waste - I really like how this one starts, sounding so distant, before it all comes in. one of my favs of the singles. the chorus though, it’s so dramatic and emotional. it really just so well describes the feeling of falling apart I guess. I can really relate to feeling stuck and wanting to give up. and I just LOVE the line of “mixing glitter with my tears” like seriously, what beautiful imagery. and the sax solo is EVERYTHING. brings the entire song together with the mournfulness, I guess. then there comes that moment where it’s suddenly all quiet and still and then BOOM it all comes out again so dramatically. definitely one of my favs. I listened to this so much when it first came out, though I have to admit, I’m vibing a little more with the newer songs now.

love somebody else - ahaha this one’s too relatable. but omg, the instrumental part after the chorus? it hits so hard. such a wordy song, unusual for lovelytheband, but I really like it. I don’t really know what’s going on in the lyrics but I do think they’re really interesting and I like to try and figure about what they mean lol. and the contrast from the verse to the chorus is awesome, the way it’s kind of cluttered and quiet to dramatic and loud simple. love it.

idwgtyp - I think this is only fourth because I’ve heard it so many times now it doesn’t have the same thrill it did at the beginning. still amazing tough. the instrumental part with all the bass in amazing. and I love how it stops and then it comes back, just building the excitement. the ending is sO satisfying as it goes down. the HUHs are a little weird though, I have to say.

i should be happy - I usually prefer lovelytheband’s more upbeat songs. but this one is really something. the quiet voice and the piano just tells so much with so little. the little sounds in the background I don’t know how to describe make it more interesting. the only thing I don’t like about this song is the weird effects on Mitchy’s voice. idk. I just don’t really like them idk why.

drive - I like this song. but I do find it a bit boring after awhile. I think it would be good at putting me to sleep and I mean that in the best possible way. very chill and pretty. but a little dull.

your favorite one - beautiful. simply. beautiful. this song gives me so many f e e l i n g s. I really like the weird robotic voices thing? it’s cool and unlike any other song, gives it an interesting vibe. and the arrangement is really, really nice. it is a bit long though, I have to say

when you’re lonely - interlude - it’s just kinda lacking substance. which makes sense for an interlude. I have no criticism, there’s just a ton of great songs on here and they can’t all be at the top. it really does hit you hard when it’s like dark, and quiet, and you’re sad and your just like w o w. it definitely hits different.

conversations with myself about you - meh. honestly I’m not a huge fan. don’t come at me. it’s not really a song it’s just some voices and then one line. I always skip it.

wow. that was honestly way harder than I expected. like I expected it to be hard, but like, the top five took forever to decide on. anyway this took me almost two hours but it was worth it. if you haven’t listened to the album yet, do it. do it now. or face the consequences. :)

anyway. this album is such a masterpiece. I loved finding it hard to smile but I gotta say I think cwmay takes the cake. I can’t wait to see what lovelytheband makes next and see if my favorites keep changing...

[sizzleitupwithmaria]

here you go @baura-bear (i’ve also definitely done these before but i know i’ve changed so)

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

i’m kind of a hoarder so all of them?? but mostly mugs and water bottles

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

CHOCOLATE

3. bubblegum or cotton candy

cotton candy slaps

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

very shy but a good learner

5. do you prefer to drink soda from cans, bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

soda sounds really unappealing right now so none?

6. pastel, boho, tomboys, preppy, goth, grunge, formal, or sportswear?

a combo of boho tomboy and grunge

7. earbuds or headphones?

earbuds

8. movies or tv shows?

i don’t have the patience for either, podcasts are superior

9. favorite smell in the summer?

i walked by this couple yesterday who had ice cream and just... the smell of sugared cream and waffle cones.... delicious

10. game you were best at in pe?

volleyball maybe, but i still wasn’t good at that

11. what do you have for breakfast on an average day?

a granola bar, which sucks bc my first period is choir this year so i won’t be able to eat first period!!

