#or song lyric title that's just i'll follow you into the dark

[tennessoui]

au where obi-wan gets prophetic dreams of anakin’s fall but they’re the kenobi show montage dreams where nothing useful can be gleaned about how to stop it; so obi-wan decides he just needs to leave the order. anakin is only 12, he can be trained by another master. obi-wan didn’t even have a master when he was 12. anakin will be fine. stars, he’ll probably be better.

of course he’s not and of course obi-wan abandoning him pushes him closer to palpatine and he falls much sooner, becoming a baby sith that palpatine mostly farms out to dooku for training because anakin at 16, 17, 18 is a lot

and when he falls, the jedi order is like hm. we’re gonna tell kenobi about this. cause now skywalker is a sith with a sith master, and a grudge the size of coruscant against the guy who left him, so. let’s just give him a heads up to maybe consider going into hiding

but of COURSE when obi-wan hears his precious padawan STILL FELL he goes right to count dooku and asks to be his apprentice, he’d make such a good apprentice, dooku always liked him when he was qui-gon’s padawan, remember? now he could be his apprentice

dooku knows that with skywalker, 19 and well-trained now in the picture, his usefulness to sidious is running out, so he doesn’t have a lot of reasons to say no to kenobi. and kenobi is right. he did always like him when he was qui-gon’s apprentice, so sure he’ll give him a sith name (solence) and a red lightsaber (sick)

but basically this leads to very awkward sith family dinners where darth vader--is trying to kill darth solence with his eyes and sometimes the nearest oyster fork, darth solence is throwing sad kicked puppy expressions across the table at darth vader and sighing into his dessert pudding all the while debating with darth tyranus about how good the dark side could really be, i mean, if one were to really think about it, especially in comparison to the life we all led at the Temple, remember anakin? you loved life at the Temple.

darth sidious stopped accepting the invites five dinners ago.

[crow-raven-crow]

would you write something with the song “take me to church* from hozier, between reader and larissa?🤍

𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞

𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭 - [𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐰 𝟏𝟖+]

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

Larissa Weems x Outcast f!reader words: ~2.3k 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬/𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: LYRIC FIC, angst, fluff, nsfw: dom!Larissa, sub!Reader, marking, scratching, reader receiving, homophobia, description of anxiety, injury, blood, parental abuse, good ending (depending how you look at it)

summer: see above

masterlist

AO3 link in title ✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

𝐚/𝐧: I HAVE BEEN BEGGING FOR THE FREE TIME TO WRITE THIS ONEEEEEE!! Hozier is definately someone that I want to get into more and this has given me that opportunity hehe. If you follow me on other socials, you'll know that I'm actually seeing him in concert in november with dog and bug - im so fucking excited. Lyrics are jumbled but in order of the song. Enjoy x

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ��･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

Larissa pressed you against the soft cushions of your living room couch, her body fitting perfectly with yours as she rested between your thighs. A cold chill ran against your skin as soft, gentle hands explored the canvas you pushed forward, tracing over every dip, every scratch, every smooth expanse that your body had to offer. Her hand wrapped around you, your back arching as she pulled you up and consumed you with her touch.

If the Heavens ever did speak..

Her lips trailed down your jawline, starved kisses making their claim against the beautiful skin that housed your sinful soul. A whimper left your throat as her tongue met your pulse point, flattening and licking a long stripe up to your ear. Her voice was low as she spoke, a deep rumble in her chest projecting itself into desire dripping with lust. "Don't hide those delicious sounds from me, my darling.."

She's the last true mouthpiece..

Her hands traveled down your sides, tracing her fingertips down to your thighs as goosebumps were left in their wake. Her lips made their way down, down, down, her hot breath igniting a wave of electricity to shoot down to your core. Her tongue swiped over your right bud, swirling around the sensitive skin before capturing it in her mouth. An unadulterated moan left your lips as she sucked, your back arching into her ministrations as one of her hands toyed with the other.

The only Heaven I'll be sent to..

She gave the other bud the same amount of attention, pulling back after and admiring just how delectable you looked underneath her. A deep blush covered your features as your chest heaved, your eyes were dark and full of lust, full of want, full of the need to have her take all of you. She traced her fingers lightly along all the marks that were littered against your skin, appreciating them as though they were the most beautiful pieces of art that she'd ever made.

Is when I'm alone with you..

"Please.." The word left your lips weakly, merely above a whisper and contrasting the fire that burned within your lungs. It spurred her on, causing a sinister smirk to rise on her lips as she lowered her head between your thighs, facing where you needed her the most. Her lips ghosted along your inner thighs, your heart jumping to your throat as the need for her grew by the second. She placed kisses against your core, letting out a hum as the juices that managed to spill out made a presence against her lips. Her tongue ran through your folds, your nails sweetly digging into her shoulders as her tongue met your bundle of nerves.

Command me to be well..

The sounds she was capable of forcing out of your throat were sinful, and it was then that you realized how lucky you were to worship a goddess as unholy as her. Your back arched as she sucked your clit, the sensation coursing through your body and tearing a broken moan from your lungs. Her fingers teased your entrance, collecting your juices like a nectar before easily slipping into your core.

I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies..

Your eyes fluttered shut as ecstasy took hold of your being, taking you in its corrupted grip as you begged to see stars. Her nails dug into your thigh, eliciting a hiss from you as the succulent pain kept you in the moment, kept you in the pleasure, kept you with her. A warmth slowly consumed your being, spreading to all ends of your soul and building you up with each curl of her fingers.

Her speed quickened as you got lost in the pleasure she provided you, the sight before her becoming an addiction she would dive into time and time again. Your body looked intoxicating under her touch as her limbs fit perfectly with yours. She continued a ruthless pace, pulling her name out from you in moans and whimpers and she built you to the wonderful edge. Your peak quickly approached, the pleasure slamming into you as your mind got lost in it, the entirety of reality fading away. Your body shook as you came, your mere existence being overcasted by the pure bliss that rippled through you.

I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife..

A loud knock at the front door stole you from the hold of ecstasy, another set of knocks following and making you sober up. You both rushed to gather your clothes, picking everything up and becoming presentable before peeking through the blinds to see who still stood behind it, not knowing who would come up as you took the two of your to visit your hometown. All had gone well so far, though.. you were just forced to face the inevitable, the sight causing your heart dropping to your feet and your blood slow in your veins.

Offer me that deathless death..

Your parents stood behind the door, the tension building itself and closing up your throat at the thought that the only thing keeping you separated was a piece of wood. Your relationship with them wasn't the best and you were hoping that they wouldn't catch wind of you being there, let alone catch you with your lover. You turned to Larissa as panic rushed through your veins.

"You-" You cupped her face in your hands, gently rubbing your thumbs across her cheeks. Tears threatened to fall from your eyes as every horrible thing they used to do to you came flooding back. They would never accept you, and if they saw this? You were sure you wouldn't see the light of day again. "You need to go.. please.."

Good God, let me give you my life..

A wave of confusion consumed her, the worry in your features stilling her blood as she realized exactly what you meant. "I- No. I can't leave you with them-"

"They'll kill you-"

"They'll kill you!"

A silence filled the room, and you hoped for everything wrong to fade from existence as you looked into her eyes. They were so full of concern, so scared for what would happen, so scared to leave you. "Meet me at the spot by the river.. I promise, Larissa.. I'll be there. Please.."

The moment in which she realized she didn't have a choice settled in her bones and made her soul feel heavy. Another set of knocks echoed off the walls of your found sanctuary, pushing reality, pushing dread, pushing hate to the forefront of your minds. You led her to the backdoor, urging her to get there safely as she slowly disappeared from your view.

My lover's the sunlight..

You'd do anything to protect her, especially from the entities that stood just a few feet away. Your hand grasped the doorknob, everything stilling as you turned and opened the door. "Oh! Hi.. Sorry, I was-"

They pushed themselves in, forcing their existence in your temporary home, sucking the safety out of it as they walked deeper into the house. Your father spoke, his voice never straying far from demanding."Why didn't you tell us you were here?"

She demands a sacrifice..

They settled around the kitchen island, your mom placing her bag down as your dad leaned against the countertop, both facing you and demanding explanations in the end.

"I'm here for work-"

"Bullshit," your mom spat out, venom lacing her voice. "No one would come to a small town like this just for work."

"You'd actually be surprised.." You trailed off as you rested against the opposite counter, never making the mistake of not facing them while speaking again. You had done so once, and the aftermath was nothing less than swollen. "There's a lot you can do with the outcast-"

"You're still on about that? When are you gonna move on from them?"

"Maybe the day I become a normie.."

Your head was harshly turned to the side as a solid smack made way against your cheek, the familiar feeling of your fathers ring slicing up the skin and allowing a burn to settle there. You rose a hand to your cheek, touching lightly before wincing, a warm feeling soaking into your fingerprints. You didn't even need to look to know what had happened.

Something meaty for the main course..

