#ranger would secretly sing stuff like this to himself

[jademint2581]

TOTO NOEL IS A LOST VOCALOID LET'S GOOOOOO

no but actually this song is nice :3

[whereistheonepiece]

So @lesbian-space-ranger​ and I accidentally created a new Zosan AU that we’ve been talking about since last night. A note: half of this is me summarizing, half of it is pulled directly from Discord because Cas (lesbian-space-ranger) has such great ideas.

This is a long post. I don’t feel like putting it under a read more. So. Enjoy. Or keep scrolling. Either works.

So this post happened

These roles just came to me. Didn’t need to give it much thought because Sanji has the appearance and demeanor of a lead singer and I like the idea of him using his skilled hands to play piano at the same time.

I also watched the movie Rocketman earlier in the week. You know, that Elton John biopic. I adored it and it’s been heavy on my mind lately and I liked the idea of Sanji giving a high energy performance from the piano. (Sir Elton John’s music comes into play later.)

And as for Zoro, I find the bass and/or the beat the sexiest part of the music in a song and, naturally, I can see him rocking at either.

So I asked Cas if she had any other headcanons for this AU and this thing is too good to not share.

Yeah, so Zoro and Sanji are in a boy band with Usopp and Luffy. Luffy started the band. Luffy does guitar, Zoro is on bass, Usopp is on drums, and Sanji is on keyboard and vocals.

Nami is their manager. She works them hard and has taken a 40% cut of the profits because of the guys’ naivete and inexperience. But she’s why they took off. She booked their gigs at every venue she could manage, no matter how small.

They got their big break when Nami met Vivi, who’s a talent scout for the record label Baroque Works. Nami insisted that Vivi had to see the boys perform because they’re something else and Vivi’s heard that a thousand times, but she agreed because Nami is cute. Nami and Vivi are dating. Also, re Baroque Works: Crocodile looks like a sleazy music producer, doesn’t he? So does Doflamingo.

So Sanji is the pretty one, Luffy is the funny one, Zoro is the quiet/broody one, and Usopp is the smart one.

Zoro has a lot of deals with fitness brands, but secretly finds the famous life unfulfilling. This comes back later, so keep that in your back pocket.

Robin runs their social media. She’s so good at her job, running all of their accounts and tweeting simultaneously, you’d swear she had four sets of hands. Wink.

Franky does pyrotechnics/lighting.

Brook is their stylist.

Chopper was their first real fan. He and Zoro grew up in the same neighborhood and Chopper just always idolized him. He followed them before anyone knew their names. He was their hype man, saying encouraging things like "I know you guys are gonna be great!" He believed in them even when they didn't believe in themselves.

Usopp set up their recordings before they got signed because he’s savvy. And then Chopper would sell their crappy CDs. At these tiny gigs. Like coffeehouses and stuff.

Sanji can play keyboard because his parents forced him to play piano as a kid. They had this idea that classical music would teach him discipline and make him smarter. This is how he meets Zeff. Zeff’s your typical stern instructor, but he’s the first adult to ask Sanji what he actually wants and likes. Zeff sees Sanji’s not into it so he asks him what music he likes and Sanji tells him he likes pop, so Zeff gives Sanji a more rounded education. This includes Elton John because I say so. It did inspire me to put Sanji on keyboard, after all.

But other than being Sanji’s piano instructor, Zeff becomes the one positive adult figure in young Sanji’s life and he becomes something of a mentor figure for him. Zeff has a garden and he lets Sanji work in it with him. This garden is how Sanji gets his “little eggplant” nickname. Sanji pulls an eggplant out before it’s ready and it’s so small and pitiful and Zeff won’t let him live it down. Like, Sanji keeps in touch with Zeff even into adulthood and after he makes it big and he still calls Sanji little eggplant.