12. name of your favorite playlist?

“oh boy i’m pining for someone”

13. lanyard or keyring?

my keychain is so heavy that wearing a lanyard would slowly break my neck

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

GUMMI BEARS!!!!!!!

15. favorite book you’ve read as a school assignment?

either romeo and juliet, to kill a mockingbird, or and then there were none

16. most comfortable position to sit in

i like legs crossed but i also like just the ideal Leg Bounce position

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

my grey converse high tops

18. ideal weather?

like... 60 degrees and mildly cloudy

19. sleeping position?

on my side or occasionally on my stomach

20. preferred place to write?

in a notebook, writing on my laptop gets old after a while

21. obsession from childhood?

MAGIC TREE HOUSE or dolls in general

22. role model?

eva fucking noblezada

23. strange habits?

i like to shake my foot when i see something i like (is this stimming? probably and i kind of like it)

24. favorite crystal

emerald but just bc it’s my birthstone

25. first song you remember hearing?

probably something off of rumors by fleetwood mac

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

i hate warm weather but i like shopping

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather

go to school?? i kind of feel like my outfits are the coolest in winter and that gets me a lot of compliments

28. five songs that describe you?

just pick five random queen songs and it’ll probably be pretty accurate

29. best way to bond with you?

literally just talk to me. i can ramble for hours about shit you probably don’t care about

30. places that you find sacred?

my bedroom and the two giant woods in my hometown 

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

basically just blue jeans a flannel and a black tank top. not very cool but i feel nice in it

32. top five favorite vines

all i can think of rn is i’m gonna munch i’m gonna crunch so there’s that (stream revolution lover)

33. most used phrase in your phone?

fdhslfhdjslkfdk or any other keyspam

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

i have adblock lmao

35. average time you fall asleep

like 12:30 now that it’s summer

36. what is the first meme you remember seeing?

ehrmagerd or however you spell it

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

duffel bag 

38. lemonade or tea

both, including when they’re combined (arnold palmers slap)

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

cake

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school

high school: this past year’s senior prank which did give me a mental breakdown but it was kind of hilarious 

middle school: The Smell

41. last person you texted?

my dad

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

pants, i always feel like shit will fall out of my jacket pockets

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket, or bomber jacket?

hoodie and cardigan, Maximum Coze

44. favorite soap scent?

i kind of like dessert scents

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy, or superhero?

none of them??

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

my fav flannel which is very soft and underwear

47. favorite type of cheese?

the one that comes on pizza

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

....... a watermelon? i look pretty appealing from the outside but i’m actually 92% water

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

andre deshields’ three rules to longevity from the tonys :,)

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

i can’t remember but i’ve definitely peed myself laughing in like... elementary school

51. current stresses?

“am i waiting too long to snap back my crush” and “OH SHIT I HAVEN’T STARTED ANY OF MY ESSAYS”

52. favorite font?

helvetica or comic sans if i’m in the mood

53. what is the current state of your hands?

i last washed them like 30 mins ago, my left hand’s nails are painted black, and my right pointer finger is bleeding

54. what did you learn from your first job?

i haven’t had one yet lol

55. favorite fairy tale?

i have no idea

56. favorite tradition?

i don’t really have any noteworthy ones

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

That Time In October 2017, The Week Of May 6 2019, and The Week Of Mamma Mia Auditions And The Week After (those are the official titles in my brain lmao)

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

i have a good fashion sense, people tend to like my art?? i’m good in a choir?? and i guess i’m a bit naturally smart

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

something like “i’m gay”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

some combination of yuri on ice and ouran high school host club

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc?

i particularly like that one dude in hp and the sorcerer’s stone that was described as a toothless walnut

62. seven characters you relate to?

uhh my mind is really drawing a blank rn

63. five songs that would play in your club?

like... a combination of 70′s queen, cousin simple, and memes that’ll make people go buckwild

64. favorite website from your childhoos?

girlsgogames

65. any permanent scars?