"You are not different, y/n! Do you hear me?" Your fathers voice boomed through the kitchen, successfully stealing the breath from your lungs as your eyes shut in fear. Your hands trembled and you gripped the edge of the counter behind you to ground yourself, before looking into his eyes for what felt like the first time in your life.

"I'm done being erased by you.." Your voice was weak, lost somewhere in your throat but was pushed out by the feeling of finally being able to be yourself, the feeling of finally being able to live with Larissa, to truly live with her. "You've taken too much from me, and I want it back."

Confidence brought your posture up, your soul projecting itself to stand your ground. Laughs were reflected back at you, forcing anger through your veins as each one escaped their throat. Your stance wavered, and your mother took the opportunity to grip you by the collar of your shit, bringing you the closest to her that you've been in years.

She took you in, took in the fire that burned behind your eyes, took in the dread that coursed through your veins, took in the way that you didn't back down this time.. Her eyes scanned along your features, landing at the base of your neck that was now exposed to her. "You're here with a woman!"

That looks tasty..

Another hard smack landed on your face, making pain radiate against your cheekbone. You took in a breath, shaking it in your throat before it settled in your lungs. Your eyes were trained down to her feet, and you knew there was nothing you could say.. She'd seen the marks..

That looks plenty..

"I didn't want-" You were cut off by another one, this time being shoved against the counter behind you and forced to look into her eyes. Your head throbbed as the room spun every so slightly.

"You have no right to speak.. You have no right to be part of this family." She paused, allowing her words to situate themselves in your ears.

This is hungry work..

"I never was-" The last one to every grace you was planted against your skin. Your soul screamed with the knowledge, but your body wildly contrasted the feeling as tears streamed down your face, the salt burning the open wound before you shot your gaze up to your mother.

"Leave."

Take me to church..

You walked forward, pressing her against the other counter before clawing her hands off you. The action shocked them both, and it was then that your parents realized that they no longer had you under their control - you worshipped one goddess, and it was your goal to get back to her.

"Y/n.. wait.. we only-"

"Leave! You said it yourself. I'm not part of this family, and I'm enacting that statement now. Get out of my house."

You forced them out the door, grabbing them by the arms and shoving them out, causing them to trip over their own feet as the door slammed behind them - the image of who they were in your life quickly slipping away as a fresh breath filled your lungs.

You ran through the house, from the front door to the back one and jumped past the steps. You needed to get back to her.

Only then I am human..

Your feet met the hard ground beneath you, rocks and leaves getting blown away with the urgency found within your steps. The cool air filled your lungs, a burning feeling making way to your throat with every breath. You stopped at the top of the hill, taking in the sight in front of you as you took a moment to catch your breath.

Only then I am clean..

The sun was setting, casting the valley in a golden glow, your lover stood at the edge of the river, the rushing water filling your ears as you watched her run her hands through the clear liquid, her hair glowed along with the light, and her features ran soft even though there was a filter of worry that overcasted them.

You made your way over to her, the shuffling of your body causing her to shoot her gaze in your direction. A bright smile met her lips as she stood up and rushed over to you, soon being overshadowed in the worry that quickly consumed her.

Amen, Amen, Amen

She cupped your face gently, taking in the intensity of your wound as you watched her eyes scan over every aspect of your face. "How-"

"They're not going to bother us anymore.." You sunk into her touch, pressing the uninjured side your face against her palm as you closed your eyes, your hands shooting up to hold hers as your thumbs rubbed against her knuckles.

You were quickly consumed into a soul crushing hug, the air knocking out of your lungs as a small yelp left your lips. You quickly started laughing as you squeezed her back, the love your felt for each other radiating off your skin. She turned her head, resting it on your shoulder before speaking. "Let's go back.. Let me take care of you, love."

A smile rose to your lips as your turned your head just as she did moments before. You already felt the safety echo through your chest, bouncing across your ribcage and settling into your heart. A light chuckle left you as your locked eyes with hers. "Yeah.. Let's go.."

Good God, let me give you my life..

~~

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

𝐚/𝐧: THIS WAS SO FUCKING FUN TO WRITE HELLO?

it does get a bit heavy in the middle but after rewatching the music video I needed to display some of the emotions from that and was inspired and ended up with this hehe.

thank you for this ask ! im sorry I havent been posting as much but again im a wokring college student so I know yall will understand. I absolutely love it in this community and always love when I get to write for you all :)

hope you liked it !

x

~ 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐯𝐲𝐧

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: (tagged anyone who asked/wanted to be on the "all works" taglist)

@eveymay @weemssapphic @readingtheentrails @finnja555 @barbarasstar @s-c-rambledegggs @vendocrap8008 @gwendolinechristieiscute @lvinhs @lilfartbox1 @agathaandgwenslesbian

✧･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧ :══════⊹⊹══════: ✧･ﾟ｡˚☾.･✧

[aster-petrichor]

Breaking down Ballad of the Witches' Road (aka me rambling)

I'm going to be screenshotting these from a reddit post because N8CCRG has very helpfully put both versions side by side, which is lovely. Lornas version is to the right and the sacred chant to the left.

Alr so I'll talk about Lorna first because when you see the changes she made, it becomes so clear that she's talking about the curse and how she's learned to make it fair for her daugher and her love encompassing all the elements (also forging w the fire conotations).

I do wonder who is each element and what the 5th is? Earth would be Rio I guess, water as Jennifer and Fire as Alice? Which leaves Air out. I'll circle back to Air later.

So for me 'darkest hour, wake they power' allues that something is going to have to get bad before it gets good again which is kind of what the trials are doing. It's putting each of them one by one into dark moments and forcing them to realise the power they already had (aka waking their powers and not like 'giving' them powers) and they have to do it together becasue of 'coven true'. They have already 'burned and brewed' as far as I can see. I'm not sure what to make of the phrase 'earthly and divine'.

I do however love the change to 'I cannot divine'. Because she's talking about daring to risk her life and her heart to save her daughter.

Oh - what if 'earthly and divine' still means divine in the seeing sense therfore saying directly that the darkest hour will wake Rio and Lilia's powers specifically?

I guess the chorus change between the two is mostly because Lorna's version isn't to reach the road but to tempt people with 'glory' maybe and have them continue singing the song and playing it? I do like the image 'circle sewn with fate' draws - implying a certain sense of inevitablity.

Wooded shirne feels like a very ominous thing to call a forest (I'm assuming forest here) and them being underneath the branches when many others have died? Or could the reference to a shire actually have somthing to do with the origins of the road itself?

Marching is quite agressive - they went from seeking the path to marching it. I feel like Death speaks of Rio (capital D death) who is walking hand in hand with them.

I love the sense of community that Lorna is building in her song, because dancing is such a happy social thing and the contrast from the original verse makes her version much warmer.

Ok I have so much to say about the sacred chant on this one. Let's start backwards with spirit. And let me bring back that conversation about Lilia and Agnes and who could be air between them and who claims spirit if for the sake of this argument we take it as the fourth element.

Its tempting to say that Agatha is literally guiding them through the road so she should have the title, but I don't think that follows. I feel like Lilia is both the oldest witch and is therfore guiding by example and experience but also I think she may literally be possesed by a spirit. Which leaves agatha with Air.

Does that make Teen the familiar? Didn't Agatha have a rabbit and what happened to it? Or is familiar just meant to be like familiar faces or sights or something. And is 'one be gone' then about Hart (which makes sense but I feel like she isn't read which would ruin that line atm)?

Also for Lorna's version here I feel like the lyrics are directly aimed at Alice at this point and she knew that Alice would have to 'face trials' and have to 'tame her fears' in order to fully stop the curse.

Together and alone being her and her daugher and based off a different post I read - maiden mother crone being alice, agatha, lilia in that order.

obvi this is just lorna telling alice things rn.

as the song reaches its end both versions get more hopeful almost? Wrong becomes right and bad becomes good. And Lorna ends hers with sublime. Ther is more of a sense of urgency in Lorna's with the 'winding out of time' like one of those little wind up wimers and the chasing at the end.

again the capital D death is interesting. She does risk her life to cast away the curse and Death was a part of it. We're broken and we're burned feels so poinant because the women of her family have been suffereing for generations with the burn marks on their shoulders but also the persecution of witches in general? 'My love cannot be turned' feels like shes ensuring that the spell will contiune on after she dies and never stop protecting Alice.

I suppose after every house 'a door appears' and they never get the option to stay longer.

It's interesting that the glory at the end is how the sacred chant concludes but it's earlier up in Lorna's version. Also 'my friend' implies that the coven is actuall friends now? I find the POV of the song quite creepy. Like is it meant to fit the singers POV or does it shift from witch to witch or is there like some other being looming over it all?

'I'll see you at the end' - of what? Life? The path?

----

Oh well here was my not so expert rambling. Please feel free to yell or talk your opinions/theories at me or poke holes at mine. I guess ep5 may make me wanna redo this once I see it and have new theories.