Zoro and Sanji are always doing that, "Kind of flirting, not really” thing on stage.  Sanji is always like walking up to Zoro on stage and acting like he's going to kiss him but pushing him away at the last moment. And it's this huge mystery whether they're actually an item or not. This comes from Nami. Sanji and Zoro have this natural chemistry with each other that leads to speculation and Nami, knowing how boy band fan bases work, saw dollar signs. But it’s not just pragmatism on her part; she knows that one cannot simply go up to Zoro and Sanji and say “You obviously like each other. You should date.” So she makes money and helps her friends find happiness.

Usopp has speculation going on as well. People are always confused as to who he’s dating. Tabloids keep being like "Usopp dumped Nami and is now dating Luffy!" "Luffy Scorned?" "Luffy ditches Usopp and steals his girl!" And they just think the entire thing is hilarious. They collect headlines. The answer is Usopp is dating Luffy and Nami and Luffy and Nami just become really affectionate with each other after dating Usopp long enough. Also Nami is dating Vivi, like I mentioned, and sometimes Nami brings her on as a plus one. 

Sanji and Zoro keep giving conflicting answers about their relationship status. Like they'll tell one person they hate each other and another person they're gonna get married someday. Sanji has to walk this fine line of being "in love" with all of his female fans and also "in love" with Zoro. Or not. Who knows? Like Sanji enjoys the attention but he really really plays shit up for his fangirls. This makes Sanji even more popular. Just picture pages upon pages of Sanji/Reader and “Zanji” fics on Wattpad. Nami is one smart lady. "I am the smartest, prettiest, most clever person alive."

Zosan getting together really is just a bunch of Fake Dating tropes. At first it really is just to get more press for the band. Nami schemes with Usopp and Robin to push them together. Robin's a social media genius and knows how to craft tweets and Instagram posts that fans will overanalyze. 

Meanwhile eventually Zoro and Sanji admit to each other they have actual feelings and one day Usopp finds Sanji sleeping in Zoro's bed, both of them completely tuckered out. But they don’t know Nami crafted this. They just come clean and hope she won't be mad and she's like, "Yes! Finally!" and they're like "What?" and she's like, "I've been waiting for you two to realize you have actual feelings. Did you really think I'd just use you for profit like that?" and they're both like "Yes" "Of course"

Zoro’s mad at her for meddling. Secretly he’s grateful, but he doesn’t want to give her the satisfaction and he’s yelling until Sanji grabs his hand and he just calms down.

And to bring Elton John back into the picture, just picture Sanji doing a cover of “Your Song” and uploading it online and thinking about Zoro. Naturally the comments are abuzz with people speculating that he’s singing about Zoro. And like. Onstage Sanji does his rendition and sends these small glances Zoro’s way, partially because he knows it’ll get the band a lot of attention, partially because that song is sweet and beautiful and it’s such a simple way to explain his feelings. (There is a reason why Moulin Rouge included it!!) I imagine this happens before they come clean to each other. Like, Zoro comes to him and is all “I keep thinking about that song you did...” And they go from there.

And eventually the band comes to its natural end. 

Usopp goes solo and flourishes, working as a songwriter and a producer. He wrote the band’s songs and he’s had a drum kit since he was, like, ten and he can make his own beats. He’s not the singing type (though he is good at it and could reach new heights if he came out of his shell), so he’s the kind of artist who makes the beat and then gets super famous pop singers to feature on his tracks. But he also writes songs for other singers and is so good at it and produces other artists’ tracks. I also like the idea that he’s taught himself to play multiple instruments, but he prefers the drums/percussion. He totally played percussion in school and was in marching band. I was in marching band for one year. I loathed every second of it, but I know he’d be phenomenal in drum corps.

Luffy isn’t much in music anymore, but he keeps himself busy. He’s something of an influencer, the kind of celebrity who gets paid to wear fashion brands’ clothing. He’s also Usopp’s trophy husband, living off the money he made off the band. Usopp grew wise to Nami’s antics and made sure he and Luffy would live comfortably for the rest of their lives, even if Usopp were to retire. Luffy also is secretly a Buzzfeed journalist because it’s fun for him to write these hit articles and people not know it’s him because he’s writing on this super bland pseudonym. 