(small tw) i have a scar on my left middle finger from when i tried to change razor blades and i just noticed today i have one single self harm scar left on my left leg and nnnnnnnhhhhhhh

66. favorite flowers?

roses and ik ferns don’t count but ferns are v pretty

67. good luck charms?

i have the shittiest luck lmao

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

i’m infamous for never trying new foods

69. a fun fact you don’t know how you learned?

idk, pretty much every fun fact ever?

70. left or right handed?

right

71. least favorite pattern?

like.... stripes of any kind make me look fatter than i am

72. worst subject

physical science, but it’s all bc of my shitty teacher

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

uhhhh fries and a wendy’s frosty?? or sometimes i squeeze a lemon into my coke

74. at what pain level out of ten do you have to be at before you take a pill?

hahahahahahaha i can’t swallow pills so i suffer

75. when did you lose your first tooth

i have no fuckin clue

76. what’s your favorite potato food?

fries!!!!! good!!

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

ferns or cacti

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

neither?

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

my school id but only bc i don’t have a license yet lmao

80. earth or jewel tones?

earth

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

fireflies

82. pc or console?

pc?? although all i play on is my laptop which isn’t technically a pc

83. writing or drawing?

neither rn, i’m feeling uninspired

84. podcasts or talk radio?

P O D C A S T S 

85. barbie or polly pocket?

neither, i was a liv doll kid

86. fairy tales or mythology?

mythology but i can also dig some like... brothers grimm shit

87. cookies or cupcakes?

both but it depends on my mood (i could really go for a cookie rn)

88. your greatest fear?

experiencing eternal blackness after death

89. your greatest wish?

move into an apartment with my soulmate and act for a living

90. who would you put before everyone else?

nobody really rn

91. luckiest mistake?

coming out to my parents maybe? although it wasn’t a mistake, i would defo be in a bad place if i was closested at home

92. boxes or bags?

i have no clue

93. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight, or fairy lights?

fairy lights!!

94. nicknames?

none but if any future partners can come up with one for me i will marry them instantly

95. favorite season?

fall or spring

96. favorite app on your phone?

instagram or tik tok (KILL ME)

97. desktop background?

a nice landscape one of my fav artists painted

98. how many phone numbers have you memorized?

just my own lmao

99. favorite historical era?

60′s/70′s (i hate to be that bitch but that’s when music was at its peak)

[smnthchrstn]

All that you haven't answered!

i am much too lazy to go through and see what i haven’t responded to, so i’m just gonna do them all.

1. Are looks important in a relationship? Nope

2. Are relationships ever worth it? Probably

3. Are you a virgin? Okay see my other answers, this is a very long very rambly answer. 

4. Are you in a relationship? Nope

5. Are you in love? Nope

6. Are you single this year? I spent a chunk of it in a relationship.

7. Can you commit to one person? Yep

8. Describe your crush I have two. And one’s old enough to be my mom and the other my much older sister. (Does this mean I have a chance with Kate McKinnon?)

9. Describe your perfect mate Someone who is kind, loyal, shares common interests with me, can enjoy a good meme and shares my love of food/can make a grilled cheese please I’m begging you. I just want a decent grilled cheese.

10. Do you believe in love at first sight? Nope, not one bit

11. Do you ever want to get married? Probably if the right person comes along

12. Do you forgive betrayal? No I don’t

13. Do you get jealous easily? No I don’t

14. Do you have a crush on anyone? I answered this above ^

15. Do you have any piercings? Nope

16. Do you have any tattoos? Nope

17. Do you like kissing in public? I live in a republican area so it scares me.

20. Do you shower every day? Yep

21. Do you think someone has feelings for you? Hard no.

22. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? Maybe my cat if I’m lucky.

23. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat? Absolutely

24. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years? No, but let fate change my mind. 