[knockyasocksoff2022]

Bungou Stray Dogs Osamu Dazai Animatic Idea.

Song: Fireflies

Artist: Owl City

Basically this is an idea dump for an animatic I know I'll never make. If anyone gets inspired from this pls tag me.

So you probably know, how I CANNOT draw to save my life, and have very little experience in animation. Yeah, well I still have ideas for animatics so reluctantly, (but also eager for all the artist on here to see it) I'm going to share this really crusty animatic plan I made for a Dazai animatic with the song fire flies by owl city.

Like I said, I can't draw, so I made this using google slides (my trusty compainion) and horrid clip art so pls exuse it. It's just for general lay out and some notes about motion. Also when making it, I didn't intend to have lyrics displayed on screen, but I did put them for reference.

Because I can't draw but I wanted to make an animatic, I give you this really specifc break down of one instead. I just really thought that the somg fireflies was perfect for Dazai so I made this crappy thing. Here you go!

Don't quetsion the flowers. I just put them there because I found them while searching for other stock images/clipart and though that they were pretty. The title slide is pretty much just for funsies and not part of the mian animatic.

ONE

So the basic idea of this one is the bed is in greater focus. He's laying awake, his arm handing off the side, with a bottle of pills spilt out onto the floor (from a failed Dazai typcial su!c!de attempt) Some fireflies flutter up in the top right corner of the room, maybe by a small high up window. There's a nightsand on the right side. The gardient has nothing to do with colour pallet, I just wanted to make a gradient. Lol

TWO

The door stock image is a little fancy, but I couldn't find a regualr door fpr some reason, idk. Pretty mush he's walking to the door, maybe Dazai's bandaged hand is reaching for the knob.

THREE

This one is arugaubly the most complicated. Yes, I know the detail is going crazy with this clipart (sarcastic). Here's the note I put, since it's too small. (He’s walking outside from inside. Going onto the lawn. Show him walking through the door. Show side of house with window w/ curtains to indicate, maybe wood siding. Def show grass and fireflies hovering outside of door. He’s crying a little bit.)

FOUR

He's standing in the middle of a field surrounded by many fireflies, looking around in awe, still teary.

FIVE

Farily simple. Somehow or another he's in space (hey, it's artistic license) He's standing on top of Earth and Earth is spinning underneath him. Starts blink/twinkle.

SIX

He's lying on his bed looking up at the ceiling. The fireflies have folowed him inside somehow. They give the mostly dark room a soft glow. Maybe he's barley illuminated or just his face has a glow on it. A firefly could land on his nose or the gem of his bolo tie. or maybe he's reading his hand up a bit nd a firefly lands on it.

SEVEN

Fireflies surrounding Dazai and some lading on his shoulders and maybe hair. (The arms on the clipart man are so messed up because the fireflies are on a white not transparent background but it's hard to tell because the slide is also white.)

EIGHT

He’s dancing kind of, no specific moves needed, just enough to give the impression. Maybe twirling, idk. Fireflies follow his movements, drifting up and down and side to side with him. They move a little before he does, appearing to guide him.

NINE

A kitsune jumping over Dazai's bed. I imagined it looking like the full fox form of him in that one Kitsune Mayoi card. (https://images.app.goo.gl/atvjvAELR2ec1eBv9)

TEN

He's laying under his bed staring upwards. Maybe the fireflies are above, maybe they look as if they are trying to find him and guide him back to the light. maybe not. Or maybe one or two are under the bed with him. Idk this scene is weird, I know.

ELEVEN

He's on his tippy toes recahing up towards a disco ball suspended from the ceiling by a noose.

TWLEVE

This scene again

THIRTEEN

This one again

FOURTEEN

Yay a new scene after the repeats! It's the front door again from the inside veiw. It's cracked open and there's light comming from within the house, fireflies fly out of the house and back into the night.

FIFTEEN

This scene to me is about his guilt. He's now sititng up in bed and there's a thought bubble with the logo of the sheep.

SIXTEEN

Ofc it wouldn't be a true Dazai animatic without his bestie! Oda cameo, yay! Here he's standing over Oda's grave, not crying (because he's found the light, represented by the fireflies which surround him like an aura) but looking very sad.

SEVENTEEN

I don't think i need to explain this one very much lol. I couldn't find a way to show this with images so I just wrote it out. Reminescent of this scene (https://www.reddit.com/r/BungouStrayDogs/comments/u57xqv/what_does_this_scene_in_the_opening_symbolize/) But with Dazai and Oda instead of Dazai and Chuuya.

EIGHTEEN

He's getting dreams of the dead apple dragon and vampire chuuya.

NINETEEN

Zooms into his nightsand to show a jar glwoing and full of 7 fireflies

TWENTY

Yup, this one is back again.

TWENTY ONE

And this one

TWENTY TWO

and this one again

TWNTY THREE (last one)

The differne between this one and the others like it are that in this last scene he finnaly falls asleep. Slowly the fireflies fade out.

Thanks you so much for reading this far down the post of just my nonsense. Pls have an amazing day!

[cornbake]

Hanging Tree

Astarion x Dark Urge WARNINGS: Heavy Angst, Blood and Gore, Hurt/Comfort, Dark Urge, mentions of slavery, Astarion backstory. More will be added as I write. Summary: Tav is a Drow Lolth Sworn. They can't remember anything about themselves but when they look in the water by the fallen ship, they see red eyes staring back at them through broken glasses. A/N: Hello!!! First I want to say that this is NOT a song fic, I just think the lyrics fit very well with what I have in mind and will probs use them as the chapter titles. Second! This is following the path I've taken in my dark urge play through except I get to make it the way I want it to be. Third! I will be using the name Tav as a place holder. Tav themselves is gender neutral Drow, Lolth sworn, with glasses. The reasons why will all be answered in the fic but I feel its important to know before going into the fic. Lastly, I am not a writer by trade, so mistakes are bound to be made, I tend not to proof read too much but if I notice something then I'll go back and fix it. CHAPTERS Are you coming to the tree? Wear neckless of rope, side by side with me. Where dead man called out For his love to flee.

[pulsar-the-northstar]

Grief as concept in The Gazette's 'Dark Age' - Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Introduction

Grief, in its essence, encompasses a myriad of natural responses triggered by the loss of someone significant in our lives. However, grief isn't confined solely to the departure of a loved one; it extends to the loss of meaningful connections, dreams, aspirations, and even possessions. Whether it's the end of a friendship, leaving a job or home, parting with a beloved pet, or the destruction of a cherished object, each instance of loss can evoke profound feelings of grief.

The notion of "grief work," originating from Freud's perspective, implies a process of detachment from the deceased. However, this concept may not always align with our personal experiences of grief (or with modern psychology’s approach). Similarly, traditional "stage theories" of grief tend to oversimplify the complex emotional journey by delineating distinct phases. Yet, grief is inherently subjective, and our experiences of it can vary widely, making it more apt to discuss the components rather than stages of grief.

Understanding the components of grief is essential, recognizing that they are descriptive rather than prescriptive. These components may coexist simultaneously, and some may be absent altogether. Grieving is not a linear process, there is no predetermined timeline dictating when one should progress from denial to anger, for example. However, the value of stage theories lies in emphasizing that grief is indeed a journey, and every emotion experienced along the way is valid and indicative of progress towards acceptance.

The album Dogma, released in 2015, stands out as The GazettE's most intense and meaningful work to date. Its powerful visuals, deep musical arrangements, and poignant lyrics evoke strong emotions and touch on a range of topics. After the release of Dogma, the band added two singles, Ugly and Undying, to round out the album's theme. Together, these three works, along with their accompanying Dogmatic tours, are often referred to as the Dark Age. Dark Age consists of several stages (like grief itself), and this dark period ends with the Dogmatic Tour Final, symbolically titled as 漆黒 (shikkoku, "the blackest black").

Just as Shikkoku represents the darkest and most profound phase of Dark Age, the Dogma-triptych represents the pinnacle of The GazettE's exploration into darkness. The songs and overall concept of Dark Age are intricate, yet this complexity allows for personal interpretation and reflection. Dark Age acts as a mirror - a dark mirror indeed - where listeners can continually uncover new layers of meaning. Beyond its surface themes, the songs of Dark Age also delve into the complexities of grief.

In the following sections, I'll take you through the songs of the Dogma album, as well as the singles Ugly and Undying, in the same order they were performed during the Shikkoku live. We'll explore how these songs relate to theories of grief and how they navigate themes of death and loss.

Part 1

The opening track of Dogma, titled NIHIL, derives from the Latin word meaning "nothing." This term symbolizes the initial phase of grief when a sense of emptiness and emotional numbness emerges. Sometimes, we may not fully grasp the gravity of the situation, leading to a feeling of detachment from reality. This aspect of grief, characterized by emotional detachment and shock, is identified by British psychiatrist John Bowlby as the first stage of the grieving process based on attachment theory.

