#tbh almost everything in his playlist is stuff i usually listen to so. that says something about me i think 😵

[autistic-shaiapouf]

Ohhh messy pieces representative of each song I have in that Pouf playlist meant to represent his character arc

[davestriderascend]

the homestuck reread, pt 3

im deep into act 6 rn, and i have a feeling this is a good time for another recap. for anyone new here, i first started reading homestuck in 2014 as an archival and then serial reader, and i am now rereading it again through the unofficial collection for the first time, along w bonus content i didnt engage w the first time. ive already recapped acts 1-5 in their entirety. i also posted a separate recap chain of the formspring.

in this post, i will be recapping up to but not including a6a4. if youre looking for my thoughts on the dancestors in a6i3, thatll be its own post. assuming anyone reading this has already read my previous recaps, and anyone not reading this would enjoy not having their dash dominated by this post, the recap will be under the cut.

before we get started, there were a couple of albums released during act 5 act 2 that i hadnt listened to yet at the time of my recap, so heres those rq:

Act 5 Act 2 Albums

Prospit & Derse: i finished it right after making that post pretty much TuT and what i said in my previous recap is pretty accurate! derse dreamers remains my favorite. i dont really have anything to add, i think i covered it pretty well before.

Vol 1-4: it does not in fact have new stuff. this is just volumes 1-4, which i already recapped in my initial post. i did look tho :')

Vol 8: this is another pretty generic catchall album, as the numbered ones tend to be! however, i remember thinking as i was listening to it that the songs at the beginning were just really beautiful pieces, really stunning to listen to. there are also a lot of serious BANGERS in this album. ive had davesprite and arcade thunder on my playlist for ages, but it also has THE classic, the acapella midnight crew cover. i dont think all of them are hits, but most of them definitely are.

anyway, with that covered, lets get into act 6.

Act 6 Act 1

this is the act that introduces us to the post-scratch earth for the first time, starting with jake and jane as introductory characters, and hinting at roxy and dirk. its extremely short, and almost nothing fucking happens tbh. during this time, hussie is starting to use tumblr, and makes the infamous olive garden saga posts.

The Characters

upon introduction, jane believes fully in the betty crocker empire, and has like zero patience for her friends telling her it sucks. shes stubborn, headstrong, and very excited for her turn on the crocker throne. shes shown to be using exclusively bc products, which have mind altering powers that have been implied to have been subtly influencing her her whole life. she mentions that she used to have an antagonistic relationship with her dad, not unlike the one john describes with his dad when talking to his friends, but says that in the past three years theyve really ironed it out and worked through their misunderstandings. they now have a good relationship, albeit with some of the usual teenage/fatherly tension thats only natural.

jake introduces himself loudly proclaiming his love of adventure, fisticuffs, and movies. he talks a lot about admiring his grandma and her scientific genius, but doesnt feel that he measures up to her at all (he goes on to downplay his own understanding of science a lot, in the next several acts). however, we see very quickly that jake avoids going outside, is scared of the monsters on his island, and fails to beat brobot even when brobot is set on novice mode, so a lot of that stuff probably isnt true. another big thing that were introduced to very quickly is jakes firm and willing belief system. he trusts his friends wholeheartedly and loudly, in perfect opposition to jane, whos skeptical of everything, and he proclaims his belief to the point where it feels almost like hussie is grinding his page of hopeness into your face.

The Tumblr

ill talk about the tumblr as a whole more later, i think, so for rn ill just stick to the olive garden debacle. i actually did read this, way back in the day, and i remember thinking then that it was hilarious. it still is. unlike the formsprings, which i warn you to never touch w a ten foot pole, i HIGHLY recommend giving at least the olive garden saga a read if youre a hardcore fan. 10/10.

Act 6 Intermission 1

theres an emerging theme early in act 6 where the sub acts center around the alpha kid session, and the intermissions center around like.... everything else, mostly. its hussies way of checking in on dreambubble shenanigans, the meteor, and the ship. theyre just sort of updates, rather than full, lengthy expositions. the first intermission is super short and almost 100% just about the start of the meteor and ship trips, with the kids meeting up with the trolls, aradias corpse party that couldve been, and john slamming karkat in the face with a bucket. im sure we all remember it well. also, bec noir and pm are chasing each other around. there is pretty much nothing to say about this intermission.

Act 6 Act 2

here we return to the alpha session, where roxy and dirk are finally introduced. there are some shenanigans happening with the kids dreamselves, but at the end of the act, jane is finally the first kid to enter the medium. acts are still pretty short. during this time, the album song of skaia was published, and hussie announced a contest for the next album, which ill talk about later.

The Characters:

every session has a different version of jack. the trolls had spades slick, who became exiled and created a city where the midnight crew and the felt reside (keeping in mind that doc scratch is also the trolls first guardian). the beta kids had bec noir, who obliterated the trolls and beta kids sessions after gaining the powers of the kids first guardian (bec), and is now running around with pm locked in a perma stalemate after nearly killing wv (who was dropped off w the kids on the meteor and nursed back to health, becoming the mayor we all know and love). in the alpha kids session, jack works for hic, who usurped the black queen of their session long before the session even began (if youll recall, hic replaced the handmaid as le's servant at the end of act 5, and so everything she does in act 6 (including her takeover of earth) is as a servant of le). hes more proactive than ever, breaking the social customs and rules of derse and prospit to attack and (sometimes successfully) kill the alpha kids dreamselves. this is the jack that eventually becomes jack english, but ill talk more about that in another post.

i just thought this was a good time to make sure were all caught up on jacks shenanigans.

anyway, roxy is absolutely wasted through these early sub acts. and roxy, when drunk, is kind of an asshole. i love roxy, i adore her, and i remember her being one of the kindest characters in hs, so i was really shocked to read through these early acts and find just how mean she could be to her friends during this time. while shes generally chipper and bubbly, she can be harsh, frequently saying things that come off... really fucking mean, actually, and shes also pretty pushy, flirting with hal and jake even when it makes dirk and jane uncomfortable respectively. she is also... a little bit whiny, and pretty petty, literally giving jane a virus that will blow up her computer bc shes suddenly decided she doesnt want to play sburb, after blowing her friends off all day despite their longtime plans. its a really rough time period for her.

dirk, like dave in the early hs acts, isnt.... there much. like he really doesnt actually have a huge role? his dialogue is limited, with hal communicating w his friends 99% of the time instead. like dave, hes also the expert and voice of reason among the group, although where dave is more of a passive characters others can turn to when they have questions, dirk makes bold claims about manipulating things behind the scenes and being the secret leader of the session. dirk is already in action, already busy, already awake on derse, and so hes usually too busy for conversation.

instead, hal takes prominence in the first two acts. hal is quippy and quick, and actually seems to get along with dirks friends pretty well, despite their initial frustration at being unable to reach dirk. he has sincere dialogue with roxy, opening up about his feelings with her while also giving her a space to indulge in things dirk doesnt want to do. jane and him seem to get along... perfectly, actually. and while jake and hal butt heads a lot early in, with jake frequently calling him out on his shit or getting frustrated at dirks unavailability, when jake crosses lines and hal levels with him about being hurt, jake actually listens to him and tones it down. they get along way better after that.

The Albums

on the day of a6a2s release, we get our very first album of the act! song of skaia is another solo album, and its... incredibly short, with only three tracks. it has a haunting, interstellar vibe to it, like the vastness and beauty of space, and its pretty good! however, because of how short it is, it really just gets lost in the mass of hs music. i had to go and skim through the songs just so i could remember which ones they were. ; ;

Act 6 Intermission 2

aptly named "penis ouija" on the map, this is the year 1 mark check in on the ship and meteor, wherein jane and john play ghostbusters, and dave and karkat argue about terezi and draw penis ouija. also, spades is robot spades and being nursed back to health by hussie, and ms paint is introduced for the first time. hussie dies by le's hand, and thats when he starts dicking around in the dreambubbles harassing vriska (a reference to a long running joke started on the formspring). this is the act where the dreambubbles start becoming the thing theyll be for the rest of the comic, and while araneas been hinted at before, this is where she really starts interacting with people. its still a pretty short intermission. the colours and mayhem albums are released during this time.

The Characters

haha psyche im gonna talk about aranea later. fuck that.

The Plot

as i mentioned earlier, the intermissions are short updates, or check ins. theyre not super elaborate. still, i feel that this one warrants a little elaboration, just bc its referenced so frequently in fandom.

on the ship, davesprite rarely appears. he actually has such a small role in the whole trip, and hes mostly just referenced in conversation by john and jade. john, as well all recall, doesnt think of davesprite as the "real dave," but jade really does value him a lot, making the argument that both he and dave are similar, but separate people, in the sense that ds isnt just a replaceable copy, but a person she really cares about as his own individual. outside of this vague subject of ds, though, most of the ship checkins are about jade and johns boredom and isolation, and how they struggle to find things to do, even with so many planets at their disposal.

w regards to the meteor, the penis ouija scene is infamous, particularly among dvekat fans. i found the meteor check in interesting largely for 2 reasons: 1) its the first instance we see of karkat acknowledging his blood color openly and without fear, typing in it for convenience, and 2) despite karkats flagrant dismissal of terezis feelings when talking to dave about that godawful fucking chart, dave takes the opposite position, calling him out directly on the fact that he didnt even talk to her before trying to set up this insane fucking thing. the penis ouija is a way to sidetrack karkat from being such a tool. idk, i just thought it was an interesting moment

The Albums

coloUrs and mayhem: universes a & b are the result of a contest hussie hosted wherein she asked for character themed submissions, in an attempt to put together an album with all new artists and draw attention to musical talent within the fandom. it was a pretty cool idea, if naive to just how many fucking submissions theyd end up getting.

universe a is one of my favorite hs albums. its split into three parts, the first with songs themed after the ancestors, the second after the trolls, and the third a few bonus tracks. while there are a small, select handful of songs i cant stand (your universe my beloathed) almost the entire album is just hit after fucking hit. indigo heir and gold pilot are up there on my favorites list, but temporal shenanigans is just so good, its such a perfect fucking aradia song and it goes so hard. most of the tracks fit their respective trolls so well, and ive put this album on in the background a lot over the years.

universe b is formatted similarly, with the first part themed after the beta kids, the second after the alpha, and the third being bonus tracks. i dont like this one as much as universe a. there are way more bonus tracks than themed ones, and i dont have any standout tracks, but overall the songs are still good and it was a good listen.

Act 6 Act 3

now its starting to get real. back to the alpha kids, jane is now exploring her world and what it means to be stuck in a void session (one of my formspring recaps has a screenshot of hussie talking about what that is). brain ghost dirk is introduced as jake reflects on a conversation where dirk explained the history of their guardians and hic's takeover, calliope and caliborn are introduced in full after being teased in previous acts, and the act wraps up with dirks (but really hals) machinations to get everyone in the medium and caliborns victory over calliope. during this time, the albums vol 9, symphony impossible to play, and one year older were released.

The Characters

calliope is sweet, friendly, and beloved by all of the alpha kids, but particularly jane and roxy, who she seems to share the closest bonds with and talks to the most. she restrains herself in conversations in the name of avoiding "spoilers," knowing the future of their session due to roses journal that she maintained towards the end of their adventure (mentioned in a6i2). she believes she will play sburb with caliborn, and gain dominance through convincing him to be a better person, and therefore more like her.

caliborn is a nasty little bastard, hated by all. he likes dirk best, but who can say why. hes weird and perverted and not very bright, and has an obsession with saw-esque "games" with "shitty twists" that are really just him cheating. he wins his competition with calliope in a similar manner, by cheating and killing her dreamself, and then chewing off his own leg, which is later stated to go against how cherubs are supposed to grow up and permanently stunts his growth. ill talk more about that later, im sure.

neither of them have huge roles right now other than foreshadowing.

The Albums

vol 9 is another one of my favorite hs albums. crystalmethequins is one of my favorite hs songs of all time, but other noteable tracks include whistling jackhammer, pumpkin party in sea hitlers water apocalypse (fun fact: cronus makes a spoof of this song later), iRRRRRRRRECONCILA8LE, and of course, moonsetter and noirscape. these are some of the songs i was referencing in my albums 1-4 recaps that build off of early songs that i really love!

symphony impossible to play is a short solo album. its definitely pretty, but its very short and kind of just covers of very classic, constantly remixed homestuck songs, such as homestuck anthem. i didnt come away with much to say about it.

one year older is another solo album by erik scheele, who also did the sburb album i really enjoyed. hes a master of piano and crafts such beautiful stories with his pieces. this album follows johns journey through hs. i honestly loved it, but why the FUCK. is flying car replaced with fly from the mobius album on the unofficial collection. that was such a fucking jumpscare that was one of my least favorite tracks on that album (which i already DIDNT LIKE) and it really fucked up my enjoyment of what is genuinely a great album.