25. Do you want to be in a relationship this year? This year? Hard pass. Next year? We’ll see.

26. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you? Yes

27. Has someone ever written a song or poem for you? No.

28. Have you ever been cheated on? I have

29. Have you ever cheated on someone? No

30. Have you ever considered plastic surgery? If so, what would you change about your body? Not on my body, but my hair I have.

31. Have you ever cried over a guy/girl? Of course

32. Have you ever experienced unrequited love? Of course

33. Have you ever had sex with a man? Nope

34. Have you ever had sex with a woman? See here. 

35. Have you ever kissed someone older than you? Yes

36. Have you ever liked one of your best friends? Yep

37. Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated? No

38. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to? Yes

39. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have? Yes

40. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone? Many

41. Have you had sex so far this year? “Sex”? No

42. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander? My hands are always moving.

43. How long was your longest relationship? Like seven months, but it wasn’t “official”. So like, maybe four months?

44. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had? This question is complicated because I had a lot, but some of my most serious relationships haven’t had a label on them. I’ve dated like officially maybe four people? Unofficially maybe like seven? Six or seven? - three boyfriends and a partner.

45. How many people did you kiss in 2012/2013? One.

46. How many times did you have sex last year? See my above answers about sexuality.

47. How old are you? 22

48. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say? I’m your mom, how dare you (to my cat. come on, i don’t give out these deets on tumblr)

49. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, what is your favorite thing about him/her? I don’t have one :P

50. If your first true love knocked on your door with apology and presents, would you accept? My first like actual love or my boyfriend? Because my first true love didn’t wrong me and my first boyfriend isn’t alive.

51. Is there a boy/girl who you would do absolutely everything for? Yes, my friends. Specifically my best friend, Sabrina. Now she is a ride or die.

52. Is there anyone you’ve given up on? Why? I’ve given up on a lot of people. I’ve given up on some family this year and I’ve given up on the person I believed to be the love of my life because sometimes people hurt you and you think that’s okay because you love them and don’t want to hurt them. You’re basically sacrificing yourself for others and that’s not okay for you.

53. Is there someone mad because you’re dating/talking to the person you are? No, no one cares about what I do haha

54. Is there someone you will never forget? Always

55. Share a relationship story. This one time my ex partner drove me home on the fourth of July and no one else had been driving on the highway at that time. We were holding hands and listening to Celine Dion and I kept pointing out all the fireworks I could see from the highway with this childlike amazement. It was a movie moment and I have enough of those to fill a book. It was the beginning of a wild adventure, one that I’m sure I could’ve continued on for a very long time.

56. State 8 facts about your body 1) I have scars on my shoulders from a severe sunburn. 2) I have a freckle on my left wrist (heard from twitter that’s really gay) 3) I have a small triangular scar on my right hand from burning myself on the oven. 4) My shoulders are covered in freckles. 5) My eyes are “green with gold specks” 6) I’m somewhere around 5′7 or 5′8 7) My hair is naturally a dark blonde, but I’ve dyed it black and or brown for the past four years. 8) I had my hair chemically straightened when I was twelve. I did it twice, it was a long and painful process. I did it due to bullying and have since grown to learn how to deal with my wavy hair.

57. Things you want to say to an ex Yikes baby, you missed out on a lifetime of love and support. Big yikes. 

58. What are five ways to win your heart? 1) Trust. Being able to trust you and know you aren’t going to just up and walk away one day. Knowing I can count on you, that we will both be here and amp each other up or celebrate each other’s accomplishments. 2) Attentive. Listening to everything you have to say and you listening to what I have to say. 3) Learning and growing together. Someone who over time wants to grow with me, not against me or before me or worrying about my life or what my next move is. Let me grow and let yourself grow and we will grow beautifully together. 4) Loyalty. Betrayal sucks. 5) This sounds really dumb but common interests are super important. I hope the next person I date likes the same stuff I do. That’s always worked out for me. 