The album's second track and title song is DOGMA, which in both its musicality and lyrics raises a very strong theme. The ominous, mournful sound of the harpsichord reminiscent of Bach is accompanied by heartfelt singing and a deep, slow chant: “I deny everything / I deny all of it", which introduces the concept of denial. “Dogma" is a Greek-origin word and can be translated as "what has been proven right". In today's sense, we use this word for a principle of a religion or ideology that is unquestionable – and what could be more unquestionable from a spiritual point of view than death? Although our minds are aware that death is a final state, we still protest against it.

Denial, along with the shock described in NIHIL, constitutes the initial stage of the "five stages of grief”, a widely recognized theory associated with Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Originally developed for understanding the process of dying, as she was working in hospice care with terminally ill patients, this model may not fully capture the experiences of people who lost a significant person in their lives. Dr. H. Norman Wright later expanded the Kübler-Ross model into a seven-stage framework, refining its phases while preserving its fundamental structure.

DOGMA showcases a wide range of grief components: alongside the theme of denial, it also includes anger towards the stupidity of others, arguing with God, and mentions the funeral as a separating transitional rite (闇を纏い孤高は儀に向かう – "cloaked in darkness, I must face the ceremony alone"). However, the most beautiful expression of the true essence of grief may be found in the last three lines in English: "I will blacken out this world / Darkness in the world / Starts tonight" – because grief almost envelops the mourning person in darkness, marking the beginning of a new era – the Dark Age.

The third song on Dogma, titled RAGE, already alludes to the second stage of the Kübler-Ross model and the third stage of the Wright model: anger. The key question of this phase is "why did this happen to me?" (This question later recurs almost literally in BLEMISH, emphasizing that in the grieving process, the stages may repeat.) Anger during grief can manifest in various ways: towards the fact of death ("We cannot change this fact, it is done"), towards the "dumb" masses (as DOGMA also suggests) who are unable to understand what we are going through; it can be directed towards someone we consider guilty of the loss we suffered, towards the deceased who left us alne, and also - towards ourselves. In RAGE, Ruki uses vulgar expressions to express anger ("shithead", "dickhead", "shitty looser"), while outwardly addressing his words to a single person, who is none other than the "sad old geezer" (God?), who can no longer save us ("Too late / this asshole cannot be saved"), who betrayed us ("How do you use us?") and left us stranded, both as individuals and as a community ("The generation is our last one"). Addressing God is also part of the bargaining according to the Kübler-Ross and Wright modelsas spirituality frequently becomes a factor in grief, involving the higher power capable of granting and ending life.

As we move forward to the next track, DAWN, we encounter a subtle yet significant shift in tone. The very title of the song suggests the promise of emerging from darkness into light, evoking a sense of hope and renewal. However, despite this optimistic connotation, the essence of the composition remains entrenched in the depths of despair and uncertainty.

The song begins with a reminiscence, pulling us back into NIHIL (愛し果てた過去 抉り出し歌う /空白の底に - "I sing, digging up the memories of the beloved past", "An evil spell my life"). However, hope is best symbolized by the imagery of 惑乱の時を越え /あぶくを立てる感情を ("beyond the momentary confusion / emotions come to surface"), since grief requires the full spectrum of emotions for its expression.

DEPRAVITY again evokes the state of hopelessness after DAWN (どこまでも深く闇は俺を離さない - "darkness completely engulfs me and won't let go", 眠れぬ夜と生きた – "I lived through sleepless nights"), and also states that the emotions that surfaced no longer support the grief process (涙も枯れてしまった – "my tears have dried up"). However, the setback is only apparent: modern grief theories no longer think in such linear processes, but rather in a system where the griever oscillates between emotions. A "normal" grief (i.e., not "complicated" grief) follows a natural pendulum movement: sometimes focusing on experiencing the loss, sometimes shifting focus to the intention of restoration, and back. This theory of grief processing is called the associated with Margaret Stroebe and Henk Schut, and could be illustrated with the following diagram:

DEPRAVITY introduces the theme of seeking meaning with its interrogation of God (執念の塊がぶちまけた暴力を / 罪と呼ばず神と讃えれるか？- "how can you praise a god who unleashes violence without calling it sin?"), questioning what kind of god allows suffering and the death of the people created in his image. In grief and loss, seeking meaning is a natural human reaction: we create mental models of the world in which fundamental truths (DOGMA) operate ("This cannot happen to me"), and when unexpected loss occurs, it shatters our previous worldview. In the process of rebuilding, it's not just the lost person that needs to be mourned, but also the trust in life itself – because if this horror can happen, which shouldn't have happened, then basically anything can happen. This distrust, or uncertainty, is what brings the need for seeking (and finding) meaning (Dr. Robert Neimeyer's meaning reconstruction theory): it necessitates the creation of new narratives, bridging the gap between past and future, transcending the experience of loss.

DEPRAVITY brings up realizations from the depths (真実の裏はいつだってそうさ – "there's always something behind the truth"), which we were not aware of before experiencing loss: how important the lost person was to us (繋いだ心が/ 通わせ合った願いが – "connected hearts / and shared hopes"), and with them, not only did we lose the other half, but also the future we had dreamed of, where the deceased had a place, and where the void formed (望まぬ終わりに何を失う？ - "what is lost with the unexpected end?").

PARALYSIS continues along the same train of thought, but much more prominently. Ruki stated about this song that it draws from a personal experience, a specific story, and is about his own weakness, vulnerability. Personally, I find it beautiful how Ruki integrates English idioms into Japanese lyrics because it gives a sense as if he's singing words highlighted in bold and italics: everything has emphasis, and it points back to the fact that despite seeking truth, secrets remain forever hidden from us ("Lies are stacking up", "Past... Buried... Forever"). Although the title of the song means "numbness," it rather refers to a numbness of action than emotional numbness, as emotions – especially pain – come back with renewed vigor (本能のまま絡まり出した感情が / わからないくらい痛い, "these instinctively tangled emotions / hurt more than I thought"), and cannot be suppressed (寂寞に埋まる 私の生命 / 吐き出せば また孤独に還ってしま, "my life is buried in loneliness / no matter how hard I try to vomit it out, loneliness always returns"). It's significant that he wants to vomit out loneliness (吐き出す, hakidasu – "to spit out, to vomit"), as continuous nausea, seemingly independent of any bodily cause, often appears among the physical symptoms of grief. (Other commonly occurring physical symptoms include: insomnia or hypersomnia, increased appetite or loss of appetite, headaches or other bodily pains.)

BIZARRE provides a momentary glimpse into the grief process, considering that here Ruki wrote the lyrics about a specific phenomenon, juvenile crime, yet this song also contains numerous references to violence and death, as if suggesting: hell itself is the terrible place we live in, where innocent people die.

Continue to part 2

[myloveforhergoeson]

taking icy’s lead and sending you the playlist thing for rames!

hi hi hi!! so excited to do this~ i was obsessed with your jelisa post and your answers hehe. normally i try to keep my playlists centered around the time the story takes place but if i'm allowed to pick, my taste is a bit more modern-ish lol! i do my best to put the chapter titles as little soundtracks to go along with the story, but that doesn't always work out. most of the time they're just reflecting the chapter content with the title, not the lyrics

opening credits: l.a. baby (where dreams are made of) by the jonas brothers!

perhaps i'm cheating by picking a song that's already an opening credits song, but i think if their life was a TV show/movie this would be so perfect for them!

meeting for the first time: tracks of my tears by smokey robinson and the miracles

not because i think it reflects their situation but because i think roxy remembers this as the song she first heard him sing. their meeting isn't really anything miraculous + not love at first sight, but i think if they were a movie it would be cute if this was playing in the background when they first meet :)

hey, i kinda like you: crush by david archuleta

super super rames; playing on the radio when roxy decides to ask james out as like a little peek into what's running through her mind

i’m going to kiss you now: dig what you dug by wallows

:) love this song its sooo so so rames, but especially right after they kiss for the first time and james tells roxy he loves the way she says his name. that scene was inspired by this song in the first place!!

falling in love: jump than fall by taylor swift

self self-explanatory and chapter title stealing again...

your place or mine: last man in the world by the band camino

:)

naked in bed: hands down by dashboard confessional

my one mistake is using this to title a dak centered chapter... but it is also so very rames

first fight: that's what you get by paramore

cheating again and stealing chapter titles... but i mean come on! that's basically what happens lol

maybe we should take a break: my happy ending by avril lavigne

speaks for itself i think... especially because rox is pretty far gone for him at this point...