And then there’s Zosan. They have a falling out after the band splits and go their separate ways.

Sanji quits being a professional singer because he’s tired of the prying into his personal life, but he still mentors and/or teaches. He has a string of girlfriends and finds no fulfillment in those relationships because the women are only interested in his celebrity.

And they aren’t Zoro.

Zoro tried branching off into commercials for fitness, but his heart wasn’t in it. He kind of takes up ranching on a whim and learns that he’s really good at it. He likes the physical labor, the quiet, being away from it all, nobody knowing his name. He doesn’t pursue anyone after Sanji because he feels like if it’s meant to be, someone will appear.

And Sanji does.

Sanji finds out where Zoro is through Luffy. So he makes his way to the ranch and finds Zoro and Sanji is all “Come back. I miss you.”

And there’s just a lot of soft Zosan content during Sanji’s visit. Sanji’s always been afraid of horses, but he’s not afraid when he’s with Zoro, and Zoro teaches him they can be gentle creatures, it’s just that you just have to respect them. (Ha. Get it?) Zoro takes Sanji on a ride and they go out and he takes him up the mountain and shows him how beautiful the view is. Sanji's watching the sunset and he's like, "Damn that's the prettiest thing I've ever seen." And Zoro is looking at Sanji and he says, "It sure is." And Sanji's like, "you're not... even looking." And Zoro's like, "No, I'm looking alright. Prettiest thing I've ever seen for sure."

More soft things like Zoro taking off his cowboy hat and putting it on Sanji. Them sitting by the fire, Zoro playing acoustic while Sanji sings. Whenever people see them they’ll ask them if they’re musicians and they share a knowing smile and say “Yeah. Something like that.”

And Zoro convinces Sanji to move out there with him. The others come to visit. Luffy and Chopper are obsessed with the cows and horses and the chickens. Luffy wants, like, eight pet chickens. Usopp is skeptical. Doesn’t believe Lu can look after a pet.

And it kind of ends there. It was us going back and forth, oftentimes out of chronological order, and so here I am putting it all together because it’s too good not to share. But it was a lot of fun.

[seize-the-droid]

Endless List of OC Playlists ☆ Keira & Jason [ Featuring an old graphic I made on Polyvore before they shut down the site without warning ]

1) STAND BY ME // Bootstraps

❝Oh, I won't be afraid / just as long as you stand, stand by me❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmVnGQSlw3k ]

I had to include this song or else I don’t think it would have been a Power Rangers playlist. This version absolutely KILLS me. This song was included in the Power Rangers 2017 soundtrack and it hits hard. This song not only represents Keira and Jason’s relationship but their relationship with the other rangers. What makes the Rangers, ‘the Rangers’ is how they are willing to do anything for each other, some rangers are willing to go further than others. For Keira and Jason, this song means that even through the darkest times, they will stand by each other no matter what.

2) WHEREVER YOU WILL GO // Charlene Soraia

❝If I could, then I would / I'll go wherever you will go / way up high or down low / I'll go wherever you will go❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DChHEf0lpEE ]

Out of all of the songs I picked for this playlist, I think this is the song that screams Keira and Jason to me. The way Charlene Soraia’s voice strikes a chord and makes my heart ache makes me feel like this is the perfect song for the two of them. With the two of them living more dangerous lives as Rangers, they didn’t know if they would make it past tomorrow. They would follow each other to the ends of the earth and if something were to happen (and some things have), neither of them would be able to move on. (side note: this is one of my favorite songs on this playlist and in general. Everyone should listen to this cover)

3) FALLING IN // Lifehouse

❝But it's over, without you I'm just lost, incomplete / yeah you feel like home, home to me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBtd1rOMOCE ]

This is another song that screams Keira and Jason to me. While Wherever You Will Go is a much slower (and sad) song revolving around the possibility of loss, Falling In expresses the emotions of that initial feeling of falling in love. I could totally see Jason sprinting to Keira’s house the moment he realizes that he’s in love with her. There wouldn’t be any warning. He would be laying on his bed, finishing up some homework when it would just hit him. When he figures it out, he wouldn’t be able to keep it in for very long. When he shows up at Keira’s front door, he realizes how crazy he must seem and how frightening it is to be in love with someone (especially for the first time), but screw it. He loves her and (hopefully) she loves him.