59. What do you look like? (Post a picture!)

60. What is the biggest age difference between you and any of your partners? I think two years. In my last relationship we were about 16 months apart in age. So I guess not quite two. But usually it’s two years older or two years younger.

61. What is the first thing you notice in someone? Eyes and hair.

62. What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you? Sexiest? I’m answering these out of order but see the foreplay question.

63. What is your definition of “having sex”? Doing something that is intimate for you, the other person, or both of you together. It can be defined in so many ways.

64. What is your definition of cheating? It isn’t just physical, cheating can be emotional and I think a lot of people let that slide. If you’re engaging with another person in a romantic or sexual sense emotionally or physically, that is cheating.

65. What is your favourite foreplay routine? Haha okay neck kissing. Neck kissing makes me weak. Certain places make me weak. Stomach, thighs, neck - yep. And for me on the other end, I like touching arms and shoulders and hands. 

66. What is your favourite roleplay? I have never done that. Never did that with another person in that way. Surprisingly. 

67. What is your idea of the perfect date? If you like the person enough literally any scenario will be a perfect date. 

68. What is your sexual orientation? My sexuality is lesbian and demisexual. And explained (for me) that means I’m gay and I won’t do anything intimate until I know the person’s soul and love them. (attraction develops with emotional bond for me)

69. What turns you off? Dirt under fingernails, overconfidence, instability toward others, impatience, mostly traits. 

70. What turns you on? Trust, loyalty, kindness, tattoos, sensitivity to feelings. 

71. What was your kinkiest wet dream? No kinky wet dreams here.

72. What words do you like to hear during sex? “I love you” preferably lol always need that #reassurance

73. What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you? I’m extremely easy to impress. Like a playlist is the best way.

74. What’s the most superficial characteristic you look for? None.

75. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you? Played me songs that reminded them of me or performed songs for me in the car that they meant for me. That used to be a favorite of mine.

76. What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone? I used to write my ex notes and stick them to their fridge or in their bag to read when I left.

77. What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships? When the younger person is older it feels more idk acceptable to me. Like a teenager and an adult, that’s not a consensual adult relationship I don’t approve of, of course. But I love older women (all women tbh) and could see it happening once I’m a bit older.

78. What’s your dirtiest secret? It’s not really a secret but I love watching people smoke because it’s the hottest thing ever, even though I know it’s terrible.

79. When was the last time you felt jealous? Why? Some family members harassed me on Christmas Eve and it made me jealous that they always seem to get away with questionable behavior. (More agitated than jealous)

80. When was the last time you told someone you loved them? My friend on her birthday.

81. Who are five people you find attractive? Sarah Paulson, Hannah Hart, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Stewart, and Courteney Cox.

82. Who is the last person you hugged? I have no idea.

83. Who was your first kiss with? My first boyfriend.

84. Why did your last relationship fail? The person I dated stopped loving me.

85. Would you ever date someone off of the Internet? Yes

[nightsspentthinking]

Lucky Day - Z.H.

A/N: I feel like everyone was swerving (or at least thinking about it) into Zach’s lane after the music video dropped soooo I wrote some Zach fluff. I think we need it. Also, I’m thinking about taking requests but idk if I should do it lol.

It was just a normal day at the Why Don’t We house. The boys finally had a free day after travelling back and forth and filming the music video for their newest song. Although you had been on set with them while they were shooting, you still hadn’t seen the final cut. So when Daniel announced that the editor finished, you rushed downstairs to watch it, excited to see how it had turned out.

You had met the boys back in December while walking through the streets of Los Angeles. You had lived there your whole life yet you never got bored of the city. You were too lost in your thoughts to watch where you were going. Only when you heard a scream followed by some mumbling did you look up. Cursing yourself for being so clumsy, you looked up, your eyes widening and cheeks turning red. You had managed to spill the coffee you were carrying on a guys’ shirt and judging from his expression he wasn’t all too happy about it. Next to him stood four older boys and you could tell they were trying their hardest not to laugh. You zoned out once again, staring at the group. How can they be so cute?