Act 6 Intermission 3

this is the dancestor one. The dancestor one. im going to talk about meenahbound in a different post, but aside from the dancestor thing, this is also the year 2 check up on the meteor and ship. this is where john has his birthday breakdown, and where rose gets drunk and goes on a date with kanaya. this is also when we find out gamzee and terezi have started dating. meanwhile, in the dreambubbles, vriska and tavros have met up post tavrisprite and are working together to amass a ghost army in the name of getting le to blow up a bunch of stuff, so they can discover some treasure that will stop him. tavros wants to propose to her, but i dont think theyre dating. ill probably wait to talk about that in the dancestor post, bc im worried about the word limit. genesis frog is the only album released during this time, and the tumblr is still going strong.

The Plot

johns bday breakdown is infamous. out of fucking nowhere, he flips out about how much he hates one of his most beloved movies, con heir, and ends the whole thing with a tantrum outside, screaming at a watermark of davesprite only he can see with such aggression that it knocks him clean out. reading through the breakdown now, its kind of obvious that its not really about con heir, or davesprite, or anything. its just that hes bored and lonely and feeling particularly frustrated and helpless about it. he lashes out at everything and everyone around him because hes been isolated for two years. its the anniversary of his dads death, and its clear that its just a tipping point for him. davesprites note is honestly like... its in bad taste, but its a pretty harmless, stupid note that seems typical for dave, and i doubt he was thinking about how it was the anniversary of johns dads death, especially given that he wasnt there when it happened, and he has a very different relationship to bro and bros death that also probably colors things. but for john, its kind of the last straw, and he loses it. in fics people tend to make it about davesprite, but it really, really isnt.

roses date with kanaya.... aw, man. its so bad. its clear kanaya doesnt really understand the connotations of rose being drunk, and dave is really, really worried about rose, trying his best to help her as much as he can in the precious few moments before the date starts. but rose and kanaya want to go, and daves not in the business of bossing anybody around ever, so he relents and lets them. rose is as wordy as ever when drunk, and spends a long time rambling her worries about gamzee and terezi. its incredible, she predicts right in that moment exactly how their session winds up doomed and why they should be worried about the relationship, but its clear her drinking prevents her from seeing it clearly or thinking through what to do about it. she then gets distracted, rambling a bunch of suggestive stuff to kanaya, and tops the date off with a spectacularly awkward and terrible drunk kiss, followed immediately by her falling down the stairs. its just... so rough.

The Tumblr

in summary, the tumblr so far has been a combination of what hussie hoped the formspring would be, and the newsposts. mostly, hussie posts updates about the comic, about art other artists contributed (often rbing their blogs or posts), and about the store, with occasional random posts that are vaguely related to homestuck (ie; the dark cage post, or the olive garden saga), and occasional q&a sessions, which consist of a singular post with a mass of answers. unlike with the formspring, most of the qs hussie answers are directly relevant to the comic and expand on lore, characters, or background information to development. the tumblr is... actually worth a read, shockingly. so far, its not terrible. way better than the formsprings, and also updates a lot less and a lot more concisely. this is in keeping with the comic, which is also slowing down on updates around this time (one year passes between the beginning of act 6 and the beginning of a6a4), and is focusing on plot heavy bursts, rather than meaningless bullshit.

The Album

genesis frog is a solo, thematic album, meant to capture the journey of billious slick throughout his life, touching on the prospitians and consorts worship of him, jades work in breeding him, and jacks hand in hurting him. the track art is stunning, and each song was crafted with a lot of thought and effort. the extra art is super cute. i dont think i have an ear for this style of music, and since i had it on in the background, i cant say i picked up on all of the detail that went into the pieces, but im nonetheless impressed, at the very least by the heart involved.

Final Thoughts

how does this feel simultaneously so short and so long so far? its probably the minigames. and the insane amount of albums all posted at one time, right after the other. so little has really happened so far, and yet so many significant, infamous fandom moments have also happened. i think its a side effect of hussie really only focusing on the most relevant things right now, and also a side effect of the fandom probably completely overblowing the meteors importance to the story. i guess its because homestuck slows down so much during the meteor journey, we were all just stuck thinking about it for so goddamn long. myself included! im quickly approaching the part where i started reading homestuck, which is very exciting for me.

on my first read of act 6, i remember instantly loving dirk, probably just bc he was an extension of dave to me (and roxy, for the same reasons). however, in these early acts, jake and hal were definitely my favorites. they have such a fascinating and fun dynamic, and hal is probably the funniest character in these acts to me.

anyway, next up: a post all about meenahbound, and eventually, one day, act four?

update: a6a4-a6i5

[citrinesparkles]

austen anon dropping in to send 🎶🌞👀 for the emoji ask and say hi!! ♡

HIIII SWEETHEART <3 so good to see you!!! (questions here!)

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

this question tickles me bc i'm almost always listening to music. short answer yes i do, music is my one and only and i have it on alllll the time <3 what i listen to when i write varies though! usually i try to match the vibe to what i want to write (so upbeat, lovey-dovey music for fluff, and more ballad-y stuff for my more emotional pieces) but not always. sometimes i just put something on and hope for the best HJKDSHKDS

as for my current listening! i am not decisive enough to list just one so i made a little playlist. (if you listen pls lemme know if you like any of it :) i LOVEEEE talking about music it is my favorite activity)

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

i do most of my writing at night! i do most Everything at night tbh. i'm trying to switch it up though- fixing my sleep schedule one little bit at a time.

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

i promise i do have wips. i am writing i just am writing things im not happy enough with to post HJDKFHDSKJFHSD

BUT i think im working the less-than-ideal work out of my system (finally), so i'm hoping to have some of my valentine's requests out soon!

beyond that!! idk if this will ever see the light of day, but i have been trying to figure out cass! i've never successfully written her (but neither have a lot of canon dc writers. so.) i want to, though! i love her to pieces and think she could be a lot of fun- i just want to do her justice.

i talked about this in this post, but it's really important to me to get characterizations right. i get straight up intimidated by every character i write- even jason! he scares the shit out of me the moment i have to write any sort of real emotion from him, bc he's a complex character. my own emotional responses are usually pretty straightforward, so writing characters with more complex backstories like him or cass is a challenge! one i take seriously, one i try to handle with care.

[h2bakugou]

oh my god hi, ive binge read all your stuff recently tbh XD

Can i request a song fic for one Bakuhoe please? I feel “Fruit Roll Ups” by Waterparks would work perfectly for him (x gn!reader ofc)

I hope that made sense? yeah sorry XD THANK YOU IF YOU DO akskhfjfkdka

a/n: hii!! yes! i just started playing this song to write this request, and i am HOOKED. it's so good, and it radiates such bakugou energy.

summary: bakugou realizes he has a bit of a soft spot for you.

song: Fruit Roll Ups by Waterparks

key: (y/n) - your name / (f/n) - first name / (l/n) - last name / (e/c) - eye color / (h/c) - hair color / (y/q) - your quirk

warnings: swearing, fluff

word count: 1k (lyrics included)

> fanart < made by the lovely @windex-princess-ami for this story!!

;cut for length;

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I got some Fruit By The Foot if you wanna come over Yeah, you can wrap your arms so tight Right 'round my shoulders In case you're scared of the movies I pick I'm sorry in advance for that shit

Your phone screen illuminates with a text from your boyfriend who's deemed 'katsu bae<3' in your contacts. His message is short and sweet, saying he picked up from snacks for your arranged movie night if you were ready to head on over.

You shoot a message back saying you'd be over in a few minutes. You'd been looking forward to spending a bit more time with him. Training had kept the both of you busy lately.

You look forward to cuddling with him because you know he'll pick something spooky, maybe a thriller. You know he's just using it as an excuse for you to snuggle into him. But you don't mind.

Bakugou feels a little bad for making you watch stupid scary movies that he finds to be rather annoying or funny while you may jump or cling to him when he wants to bust out laughing.

When you talk It's in cursive to me And it's nicer than anything I'd believe about me It's like that shit was written in gel pen And I love those

You're sitting in his lap this time around, his arms draped around your shoulders. You're just chatting about your day but Bakugou is kind of zoning out. He's listening, but he's just hearing your voice. It's angelic and beautiful.

He can't quite understand how you can sound so beautiful, almost like your voice was writing in cursive, the delicate strokes were the way you sounded out his name.

And whenever you complimented him, he felt warm inside. Whenever you said anything about him, he felt warm inside. You were so kind. So loving. He wasn't sure how you just seemed to brush his brashness aside, but you did, and it astounded him.

If you want to see me Acting so desperately So desperately All you gotta do is stop texting me Just to flex on me

Bakugou can't stand it when you text him all the time, asking him to come over when you're laying in bed, blowing up his phone even though he's supposed to be sleeping.

He's not mad. He's jealous. He wants to be right there beside you, but he isn't. He replies 'if you wanna see me so bad then just come over.' but you usually just tell him to go to bed and that it's past his little bedtime.

Bakugou knows you just love messaging him goodnight whenever it is you go to sleep. And he'll wait for those messages. And if it's been too long, and you don't respond, you'll always wake up with a 'goodnight dumbass <3' from him in the morning, way too late for him to have stayed up.

It's true I'm a little bitch for you now I don't wanna say it way too loud But I'm a little bitch for you now

Bakugou hates it. The way you make him feel. It's the good kind of hate, the kind of hate you learn to love. Like hearing that one song on repeat so much you end up adding it to your playlist because you have it memorized at this point anyway.

He feels warm and happy. He feels like maybe he doesn't deserve someone like you. You're so perfect, so perfect for him, maybe too perfect even.

Bakugou can't help but mumble to himself that he's gotten soft, and Kaminari's teasing comments certainly don't help either. He's supposed to be the tough number one hardass, but here you are breaking him out of that stupid little box he's locked himself in to try and remain on top.

He'd already fallen, fallen so hard and so far for you.

I bought these really sick lights if you wanna come over They tried to scam me twice But look, they both can change colors like that Like that, oh oh

Bakugou refuses to send you any regular pictures after Kaminari practically bought those LED light strips for him. Though it was far too hard to actually purchase them and install them, Bakugou's always sending you some pic in the pretty red lights or moody blue ones.

You enjoy laying on his bed while they're on, listening to him talk about what Deku said to him earlier while you switch them to green just to egg him on. He's complaining shouting at you to change them back to orange or red.

You switch them to your favorite color and now he can't complain-even if your favorite color is green.

I don't wanna leave my house 'Cause in here I'm the ruler With my refrigerator Full of Pacific Cooler But for you, I'd brave all the traffic outside The way you brave all the bullshit I hold inside

When Bakugou leaves the privacy of his loneliness to be with you, he's vulnerable. But he tolerates it, swallowing down those weird feelings he's never really understood before.

But he does it. He braves it for you. The way you stand up to him when he's a jerk to Midoriya, or when he raises his voice at you, or when you spar and he's not holding back. You tell him to let it out. Everything he keeps inside, you tell him you can handle it, and you do.

He doesn't understand how you do it. But he doesn't want to.

Oh it's true, ooh I'm a little bitch for you now I'm a little bitch, oh my God Did I say that too loud? It's true I'm a little bitch for you now I don't wanna say it way too loud But I'm a little bitch for you now

"Fuck, I love you so fuckin' much." Bakugou mumbles against your forehead as you cuddle.

You smile against his chest, nuzzling into him more. He freezes when he feels your smile.

"You didn't hear that..." He replies softly, nuzzling himself into your hair, flustered by his own words of admiration for you.

"You know I love you just as much right? Even if it sounds cheesy." You lift your head to look him in his crimson-colored eyes. He just hums quietly, leaning down to press a little kiss to your cheek.

"I know. I just, wanna remember this moment for a while." Bakugou replies, closing his eyes as he holds you close.

"You wanna split a fruit roll-up after?" You ask quietly.

"Mhm."

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masterlist

[xnchxntmxnt]

OMG HAPPY 2OO LUV!! ILYSM, AND YOU DEFINITELY DESERVE MORE!! AS EXPECTED I'M HERE FOR THE MATCHUP EVENT AND I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE KSDJFHSDF

1 | name : amie 2 | pronouns : s/her 3 | preferred gender : doesn't really matter 4 | self-description :

— it's ya clown sho <3 anyway, i'm an ambivert but more inclined towards the introvert side. my MBTI is INFJ and i'm a Gemini. i'd describe myself as someone who's very observant? yea, i guess. i'm awkward and you know it. My favorite color is blue, specifically sapphire, but i love all pastel colors. My fav show is Chicago Medical and all the psychological and crime thrillers out there are my favorite ( silent patient is my #1 though ) I love painting, playing piano and basketball!

— what i look in a partner you ask, uh, someone who can tolerate my silence. there are times when i go quiet for a whole day, i'll barely speak, no interaction nothing. i want someone who'd not exactly 'deal with it' but 'understand it.' also, i want someone who i can talk to without any hesitation. i have a hard time opening up so i don't do it but when i do, i spill almost everything. i might cry, might have anxiety attack, i might even shout. i know it's not very healthy but i want someone who can help me with those. plus someone who i can read with please <3 cheating and not having any respect for personal space would be the major deal breaker for me

5 | gen. aesthetic : my fashion sense starts from sweats and ends in sweats. i'm a big fan of those oversized hoodies and shirts, like something really comfy. however, i do have a collection of formal wears like blazers and dress.