i want you back: iris by the goo goo dolls

I KNOW I KNOW but just imagine it's raining and james and roxy are in the street and they're apologizing to each other after their break because they realized it was such a bad idea and that they're better together and they love each other too much to see the other hurt and the instrumental part is playing in the background AHHH

will you marry me: songbird by oasis

not only is this their song (to me...) but everything about it is just so loving and tender and i think it fits this section perfectly. while i don't know if james and roxy are marriage people just yet, i think i could see this being something rox walks down the aisle to or perhaps their first dance song :)

first child: cecilia and the satellite by andrew mcmahon in the wilderness

like the last one, i'm not sure if james and roxy are parent material lol and i don't know many songs about children, but this is one of my favorites :) i think if anything james would be a super cute girl dad (as i think all boy band members would be) and i could imagine him writing/singing a similar type of song :)

we’re getting older: 18 by one direction/act my age by one direction

<3 we can forget they're 17 when they start dating okay <3

if you die i’ll go with you: i'll follow you into the dark by death cab for cutie

if you've never heard this one you might want to grab some tissues. my hands are shaking as i write this.

end credits: the flower garden by joe hisaishi

im imagining the screen fading to black after their story ends while this plays and seeing the credits roll and GAH IM SUCH A MESS HELP!!!!!! (and now im imagining a howl's moving castle au so someone needs to take google docs far FAR AWAY FR OM ME but they fit those roles so well HELPPP)

[keepmeinmind-01]

Hello! So interested in exchange student AU and the dogs, but I HAVE to ask about plug in baby because that is giving me a weird image in my head.

thank you so much for asking @tina-mairin-goldstein :D

I'll go through them! I did a little too much writing last week and haven't managed much at all this week. No idea whether I need to rest and recharge or just get a bit more inspired LOL. But I can share some snippets—I write in chunks in the first draft stage so they're a bit everywhere, and these bits might not even make it into the final :')

Exchange Student AU

This is actually the prompt you gave me about a little Newt seeing Theseus and Percy together and being his accepting self!

A Second Person? Visiting the Scamander household?  Well—Second Person wasn’t trailing in. He seemed very confident and self-contained. In fact, Newt has always thought Theseus was exactly like that; but next to this shorter, dark-haired stranger, Theseus suddenly looked coltish and far too smiley. Newt clicked through the settings and accidentally zoomed in far too much on the stranger’s expensive-looking scarf.  Why does he want to spend time with Theseus? Newt mused, as most seven-year-olds with older siblings sometimes do: sure that his brother could hang the moon and stars if he tried, but chagrined by the pure bossiness their relationship seemed to entail enduring. 

Thesival Dogs

It's a one-shot (with several chapters LOL, I don't know if that stops it being a one-shot anymore). I started drafting this in a frenzy over four days because I felt bad about how kmim Theseus never really finds a partner he's comfortable with again. Losing those feelings of intimacy and trust forever hurt me. So, it's set sometime after the end of the election in kmim and kind of diverges from the rest of the outline I have planned for that long story. Theseus and Percival get into a sort of casual-sort of not relationship complicated by their respective traumas. When Percival accidentally triggers Theseus while they're working on a case together, they have to get through it and figure out how to re-negotiate the physical stuff. It goes well—well enough that Theseus accidentally summons his Patronus (a borzoi). But after Percival summons his (a German Shepherd) too, as a joke, the dogs stick around, so they spend the next day figuring out how to make them dispel and thinking about their relationship.

Nearer the start:

Each like a damning indictment—because of him, it could never be long term. Because it’s you, Theseus imagined, because it’s you, and it’s me, they could tangle their broken bodies together, but they couldn’t fix them.

Nearer the middle:

"Tell me how you imagined it," Percival demanded, voice roughening.  "I, ah..." Theseus faltered, uncharacteristically flustered by the heat kindling behind Percival's eyes. Get it together, Scamander. “Mmh?” “Er…” Theseus racked his brains, but it’d been weeks since he’d had a vaguely sexy thought. I thought it’d be nice seemed like a mood killer for someone as skilled in talking filth as Graves. And I love you was all of the steps too far. “You…hmm. You would…um. Or maybe I...or maybe not.”

Plug in Baby

This is named for a song by the band "Muse", because I always end up doing song lyric titles. I do have four other songs that fit wayyy better with the themes, plot points, etc, but even though Muse said they forgot what the song was about because they were high (LOL), there's something particularly good about this as a title imo. This is my dark!thesleta fic, where Leta joins Grindelwald at a rally and Theseus follows her. It's set in a world where Grindelwald and Dumbledore are much more organised and there are very partisan 'sides'. Theseus is less certain, trying to convince her to leave, but when something happens that makes him fall apart, Grindelwald has enough and brainwashes/reconditions him using a mixture of drugs and magic. The 'character is turned into a weapon against the ones they love' trope, basically. It goes downhill from there, and involves Newt, Tina, Grindelwald, and Dumbledore, focusing mostly on Theseus, Leta, and Newt. The ending is a bit bittersweet, but I'd say positive, given what happens. I'm curious what the image in your head was! Hopefully, no actual babies? XD

I have no big chunks of text for this one. Even though it's all planned in detail, it's being written in spotty chunks, so here are a few lines I've jotted down:

"You're getting better at this," Gellert said, removing the needle. His voice was approving, almost fond. "Hardly even a flinch anymore." How much did he require tonight? Surely his tolerance was not increasing this quickly.

Power still crackled through his veins like lightning seeking ground. He felt half-feral, drunk on destruction. Unstoppable.

[thefringespod]

We're gonna do something a little different this #AudioDramaSunday! This week was one where music was my go-to rather than podcasts so instead of episode reviews, I'm gonna do a track-by-track breakdown of all of the music released so far for The Grotto as I had it on repeat

Starting off with Hush which is the first song on the album and also the show's theme. It's got a brilliant beat to it accompanied by these bursts of vocals that crescendo into a harshness that's excellent. The HUSH gives me chill every time. I'm fully obsessed with this song

The next track is the first instrumental. Dejected feels like the music you would find in a cave. It's creeping and wet and a little haunting before the softness of the piano and the beat hit. This song has a heartbeat to it that feels tangible in the best way

Buried Alive has some of my favorite lyrics Athan has written. There's just something about the way he sings "Maybe I would be happier buried alive" that chills me to the core. Also something you'll notice is Athan likes vocal modulation a lot and it always works so well

Matt's (Usually) Confused is very aptly titled. It starts soft and slowly builds to become more all encompassing, feeling like Matt's racing thoughts as it does so

I Will Follow You Into the Dark fucks me up (positive) "Love of mine, you will die, and I'll be close behind" like Athan how am I meant to recover from that? This song as a depth to it that can be felt, like it's carving its way into a deep cave and submerging itself in the dark

I absolutely adore Emily's Theme! There's something about it that brings the word "fleeting" to mind, like Emily is running through the music and making her way out through the song itself

Which leads us to Stumble Into You and holy fuck yall Lyssa Jay has a lovely voice. Yes I'm biased because I love Lyssa but I'm also RIGHT! This song makes me a little feral, especially where Lyssa and Athan meet in the song its beautifully done

We're at the first cover on the album! This is literally the only version of Ghost of You I will listen to, Athan brings a life to this song that punches to the lyrics way more effectively than the original version does

It's Cryptic in the Grotto is another very well named song because it sure can be cryptic in this godsdamned Grotto. The whispering of it all leaves me unsettled in the best way before opening into this plucky instrumental I'm obsessed with

Looking for Answers is so Orpheus and Eurydice coded that it drives me insane. "I still feel you behind me. Your breath is slow. I'm terrified I'll end up alone." Athan you can't do this to me. There's also a lovely fast bit in this with lyrics ricocheting through the verse

Athan's cover of Hurt might actually be my favorite version of this song I'm sorry except I'm not. It suits Athan's range so well and has this almost gravely texture to it that makes me feel like I'm going feral. Everything about it is deep and dark and wonderful

Coping is NOT aptly named. You know what Matt ISNT doing? Coping. He's not coping AT ALL. It's a beautiful song and it also has some of my favorite Athan lyrics but it's from an episode called Coping and let me tell yall Matt is not making good choices in this show

If You Could See Me Now breaks my heart in the best way. The idea of trying to make someone proud while knowing that you're disappointing yourself so you're not making them proud kills me. The instrumental/electronic portions of this song are incredible

Hush (Acoustic) is wonderful and light and I cannot hear it without thinking of the episode 4 credits which make me want to shake Athan (affectionate)

There is a cover of Chasing Cars (one of my favorite songs of all time) performed by the Fringes' very own @taytayheyhey (one of my favorite people) and it became my most played song of the year *so fast* Its a wonderful and almost haunting cover of one of the songs of all time

Last song! Waiting Room also breaks my heart open in my chest because Athan did lyrics too good. "If you were a waiting room, I'd never see a doctor I'd just sit there with my first aid kit and bleed" circles through my brain at all times and I'll never forgive Athan for it

Everyone should listen to The Grotto because it kicks ass And you can check out the whole album on bandcamp https://thegrottopod.bandcamp.com/album/the-grotto-season-1-part-1. Athan said it should be on Spotify soon as well

In terms of shows I actually listened to this week, I listened to the new eps of @tellnotalespod , @woebegonepod , and @camlannpod which were all incredible as always

Here on the Fringes you can access episode 21 right now by visiting patreon.com/PineTreePods! This episode is very dear to my heart and I can't wait to share it with y'all

Thats all for this week! Please check out The Grotto if you haven't already (and not just because my friends are there it really does kick ass) Should be back in the swing of podcasts this week so expect a regular ADS post next week :)

[fandomanimatic-tournament]

Fandom song animatic tournament: Bracket 2 Side B

The Mind Electric - Miracle Musical

"See how the brain plays around And you fall inside a hole you couldn't see And you fall inside a hole inside a- Someone help me Understand what's going on inside my mind Doctor I can't tell if I'm not me"

The Nowhere King - Centaurworld

"Hush now, hide, all you little ones Rush now, into the middle of nowhere Singing and laughter will die Dreamless sleep follows the Nowhere King When his kingdom comes, darkness is nigh"

Remember that we're voting on how Iconic they are for ANIMATICS, not for the song itself. In order to make things fair, the tone and mood of the song should not affect how iconic it is (for example, a serious song should not be considered more iconic than a joke song just because it's serious)

Propaganda and animatic links of the songs under the cut:

The Mind Electric - Miracle Musical

Propaganda:

the CLASSIC insanity song. you have a character that goes a little crazy? a little wacky? you will see the mind electric used for them. there are more well known tally hall related songs, but this one is def the one you see the most animatics of just because its so specific to this very popular trope. of going a little wacky.