“You just spilled your coffee on my shirt. On my white shirt might I add. And now you’re just standing there gawking at me stupidly.”

That seemed to shake you out of your trance. With an eye roll you turned your heads towards the boy again and said “Who are you calling stupid? You ran into me, it’s not my fault you weren’t looking where you were going.”

You felt bad for being mean, you knew he wasn’t the one to blame but the tone of his voice just put you on edge. And you certainly wouldn’t let him get away with calling you stupid. Who did he think he was? His friends couldn’t hold it in any longer and started laughing hysterically. A small giggle escaped your mouth as well. That just seemed to anger the boy in front of you more, resulting in him glaring at you. If looks could kill, you would have been 20 feet under the ground by now. What’s his problem anyways? It’s not like I killed his puppy or anything.

“You need to calm down, dude. It’s just a coffee stain.” the blonde one said.

The guy with the curls looked at you. “What’s your name?” How does he get his hair so curly? It can’t be natural, right?

“I’m (Y/N). Are those curls real?”

The guys all laughed at your bluntness, well expect the grumpy head who was still shooting daggers your way. Good thing he’s cute.

“I can tell we’re gonna be good friends.”

You never would have guessed that your clumsiness could work out in your favour but here you were 8 months later. You’ve been there through it all and you couldn’t be more proud to call these boys your best friends. You hung out with them every day and they even brought you on tour with them. You’re incredibly close to all of them. Except Zach. He still didn’t like you but you couldn’t blame him. You two really didn’t have the best start after all. Still, that didn’t stop you from having a crush on him. Stupid, right? But you couldn’t control your feelings.

You were sitting in the kitchen reading when all the boys walked in with a laptop, ready to show you the video. To say you were excited would be an understatement. You were crapping your pants. The huge smile didn’t leave your face for one second and when it ended you couldn’t help but let out a small squeal, jumping around like a little kid on Christmas.

“It’s amazing! The editor did such a great job and you guys just look fabulous. The fans are gonna love it! Seriously, you all look so happy and don’t even get me started on the outfits. And Corbyn, oh my god, the glasses, ughh I-“

“Would you stop being so damn cute?” Zach cut off your rambling and you froze. Did he just call you cute? No, you probably heard wrong. You turned to him trying to form a sentence that would make sense and not sound like you just lost a few brain cells.

The other guys looked at each other, deciding to leave you and Zach alone to talk about whatever happened only a few seconds prior. You just kept looking at Zach, your heart beating like crazy. Don’t get your hopes up (Y/N), don’t let him see the effect he has on you. You could tell he was growing uncomfortable so you tried to say something but the only thing that came out was a very intelligent “What?” Real smooth, (Y/N), great job.

Your blushing cheeks and discomfort made Zach smile a bit. He also didn’t miss the hopeful look in your eyes when you turned around. That gave him the confidence he needed and after taking a deep breath he said “Stop being so cute, it’s driving me crazy. It makes me wanna do things that I shouldn’t do.” He took a step towards you and looked you in the eyes.

“Like what?” you whispered shakily, not trusting your voice.

“Like this.” And with that he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into him and closing the gap between you. The kiss was short and sweet but it still made you feel all warm, sending your heart into overdrive.

With your eyes still closed you felt Zach leaning his forehead against yours. “I really like you and I hope you like me too. If you don’t, well, then I just made this whole situation between us even more awkward then it already was.”

Chuckling lightly, you opened your eyes. “I guess it’s your lucky day then.”

He smiled the most beautiful smile you had ever seen and wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tightly and shouting at the boys that yes, you liked him back.