6 | color/s to describe myself : red, actually. if not read then blue. it switchers but red 90% of the times.

7 | fav song/s : literally everything by Chase Atlantic and The Neighborhood. However, my absolute favorites are some of the famous classical pieces like Experience by Ludovico Einaudi and Chopin's Ballade No. 1 Op 23.

8 | fav genre of music : classical music ( Beethoven, Einaudi and Chopin own my heart )

Lol this is very lengthy I'm sorry, btw congrats again!

I looked into MBTI, I looked into zodiacs, I went off of what you said

Here he is, the man, Seijoh’s do-it-all guy

HANAMAKI TAKAHIRO ur new boyfriend

There is not enough content for him, anyway

How You Met

Bear with me here

Think about this

Artist!hanamaki

You love painting? Art club.

Idk if youre actually in any art club but shhh

Anyway, it was probably some sort of community thing full of tons of different age artists (bc you’d have basketball or something after school and he had volleyball)

So like once a week on thursday afternoons everyone gets together and does all sorts of artsy stuff

Everyone listens to lo fi music (or you can bring headphones) and chit chat and just paint for a couple hours

Its in the back section of a library (bc the library near me does stuff like this its awesome) so if you want you can go read a book while you wait for things to dry

One day the person that ran it suggested you talked to the new guy

He was about your age, it was his first day, they didn't know what all he was good at, and tbh they thought you two would look cute together

Just the vibes yk

So you set up your canvas and stuff next to him and introduced yourself

And you guys just vibe to the playlist

He’s REALLY good

Compliments you a lot too

Which is fun because he’s cute so it makes you a little flustered

You find out you guys go to the same school and he’s on the VB team

And says he has a (practice) game that weekend and asks you to come if you can

Which you do

And they win! So its fun!

Matsukawa basically asks you out for him though

He’s heard all about you already

“You don't get it issei! She’s so pretty!! God, she touched my hand and I thought I was gonna die!!!!!” “the enthusiasm is new for you” “shut up asshole” (conversation from the night before)

So he walks up to you after the game and is like “Hey so,,, we’re going out to get some lunch, you wanna come?”

Makki thinks HES flirting with you and is pissed off about it

Until you all sit down for lunch and oh, the only open spot for him is next to you (since when is matsukawa willing to sit between iwaizumi and oikawa??)

He asked you out after art club that week (Mattsun threatened not to give him any more monster for the rest of the month if he didn't get the guts to do it)

General Headcanons

You date hanamaki, you're also dating matsukawa

There’s no separating them (good thing ur MBTIs work together too, especially for strong friendships)

This was literally my first thought

So

Good luck with both these trolls

More on that later

Of course he’s going to be worried if you go radio silent for a while, but he'll understand

There are some days he’s not gonna wanna talk either

He’s really supportive on your bad days of course

Expect a random text in the middle of the evening from him

“Hiya sweetheart, just wanted to remind you that you’re beautiful, I love you, and I hope your day is going well.”

When he’s having a bad day, the same thing is all he needs from you to keep moving

He’s a really honest person. If you want to talk to him, be prepared not to get any sugar coating. If you tell him to shut up because you don’t want advice, he will. But if you expect advice from him, expect brutally honest advice. Subtlety is not his strong suit, so when it comes to advice, he’s going to tell it like it is. He's just trying to help, yknow?

However, he’s pretty good with people, so will know how to comfort you when something is bothering you. Tea and cuddles? Gotcha. Dancing at 11pm because neither of you want to sleep yet? On it. You want him to hold you? Perfect.

He’s not like...the most touchy person? There are some things he’s really indifferent on, and other things he’s stubborn as hell with. Whatever you wanna do, though

His weakness though

⚠️this part is slightly little bit suggestive⚠️

He will randomly walk up to you and pull you against him, give you a really deep kiss, smirk and walk away like nothing happened

Like hands in hair probably almost making out and then just

Walk away

Because that’s how he kisses and it’s breathtaking every time

It’s either little temple kisses or forehead or cheek pecks or something

Or that

And probably leaves you flustered and it’s funny (to him) (and to me if I was there with you) (bc that would be funny)

Hmm I’m thinking

I’m thinking hair dye dates

He needs help doing his hair from time to time Y’know (he doesn’t he just likes spending time with you) and he wants to make it pink again

So he teaches you how to do his hair and even offers to dye yours one day

Either just a strand or the ends or everything, up to you

Imagine having twinning hair dye with makki isn’t that cute

I think it’s cute

I said ur platonically dating mattsun right

Yes you are now

He absolutely adores you and loves how much makki loves you

Probably would have asked you out if makki didn’t but he was really pushing for makki to because he was just all over you in the beginning

He wasn’t overly attached to you romantically so being friends? Perfect. Sounds great

You two get along wonderfully though like you act like siblings once you warm up to each other

Again, very brutally honest person, but a little more awkward so doesn’t know what he’s saying might come off as he’s acting like a dick

He doesn’t try to though and he does really care about you

Flat out told makki if he breaks up with you and breaks your heart he’s gonna kick his ass (makki doesn’t know he had the same (less aggressive) conversation with you)

Tbh all of the VBC at seijoh loves you

Oikawa loves talking to you he thinks you’re great for makki

Gets you in on he and makki and mattsun’s antics

Iwa thinks you’re good too he just doesn’t know you as well

I think that kunimi would like you (he was almost a runner up--)

Kindaichi too

The first years just think you’re cool even if they won’t say it out loud

Seijoh VBC loves you

You got mattsun’s approval

And hanamaki loves you with literally everything in his life

So

You’re pretty set with your strawberry baby huh

Date Night!

SLEEPOVERS

I was waiting for some matchup to come along that gave me sleepover vibes

In a perfect world where you could do sleepovers with your bf because most parents would,,,not let that happen

Imagine…

He shows up at like 7:00 after practice, pizza in hand because he picked up dinner

You two eat, chat about your day, he probably scarfs down half the pie bc it’s after practice ofc he’s hungry

So when you guys are done eating you head up to your room

And make pillow fort

It’s mandatory

Different design every time, but there’s a pillow fort nonetheless

And then when there’s just enough room for the both of you to climb in

You get a blanket and a couple pillows and one of your phones or laptops or whatever and watch a movie and cuddle

When the movie is over you guys break out the face masks

You ever wonder why he has such great skin? It’s thanks to you (or if you don’t have masks, he picks them up on the way home from practice)

But anyway you guys talk shit about people for a while and sit with the masks on (it’s usually him talking about how Oikawa is a bitch as much as he loves him) (or about whatever he and Mattsun were talking about lately)

You both get chances to vent while the masks sit on your face and you just vibe with music (usually that you pick) (he listens to like,,,meme songs and like CORPSE yk)

After masks you guys make/get some snacks and munch on those during another movie but this time you’re in comfy jammies and more relaxed Y’know

Less paying attention to the movie you’ve seen a million times and just vibing in each other’s presence and it’s just really sweet

Fall asleep on his chest

Let him fall asleep on yours

Either way, you’ve got him whipped for you he loves you

Not that he doesn’t already but that’s his favorite thing ever so please just let him do that

Always makes sure to tell you he loves you before you sleep too

If you fall asleep first he takes embarrassing pictures of you with your hair being a mess & you best bet he sends them to mattsun because “she’s so cute omfg” “dude” “dude what” “you’re so fuckin stupid” “?” “Whatever—good luck being whipped just tell me when you need to get a ring, k” “you’re such a jackass” “yeah yeah Gnight”

Zodiac/MBTI

Okay so I’m not doing a big long paragraph for all this BUT from what I understand, Gemini/Aquarius are really compatible, and ENTP and INFJ are known as “perfect matches” sO (I had a really hard time deciding between Atsumu and Makki because they're both ENTP)

Psst Gemini + Leo is compatible and so is INTP + INFJ,,,, so, again, asking you to marry me sho 💍💍

Aesthetic/Vibes

Playlist

Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C major, BWV 846

Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi Trio (meme song)

Sky Full Of Stars by The Piano Guys

Someone To You by The Piano Guys

Shut Up And Dance - Simply Three

Runners Up

Miya Atsumu, Tsukishima Kei

[polar-stars]

ok. i must know the music tastes of *preparation cough* [insert all of your ocs here] :}

Thank you for enabling me to talk about this 🙏

Kimiko Yukihira 🍳

Kimiko has her own little radio in her room and this radio is pretty much her main source of exposure to music. She therefore listens to a lot of Pop and is especially fond of the upbeat kind. Thanks to the men in her family she has been introduced to various Rock or more Alternative songs as well though. 

Favorite Artists: I feel she’d like Owl City & possibly also Paramore

Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro ⚓️

Hiroshi listens to soft things that ease him down. His playlist is full of cute, soft-sounding pop songs and acoustic stuff. 

Favorite Artists: Hm, Jason Mraz, Sleeping At Last & Ai Means Love, I think

Mika Aldini ☀️

As an avid dancer, Mika mainly listens to songs that you can also dance to. So her playlists mainly consist of very fast-paced, exciting songs. Her favorite Genre is Latin-Pop, but she listens to a lot of regular Pop as well (as long as it’s good for dancing). She also does enjoy some Reggae once in a while, especially if she does feels like relaxing.

Favorite Artists: Shakira & Jennifer Lopez 

Kaori Hayama 💐

Kaori listens majorly to Soul, R&B & Blues. She considers it very relaxing and she does mainly listen to music in order to relax. Kaori does also have a little soft spot for a lot of older jazzy tunes from her mother’s favorite movies.   

Favorite Artists: Aretha Franklin, Sade, Alicia Keys & Adele

Lola Nakiri 🦊

Lola is Daddy’s little girl when it comes to the matter of music. When Lola Nakiri puts on headphones, she’ll be blasting her ears off with Rock & Heavy Metal. She’s also known to have a rather impressive collection of band T-shirts. She can find some appreciation in the sassy Pop her mom listens to, but ultimately Rock & Metal is where her heart is. 

Favorite Artists: Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin I guess. And probably another Metal Band. I sadly only know a few and only by name because I do not listen to Metal, ever. 

Mona Nakiri 🐺

Techno. Mona walks around with her headphones a lot more than Lola does and what she listens to is all sorts of Techno sub-genres and House, with a good number of  Remixes in-between. 

Favorite Artists: Lea doesn’t know any tbh sfghgfhg

Takayuki Hojo 💥

Takayuki listens to Rock like the tough cookie he is. Should he ever listen to anything that isn’t Rock, his father or Suzume most likely made him listen to it. His two favorite songs of all time are “T.N.T” by AC/DC & “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor (Takayuki loves the Rocky movies)

Favorite Artists: As long as it’s Rock he doesn’t care who sings. Okay but he is pretty fond of AC/DC and Guns n’ Roses

Kazuo Mimasaka 💕

My boy Kazuo surely has one big playlist that is filled with nothing but the most sappiest and emotional love-ballads imaginable. And I don’t even want to think about how long it would be. Kazuo can listen to almost anything, the exception being Hardcore Gangster Rap, but what he listens to privately is...yeah, Ballads. 

Favorite Artists: Lionel Richie & Celine Dion are the first names to come to my mind. “My Heart Will Go On” is at the very top of Kazuo’s playlist

Yasu Ibusaki 🌲

Shun passed his liking for Rock down to Yasu. When growing older, Yasu additionally also developed a love for all things Indie & Folkish. Has been called a Hipster for his music taste more than once by Hideyoshi. 

Favorite Artists: Arctic Monkeys, Twenty One Pilots, Hozier 

Chieko Marui 📚

Chieko does listen to a lot of LoFi or Movie/Video Game Soundtracks for studying and relaxation. Her favorite movie soundtrack is that of “The Theory of Everything”. However, when it comes to casual listening her mother got her into Pop. And also thanks to her father, Chieko kinda became accustomed to Pop from all decades. She majorly listens to all sorts off love songs. 

Favorite Artists: TAYLOR SWIFT, Chieko is a confirmed Swiftie. Also really likes Britney Spears tho I feel. 

Hideyoshi Kawashima 🎤

Hideyoshi listens mainly to things you can #party to. Out of all the characters he’s the one who keeps up with the charts the most. Likes Pop and also K-Pop! His dad did successfully get him into some HipHop as well though. Hideyoshi also has a secret soft spot for the boybands of the 90s.

Favorite Artists: Jason Derulo, Backstreet Boys & BTS

Daisuke Aoki 🎸

Daisuke is our Retro-Kid. His music libraries is mostly 80s and 70s, with some songs of the 50s and 60s that his father likes in-between. Is usually the last one in Polar Star to discover the newest hit in the charts, because he’s too busy bopping to the past. Lea can relate. 

Favorite Artists: Queen, A-ha & Huey Lewis & The News

Hiraku Yukihira 🐙

Hiraku likes the modern Rock from the 2000s and 2010s. Occasionally he will stumble over something in the Indie and Alternative department and then be real proud over being the only one who knows a particular song. 