4) ONE AND ONLY // Adele

❝I don't know why I'm scared / I've been here before / every feeling, every word / I've imagined it all.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLla9PYtcoc ]

Everyone has that moment when they have feelings for someone, played out the entire situation in their head but still doesn’t know how to express those feelings. During the duration of Jason and Keira’s friendship before they started dating, she knew something was different between the two of them. She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Jason had made many advances towards her, but she was still confused as to why she’s hesitant to ask him for his love after having rehearsed it in her head a million times before. It’s a common symptom of love blossoming between close friends – having been around him for so long yet experiencing a loss for words when wanting to move forward in a relationship.

5) TRUE COLORS // Justin Timberlake

❝This world makes you crazy / And you've taken all you can bear / Just, call me up / 'Cause I will always be there.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECO3ARGisF8 ]

Both Jason and Keira have their insecurities. Jason thinks everything he touches gets screwed up, while Keira has a habit of keeping things bottled up. Sometimes they think that the world is against them. And the both of them have their break down moments. Most of the time it results in one calling the other and lying in silence all night just holding each other. When you break down, I’ll be there. That’s what this song represents, those moments when they’ve taken all they can and just let it all go.

6) YOU MATTER TO ME // Drew Gehling & Jessie Mueller

❝Come out of hiding, I'm right here beside you / and I'll stay there as long as you'll let me / because you matter to me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js8lCNubzdY ] 

Keira is a very introverted person and the idea of being in a relationship with anyone, let alone Angel Grove’s fallen Golden Boy scared the crap out of her. This song is about a woman who has been abused and afraid to love, but a handsome stranger comes along, convinces her to come out of hiding and let him love her. The lyrics really hit hard because everyone wants to matter to someone even if they are scared. Keira was that person. She was scared to love someone, but Jason let her know that she mattered to him and he wasn’t going anywhere.

7) DON’T YOU WORRY CHILD // Swedish House Mafia

❝Don't you worry, don't you worry, child / see heaven's got a plan for you.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fytp6BkJwDU ]

Everyone worries about how their life is going to turn out or if they’re messing the whole thing up. This song is about accepting your life how it is, there is a plan for you and you’re right on track. With everything that is/was going on in both Keira and Jason’s lives, they have their doubts about whether or not they’re doing it right. But there’s a reason for everything and a plan in place.

8) AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME // Sleeping At Last

❝I don't care who you are / where you're from / what you did / as long as you love me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxQE5GcyIqc ]

This song talks revolves around the idea that it doesn’t matter the background, as long as you love them, nothing else matters.  Jason was the Golden Boy quarterback who fricked up real badly. And it’s painfully obvious that he beats himself up about it. Luckily for Jason, Keira couldn’t give two sh.its about Jason’s reputation. She didn’t like him for the fact that he was the football player at their high school and she didn’t care that he messed the whole thing up (she cared that he almost killed himself in the process of escaping from the cops, but that’s a different story). She knew that he didn’t like the whole football gig anyway, his dad just wanted him to be a football star. Keira loves him for who he is as a person. Jason is a kind, passionate and loving person, his life shouldn’t revolve around something he doesn’t love.

9) FALLING SLOWLY // Arthur Darvill

❝You have suffered enough / And warred with yourself / It's time that you won.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqB_ozuCjRw ]

This is the title song for this playlist. I think this is a good song to describe Jason and Keira pre-relationship. Even though they have known each other since elementary school, it wasn’t until high school when the feelings started. They knew of each other but didn’t really know each other. The moment that he walked away from Keira after hitting her in the face with a football, he knew that he wanted to know all about her. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do about the situation and the things he felt. After the awkwardness passed and they became friends, he realized he was slowly falling for her. She made him feel like no one else had. Keira had a tough time and battled with letting herself love Jason. But slowly, she learned to love him and discovered that what they felt was real. That’s what this song is about, getting to know someone and slowly but surely loving them with all you have.