[miragessplit-archive-blog]

5, 8, 16 Riku, 50, 58, 59, 85 and 99

hey babe

5. What do you think is going to happen to Lea and Isa?

To be honest, I have absolutely no idea. I mean, I know that Lea is going to wind up being a keyblade wielder -- that much is obvious from the ending of DDD -- but what will happen with Isa? Idk. I feel that he’s going to be brought back, for sure, and there’s going to be some tension there; potentially, they may explore how the two of them even got into Org XIII in the first place, since there’s a little bit of leeway in that department that they hadn’t explored yet. But overall, Lea and Isa are two characters I haven’t thought too much about, so where they go is [loud shrugs]

Of course, we all know Saix’s churned ex behavior might carry into his Somebody lbr

8. Who is your least favorite character?

This one is tied between Kairi and Xion. You’ve already gone into Xion in your own post so I’m not going to bother reiterate it, but Kairi suffers much of the same problems Xion does -- she doesn’t have a big presence in the plot and often times she seems like an afterthought that just derails what’s currently going on (I found references to her in KH2 jarring, and I found that her kidnapping in KH2 seemed to serve no purpose other than to further SoKai hints, and tbh I hate characters being utilized simply for a ship in canon setting). I’m not saying I hate Kairi, but I feel like she is underutilized and what they’re doing to her doesn’t meet the potential the character actually has.

Which is why I’ve been debating RPing her myself. I’ve had a lot of ideas recently ranging from her not using a keyblade herself to her origins as a princess of light and her ties to Radiant Garden. These are more interesting lines to pursue as opposed to The Girl who’s In Between Sora and Riku as the canon wants to make her to be, or The Girl that the both of them Must Protect. Not that I’m against them protecting her, far from it, and I don’t want her to be this super capable badass woman because we already have that in Aqua and we don’t need an Aqua-clone, but I would like for her to have her own niche and story that doesn’t revolve around the boys.

16. What kind of music does Riku listen to?

So funny story, I was reading a fanfic today that was an AU that had some SoRiku in it, and it had Riku as reaaaally hipster. Which is hilarious to me. Thinking of Riku knowing obscure bands is hilarious. “You haven’t heard of it,” Riku says, while wearing hipster glasses.

In all seriousness, I honestly think Riku would be a fan of soft rock and techno, if we’re going into genres specifically. I don’t like naming bands in particular because that seems kind of hokey in a fictional world, so we’ll just stick to whatever seems a little less popular within the Kingdom Hearts universe as well as music that tends to be slower paced. Everyone would imagine Riku being into hardcore rock and metal, but louder songs tend to overwhelm him and he likes his musical score to be more soothing.

50. What annoys you most?

If you mean about Kingdom Hearts, probably how oversaturated the plot is with vague terms that honestly mean absolutely nothing, and the stuff I already stated about Kairi, how her character development is turning into how competent she is next to the boys which is done to death. The oversaturation in particular annoys me because some fans will defend the series and say that it’s not confusing at all when you play it, which... Yes it is. I’ve been watching videos over and over again and there are still some plot points that make no sense to me, and I doubt they ever will. Plus, Hana herself mentioned some plot points that have been contradicted by later titles. Sometimes this is fine and I don’t mind it, while some other times it completely deconstructs certain better points. And honestly, I can understand others’ ire with things that don’t bother me.

I just feel the series would not have been so polarizing in the first place if it’d established clear rules right from the getgo instead of attempting to build off of existing ones and over-explain everything. It keeps adding and adding to the back story which dilutes it and takes away from its mystique, rather than introducing newer conflicts from bigger baddies.

If you mean about the fandom, the ship wars. But that annoys me in every fandom, lol.

58. Is SoKai canon?

As much as I think it’s underdeveloped, that it isn’t utilized properly, and that it’s really forced in KH2... I will concede it’s obvious that SoKai was the intention of Square Enix, and probably still is. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind this if SoKai was written well from the get-go; but tbh, I just really don’t believe in their dynamic that much. Others will disagree, obviously, but I don’t think Sora and Kairi have that strong of a connection outside of “mysterious girl who washed up on the island and suddenly we have to fight her”, and the lack of anything other than exposition about how they were friends for a while substantiates that. Should they reintroduce the ship more in KH3, I’m hoping we get to see their actual dynamic outside of It’s The Girl I Like. There was a little bit of it in KH1, but it disappeared in KH2 and in DDD she was absent altogether.