1. It's a banger. 2. It's about a man going through electric shock therapy after being accused of murder. 3. It's got animatics in fandoms from FNAF to Gravity Falls to Hermitcraft. 4. It's by Miracle Musical, AKA Tally Hall. 5. It's just awesome.

Visuals alone are absolutely insane most of the time

Animatics with the song:

QSMP

FNAF

Deltarune

Spider Man: Across The Spiderverse

Gravity Falls

Life Series Martyn

The Nowhere King - Centaurworld

Propaganda:

It’s like one of the most popular villain songs that isn’t Disney and it’s AMAZING and the VIBES and the lyrics and it fits so many characters and eehee Centaurworld

SPOOOOOOOOKY TIMES!

Animatics with the song:

Deltarune

ENA

Over The Garden Wall

The Owl House

Hollow Knight

Please be cautious and read the title, description and warning cards on the animatic videos if you decide to watch them. If you've got specific triggers I'd recommend even more caution when watching animatics of fandoms you don't know, since sometimes canon-typical themes don't get warnings.

Please keep in mind that I don't know all the media and fandoms of the animatics provided as examples and I don't have the time (nor the will) to research them all. Don't come into my notes or my ask box complaining about them being included, I will simply block you. If a ship animatic included is about an adult and a minor, do tell me and I'll take it out of the post

ALSO keep in mind that I don't know all the artists submitted; in fact, even if I do know them I do not know absolutely nothing about them as people (I do not have twitter nor tiktok) and I could not POSSIBLY have the time to research ALL of the artists' controversies and what came of them so PLEASE don't flood my inbox with the artists' entire crime list.

[zenmai--jikake--no--komoriuta]

⌘ more than yesterday, more than today

{ a fanmix following Akane and Yamada’s whirlwind love story as they level up from strangers into something more, one song at a time }

     listen on... { Youtube }  >>  { Spotify }

- if you enjoyed me, please Reblog so others can find me too! -

-------------------------------------- just a mix of EN and JP songs that fit well lyrically, arranged in some semblance of a chronological order, as well as a few that fit the vibe well!

I managed to fit many references to events in the story, chapter titles, etc. within the various songs and section headers up until around ch71-ish. I had songs planned out for a section covering the Gunma arc around ch97, but figured it was better to shelve that idea for now until we have more content; in the meantime I hope this playlist can help tide everyone over during the wait for ch108, while the manga is on another short hiatus!

Youtube is the recommended way of listening as it contains all 44 songs in their intended versions (I had to make some cover substitutions with Spotify, but it's otherwise intact-- just not preferred!). --------------------------------------

tracklist

     ⌘ = incl. links to a specific translation

- LV.1: A chance encounter, like a romantic comedy - ○ 01. Hello Hello — Fickle Friends >> I'm in a lie that I told last night / You're a problem but you're mine / I think you hide it well despite the dark around your eyes ⌘ 02. Umbrella — Penthouse >> I told him I'd return the umbrella I'd borrowed / and we met up with him over the turnstiles / I look for a reason to see him one more time ⌘ 03. Kasuka na Kaori — Perfume >> I was always looking for reasons we could be together / We didn't have the kind of relationship where I could just say I wanted to be with you ⌘ 04. If Soulmates Exist — Kana Nishino >> There is surely someone in this world / Someone who I’ll fall in love with and marry / My one and only soulmate / Cool and refreshing, taller than me / With a great smile, ah… / the possibilities are endless, after all ○ 05. IRL — Fickle Friends >> Can we just speak in real life? ⌘ 06. Magic — Nanawo Akari >> "Yes" and "Thank you" and "I'm not interested" / All these words are so like you ⌘ 07. Trick Art — Ryujin Kiyoshi >> I long to meet you, but I can't / I've been caught in a bad spell / Even though we're close, it feels distant / Like a trick art, I'm getting lost ⌘ 08. LOVE PARADE — Arashi >> The rhythm of the town within my heart, my beat and yours / When they come together, that's the moment when love starts ○ 09. prologue — dasii >> - instrumental -

- LV.25: A burning fondness, akin to fever - ○ 10. The Strangest Dream — The Strike feat. Alita Moses >> You ask me to stay, what a curious scene / You're gone when I wake, what a curious thing / I had the strangest dream / You put your hands on me / You said "tonight don't think / about what it all means" ⌘ 11. PLACEBO — Kenshi Yonezu feat. SEKAI NO OWARI >> I want to make sure of that day's coincidence / I want to resolve it, this unexplored mystery (this unnoticed gravity) / We can't go back to how it was before ⌘ 12. Gimme Gimme♥ — SP: BENI / YT: Kyaami feat. Miku Hatsune (cover) >> 1-2, what do you think, / 3-4, about me? / It's scary. I want to ask you that, but I just can't ⌘ 13. The Best Day of My Life — Utada Hikaru >> Falling more and more in love with you / It won't stop now, it won't stop now / A turn of events that would shock even Shakespeare— that's life ⌘ 14. Damn it! — Da-iCE >> Hey, it’s getting obvious baby, despite concealing it with a poker face / But then, I like you even more… ⌘ 15. Critical Hit! — Amatsuki >> More and more, I want to get to know you more and more / Please show me all the parts of you I don't know / For sure, for sure, today / I'll definitely, definitely say it ⌘ 16. Dreaming of you — MY FIRST STORY >> I don't care if it's all a lie, a beautiful lie / Just say you love me now ⌘ 17. Gradation — KANA-BOON >> I want to see you, I want to hear your voice / These accumulated feelings can no longer be divided, ah

- LV.40: Tomorrow morning, when you wake up - ⌘ 18. Ponytail — Vickeblanka >> You said "Are you kidding?" and laughed innocently / I can't wait to see your amazed face / when you understand that I mean it ⌘ 19. Never Stop — Nissy >> Again today, I was half-awake when you whispered in my ear / Your morning call / She says… "Hello? Hello?" / Where’s the border between dreams and reality? ○ 20. Same — Josie Dunne >> I could tell how you felt for a little while now / Innocent, droppin' hints, but it wasn't coming out / I don't say it, stayin' patient, kinda fun to drag it out / And you say I love you, I love you, I love you / And I say "same" ⌘ 21. BAD MODE — Utada Hikaru >> How about we ignore texts, watch Netflix / Stay in our pajamas all day, order something on Uber Eats / and take a bath together? ⌘ 22. Halfway — Gen Hoshino >> At a glance, it always seems like / we're pretty peaceful / Our adorable crises / and our not-so-adorable ones, we hold them close ⌘ 23. Akubi — Omoinotake >> Looking at each other's drowsy face, acting goofy / Like a mirror, we always have the same expression on our faces ⌘ 24. over and over — Rei Yasuda >> I always want to look over you, and that dazzling smile of yours / I want to fall in love with it, no matter how many times ⌘ 25. I LOVE… — Official HIGE DANdism >> In the midst of a growing love, of changing feelings, you shine brilliantly / Irregular, like paints diving into a water tank and melting / I wouldn't have even noticed these vivid colors if I was alone / You feigned ignorance, said it's normal —so let me finish what I started saying to you— "I love—"