Favorite Artists: Panic! at the Disco, Coldplay and Imagine Dragons

Akio Hayama 🌱

The same as Kaori. This is a thing they have in common, they both do enjoy the same music pretty much. Though I can picture Akio liking some Reggae once in a while in addition. Also just a few days ago, I established that he’s a secret theatre kid who also listens to a lot of Show Tunes. 

Favorite Artists: Stevie Wonder & Marvin Gaye 

Suzume Hojo 🔥

Out of all the characters in the cast, I’d say that Suzume probably has the broadest music taste. She is capable of enjoying a lot of stuff. Being the Meme-Lord that Suzume is, she does love to put on some Meme- and Guilty Pleasure songs. Though of course, there is irony playing into that enjoyment. When it comes to the songs she enjoy unironically, they’re mostly very fast-paced and energetic. I guess you could say her favorite genre is bouncy pop of all decades. Her favorite song of all time would be “Girls just want to have fun”. 

Favorite Artists: Lizzo, Beyoncé and Cindy Lauper. 

Shigeo Eizan 💎

Jazz is Love. Jazz is Life. Shigeo listens to Jazz ahdhd. A lot. He basically always has Jazz going on in the background when he’s working. When he finds the time to listen more attentively, he loves listening to Swing the most. 

Favorite Artists: Frank Sinatra. Also likes Michael Bublé tho I feel. 

Noboru Shinomiya 🍂

Noboru loves nothing more than his collection of classic French Chansons. It’s what he listens to on his long autumn walks through Paris and it makes him happy and content. He also does like the Enka-songs his mother enjoys though.

Favorite Artists: Joe Dassin and Édith Piaf

Kiyoko Saito 🌸

Kiyoko really loves Classical Japanese music a lot but she only really does listen to it on special occassions. She does also enjoy a lot of modern Pop and also K-Pop as well though and she really loves to put it on whenever she dresses up, paints her nails... etc. (Also I can see her being into Vocaloid tbh). 

Favorite Artists: BLACKPINK. I can also see her liking Ariana Grande

Masashi Eizan 🍜

Okay this is our true Classic-Fanatic. All of Nene’s efforts to bring Masashi to operas, ballets and just plain classical concerts have paid off. Masashi listens majorly to Classical Japanese music or Western Classical music. He also does really like Enka. 

Favorite Artist: His favorite Western composer is Beethoven, I haven’t figured out anything else yet. 

Ran Mimasaka 🖋

Ran listens to a lot of operas actually ahdh because, well, she likes operas. Aside from that, she does also enjoy Rock and ChillHop though shdhf. To some this might be a weird combo, but it do be like that sometimes.  

Favorite Artists: In the Rock-department it’s David Bowie. 

-

I admittedly only did the most important high schoolers here, I will need a Part 2 I guess ahdhdf

But still thanks for asking ☺️

[radbutsafe]

ALL FUCKIN 35 OF THEM SKLNWESDJFPXO

I SHOULDVE EXPECTED THIS FROM YOU

1. From one to five stars, how would you rate your writing? (No downplaying yourself!)

A three! I think I’m mid range cause I ain’t terrible but there is still shit I gotta improve and grow in my writing

2. Why do you write fanfiction?

to manifest what canon won’t give me and to write more! (though yes it is mainly about the smooching and the— I’ll stop there LOL)

3. What do you think makes your writing stand out from other works?

Hm! My weird research details? I’m that “fun fact, did you know...” in my fics sometimes LOL! I plan on giving a penthouse for erina in a fic and I went through penthouse listings in Japan for floor layouts and locations💀 my research gives me inspo and depth to stuff I think I lack in comparison to others sometimes.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you?

In terms of fellow fic writers, one of them I can’t name here but she’s an inspiration with her exceptional gift for prose period and her lovely skill at comedy! I want to be as funny as her when I write, I love her ironic situational humor. Other fic writers are @takoyakitenchou, @royaldragonsevgisi15 who I always love sharing ideas with and motivate me to create more! For non-fic writers it would be V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, Oda, and Horikoshi! The last two may be mangaka, however they are writers as well to create their stories! The depth these creators have given their worlds and interesting characters theyve given life to are all what I aspire to be like!

5. What’s the fic you’re most proud of?

so far uh?? hm everything I’m currently writing are wips lol!! im proud of my wip that has been nicknamed ‘soma panics’ that is a multi-chapter fic that spans like probs 20 plus chapters maybe

6. What element of writing do you find comes easily?

dialogue! it’s so much fun! and character thoughts. I’ve said to people I may be better suited for script writing

7. What element of writing do you struggle with most?

I think it’s description, of like setting and showing action. also an expansion of my vocabulary LOL

8. Which character(s) do you find easiest to write?

erina! I think it’s because canon has shown us many of her different faces and range of emotion.

9. Which character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

SOMA!! chill ass mofo whos more carefree compared to the common shonen protagonist! for other shokugeki characters I’m not sure just yet because I haven’t flexed my fingers enough for the rest of them.

10. What’s your favorite genre to write for?

I guess I should say romance cause that’s what I mostly write LOL!

11. Who or what do you find yourself writing about most?

sorina and I try to get them to smooch eventually KEK and yeah it’s..usually romantic fluff lmao

12. Tell us about a WIP you’re excited about.

HONESTLY ALL OF THEM but “soma panics” is my brain child

13. First fandom you ever wrote for?

pretty sure it’s digimon....

14. What’s your favorite fandom to write for?

currently shokugeki no soma!!!!

15. What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve ever written for?

uhhhh I guess SNS? LMAO fandoms...all have their quirks to them.

16. Any guilty pleasure trope(s)?

characters cuddling!!!! or getting the urge to smooch!!!!

17. A trope you’ll never, ever write for.

unrequited love GOOD FUCKIN BYEEEEEE

18. Wildest fic you’ve ever written?

I have plot ideas thst can be wild potentially but so far nothing fits this criteria so far that I actually have written.

19. Do you prefer canon-compliant, AUs, or something in-between?

depends on the fandom, but if written well, all of it!

20. Gen fic or shippy stuff?

shippy 100% like I said I like smoochin

21. Favorite pairing to write for? (platonic or romantic!)

romantic is...*drumroll* SORINA! platonic, soutaku and erina and alice!

22. Do you listen to anything while you write?

Sometimes! There are times songs will be on loop and times I just shuffle a playlist. and if I’m writing in random bursts it’ll be with no music but it really does depend lmao I think music is when I’m forcing myself to write?

23. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

completely independent ideas, I’ve realized in the past prompts shoot me in the foot often unless I luckily figure something out. but I’m often driven by my own sporadic self interest with shitty ping ponging attention

24. One-shots or multi-chaptered works?

multi-chap I guess cause I can post without being finished LOLLL but tbh can I really answer? I haven’t finished anything.....

25. Have you ever daydreamed about side adventures/spin-offs from your fic? Tell us about them!

I can’t answer this question imo because I haven’t finished a fic yet so technically stuff could all fit in the one fic?

26. Is there anything you’ve wanted to write, but you’ve been too scared to try?

MYSTERY AND CRIME! I love the genre and I have plot ideas once a blue moon but I can’t dive in because I want to make details that work and reduce plot holes where suspension of disbelief isn’t as needed. I need to study it more (I need to study all the details for any of my fics imo to be confident sometimes LOL)

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received?

I don’t think I can say one comment was the nicest because I’ve gotten comments that have given me quite the smiles to my face many times! I know this is a cop out but it’s true!

IS WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY UNTIL REINA SENT ME THE FOLLOWING ON DISCORD LIKE TWENTY MINS AGO:

and also rad. i am never this vocal about my emotions like EVER but this needs to be said your fics are obviously far from perfect, as are mine and everyone else's. but the thing about your works is that they're so well-sanded that it's impossible to find any rough edges or faults in them in terms of cohesion to a plot. your cast is never OOC and the amount of effort you devote to developing your takes on the characters as accurately as possible is unimaginably awe-inspiring.

BITCH I WANNA CRY 😭

28. How well do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

I’d like to believe I take it often well to try and improve because that’s always my goal. if someone is rude lol that’s not constructive snd is unhelpful. If I disagree with criticism I’ll explain why !

29. Have you ever gone outside of your comfort zone for a fic? How did it turn out?

Not yet, but I have some plot ideas I think will let me test this.

30. Tooth-rotting fluff or merciless angst?

F L U F F.

31. Do you have any OCs? Tell us about them!

elliott fuji, a japanese-american award winning photographer who is erina’s boyfriend in ‘soma panics’ which..causes soma’s panic LOL he’s 30 with slightly wavy black hair. I still haven’t pinpointed his personality just yet...he kind of humble brags for sure an artsy fucker and flirts maybe I’ll make him a lil shy though. he teaches sometimes, and becomes an adjunct photography professor in Tokyo so he can be with erina.

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less.

a cook is unfashionably late in realizing his feelings.

33. Is there anything you wish your audience knew about your writing or writing process?

I am a slow. so slow. motivation who is she? I also write out of order, unfortunately a bit too often.

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

this should be for the fic ‘soma panics’ it’s either megumi or satoshi talkin to him rn, I’m leaning towards satoshi

“You thought she would always wait for you, didn’t you Soma-kun? To always welcome you home.”

Soma drags his palms down his face and groans. He doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t shy from confrontation but this is a whole different ballgame. Soma doesn’t play any ball.

“I guess..?” Is his reply, because he thinks he isn’t sure how to answer that.

“You guess?”

Just being questioned again is enough to crack Soma’s pathetic facade as if it was dropped chinaware and he lets out the longest sigh.

“No.”

Coming home means coming home to Nakiri Erina too.

Nakiri Erina is his forever.

this is @takoyakitenchou’s excerpt she’s most proud of that I’ve written, which is also from you guessed it, the long fic soma panics

SOMA: I am, I mean I will be, I swear I will always come home to you, not spend as much time abroad, once I’m done with work I’ll come right back. I’ll make sure to message you. Nakiri, I’m in love you with you. Maybe for a really long time. You know how I say I dedicate my food to you? My dad—my dad said that the key to become a good chef is to find someone to dedicate your cooking to. A special someone. For my dad it was my mom, you know? For me it’s...

(this is a good piece of dialogue tbh so I am also proud of this)

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want!

I’ve mentioned it throughout this but the WIP I’ve nicknamed ‘soma panics’ is something I’m super excited to write, but it’s going on slowly...and almost completely out of order. out of all of my writing it showed off that particular habit of mine, along with “what is this, a shoujo manga?!” though the latter is currently being written chronologically now that I’ve posted chapter one and is pretty solid in direction. it was originally supposed to be a one shot but I got impatient and wanted to post at least something for the sorina / soueri fandom.

however, because ‘soma panics’ (I won’t call it that LOL) is my baby I want to keep true to my rule of refusing to post it until I have a draft of the entire fic finished and I’m satisfied with the main points pretty much. due to my writing out of order, I’m worried I’ll change my mind about scenes or want to reflect things in earlier chapters for later ones etc etc

I joined the SnS fandom extremely late, as season five was airing. I was a fan of the manga five years ago and dropped it because I forgot to check for updates when I caught up 😔 I really want to bang out the different fics and aus for sorina that I have before the fandom fizzles out entirely but tbh I’m writing for myself, I’m manifesting what I want to see and I’ll just share it with all my friends to read if no one else will. cause I’m slow broski I dunno what writing fast even is like LMAO I do really want to write faster though, so I can contribute more and let the words free from the discord dms....

[myhoneststudyblr]

Anxiety

So I don’t usually post about personal stuff. In fact I never post about actual personal stuff but I want to start doing it more because one of the best things about studyblr is the community but I think sometimes the reality of what it’s like to be a student today can sometimes get lost in all the aesthetic and self care and study tips. And anyway, my url is myhoneststudyblr so maybe I should be honest and share something with you guys.

***

With that in mind:

I just had a panic attack.

It came completely out of the blue and wasn’t even anything to do with studying or school or something like that. Or maybe it was. Maybe deep in my subconscious, I’m stressed about something or something upset me today in school and i just don’t fully realise it. Maybe it’s just school I general, I don’t know. But anyway the immediate cause of it wasn’t anything study related.

I had a panic attack because I couldn’t find my headphones.

I was getting ready for bed, listening to my Taylor Swift Playlist (aka my happy, nostalgia songs) and I looked at my bedside table and my headphones weren’t there.

Now this isn’t actually anything unusual, so I did what I usually do and go check my desk, where 90% of the time is exactly where I find them no problem.

They weren’t there.

So I looked in the next place they usually are, the place I find my headphones the remaining 9.9% of the time: the pockets of my blazer.

They weren’t there.

This is where I began to panic.

I frantically checked my ‘phone pocket’ again. And then I did it again just in case I missed it the last two times. And then I looked the the other two pockets in my blazer: I never usually put my headphones in either of those pockets but maybe - hopefully - I put them in there this time.

They weren’t there.