10) SUNDAY MORNING // Maroon 5

❝Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm / change the weather, still together when it ends.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXdlHueax2U ]

Jason and Keira’s relationship has its ups and its downs. Much like many any other relationship. But, when times get a little better and ‘skies look clear’ they’ll be together in the end. Through the difficult times, they’ll still stick together. That’s one of the reasons this song represents the two of them. Another reason is just the lazy morning factor of it. Just waking up on a Sunday morning, probably dead tired from training all night and just basking in each other's company. They don’t have to be intimate. It’s just a moment where they can just relax and not think about all the crazy stuff going on, just focusing on each other.

11) WHAT THE HECK I GOTTA DO / Anthony Ramos & Original Cast of 21 Chump Street

❝What the heck I gotta do to be with you?❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxZ_rixvzZU ]

This is one of those kinda funny songs. It’s all about a guy trying to convince a girl to go out with him (in which she dodges his advances). It’s a more modern take on liking someone in high school and how teens usually go about it. It makes me chuckle when I think about Jason trying his best to get Keira to go out with him, but she is just not having it (she had a hard time at first, but the more he persisted the more she secretly loved it). Eventually, she just says, “I’ll think about it.”

12) CAN’T STOP THE FEELING // Justin Timberlake

❝I got that sunshine in my pocket / got that good soul in my feet.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz2lLTlUcxQ ]

This song is Keira and Jason’s go to jam. They enjoy going on car rides and road trips, it’s one of their favorite things to do together. Keira is usually in charge of the music and whenever this song comes on, the volume goes up and the ugly singing comes out. By the time the song is over they’re both laughing so hard that Jason almost swerves into oncoming traffic (he’s not the best driver).

13) IRIS // Boyz Ⅱ Men

❝No one knows me quite the way you know me / and I'd be lonely without you beside me.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGfe26GyYjU ]

I love this version of this song. The harmonies give me goosebumps. But anyways, this song reminds me of Jason and Keira’s relationship. It’s all about being afraid to show who you really are and the two of them are like that. Even though they are close to the other Rangers, there’s just something about their relationship that gives them the courage to share everything with each other. With the two of them becoming so close, no one else really knows who they are deep down except for each other. They put on a face, try their best to please others and be something that they’re not. But both of them know that they could trust each other with who they really are. And that’s special.

14) I GET TO LOVE YOU // Ruelle

❝One look at you, my whole life falls in line.❞

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAzVbQC-18 ]

This song is about just looking at the person you love and realizing how lucky you are to love them. Jason and Keira have a habit of staring at each other when the other isn’t looking. Classic in love, admiration eyes. When they look at each other, they know everything is okay and organized. They understand why they’re here. They would put each other’s happiness over their own. They’ll forever love each other and don’t need anyone else.

[illkickyourbass]

henlo. have an expanded Shining Quest AU.

to release some steam from my kettle of stress, have some noodling about a Shining Quest AU that’s less April Fool’s, more high-stakes high-fantasy, but still every bit as tropey, stuffed with otome trappings, and Yay Music as we’ve come to expect from Utapri 

As with the last venture into this AU: not explicitly romantic, non-gendered MC, SFW, and mild CW for arranged marriages. I don’t know HEAVENS (plus they didn’t get canon classes for Shining Quest), so we’ll just be covering STARISH and Quartet Night! 

It’s a fairly typical setup -- there’s a fantasy kingdom, there’s a useless king, there’s a princess (Haruka) known for her talent for music composition, there’s a court of nobles and royals, all that usual hey. Magic is cast by mastery of the arts, whether that be visual, performing, musical, written, you name it. 