- LV.69: A dimly-lit room and gentle rain, just you and me - ○ 26. Glue — Fickle Friends >> I know what you're thinking / I know that it's not like you / Your heartbeat is so quick / when you say, "let's rendezvous" ○ 27. Empty Cups — Charlie Puth >> If you wanna like I wanna, let me take it to another room / so it's only us / Turn that television up so nobody can listen ○ 28. Into You — Da-iCE (cover) >> The temperature's rising in here / Is this gonna happen / Been waiting and waiting for you to make a move / Before I make a move ○ 29. Collar Full — Panic! At The Disco >> We've waited so damn long, we're sick and tired / I won't leave any doubt or stone unturned / I've got a collar full of chemistry from your company / so maybe tonight I'll be the libertine ○ 30. Space — claquepot feat. Anna Takeuchi >> I want to touch you, even if it's just for a moment / Even the space between our skin / I love even that and it's endless / I want to swim around in the one-room universe ⌘ 31. Ribbon Shower — SP: Shoshinsha F (cover) / YT: Natsushiro Takaaki (cover) >> Amid the rain, I can hear it, I can hear, “I love you” / and then the two of us break those platonic rules… ○ 32. A Night to Remember — Betty Who >> When the morning came, I could hear my name coming from the bed / Laying on your side in the early light, I could see it in my head / Naked, coffee, hands still on me / I swore I'd never give you up ⌘ 33. Rendezvous — Nissy >> Because you’re the first, / a special person, you see / Hey, when the time comes, / I will definitely ask, / “would you dance with me?” ○ 34. Your Eyes — Bitei Matsuki >> Eyes that melt when the rain stops / The words that trace the wet window are silken / In a world where there is no day or night

- LV.999: More than yesterday, more than today - ○ 35. Grace — Kasper Lindmark >> - instrumental - ⌘ 36. Ai — Motohiro Hata >> I don’t believe in love because I can’t see it with my eyes / Or at least, that was how I used to delude myself / I kept it buried way, way down / But then I met you ○ 37. Then There’s You — Charlie Puth >> Some girls walk in the room and everything remains / But when you opened up the door, my life completely changed ⌘ 38. Comedy — SP: Gen Hoshino / YT: NORISTRY (cover) >> Let's go home hand in hand / What do you want to eat today? / Wanna talk to you about things like / "this is what happened today" / Every day with you / makes my life a comedy ⌘ 39. Tattoo — Official HIGE DANdism >> And within this relationship between you and me / I see why you show your cheeks blushing / I can’t come up with a good metaphor right now / but it’s something invaluable ⌘ 40. LADY — Kenshi Yonezu >> Suppose the two of us could meet all over again / like a glittering movie: how would you want it? ○ 41. Beautiful Journey — HIRAIDAI >> I like it just the way it is / You're you, aren't you? ⌘ 42. One Love — Arashi >> Any kind of you, even any kind of me, loving each and every one / If you are here, then I don't need anything else / Because I'll be sure to make you happy ⌘ 43. Sunflower — I Don’t Like Mondays. >> Hey, how much longer can we be together like this? / I don’t know, but I don’t wanna know just yet / I understood from the beginning that there is no eternity / so till that day, till that moment, I wanna be with you ○ 44. Wish Upon the Summer — Penthouse >> I wonder if I'll reach you someday / It's a risk-taking love / Tell me that you love me / I hope, more than yesterday, more than today...

[hummingbee-lievable]

Song of the Day #21:

'I, Carrion' by Hozier (released 2023).

I feel lighter than I have in so much time

I've crossed the border line of weightless

One deep breath out from the sky

I've reached a rarer height now that I can confirm

All our weight is just a burden offered to us by the world

Track #5 on 'Unreal Unearth'. (Definitely just thought the album was 'Unreal Earth' this entire time; can't decide which one I like better: I love the sort of surreal disassociation with Hozier's title and I like the alien sentiment that comes with my misinterpretation. What do you prefer?)

Fun fact: The entire album was largely inspired by 'Dante's Inferno'! Which is really freaking cool. This was largely created during Quarantine, and Hozier wanted to do a subtle nod to the pandemic without really making the music about that at all. The album itself is actually a progression of the nine circles of Hell, and you can follow that from the 'darkness of opening track "De Selby (Part 1)" to the breakthrough of closer "First Light"'*. The album has many mythological references beyond this, however. This song in particular was inspired by the legend of 'Icarus and Daedalus' (which I accidentally misspelled as 'Deadalus' at first which feels way funnier than it should be).

They are father and son, trapped in the labyrinth that Daedalus himself built (to hold the minotaur: half man, half bull). In order to escape, they build wings out of bird feathers and wax. He warns Icarus not to fly too close to the sun as his wings will melt, but once the boy starts flying, he finds himself drawn to the sun with such euphoria that he cannot stop himself from flying towards it, heedless of his father's calls. The sun melts his wings and he falls into the ocean. (Note: uhhh, don't try this at home kids.)

The song, according to Hozier, is inspired by that story and intermingled with a love story. He mentions the idea that sometimes there is joy so strong that it is worth the fall, and that plays out clearly in this song.

(Daeadalus was not exactly theeeee greatest fellow ever, fun fact. He tried to murder his sister's kid because the boy showed signs of great ingenuity (like inventing the potter's wheel! I owe him one) so he decided to do the obvious thing annddd... push him off of a high tower; Athena intervened (she is kind of a hoe for intellect- I never uttered these words) and turned the boy into a partridge in midair. To this day, partridges do not nest in high places and tend to stay on the ground unless necessary. They're also adorable, but that's unrelated.)

They're just so...flomphy!!

Personal blurb: Okay so, I'll be honest. I was in, shall we say, an altered state of mind when I first heard this song. And when the lines 'I do not have wings love, I never will' came on, I felt transported. At some point, I will write a short story about those lines, because good golly. I don't like a lot of Hozier's music, but he has grown on me, for the way he intertwines literature with lyrics. I may or may not have written an eight paged paper analysing 'Take Me To Church' for English class, so he passes muster at least a little. 😋

I love this song. I love the concept that sometimes it's worthwhile to burn your hand on the flame. And there's this- there's this space of limbo after an impulsive decision, where I'm floating in the middle of the choice and all I have to do is just be and breathe and let the wind take me. Of course, then I realise: hey, I had no money for that pot of tea (but goodness was it delicious and peaceful) also scaling that mountain is absolute garbage for your back (but my my wasn't the crisp breeze glorious) oh and don't you worry because leaving your phone behind and wandering into a forest for seven hours with a book and a bottle of water (stay hydrated kids) surely will have no negative impact and certainly not 83 missed calls and a group of villagers with pitchforks and torches coming after you (but wasn't it worth for the calm you are able to greet them from).

My friend told me 'life is for the living' and I love that. (But don't forget your water bottle. Hydrate or die-drate, birch.)

And no. Not every impulsive decision is going to be worth it, or a good idea. But sometimes we just need to cast the weight aside and... fly a little, you know?

P.S. My darling sister just reminded me that this song is very 'Good Omens' coded and-

You know what. I'm embracing it. It absolutely is. Come nerd out with me.

Hiii Smallsssss. This is not an invitation to catapult your body up the nearest cliff and then not call me. 😋

Because then I would be left with a...cliffhanger! (Might anyway, literally, if you call me, hanging from a cliff.)

Double P.S. I have been made aware of the possibility of tagging individuals that are fabulous enough to have a Tumblr, so...*drumroll please* @hozierofficial hello and thank you for your humanity.

References:

*

**

[pancake-breakfast]

Trigun Stampede Spoilers

As we get to the final episode of the season, those familiar with the basic story beats of Trigun know there's a decent chance we could end this arc on a bit of a downer note. But Orange won't do that; no, they can't do that. Not if they want to stay true to the themes of the story.

Vash is the ever-blooming flower in the desert, the light in the darkest of storms, hope springing eternal even in the face of the most monstrous situations. To end the series on a note that lacks even the tiniest of flickers of that light would be to do a disservice to all that Vash is.

But in spite of all the horror that happened in Episode 11, I think Orange will pull through. Why? Because they've demonstrated multiple times that they're keenly aware of this aspect of Vash's character, and have gone out out of their way to express that.

I'm just gonna go over three places where they've shown that below, though I believe there are more to be found:

The Opening Song - Kvi Baba by Tombi I could go over the entirety of the lyrics, but I'll just focus on the bridge and chorus. 失いたくない I don't wanna lose これ以上の愛 Any more love 失いたくない I don't wanna lose これ以上の愛 Any more love 今⽇と明⽇の境なら未だ無 The border between today and tomorrow is still missing 眠れずに⾒る悪夢は終わらない Sleepless nightmares never end それでも僕は希望を忘れない But I never forget my hope それでも明けぬ夜ならここにない Through every dark night there's a bright day, even here This might as well just be Vash's theme song. I mean, this is the guy who's all about Love and Peace, who's body is a scarred-up mess because he's constantly putting himself in danger to help people. He's lost so much and hurt so much and been through so much, but even through the worst of it, he can't help but keep striving toward his goal. (Brief spoilers for '98 in the next paragraph. If you want to avoid them, skip to #2.) Those who have watched '98 (and I think maybe Maximum fans? IDK, I don't remember much of Maximum...) might remember the Ericks arc. Even then, when he's supposed to be in hiding and not being Vash the Stampede, boy can't stop himself from interfering (sometimes at great risk to himself) when he sees others in danger. He's always gotta help, and he's always gotta keep trying to pull everyone he can find toward that hope that he strives for.