By this point, my breath is getting a little short. I’m telling myself to calm down, make a plan, deep breaths in and out, count to 10, you can solve this!!! But while one part of my brain - the logical part that has read and remembers all the self care posts that flit around the studyblr community - is telling me all these sensible things, the other part - the illogical one that’s making my breath short and my heart pound - is thinking about what it means if I can’t find my headphones.

I’m thinking about how if I can’t find my headphones then I can’t listen to music before I go to bed and if I ever do that I feel like I’ve not properly finished my day, like I’ve stopped halfway through a task. I hate it. And then if I can’t find my headphones tonight, I’m not going to be able find them tomorrow morning because I won’t have time. And if I don’t have them tomorrow morning, I won’t have them in school. And if I don’t have them in school, I won’t have them on the bus for my journey back home, which again feels like I’ve not done a task properly, like something is left incomplete somehow, and I’m going to have to sit in silence, looking every now and then at my phone and thinking and thinking about the fact that I don’t have my headphones. And then the cycle will continue to that evening when I can’t listen to music and to the next day on the bus. And it just repeats and repeats and repeats.

By this point I have looked in every draw in my desk, checked and rechecked my pencil case and school bag and almost completely unpacked all the clothes, makeup and other assorted items I’d only just packed in a big suitcase to go to my mum’s house. I have checked the laundry basket three times and every pocket in all the bags and still could not find my headphones.

I am now barely able to see cause I’m crying and my breaths are getting quicker and quicker. And my mind will just not stop thinking .

I can’t keep looking, I sit down on the edge of my bed and grab my phone. Through eyes blurry with tears I text my dad to come up to my room.

Then I realise, as soon as I press send, how stupid this problem sounds. I can’t find my headphones.

This just makes it worse.

My dad comes upstairs and talks me briefly through it. He tells me that he is sure he can find some of his headphones and anyway, he’ll go see if he can find them now. You just go finish getting ready for bed.

But I’m in such a state at this point that I can’t. So I check everything in my room again: all the pockets, the floor, mixed up with my clothes in my bag.

Finally, I recheck my laundry and I find my headphones, tucked away in the deep pocket of my skirt.

I cannot explain the relief I felt.

***

I was still feeling - am still feeling really - a bit shaky after it. And to be honest, now that I’ve blurted all this out, reached the end of my little story, I don’t really know what the point is.

I guess, I want people to remember that everyone experiences stress and anxiety and everybody experiences it in different ways and different severities. I want people to remember that all those self care posts are good and all (and tbh I’m probably going to keep reblogging them just in case somebody needs to read it) but in reality, if you’re panicking or you’re crying or anything like that, you’re probably not going to remember all that wonderful advice. Finally, I want people to remember that you are never truly alone. I always find this a bit patronising and, when I’m feeling really shit, I always think it’s wrong, but you really aren’t. Talk to your parents or those who you live with if you feel comfortable with that. Send a text to your best friend. Listen to music from your favourite singer at the loudest volume so it feels like they are right there with you. Message someone on tumblr (anyone can message me and I’ll try to help). Or maybe even write a tumblr post.

***

It is harder for me to think of people who haven’t had panic attacks, or breakdowns or anything similar in my own friend group in school than it is to think of people who haven’t. It’s so common and so accepted that it has almost become a joke- “oh last night I didn’t get much done, I had a breakdown while doing my chemistry homework- a levels! am I right?!??”

This is not okay.

But this not being the way education and teenagers mental health should be is not your fault

No matter what teachers, parents, friends or whoever else might say, you should never feel bad for the way you feel. You should never feel bad for feeling like you can’t cope or having a bad day. You should never feel bad for panicking, even for something as ‘stupid’ as losing your headphones.

Because if it makes you feel that way, then it’s not stupid. Not at all.

[dolphin-enthusiast]

That now request are open could you do headcanons of La Squadra and their favourite kinds if music (sorry if this has been done before)??

Surprisingly this wasn't done before shsjsjs

Risotto:

- Can it be more obvious??? This dude is a total metalhead. Loves anything from Metallica (literally named his stand after them so they must be his fav band) to Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Gojira, Rob Zombie etc. (at this point I'm just flexing my music taste jshsjsj).

- I can also see him being into softer stuff such as RHCP or Nirvana. Anything rock/metal really.

- Also likes alot of 80s pop and 80s hits in general (Fine Young Cannibals, The Human League etc.)

Melone:

- He's fuckin wild. What doesn't he listen to really?? But tbh I see him as liking mainly electro and dance shit.

- Has been a Skrillex stan at some point. He may or may not love anything dubstep related and has a slight dislike towards classical music.

- Also sometimes likes mainstream stuff, but only sometimes. Risotto would kick him in a ditch.

Formaggio:

- He stans Lana don't @ me. He definitely loves all of her songs and gets clowned for it daily by the others.

- Besides that I can see him being into rap amd hiphop, but oldschool rap, never the mainstream shit. Tbh I think he has a pretty versatile music taste.

- Like sometimes he may listen to alternative and even punk shit. Nothing too heavy though, sometimes Risotto's music absolutely pierces his eardrums.

Ghiaccio:

- No one would have ever guessed but he secretely likes romantic-ish songs. Usually loves looking into movie soundtracks.

- No one knew until the day that Formaggio discovered that he has Let it go on his spotify playlist and Ghiaccio almost killed him.

- He doesn't like rap at all and often yeets Formaggio for blasting it way too loud from his room or car.

Illuso:

- LOTS of hiphop and energetic upbeat songs. Hell he even likes Lady Gaga and Prince, he isn't fixated on only one genre.

- Surprisingly enough he also likes jazzy tunes. He often listens to those in the evening as he tries to kick back and relax after a long day.

- Sometimes he may even join Risotto and listen to some aggresive metal. He really has no preference and likes anything that has a good beat and nice lyrics.

Prosciutto:

- Honestly I can see him being into classical music (cue a pissed off Melone). But his stand is named Grateful Dead so I think there's more to him than meets the eye.

- Besides that he definitely listens to artists like Grateful Dead (duh), King Crimson, Arcade Fire, Queen, David Bowie or The Moody Blues.

- I can see him even listening to The Beatles. Honestly anything old is good for him, he doesn't like newer music at all.

Pesci:

- His stand says everything. No 1 fan of The Beach Boys. If anything his brother's musical tastes also influenced him.

- This is why he tends to like alot of music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. But he's far more versatile than Prosci and actually likes newer music.

- I can also see him jamming out to pop alot. Pretty sure he lowkey loves Britney spears and Ke$ha as well.

[inthedrift]

More Chaleigh headcannons

Because I’ve been spreading a lot of sad recently so

Who hogs the blanket? - Chuckles, Raleigh doesn't feel the need for the blankets half the time, he grew up in Alaska for gods sake, a blanket in Sydney might just finish him off. Also Chuck gives off the heat of a dying star and is always adamant about wrapping himself around Raleigh's back and causing him to almost expire from heat exhaustion. So it's less Chuck hogging the blanket and more Raleigh fighting to have the thing as far away from him as possible

Who eats the others uneaten pizza crusts? - Rals, he spent 5 years on rations, he doesn't let anything go to waste. Even before that when Richard bailed and Dominique got sick they didn't have a lot of money so every bite of food counted. They get plenty of food now but it's still a hard habit to break if its on a plate in front of him he's not gonna leave it.

Who is more likely to cry over a sad book or movie? - Honestly I think Chuck, like he's this emotionally walled off kid effectively. And he probably didn't get to watch or read a lot of stuff and when he did it will have been engineering books or something. So Raleigh comes along and he had a childhood before the kaiju attacked he was 15 before the world even started ending, he didn't even enlist till he was 17 so like he spent his childhood with films and books. So he picks these films that Chuck missed that he has to see and some of them are sad, like super sad and Chuck has spent so long bottling in any emotion that wasn't anger or smugness and Raleigh makes him feel safe so these films the sort of shock the tears out of him. And at first he's embarrassed but Raleigh is always there always comforting and honestly sometimes it's more beneficial than their mandatory therapy sessions as he feels so much safer crying about a film with Raleigh and just being normal.

Who talks smack while playing video games? - Both of them. Are you kidding me? Raleigh is a middle child like, he probably grew up with a wii, bet you he tried to beat Yancy to death with a wii remote once for blue shelling him (they hurt, my brother broke my finger with one). So like Raleigh was raised on smack talk and video games, but Chuck who no doubt missed out on a lot especially like COD or stuff, is a competitive and contrary little shit. No way is he taking anything lying down, bet you he starts teabagging Rals the first time he kills him even though he has no clue what it is or that it has a name. Also bet you they've fallen out/actually had a physical fight over Mario Party just saying.

Who sings along with the radio? - Raleigh probably, like again he was old enough when the war started. So most songs that come on the radio he will know and he'll take great delight in pissing Chuck off by singing at the top of his voice and out of tune (he can sing in tune, fairly well tbh, but were is the fun in that). Chuck surprises him though, like ok he doesn't know any of the modern stuff but he knows like everything 80's and some vague 90s stuff and Raleigh is kinda shooketh, and the kid is adorable when he knows a song on the radio and he just can't help himself singing along, (Raleigh won't say it outloud but he's not a great singer, but he loves Chuck's voice so he couldn't give a shit) also and Chuck would kill Raleigh if anyone else ever found out but Chuck knows musicals. Like he doesn't know movies but Angela loved musicals and Chuck has a playlist - he listens to it in the shower.

Who would accidentally set the kitchen on fire while cooking? - Chuck. Raleigh had a sick mother, who lets be real he would have had to cook for as Yancy must have been working to bring some money in other than any benefits or sick pay or whatever. So Raleigh is like a super competent cook, maybe he hasn't done it in a while but it's ingrained into him. Chuck on the other hand he hasn't lived anywhere but military bases and shatterdomes since he was 12. Food just kinda appears, like he tips up to the mess hall and there it is. So the first few times it will go as expected the food isn't great, but it's edible like Chuck is too much of a perfectionist to fuck up that badly. But then he'll get a little confident a little bit cocky and will try and do two things at once and before you know it he's put a towel on a burner ring and all the sprinklers go off.

Who would throw the other into a pool? - Raleigh? Again he's a younger sibling, I feel things like that come from either having a sibling or high school shenanigans and seeing as Chuck has experienced neither he just wouldn't consider it. But Raleigh decides it would be fucking hilarious to grab Chuck off the stretcher he's been reading on by the pool bridal style and it takes Chuck a second to react first by dropping his book followed by an "Oi, Ray, fuck do you think you're doing" and before you know it the kid has been dropped in the deep end. Queue all out war, Raleigh still has a tan line in the shape of a dick on his back.

Who shops for groceries? - Raleigh, Chuck comes along and just throws garbage in the cart like he'll 100% see how many snacks he can sneak in there before they get to the check out. If Raleigh sent him alone they would have exactly nothing with any nutritional value.

Who kills the spiders? - Max, Raleigh is scared of them like not to the point where he'd die if stuck in a room with one, but he isn't getting close enough to the fucker to kill it. And Chuck well Chuck is deathly afraid, like would happily just burn the house to the ground and leave kind of afraid. He trained Max to eat spiders, because if there's even one in the room with him he can't sleep, can't focus on anything but where the thing is. Like he's slept in the mess hall a few times to avoid a spider.

Who is the morning/night person? - Raleigh is a golden retriever personified, he's all baby Anna from Frozen "The sky's away so I'm awake", so like it will be 6am and he'll be raring to go and he's not exactly quiet or tactful when he wakes up, and Chuck will be jostled awake and every morning without fail Chuck will have to debate whether he punches Raleigh hard enough in the throat that he passes out. Chuck has learned however that Raleigh will sleep in later if he's well and truly fucked the night before so that's usually his tactic, alternatively if Chuck can wake up long enough to give Raleigh a good blow job he tends to go straight back to sleep, so yeah Chuck is certainly not a morning person and has learnt to use sex or violence as a way to get more sleep.

Who proposes? - Honestly I think it would probably be Chuck, like Raleigh probably wouldn't even consider it. He loves Chuck like with his whole being, but Raleigh's experience of marriage is a father who had a whole other family and bailed on his mom so he's not exactly the sort of person who would consider it the ultimate declaration of love. But Chuck his happy memories were from when his mum and dad were together and it was the three of them and Herc still loves Angela so of course Chuck would see it as a way to show Rals he loves him and Raleigh would be so shocked and awed that Chuck would want to saddle himself with his has been ass and of course Raleigh says yes.

Who forgot to put the cat dog outside before sex? - I mean Raleigh probably as Chuck has experienced that awful feeling of eyes on him during sex only to turn and see Max staring woefully at him from across the room probably way more times than he wants to admit but Raleigh. Raleigh has probably never had a pet and has never had to worry about being watched by anything other than another human which they tend to remove themselves from the situation fairly quickly when they've grasped what's about to happen. So yeah Raleigh would forget and they'd be happily cracking on as it were and Max instead of just watching in that creepy unblinking way that pets tend to have he'd come up and actually lick any part of either body he could reach standing on his hind legs and Raleigh would actually fucking squeak and Chuck would be laughing to hard to focus on much of anything else for a good while. So they don't forget anymore.