There’s a looming threat of some sort of demon king or similar fantasy anime bullshit that the royals and nobles of the kingdom are tasked with keeping at bay. We’re also gonna shamelessly borrow a detail from the pinnacle of wasted potential, the movie Rock and Rule -- there’s a plot point about how a demon can only be forced back with “the magic of one voice, one heart, one song....but there is no one.” Here in this ‘verse, that’s a longstanding prophecy the status quo has taken to mean there’s no-one who’ll ever be able to defeat the demon king. 

The solution that’s been in place for as long as anyone can remember is a royal or noble family offers one of their heirs as a sacrifice to be married off and sate the demon king for that generation-- the “devil’s bride” or “devil’s groom” or “devil’s betrothed.” This goes pretty badly for the heirs, of course, but it offers great prestige to the house that does it. 

You, the player, would get to pick what RPG class you fill (which would affect some dialogue trees and the expertise you demonstrate) and what art you use to cast magic. You are a member of the royal guard tasked with Haruka’s protection, but you’ve stumbled into the knowledge before it goes public: she’s the next devil’s bride! You go to Tomochika, a hired hand to the royals who’s been dating Haru in secret, and you begin to hatch a plan to bust Haruka out of the arrangement. 

Your route’s then determined by which of the boys you seek out as your other co-conspirator. 

Otoya is a fellow member the Royal Guard on Haruka protection detail. He’s equally resented and well-liked for his dauntless optimism and natural talent with swordsmanship, but it’s no secret that he’s not someone you’ll be trusting for expert strategy. He’s had the chance to become friendly with Haruka, and he’s ready to fight tooth and nail for her freedom! He’s classed as a warrior, who casts light-element attacks and healing spells with his music. 

Masato was raised from birth to become an ideal Devil’s Groom, since the Hijirikawa nobles are falling out of favor in the courts (spurred in part from their takedown of the Kurosakis backfiring on them). But Masato has rejected that he (or Mai) will ever go along with that plan, instead intently training in swordsmanship and fusing music and fiber arts to make enchanted fabrics that work like armor. Quietly, he has kept a very ambitious goal in mind: outright defeat the demon king and end the legacy of the devil’s betrothed. 

Natsuki is a natural genius at using both his voice and viola to communicate with creatures and summoning the cutest ones to absolutely wreck house. Though a humble farmboy who’s kind of out-of-touch with the political goings-on of his land, his talent was too great to go unnoticed forever, and he was invited to live among the high court as an entertainer and summoner. He got to make so many new friends (like the princess and you!) and better provide for his family, so he’s thankful every day for the change, even if he misses his animal friends at home! 

Tokiya came from a humble family that wanted to lead a quiet life, but Tokiya himself had ambitions that far outpace that. Though not a natural talent, he put unimaginable sweat into a field that creates potent spells and tools by the power of song. Eventually becoming estranged from his whole family, Tokiya finds it all worthwhile after struggling his way into being hired by the royals. Much of the court thinks of him as a weird mad scientist who sings to his books, but he’s found fast friends he’d go to the ends of the earth for, like Masato, the princess, and you! 

Ren is the inverse of Masato in his circumstance. Like the Hijirikawa noble family, the Jinguujis helped orchestrate the fall of the Kurosaki nobles, but the blowback had them falling out of favor instead of rising in power. Ren was planned to be offered as a Devil’s Groom to restore some clout, but instead of being intently groomed, he was left to do whatever he wanted since he’s got such a foregone future. So Ren becomes a carefree playboy, eventually taking his talent for alchemy and becoming a for-hire adventurer to sate his boredom. He tells everyone his saxophone is his secret to brewing his one-of-a-kind love potions, but he’s actually devised some uniquely remarkable revival and buffing potions.