The Soundtrack Itself The soundtrack, as it should, goes through a lot of different moods, but despite the foreboding and anxiety in the penultimate track (titled Millions Knives), the final track (titled Trigun Stampede) is light and hopeful. It also has lyrics. I couldn't find an official source for them, but it seems to include the following lines: Call me Vash the Stampede Live in Love and Peace Maybe a musician for an opening or closing song is gonna miss a few story points if they're not paying attention, but it seems unlikely they'd casually overlook this element in their soundtrack. Not when they've put so much work into capturing a reasonable facsimile of Vash. Additionally, a well-designed soundtrack should reflect the story it's trying to tell... and while I might be stretching a bit on this one, I'd like to think Stampede's soundtrack is well done. So it begs the question, why end the soundtrack that way if you're not going to have the story circle back to that light?

The Plant Manifestation at the End of Episode 11 I actually missed this one at first, so I'm glad other people noticed and pointed it out. After everything that happened in Ep 11, after Knives went after every memory and every moment of value to Vash and removed them with surgical precision, apparently he still can't entirely remove Vash's memory of Rem, because she's the figure blooming over July. Not Vash. Not Nai. Not another more plant-ish being. Rem, the surrogate mother who meant everything to Vash, whose brief existence continues to spur him forward to hope in the face of hopelessness. Knives tried to take everything away from Vash, to leave him as nothing but a husk, but some aspect of Rem still remains.

But I find myself wondering if Vash will be in any condition to keep holding that light at the season's end. I wonder if, instead of giving it back to Vash right away, Orange will instead give it to Meryl, and she'll hold onto it until Vash comes back to himself. Seems like she's holding a lot right now, but she seems both willing and able. Meryl's always been a bit of a fighter in her own way, and I could see her with all her determination declaring that no, this is not the end, that she will keep moving forward toward the ideal Vash chased, and she'll drag him along until he can walk the path on his own again, and then they'll both walk it together.

Hopefully, Wolfwood will be there, too. And who knows? Maybe they'll pick up another friend along the way....

[sparatus]

can't rememebr if I sent you one of these yet or not BUT Kryterius aaaand Numb To The Elements and to make it a twofer Desabrudas and Save My Sould

send me a ship + fake title and i'll tell you what the fic is about

hhhhhh fuck yeah let's see. okay these are going under a cut cause it got long

Numb to the Elements (Kryterius)

hmmm well we all know i love my clever wordplay, i think for this one we'll veer off from what's probably expected and go to some point during nihlus's training. obviously they're somewhere cold and unpleasant on a mission, but for Meaningful Title's sakes, instead of the obvious answer of altakiril it should be somewhere significant to one of them, just during shit weather season. let's say carthaan in the winter, prairie winters are nasty. they have to actually be out in it, so... tracking a terrorist through the outback? sure, sounds good.

so it's a training mission, nihlus is expected to take point, they're tracking some asshole through the unsettled portion of carthaan during the winter, it sucks. saren obviously knows the planet well, he's from the outskirts of carthaan's settled areas, but he's being deliberately unhelpful to force nihlus to Learn Something™️, which keeps pissing nihlus off, and the weather isn't helping. but eventually, their hunt starts pointing them towards a tiny town at the very edge of civilization, and the closer they get, the antsier saren is... until the weather finally forces them to seek shelter, and saren leads nihlus to a little empty house, and tells him what happened there.

nihlus feels strange being in the childhood home saren was wrested out of much too early, especially knowing the family has been hanging onto it and keeping it up in the hopes that saren will eventually return there for good. at this point in the story, he still hasn't reconciled with his mother, and he hasn't opened up to saren what happened - but the house isn't as empty as it seems, and as the ghosts of saren's past settle down at the kitchen table with them, he finds himself digging up his own, forcing himself to face things he hadn't realized still hurt.

whoops that got away from the point of the title but uhhhh the numbness is in reference both to the actual cold shitty weather and how nihlus and saren both avoid thinking about their past and dont talk about it much, there

Save My Soul (Desabrudas)

okay either this will be entirely as expected or not at all, depends how much attention you paid to the titles and taglines in bm, but here's the mood music because des's chapter in bm was title/taglined DIRECTLY from this song including the actual lyric "there's no use tryna save my soul":

we're going to the hastatim era, boys.

so we know i want to write an echo of mitm eventually, got it planned out and everything, but that's valis's perspective. so, to keep it even... yeah dude we're echoing wake me when it's over. this fic would follow des while he's in the hastatim, fighting (and failing) to keep his head above water. he's tired, and traumatized, and he just wants to go home, but by this point he sees no way out. he misses his parents, his friends, his brother, his maybe-sometimes-girlfriend. he can't stay. he can never leave.

i think, because the hastatim were a very dark point in des's life, this wouldn't be a happy fic, or have a good hopeful ending. to echo wmwio, he'd be tired and drinking alone, longing for the way things used to be and trying to figure out how to get out of the situation he's in, but he's dangerously depressed and can't see any way out but to die - but he can't do that either, because what will saren and parmat do, who will tell his friends? he scrolls through messages, his friends trying to get ahold of him and try to stay connected, but he thinks talking to them will make the distance hurt worse, and he doesn't want to tell them what he's doing in case they turn on him, because the hastatim are feared and hated and who wants to openly admit to being part of it? so he's sad. and drinking. and making himself sadder.

and maybe, because i get frustrated writing fics that don't go anywhere, this is taking place on taetrus again, in that same tree valis found him in in mitm. in a fit of loneliness and depression, he's tearing off strips of bark and trying to weave them together, because maybe if he can make valis a vinco she'll never get, he can pretend he has a goal for his life just a little longer. and while he's doing that, getting frustrated because he's drunk and it's hard, he gets a new text, from the very person he wants so so badly to be there with him. valis is worried about him, because nobody's heard from him in months and saren has no answers, and where is he.

he wants it to be real. he doesn't think it is. he stopped praying years ago.

he puts a little more effort into making the vinco look nice, and sleeps curled around it clutched in his hand.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

I would like to know about March 30, The Admiral’s Daughter, and Always Remember, please ma’am!

you got it!

March 30

Basically the gist of this fic, based on a conversation I had with @silver-the-phoenix (a lot of my fics are based on discord conversations wih silver,) is that, even after he's well adjusted to his happy Storybrooke life, Killian still remembers the anniversary of Milah's passing, and when he can't shake the sorrow, he slips away to the Jolly Roger to reflect- and is followed by a somewhat snoopy teenager, who wants to hear a few stories about his paternal grandmother from the pirate who knew her best...

The Admiral's Daughter

aahhhhhh my beloved! this wip is the second original book that I've written at least a full draft of, and I'm so proud of it. The basic gist is our main character, Maristella Arrington, is, well, the admiral's daughter, and she loves being at sea. At a ball her father hosts, she meets a promising naval lieutenant, and they hit it off really well. After hearing about her enthusiasm for exploring the oceans, he suggests she join the navy, and she realizes this is a great idea- not just because the cute guy she just met suggested it, but because it genuinely feels right; it makes sense to her. So, she and her best friend, Verity join the navy together. While at the naval academy, they recieve word that the ship that the lieutenant was serving on was sunk, and that there were no survivors. Of course, Maristella's shaken by this, but she tries to brush it off and focus on her role in the navy.

that is, until she has a run-in with a young pirate captain who seems altogether too familiar...

Always Remember (the burning embers)

the title of this fic may be familiar to some- it's some of the lyrics to The Great War, a Taylor Swift song that I've always felt sums up Killian and Emma in the Dark Ones arc. This fic is a missing moment, in which Killian and Emma have a conversation about some careless words Killian said during that dark time in their story. (i don't wanna share too many details, though. I'll save that for when I post it on Saturday 😉)

thanks for the ask! I loved talking about these!

WIP game!

[justchillinoutinmeb0x]

One Direction "Ready To Run" Review

If you're new to this series I get sent a song from 1 direction (during 1d days or solo careers) and I review it. The ones I like will make a playlist that I'll share at the end of this series.

Thoughts from title: I've heard a little bit of the chorus for this one so I already know what this sounds like but it's happy<3

Initial reaction: love the instrumental, there voices are just so pretty. Such great lyrics this really is top tier music. Oh what I wouldn't give to attend a one direction concert

Overall thoughts: wonderful song, I love it so much it just scratches my brain in all the right ways. I love them so much there voices just work so well together. This song makes me wanna run away with someone and just be teenagers forever.

Favorite lyric(s): This time I'm ready to run (oh-oh). Escape from the city and follow the sun

'Cause I wanna be yours, Don't you wanna be mine? I don't wanna get lost in the dark of the night

Without you I'll never make it out alive But I know, yes I know we'll be alright

Overall rating: 10/10

Did it make the playlist? Absolutely

Let me know what other songs you wanna see ❤️💚🧡💙💛