Who posts vines of the other doing embarrassing shit? Chuck? Like I can see Raleigh doing more embarrassing shit, like tripping over constantly or just being a fucking dork and Chuck just films it. But Raleigh is 100% the more likely one that if Chuck did trip over or he caught him singing Les Mis or something to post it somewhere. He’s also the one that’s gonna get a bo staff to the head for the trouble but he’d probably only regret it when he’s lying in bed with the lights off because he has a minor concussion and the light makes his head want to explode but at least Chuck is stroking his hair and hasn’t turned them back on so that probably counts as a win.

Who breaks the most phones? Raleigh probably. I see him as being the clumsy one but if Chuck is mad he’s so gonna launch phones at things like walls or people. But I think Chuck accepts that failing and would have a proper case on his phone, Raleigh on the other hand is always adamant that he won’t drop this one cue two weeks later having to admit to Chuck that the screen is in a million pieces and the battery might be leaking as he dropped it off one of the engineering decks.

Who thinks they can do something really well even though they can't? Neither? Like Raleigh isn’t that sort of cocky, he would never think he’s good at something that he isn’t - he knows what he excels at and is perfectly accepting of what he can’t do. And Chuck honestly I think he’s pretty good at a lot of things and he’s far too proud to do something that he’s bad at and wouldn’t be willing to make a fool of himself in front of others. So I think they both know what they can and can’t do

Who is more likely to get kicked out of the bed? Rals 100%. Like he’s an eternal sunshine child, he goes from 0-60 in the blink of an eye and Chuck is not into the whole being awake before a reasonable hour unless a goddamn kaiju is here and about to fuck shit up. So I don’t doubt that if Raleigh is being either too noisy or too handsy before Chuck is either willing to wake up or willing to have morning sex before having a nap then I can bet Raleigh has either been pushed/kicked out of bed forcefully onto the floor, punched somewhere usually the throat or his balls or Chuck has actively tried to smother him either with a pillow or just his own body. That and I’d put money on Raleigh taking great delight in coming back early from being outside maybe just taking max for a wee and putting his cold hands/feet against Chuck’s skin, and Chuck has just removed him not just from the bed but the entire room and left him out in the corridor until he’s ready to get up.

[jaybirdxarsenal]

Little White Lies (II) - (Jason Todd x Reader)

Part 1. Masterlist.

Words: 1.8k

Permanent tag: @fangirlnova, @jasonsredhoodie, @thelittlestsnart, @jaytemis-tbh, @nightravenxx , @tacticaldivine, @trashyemonerd

Story tag: @rnindexplosion, @justoneystrdy, @ravenfirenight, @nabilaqmr, @karismah, @sarcasmismyfirstlove, @catlya, @illeatyoursoulwithmustard 

(the ones that are cut I wasn’t allowed to tag)

Thank you so much for 2k followers! 

''Can I help you?'' He tried his best to find his words, and even though you weren't able to see it, he was shocked that you were standing in front of him. Since this morning when he bumped into you he couldn't stop thinking about how much he wanted to tell you how beautiful you look today, just like any other day.

''Sugar.'' The only thing that crossed your mind was how people ask their neighbors if they have sugar. The stupid cliche you always see in movies. People really ask their neighbors for sugar? It was stupid but you at least pulled out a word.

''I think I have some.'' He mumbled, trying his best to remember if he really has any and to also stay calm and act as normal as possible around you. He had no idea when he did the groceries the last time. Usually Alfred does them for him or one of his brothers comes with fast food.

You weren't that type of person who invades someone else's personal space, but this time you let yourself in in Jason's apartment when he left to the kitchen, even though he didn't invited you in. Still, he didn't protested when you followed him, he was actually more than happy to be that close to you, even for a little while.

''I'm sorry for the mess...I wasn't expecting anyone.'' It wasn't just a mess, it was like a tornado made it's way into Jason's apartmen. Bottles of alcohol, unfinished cigarettes, clothes all over the floor, dishes, food that was probably more than two weeks old. That's how much you affected Jason Todd. So much that he neglected everything, everything except for you.

He looked bad. Really bad. You never thought someone would love you that much to end up like this. You didn't just broke his heart when the ''accident'' happened and forgot who he was, you ruined him. It was like in the picture you were holding in your pocket it was a totally different person, it was nothing like the one standing in front of you. It was like Jason Todd died once again when your memory did.

''I swear I had some the last time I checked.'' He whispered looking through the stuffs he had on the top shelf.

''I...'' You tried to find your words while he wasn't looking at you. ''Jason...'' You almost whispered. It was such a weird feeling to say his name out loud, not only in your head. The whole day you thought about the name that belongs to the man you once loved, but now that you hear it it's more pleasant than thinking about it.

Your voice saying his name gave him goosebumps and he was terrified of turning around to face you,but he did it anyway. ''I'm not here for sugar.''

He looked at you confused. There were a lot of things going on in Jason's head at the time, and it might've crossed his mind that you are here because of him. That you remembered him and how much you love him, just like he loves you. But he left that corner of his mind because it was too bright for a lost and dark soul like his. He felt like he didn't deserved that much happiness.

''Then what are you here for? It's because of the music, isn't it?''

He was sure it was the music. He was aware that he sometimes listens to music really loud, but it was all with a purpose. Jason never understood before the accident, your weird passion for sad song. They made you feel better. After your accident Jason understood what was all that about. Listening to your favorite songs made him feel better and a little bit closer to you. Even though he was crying while listening to them, it felt like you were there to wipe away the tears.

He plays every song every night in the hope that you might remember one of them. That you might remember him. When he can't sleep because of the nightmares, he look through the window at the stars, his mind creating different scenarios where you and him are back together like you used to.

''Your music is very lovely, it doesn't bother me at all.'' You assured him. ''Maybe you could give me your playlist, if you want. I'd really enjoy to listen to them more often.''

Starting a conversation, that's good step. You thought.

His face brightened up and you could swear that for a second he smiled. It was like his smile wasn't even there but you it felt good and right knowing that even for a second you succeed to make him smile.

'Yes, sure! It would be my pleasure.'' He started to look for something then he continued. ''To be honest, when I saw you at my door the last thing I was really curious what brought you here. I still am.''

You removed the picture from your pocket trying to find the right words. But does the right words even exist? You've already been through the worst as a couple and anything you could say it would be nothing comparing to what happened to both of you. You have a broken memory and he has a broken heart, what a perfect match!

''I came for this.''

At first he didn't know what you were holding in your hand, but as he walked closer to you he remembered the entire day. He smiled, a sad smile that broke your heart. Damian told you about the accident and not even for a second you blamed it on Jason and you hate that he blames himself. He was as much of a victim as you were, only that his scars weren't visible as yours.

''Where do you have this?'' He took the picture from your hand, analyzing it. How happy you two were. He had a soft, almost hidden smile on his face.

''Damian. I'm his art teacher. He told me everything.''

''Oh...'' He sighed.

In that moment Jason was thinking only about how you find out about how he ruined your life. How he almost got you killed. Since then Jason cries more than he ever did in his entire life and he was trying his best not to cry in front of you right now. Even though his Red Hood persona and his though personality follows Jason everywhere, you were the first person to discover that Jason was more sensitive than he wants to show.

''It wasn't your fault, Jason.'' You never saw someone even in your life as confused as Jason. It was impossible not to notice the guilty in his eyes. ''Can we sit down?''

He immediately took all the clothes and the other things he had on the couch and threw them on the floor. You couldn't help but smile seeing how sloppy he acts around you, like he was a teenager having a crush on the popular girl at school. You were never the popular girl and it was weird how Jason made you feel more important than you really are.

''I don't know where to start.'' You sighed.

''Do...do you remember me?'' He asked even though he was terrified of the answer. ''I mean, do you remember anything about me? About us?''

''I...'' You didn't wanted to make him sad again, but it was the time to only be truthful and let the lies for others. ''I don't.'' It was impossible not to notice how his hopeful smile faded. ''But I want to.''

He raised his eyebrows, surprised.

''You do?''

''Yes. It's been awfully lonely for me all this time since I had the accident. I don't know what I even call it like that when it was anything but an accident. Anyway, I had so many questions but no one wanted to answer me. I don't remember much and even though my memories may never come back that doesn't mean we can't make new ones.''

''That sounds great. I bet you have a lot of questions.''

You giggled and nodded. ''Millions, actually.'' You rested your hand over his, squeezing it a little bit, thing that he probably didn't even felt. ''You know, I learned how to make this great Italian dish and if you want I can show it to you while we catch up on some things.''

That night you learned a lot of things about Jason and your relationship. You were more than grateful when Jason let you know that he can cook, because you weren't the best at it. You laughed together, talked about different things and topics like one of Jason's favorite, literature.

Your mind had no memory of this Jason Todd who spend his nights wondering in Gotham as a vigilante, but definitely your heart did. It was the best feeling in the world.

* A few years later*

‘‘That’s not true!’‘ The little girl protested, crossing her arms around her chest, thing that made her father laugh.

‘‘Yes,princess, it’s true. Your mother didn’t ate your brother. That’s just how babies are made. There is an egg and-’‘ Jason started his sentence but his daughter stopped him, pressing her little hand over his mouth.

‘‘Exactly, daddy! Listen to me, I saw her.’‘

‘‘You saw mommy eating your brother?’‘ Jason raised his eyebrow, asking himself how is that even possible for a child to have such a huge imagination while wondering what did his daughter really saw?

‘‘Yes.’‘ She looked so much like Jason. From her black hair and bright blue eyes to the attitude. In that moment she looked so serious, like no joke in this world could make her laugh, not even her favorite ones her father always tells her.

‘‘How come?’‘ It’s been a few years since you and Jason welcomed your daughter into this world, but Jason still can’t believe that he finally has his own family. He was always that type of person who cared about his family but you and his daughter with the little one who’s on the way, it was different. It’s like his own little paradise.

‘‘Well you said that there is an egg and mommy ate an egg. I saw her.’‘ 

‘‘Princess, that’s not how it works.’‘ He couldn’t help but laugh, while the little one asked herself what is so funny about what she said.

‘‘Yes, it does! Don’t be silly, daddy!’‘

Right on time, you came into the room to help your husband explain your daughter how all the baby thing actually works. 

‘‘Well, how about we ask mommy where babies come from? I bet she knows better than me and you.’‘ Jason proposed and the little girl nodded.

You joined Jason and your daughter on the small blanket she settled in the middle of the living room so she can play picnic with her toys. She prepared a cup of tea for you and another one for her and Jason, while waiting for an explanation.

‘‘I love you!’‘ Jason whispered in your ear, right before pressing a little kiss behind it.

‘‘I love you too!’‘

[leeknown]

ahhh~~ I was literally squealing when I read your last message! gosh you're so kind! yes uni exams... they were heckking stressful cause I spent too much time NOT studying and then I kinda gave up cause the last exam was more of a practical exam and an open book exam ahahaha but you should have seen me the night before: formatting 28 pptx into pdf format and saving a bunch of other info onto my USB ... - CB97🐛

… and then finishing at 2am… sleeping till 5am to get a bus at 6 to get to uni at 7 and printing everything… Cause I like my notes in colour I spent $40 ooffff and had to file everything into sleeves while printing all the stuff I saved the night before and more cause I realised I needed some standards I was missing… ahahaha clearly I’m a last min kind of person. But yeah I got to the exam and our coordinator was there and she got the official permission to do the mexican wave inside the exam hall! XD she’s really eccentric but so friendly and gave everyone hi-5s at the entrance too! and we also got custom stickers made by her: “I sat the audit exam and kicked ass” ahahaha she’s someone I’ll never forget! made learning the subject really interactive and fun too she even vlogs and films explanation videos on youtube, fb live streams q&a sessions for students to ask live questions oofff that was one heck of a ride this sem~ - CB97🐛

putting it under read-more

I kinda want to ask about you too, are you at school? uni? or doing other things? As for the playlist I listen to when I’m down? hmmm tbh I don’t feel down most of the time, idk maybe i had some sort of revelation while growing up but I was pretty into philosophy and learned a lot about things that are unavoidable so I take every day as it comes and am pretty grateful, I like romanticising little mundane things in life too (like a ghibli movie) and that cheers me up - CB97🐛

but for the songs, I’m really boring ahaha I usually listen to skz’s mixtapes or 3racha when I’m down… sometimes the rose too, and some of day6’s songs. but then again I listen to these artists on an almost daily basis too ahaha so it’s not much different, I guess I’m so used to them which is why I find comfort in their songs. Is there a reason you’re asking for a playlist when feeling down? are you feeling down? hmmm I hope you aren’t but you’ll get through it! - CB97🐛

----

wow a mood “spent too much time not studying” shdjksa procrastinators’ workshop… formatting 28 pptx and saving a bunch onto your usb??? wow that say was hella wild nd KUDOS TO YOU omg 😵😵👍🏼👍🏼