I’m highly doubtful they will ever engage SoRiku more than perhaps a nod at their audience, because I don’t think they were ever intending to make them look as...honestly gay as they look. I’ve joked that there’s no way that Riku doesn’t have a crush on Sora, but I’m sure that the people writing the games honestly didn’t think they sounded that much to them (which idk how tf they didn’t, but...).

As for SoRiKai, polyamorous relationships are rarely in media so that won’t happen lol

59. Did you like Riku with longer hair or shorter hair?

I like him with both! I think the shorter haircut looks really cute, but the longer haircut also suits him. The only cut I don’t really like is his first cut, but I think it’s because the way his face is drawn doesn’t really fit it that well. I like it in KH2 and DDD, basically.

But then again I like KH2 and DDD in general so lol maybe it’s bias there.

85. How do you feel about DDD Sora?

His design? Eh, not feeling it. I prefer his KH2 outfit to his DDD outfit. The sigil is a neat touch, though, in the fact that it’s plot relevant, since I don’t think outside of KH2 they really did anything that made his outfit relevant to anything other than looking Edgy. I still think it clashes a bit too heavily and the KH2 outfit was much better looking, and I kind of wish he’d go back to it. But hey, gotta introduce a new character design every game; maybe KH3′s will grow on me.

His character arc? I’m cool with it. I mean, it’s obvious that they introduced it so that Sora will have to gain his abilities back in KH3 because he’ll be too OP otherwise, but I think of all the possible explanations they could’ve come up with that reset, I appreciate that Square Enix attempted to give it some legitimate origin. Most of the time with games they don’t even bother and you question why the character doesn’t already have the gadgets and gizmos and the physical strength they had in their last appearance, so for Square Enix to attempt to tackle it is a refreshing touch, to say the least. (Not that I object to that typical trend, honestly it doesn’t bother me. /rambles)

For overall character, I think people saying he’s more stupid in DDD weren’t paying much attention to him in KH2. Sora’s always been stupid. That’s kind of his character archetype, the underdog who’s outgoing and ends up being a little... Thick and oblivious. And that’s okay? It’s really not bad to have a genuinely stupid character for a protagonist.

Except when you realize things earlier than that character, which doesn’t happen in Kingdom Hearts anyway because the plot is so vague lol

99. Favorite track on the OST?

Cavern of Remembrance has shot up far into my favorites. You ever hear a track and think to yourself “damn, I wanna learn how to play that and put it on my music players right now”? That’s what that track was for me. I first discovered it when Hana was playing KH2 for me and she wound up going into that cavern by accident, and I’ve been enamored with it ever since. Normally soothing tracks aren’t my thing, but the mystique of that one has captured my heart. Be still it, ahhh

I like the vocal numbers, Sanctuary and Simple & Clean, as well, and all their variants. Honestly, Kingdom Hearts’s purely instrumental tracks come from one of my favorite artists for video game OSTs. I was introduced to her work from a different franchise entirely, actually: the Mario & Luigi RPG series. She has tons of tracks there that you can listen to if you like Kingdom Hearts’s OST. It has a similar feel to it, after all.

To get you started, here are a few of my favorites from the Mario & Luigi RPG series:

Final Battle from Partners in Time

In the Final from Bowser’s Inside Story

Never Let Up! from Dream Team

Come On! from Superstar Saga

Final Stage from Superstar Saga

Behind Yoshi Village from Partners in Time

DESTROY! from Partners in Time

Danger! from Bowser’s Inside Story

Dreamy Somnom Labyrinth from Dream Team