Syo comes from the same backwoods as Natsuki, but took less interest in working for the courts and instead trying to find a career emulating his childhood hero that kept his body’s limits in mind. But his twin left to pursue medical schooling, and eventually, between loneliness, worry, and the promise that the musical magic and medicine in the courts could help him safely push his limits, he follows Natsuki into the belly of the royals and nobles. His small stature and commitment to the movement arts made him a natural rogue, and he’s technically part of the Royal Guard’s special ops. But Syo’s brashness and burning spirit tends to best serve motivating the people around him -- what few spells he prefers to cast with his violin-playing are all buffs that lift the spirit and energize the body.  

Cecil came to this land on essentially a study abroad program and came to love the friends he made so much he stuck around! A wildly talented sorcerer able to cast even without playing his flute, Cecil is held in high esteem by the whole kingdom for the knowledge and skill he has to offer. Prone to disappearing, however, since a curse has him transforming into a cat as an occasional side effect of casting magic. He’s found this useful, though -- something injust he won’t stand for is afoot in this kingdom, and nobody suspects a little black cat of eavesdropping! 

Reiji is a court jester who loves, loves, loves nothing more than to make you smile! Much of the court takes his good cheer for granted, and even more underestimate his prowess in tough/delicate situations, but the most powerful folks know he’s just as sharp as he is goofy. When he’s not doing his job making people smile, he’s often helping or promoting his family’s pub or bugging his friends from outside the royal court. His flashy performances and maraca-shaking have been shaped into a great conduit for spells of transmutation, though he tends to use them to put on a great show more than beat ass.

Ranmaru is the eldest son of the disgraced Kurosaki nobles (whose power and legacy were ruined by the Jinguujis and Hijirikawas as per usual) but he decided to bear the brunt of the damage in wake of his father’s passing to spare the rest of his family. Shouldering massive debt, Ranmaru disappeared and re-emerged as the gambler prince of the underground, now incredibly powerful in his own right. Not-so-secretly a big softie, he’ll swindle and ruin the lives of those who take advantage of the helpless, even operating out of a pub owned by an old couple that needed some protecting from loan sharks. Ranmaru wears special runed gloves that store mana when he plays his bass, letting him cast a set number of fire evocation spells before his next recharge. 

Ai lives in woods on the outskirts of the city. Most regard him as a hermit, but a couple know that Ai is actually a homunculus that has been refining his understanding and performance of humanity and needs frequent breaks to “recharge.” Nominally a ranger, Ai’s skills lie in his powerful patience and observation moreso than his bow and arrow, though he and Reiji have an arrangement where he helps hunt and forage ingredients for the Kotobuki pub. Ai is beginning to grasp his own unique sense of humanity and is ready to take grander action to realize it. He fights with arrows of a special alloy that react to an instrument at home; they are tempered by the sound and blessed by the wind to never miss their target should the wielder be skilled enough. 

Camus is an assassin that lives in shadow. Nobody’s quite sure of his intentions or allegiances, but the few times someone does see him in the open, he’s as haughty and demanding as ever. Rumor has it that he lives in the royal castle -- certainly, their enormously increased sweets output would imply such, and it’s well-known in the castle that unexplained cello music is usually his doing -- but he’s such an evanescent and terrifying presence nobody’s quite sure (and is too scared to ask). His assassinations are almost impossible to track, as his blades of ice melt, disappear, and leave no trail to follow. 

Typical route stuff goes as you’d expect -- you progress the plot, you get closer to your chosen boy, some political intrigue things probably happen, some heart-racing events etc. etc., and before you know it the two of you are very close and realize that your arts cast wildly powerful magic when put together. Slowly, you gather more friends (a selection of the other boys + Haru and Tomo) and find that together, your work amplifies in power to unprecedented degrees. It’ll vary from route to route how you get there, but eventually, you all come to the same conclusion: it’s time to kick some demon king ass. And you do! 

The ends vary from angsty (like the player or the chosen boy is mortally wounded or dies) or fairytale fluffy (go off and spend a happy life together) or something more power fantasy-feeling (like you and chosen boy revolutionize the whole kingdom for the better in wake of the demon king’s defeat), etc. -- but no matter what you know that your art + your boy + the power of friendship kicked more ass than anything Shining Kingdom has ever seen!