$40…. i’m not sure if that’s cheap or not but OOF INDEED,,, 🙃 uni sounds super busy… sjdjkb printing and filing simultaneously woah… i’m sure it’s not bc of “last-minute work” but the work itself is just generally vv demanding!! at least it’s over now so yay 🎉🎊

your exam coordinator sounds rly cool!! LOL “i sat the audit exam and kicked ass” plus handmade custom stickers ahhh that’s rly sweet of her :D her dedication towards teaching and finding new methods to teach is rly admirable woahh 💯💯

yep!! i’m in school, hmm last year of secondary school (13-16 years old).. i’m left with 3 papers to the end of this education level heheh then i can move on to tertiary education next year hohoho

ahh,, that’s a great mindset.. taking things as it comes :D it’s mature heheh ☺️☺️ oOoOo skz mixtapes, day6 and the rose 👀👀 niceee (i would love to attend a band concert someday!!!) hmm i was just asking to know your music taste hhh but thank you for your encouraging words!! ❤️

quick qn: do you like eggs :>

[mystiicmessengers]

Can u plzzzzzz do the rfa+v reacting to an mc who loves listening to Tupac, N.W.A,and biggie(basically gangster rap) i love u soooooooo much ❤️❤️❤️

thank you for requesting !

zen

okay so like, zen picks mc up in his car (this time)

and like he didn’t bring his ipod this time and so he lets mc handle the aux cord

OOOOOOOOH MY GOD U KNOW THAT MEME WHERE THERE’S THE GUY AND HE’S LIKE YOU BETTER NOT PLAY SHIT WHEN THEY HAND HIM THE AUX CORD AND HE STARTS WHIPPING THAT’S U

u plug in ur phone and biggie starts blasting w/like extra ass bass and

he’s fucking shooketh and he’s just taken aback that he blasts through the stop sign and he’s just looking at mc like HOLY SHIT

and not only that a cop sees him blast through his sign and now he has to explain it to the cop what happened and the cop is just fucking CRACKING UP like 

lmfaoooooooo got his ass

but after the entire encounter he just looks towards the MC and he’s like,

“give me some warning next time”

he doesn’t jam out to the music but he’s happy if the mc is happy so

yoosung

so the two are like , roommates or something okay right and mc goes out for a jog/to the gym/or out just etc

and mc accidentally grabs his ipod instead of hers and they’re already out the door

and she realizes her mistake when she plugs in her earbuds and is listening to a bunch of like Lo-fi and really almost vaporwave esque music and she’s just like

wtf is this shit? and it’s not necessarily bad but its just not what she imagined yoosung would like

now yoosung is back at home finally cleaning his room (the internet is probably down thats why) and he plugs his ipod into the speaker so he can listen to the music and clean at the same time

little does he know

fuckin TUPAC starts blastin through the speakers nd at first he’s super confused but he’s like damn i can fuck w/this and he’s basically just jamming out as he’s mopping the floor

it’s awkward because she walks in on him hopping up and down (his form of dancing) but slips on his ass bc he was mopping a few moments before

jaehee

at the cafe , she uses the mc’s *~premium~* spotify account for the tunes that they use and usually its just really chill stuff maybe some lofi maybe some contemporary artists

and there’s several playlists and stuff right??? and they’re all labeled cafe 1, cafe 2, with some cute emojis after it

but as they’re getting ready to open she sees one playlist and it’s just a playlist that says BADASS BICH,YESSSS QUEEN and it’s just mc’s hype playlist

so she’s a bit curious to see what kind of music is on the playlist

oh my goodness is what she says

she’s lucky that the speakers are usually really low, but it’s nwa and she’s just

that blinking guy emoji

she doesn’t like it at all and mc just pops in and is like

“oh my god jaehee, i didn’t think you’d actually click on it! its the cafe playlists remember?” and she just has this really cute smile on her face and jaehee is fucking starstruck bc mc is so cute but also there’s a shitton of gangster rap playing gently in the background

“you’re right mc im sorry” and she switches it back to the regular playlists

she never brings it up again tbh but mostly because it’s just not her type of music at all

jumin

mc walks into their office (lets just say she works there or something ok) and jumin is just blasting gangster rap and he’s deadass just typing at his computer

he doesn’t even look at her when she enters because he’s like typing things in furiously

“you should’ve told me this is the music that you like”

“uhhhhhhhhh”

“it really seems to increase my work productivity”

now mc is the blinking guy gif as she sets her stuff down at her desk and just shrugs in a confused manner

“ i can share... more of my playlist if you want...”

“that would be quite nice, please do so!”

mc can never look at jumin the same way again

saeyoung

so mc has showtunes playing on her computer and sge and saeyoung are singing along with it 

im not saying its hamilton but

lbrh

its hamilton

and she’s singing maria reynolds part and he’s obviously singing alexander’s ( she also sings james ) but then the song ends and mc collapses on the couch

and then the next song is fucking cardi b’s bodak yellow (idk if this counts but it seems like something he would listen to)

and saeyoung just moved so fucking fast and he hopped up and started rapping along and dancing and mc just looks at him and bursts into laughter and throws an arm over her 

v

let’s just say he had eye surgery and everything was fiNE GUYS

and he’s just driving one hand on the steering wheel, the other on her, heeeaaart 

iris by the goo goo dolls is playing and v is humming along to it ever so quietly, a content smile on his face 

and the song ends and y’all are driving when some tupac comes on blasting quietly through the speakers and v doesn’t even flinch he just looks at the mc and he laughs quietly, shaking his head with a smile on his lips and leaves the song on

the windows are open and she just reaches down and grabs his hand that’s on her lap and squeezes it tightly

who knows where they’re going? no one but at least they have some bombass music to listen to !!

requests are open. (finally!)

[purplefictionmom]

I'd normally be like "ALL THE QUESTIONS" but I'm really interested in 7 and 15 (but like if you wanted to do them all then hell yeah pls do)

You know what, Imma answer them all, cause I love you darling~

All answers under the cut, cause I’m sure I'll get long winded, as usual haha

1) is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?I mean, there was a story that I had been sitting on for...10 years, I think? I just didn’t know how I wanted to tell the story. It started as a mockumentary type of thing, then when that didn’t fit the narrative style I wanted to tell, I moved to a classic modern fantasy style, but that didn’t pan out either.

Then, the game called “What Remains of Edith Finch” came out and it hit me so hard that I nearly passed out: that is the perfect narrative style for the book idea I’ve been sitting on!!

Incidentally, if you haven’t played/watched someone play it, “What remains of Edith Finch” is an excellent game and Jacksepticeye does a wonderful let’s play of it :D

2) what work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?Not as much anymore, but I used to hate bringing up “...And the Things That Followed.” Just for a short what-for: ATTTF is a Left4Dead/2 fanfiction, reader-insert that started as a sort of experiment: I perused lunaescence and picked a fandom that I was familiar with, but that didn’t have a lot of fanfiction to choose from. I mostly wanted to see if smaller fandoms stay active, even with very little content to choose from. And boy, did I get my answer.

The biggest reason that I ended up embarrassed over it was because I hadn’t intended it to be a romance fic (I mean...the two main characters are the reader and a Hunter, and what with necrophilia being really gross and all...), but I had readers out and out demand for it, to the point of going on strike from reading my fanfic. This was years ago, mind you, so I caved like a wet noodle and now hate that particular fanfic, to the point where I don’t even want to write the two sequels that I already had planned and half-written.

So, it started out as embarrassment, now its more I wish I could just delete it and forget it exists, but I’m one of those authors who has a really hard time deleting anything, even things I hate haha.

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?For the very first, ultimate scene I picture in each fic/story/novel, it could really end up anywhere in the final version.

After that first initial scene I see, I try to start as far back as I think I can get away with and move forward from there, so I guess the short answer is I write from beginning to end, no matter how it ends up being at the end, haha.

4) favorite character you’ve writtenI guess this is supposed to not include characters I don’t own, but that’s no fun so here you go:

OC: A supernatural Hunter named Silva and another hunter (who I have an rp blog for) named Theodora ‘Timmie’ Wilson

Non-OC: Writing Yusuke from YYH and Asgore from UT

5) character you were most surprised to end up writingI’m not quite sure what this question means, so I’ll just take a stab and guess it’s talking about how a character can end up differently on paper than how you first envisioned them in your head.

And that award goes to Silva. I expected her to be a hard, cold killer, but she had so much inner turmoil and hidden thoughts that she was definitely the hardest character to write until I actually started to understand her.

Which took an ungodly amount of time, tbh haha.

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change nowProbably how often I use the double-hyphen. Its meant to be an alternative to using commas (which, I use to many as it is anyway haha), but now they litter my writing like popcorn on the floor at a midnight release, haha.

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?Honestly? A little of both.

I’m someone who sees fanfiction (and any fanwork at all, tbh) as legitimate art forms, but there are so many who not only don’t agree, but they belittle and question those who participate in fandoms.

There are days I have all my shit together and I’m ready to defend my fanfiction to the death, along with all my original content; I have my sources, I have examples, so on and so forth, but other days...

Well, let’s just say there are days I don’t even volunteer that information to people willingly haha.

8) favorite genre to writeOther than fanfiction, I love horror, fantasy, and scifi the best, though there are plenty of times it feels like I’m hardly writing for any of those genres at all, haha.

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?Fanfiction, most of the time, but I also listen to songs on the radio, discuss ideas with friends/family (my step-dad was the only person when I was growing up who nurtured my love for telling stories and many of my ideas for novels came from talking with him over the years), or I also like to free-write.

At least, I think its called free-writing haha. I basically just put my pen on paper and just talk to the page with my pen. Sometimes, its just a rant, but more often then not, I’ll find a story or character hidden there.

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?All of the above, haha. In the perfect atmosphere, music is playing in the background, and I’m completely alone with no distractions, but since that’s not reality, I’ve sort of forced myself to adapt to what I can.

My computer (where I do 90% of my writing) is in the living room of my house, so my hubby is usually around, and if he’s playing overwatch, then its usually a few voices playing in the background.

If it gets to be too distracting, I just put headphones in, but I also write in notebooks and I take those everywhere, so for that, I just write when/what I can as I go along.

11) what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?Definitely dialogue, but also my prose. Honestly, all of it, haha. I look back at stuff I wrote years ago and I wonder how anybody thought I was any good, haha.

12) your weaknesses as an authorIf I had to pick one, its probably that I tend to either over-explain, or under-explain. There is no in-between, haha. My first drafts are often a mess of me focusing in on the details of one room and then not describing a setting for two chapters or more.

13) your strengths as an authorProbably my ability to logically follow order of events, even though I don’t plot, like, at all. This also makes it easy to see where I can divert from what’s expected and explore different avenues.

14) do you make playlists for your current wips?Not really? I tend to either put my whole library on shuffle, or I have a dedicated writing playlist that’s full of background music from video games and other things like that.

15) why did you start writing?It started as an outlet.

When I was about 10, my dad came home from work one day while my mom was still at work and while I watched, packed all his stuff into his car, called my mother and told her that if she didn’t get off work soon I’d be home alone, and then left.

I was in a complete and total depression from around then until well into my late teens (I have a little depression now, and a slew of other problems, but now for diff reasons). On top of my dad leaving, my mother, step-father and I all moved to a completely new state, where I started to bomb academically and had literally no friends until almost a year later.

It started out as angsty pre-teen poetry (a lot of which actually still pretty good, even as I go back to read it), then it spilled into fanfiction and fandoms, and around the age of 13--once my step-dad found my love of writing and wanted to pull me away from fanfiction--I finally started writing original ideas out.

16) are there any characters who haunt you?Silva, and a few others. Not so much because their stories are left untold, but moreso because of the way they helped shape me as a writer and the things I was interested in writing about.

The debate about whether or not a writer should write about a certain subject usually stems from readers, but I tend to lean toward the argument from a writer’s point of view: there are subjects that I broached as a teenager that I needed to explore in order to be who I am today, as a person and as a writer. Not to say I have something horrible in my writer’s past that I wouldn’t be able to share, but more that it might be questionable about the age that I delved into those topics. (and no, I don’t mean just smut, though that is included in what I’m talking about)

17) if you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?Stop wasting your time trying to please family members with what you write. Most of them are going to ignore the whole of your writing and focus in on the one swear word you threw in for characterization anyway.

Write what makes you happy; whether or not its publishable isn’t the point. You’re just starting out and you need to write; to get better, to learn the ropes, so just go WRITE!

18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?Oh geez...at the beginning, everything I read affected my writing style. Fanfiction, published novels, everything.

Probably my biggest influencers would be “The Green Mile” by Stephen King, “The Hobbit” by JRR Tolkien, “This Present Darkness” By Frank Peretti.

And while these are hugely different authors with different writing styles, they more influenced me in my way of thinking. Of expanding my imagination of what could be if I just had the courage to write it.

19) when it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?I either have a notebook filled with notes about characters/information, or I use a website called Hiveword(dot)com. It’s a novel tracking website that also advertises its program (which you have to pay for), but the website itself is free and you can store all the information about your book, characters, timeline, etc.

20) do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?Both, but I get more done with longer sessions. I know that seems like a no-brainer, but its more because of how I prep myself for my writing time:

I have to have a glass of water or cup of coffee, I have to have my music playing (which, with spotify could take a few minutes to load), I have to re-read the last page or so of what was previously written so I can get back into the feel of it, then I can actually sit down and write.

the little spurts end up being in my notebooks and they’re a mess, honestly, haha.

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?I used to cringe and close it immediately, but I’ve been trying to analyze and see the biggest differences in my writings from a then and now standpoint. Sometimes its really hard, if its particularly bad or whatev, but its been a real confidence booster when I can see where I was and where I am now.

22) are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?Not uncomfortable, per se, but I tend to try and think of things from a reader’s perspective at the same time I write, so there are times when I get a little too involved in what’s happening on the page, haha.

HIAPOTS was a terror to write at some points because of this.

23) any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?All of it, if I’m being honest, but obscure things specifically? Hmm...

I mean, probably the fact that I give all my pets personalities and conversations between each other? I do it without thinking, but there are times where I’ll find myself using lines or situations from this weird little thing in my actual writings, haha.

24) have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?OMG SO MUCH. Like, idk about ‘expert’, but I have so much useless trivia in my head because of being an author. Talk with me for an hour and see if I don’t throw ‘fun facts’ into the mix of our conversations haha.

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud ofOh ugh...umm...let me to look...

From a currently unpublished reader/sans fic I’m writing:You understand, don’t you, Sans? 

Sure, Sans understood. Sans always understood. He was the one who didn’t make waves, or overturn boats--you could always count on Sans to be the reassuring nod when you felt lost or the understanding ex who’s perfectly okay with just letting things die, even though the ending came as the greatest punchline ever written in history:

He hadn’t even seen it coming.

(I love delving into characters’ heads, and i love it more when i can do it well enough to feel comfortable with letting other people read it, haha)

From Part 6 of my Garrus/Reader serial fic:“They were my cases,” Garrus admitted, his eyes finally leaving Castis’s in favor of looking at the floor, “And I can’t watch it happen again.”

If Castis didn’t have such a steely reign on his composure now, Garrus might have been clued into his father’s line of thought. As it was, Castis was being forced to realize that he had been wrong in his assessments of his son.The older turian had always thought Garrus shirked the rules and regulations as a form of rebellion, since Castis stepped in and forced him to quit training for the spectres--as if to prove he didn’t care about what his father cared about. Now, Castis realized the reason Garrus pushed them aside so easily was because he did care, maybe too much.

(Honestly, the whole argument between Castis and Garrus in this part of the fic is something I’m proud of)

[olivieblake]

below the fucking surface!!!!!!!!

[SUBMISSION TEXT: ] 

So, hm, i don’t know how to start this. Hi, my name is Elis. Nice to meet you. Except that i’ve known you (ok TO KNOW is way too strong, but… idk, know about you? Yeah) for a while now.

See, english is not my mother language, and I’m very shy about it sometimes. Which can be a problem, since most (all of them i think tbh) of the fics i read are in english and i just can’t bring myself to review it because i’m soooo afraid of saying something stupid, you know? Anyway, maybe i’m, hm, idk how to say it, babbling? – Something like that – because i have no ideia how to say what i mean to say. Anyway, my point is: it’s not usual for me to do this kind of stuff, really. This is the very first time it happens.

I think you must be wondering what is this about by now so i’ll jut cut to the chase: I just read a one-shot of yours. Yeah, it was in the Amortentia compillation, the dramione one, Below the Surface. Right. SO

It was marvelous, really. Above marvelous, WONDERFUL (i don’t really know if wonderful is above marvelous but well, my vocabulary isn’t THAT large). Really, while reading it, i was listening to a playlist of mine on spotify. Well, it sort of a compillation of sad songs, because i was kinda on the mood for it. Anyway, while reading, mostly in the end, the playlist was also ending and the last song somehow just fitted the fic wonderfully. Not perfectly, i think, not regarding the lyrics, anyway. But the melody, you know?

As I said, english is not my mother-language. My mother language is portuguese, as I am brazilian. So, the music is called Quando Bate Aquela Saudade, and it’s written by a brazilian singer called Rubel. The combination of the music AND the story just made everything even more spetacular, if that’s even possible. And it was just like death trying to describe that version, there was so much feeling, it was such a beautiful moment – i just can’t properly describe it. Maybe i’m just really terrible with words.

Anyhow… The point of this is that you made me incredibly happy today. Like, impossibly, STRATOSFERIC (i don’t even know if that’s a thing between english speakers but, well, fuck it) happy. I am so, so, SO happy you exists right now, and i just think that you deserve to know that. I mean, that may not make much of a difference to you, you’re sort of a famous writers, and I’m sure you have receive a lot of thoso stuff, but idk, when you’re feeling down, or maybe when you’re having some kind of existential crisis (do you even have those? Because i do more often than i’d like), just KNOW that you made a short, curly-haired, brazilian 15 years-old girl VERY happy and satisfied. I wasn’t feeling so good and now I just have this warm feeling in my chest, like, in the deepths of my soul or something (so SO bad with words). Really. I hope you get, like, GET what i’m saying because this right now is very fucking important to me.

Also, i wanted you to listen to the music, if you don’t mind. It really is beautiful. Sort of famous in certain circles here in Brazil for being a, hm, how do i put it? Sad love song? Idk about other people but it really always strickes me as really moving and i get happy because of the perspective (albeit certain people might feel sad due to previous experiences). In summary, it makes me feel just as your fic made and, well, i think i’ve already talked waaaay too much.

I was very happy when you followed me back on tumblr, really. I wasn’t expecting it and i don’t really share any original content so it was very nice of you. Oh, i also should thank you for making me write almost seven hundred words cause i’m going to take my TOEFL test in the end of the semester and any practice is VERY welcome. You’re an amazing writer, you inspire me, and you’re one of the reasons that made me decide to take a chance at writing. So. Yeah. Thank you for existing. I’m high-key in love with you right now and i’m not ashamed of it in the least.

Ps.:  here’s the music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMWpm_GOLaA

And here’s the translation http://lyricstranslate.com/en/quando-bate-aquela-saudade-when-i-miss-you.html

Ps2: FUCK I ALMOST FORGOT

The ending was fucking SPETACULAR. Really. Beedle the bard. Genius.

Dear [ @sealisart ] Elis,

This was utterly amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to send me this note; I’m listening to the song now and reading the translation and it is giving me that exact warm feeling in my chest that you’re talking about. I love that you took the time to send this, and I love even more that anything I wrote is giving you the inspiration to write. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I wish you all the best stories and ideas and words.

Psst . . . make sure you check out the art this story is based on, which was done by my love @littlechmura​! I always love being reminded of this story; it’s one of my favorites, as is the artwork. If you haven’t already looked, be sure to, as it’s completely beautiful.

[mudkipthemusical-blog]

Music of the Month: March 2017

This past month has been a crazy one for sure on my end. On the one hand, I survived my round of midterms and a nasty close to another northeast-U.S. winter. On the other hand, it also started off with a bang as far as music releases go, and I found plenty of cool avenues to discover some older stuff. While this month was a little busy and overwhelming, I had plenty of material to balance it all out and smile along to. I wasn’t disappointed with what I was looking forward to since my last MOTM, and I’ve been so excited to finally talk about it, so let’s cut to the chase...

Album of the Month:  ÷ (Deluxe) by Ed Sheeran

When the first two singles from ÷ dropped back in January, I stayed up past midnight, frantically checking Apple Music to listen to them as soon as possible, and I was happy. I did the same for when ÷ dropped as a complete package, and it certainly lived up to the hype. I remember listening as every track started, I thought about just how nice everything sounded. Ed never failed to give a stellar performance, and while a lot of his songs were distinctively Ed, there was just enough experimentation, especially with the Celtic themes to keep my on my toes. That said, I was just excited that it was new Ed and would have listened regardless. On that note, while I mentioned how much I liked "Castle on the Hill" in my January post, the three standout tracks for me besides that were "Dive" and the bonus tracks "Barcelona" and "Nancy Mulligan." The first felt like a darker version of "Thinking Out Loud" with the emotion turned up to 11, while the last was a fun, cute little love story with well-integrated Celtic influences. The one in the middle was, well, in the middle of those: cute and romantic enough to get you smiling, but with an intensity that made me feel like I had to get up and dance along, not just sit and bob my head. I do have to say that none of the tracks could eclipse my top 2 Ed Sheeran songs ("Wake Me Up" and "Sunburn"), but as a complete album, I think this is his best work to date. It may technically be mainline pop music, but it's just the kind of pop I'm into, and I know plenty of people that I could spend time with jamming out to the bangers or crying along with the ballads. I feel like this will be one of the culturally-relevant albums we'll talk about years from now.

5 Great Songs from this Month:

“Green Light” by Lorde

Pure Heroine was one of my favorite albums from my high school years, so imagine my excitement when I saw Lorde teasing a new single. It honestly took me a few listens to get into the feel of "Green Light" because it's a departure from the heavily-synthesized sound of Pure Heroine, but the quintessential Lorde angst was still there, and I got hooked on it soon enough. For a breakup song, it has an insanely catchy dance feel that makes you want to shout along with it, which as I read that over describes most of Lorde's songs actually. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I'm glad it wasn't. Now, I'm extremely excited to see what kinds of twists Lorde will pull when Melodrama drops in June. For now, I also have "Liability" to hold me over, but it's clear that this is the big jam of the album.

(tie) “Blame it on Me” and “Barcelona” by George Ezra

I already knew George Ezra from his hit "Budapest" from a few years back, but I only just started looking deeper into his material when I saw "Blame it on Me" featured in an "If You Like James Bay" playlist (and I freaking LOVE James Bay, so it was only natural that I'd give it a listen). Sure enough, I instantly fell in love. It sounds so happy! The rest of Wanted On Voyage was pretty good too, with "Barcelona" sticking out among the rest. In contrast (to "Blame it on Me" and Ed Sheeran's "Barcelona), it's a lot more mellow, so I couldn't really place it above or below "Blame it on Me." Both are so well produced, and George's voice sounds so comforting; while some of the rest of the album gets more intense, I'll appreciate these two tracks for letting me kick back and feel good, even for seven minutes collectively.

“Built for Comfort” by Howlin’ Wolf

This was kind of a funny discovery because while Howlin' Wolf is such a blues icon, I hadn't heard about him until seeing him listed as an influence in George Ezra's Wikipedia bio (shrug). The name intrigued me, and I already had a taste for the blues from my jazz band experience, so I dove in, and I ended up listening to Apple's "Howlin' Wolf Essentials" playlist in full. Interestingly, I found it to be great music to math homework to, but that's beside the point. I liked this recording in particular because, aesthetically, it fits the subject matter pretty well. It's a simple, easy blues about being satisfied with the way things are. Sure, it could be more ambitious or well-polished, but in the end, it's all you need to have a good time. This, by a mile, is an exception to my attempts at finding "new" music, but this, and a lot of Wolf's catalog is so timeless and classic that it was worth making note of.

“Drivin’ My Car” by Monte Selby

Interesting story: Monte Selby recently moved to my hometown and started going to my church, so when my mom suggested we to go a concert he was doing at my church while I was home for spring break, I figured I gave it a shot. It turned out to be a great little concert; he and his family are quite talented, I was very intrigued by Monte's story of being a teacher, going into schools, and doing songwriting workshops with kids. While I can't completely relate to the "parent of teenager" themes in "Drivin' My Car," which was one of my favorites that he played during the concert, as a former teenager, I could smile and laugh and think about how I fit into that scenario. The country-rock style also fit perfectly to the subject matter, and while it's not usually what I go to, I found it very fun. If you're into more story/life-based music, I'd surely recommend you check out some of his material.

“Tribulation” by Matt Maeson

I felt bad after last month's rundown that I left off Matt Maeson's "Cringe," because I'd forgotten about it for most of February, but nonetheless, as I was finishing up that post, I knew there was something about Matt's heavier pop-rock sound I liked. Luckily, I found this new single, and as of posting, it seems like both will be featured on a new EP! It's kind of a downer, but I kinda forgot about that because I was so into the vibe and Matt's tone of voice. Additionally, the structure of the verses is unique, and I think that reflects the complicated state of love that Matt is singing about. It's definitely a heartache song, but one that makes you think at the same time, which to me is a lot better than 3 verses of "You left me and I'm sad." Either way, I was certainly impressed with this as a follow-up to "Cringe" and I'm stoked to see how far Matt can go.

So, overall, my picks for this month were a nice mixed bag, and while ÷ and "Green Light" were shoo-ins since before last month's run-down, I was pleasantly surprised by what actually made the cut. It's also crazy where I'm able to find good new (to me) stuff; I guess just keep your ears open and things will find a way. Aside from the Pentatonix "Classics" EP, I'm not really anticipating anything for the near future (and tbh, mid-writing, I listened to Pentatonix's new "Bohemian Rhapsody" cover and it's almost certainly making the top of April's list). That said, I'm curious to see what I do end up finding. Until next time, friends, happy April and happy listening!