#they are different bands with different experiences

[somewhere-at-the-burrow]

i would LOVE to hear you talk about music in your dr, music, art, writing/poetry, etc, is one of THE main reasons i'm shifting, and i never see anyone talk about it

I also never see anyone talking about this, and it is such a big part of shifting that I have grown to love so much :,) music and media really holds us together, no matter where we are! here is my best explanation of the music in my weasley reality!

𝒲izarding ℳusic !

TO START, I have noticed that the music and the bands that are popular have a lot of scattered influence from many eras and genres. it is still popular to hear songs on the WWN with lots of classic jazz influence, and then the next song will be a witchy synth anthem inspired by muggle technology and the pop culture of the 80s--- THE RANGE IS CRAZY!

for example: in my Weasley reality, Celestina Warbeck is arguably the most popular and well listened to musician of the century, and she really paved the way for wizarding artists changing their styles and taking influence from muggle music. she had many different eras, ranging from jazz to pop to surprisingly.. witchy rock!

even in her old age (I think she is around 80 years old?), she has still released singles that push different styles and experiment with the ever changing world of music. although, some people really dislike her music simply because it is played so much.

(I remember once I was talking to my mom about her when we saw a live Celestina rendition at the Harry Potter theme park, and my mom said she sounded like the wizarding world version of Taylor Swift. IT IS SO TRUE THOUGH, because she even has a dedicated fanbase that call themselves the Banshees. crazy!)

Another very cool thing about music in the wizarding world is charmed music.

as in this reality, music has evident "energy" that can make you feel a whole range of emotions... but for musicians with magic, that can take on a whole different meaning! it is almost like subliminal messaging, but songs can be "enchanted" with spells through lyrics or have sounds and choruses that are intended to put you in a trance.

this is really common with wizarding party music! I mentioned it in another post, but one of my all time favorite songs is "Man of Midnight" by Celestina Warbeck... the song is known for being bewitching, even if it does not sound fully like a "party song". I have no idea how to describe it, but when I listen to the song I feel like the most powerful person alive? I always tell Fred that it is a siren song.. and that is honestly the closest I can describe it. He just says it makes him alive with motivation and that is why we listen to it at least once when we do work together !

Another form of charmed music is sports chants. a common theme with these chants is their appearance throughout wizarding history, often carrying ancient and intense emotion within their words.

I have only experienced this one time, and it was at the League Cup (Kestrels V Harpies). When the Kestrels were ahead, one of the Irish bands that played in the fairgrounds started singing an old Irish song that originated from the game of Aingingein. even though the game is not played anymore, everyone knows the song. it is almost like a representation of Irish pride?

so when the whole charged up crowd started chanting, it felt like there was ancient and intense game spirit coursing through the stadium. I wasn't even rooting for the Kestrels, but damn I felt like standing on my seat and declaring that I would die for Ireland or something 😭 i've never in my ENTIRE life felt so spiritual about the opposing team, and within a minute of the stadium chanting!

Something else I find very very cool about wizarding music in my desired reality is how music is distributed.

they regularly use common things like vinyls and the radio, and magical concerts happen very often.. but something I didn't expect were lyrical signatures.

these are a weird invention. as the name suggests, these musical souvenirs are similar to a signature of pages in a book... however, they are also very similar to singing birthday cards.

many wizarding bands will sell these mini booklets that showcase a song (or songs) on their pages, and when you open the booklet or flip to a certain page, the song will play. it is seriously the most genius thing ever!

many of these booklets are formatted like a CD, with the album cover being on the front, the first page talking about the album and the band accomplishments of the year, and the next pages each showcasing songs from the collection. it is also very common to have the lyrics on the left side, with song information and sometimes a themed image on the right side.

I had NO idea these would be so popular in my DR. they are given as gifts, mailed to relatives and friends who may not have access to them around the world, and even collected! it is seriously like the wizarding CD. Bill has this epic collection of signatures that he has alphabetized and organized by genre, and he even had a custom box with slots to store them. he's the coolest brother!!

this form of music is so fun.. you can just open up to the song you like and place it open on table, or you can charm it to flip from beginning to end to enjoy the whole album. definitely the most unexpected yet coolest thing that I have discovered while shifting!!

i'll probably make a pt. 2 of my favorite magical bands and musicians, as I have so much I could say and I think they deserve their own section! thank you if you have read this far, and I really appreciate how kind you all were in my absence :,)

good luck shifting everyone!!

[kate-the1975]

I Love You, Flora... // Dad!Matty x Reader

A/N: This is long, I know, but the voting poll said longer so that's what you beauties are getting I'm sorry 💞

W/C: 2,885 words

C/W: Mentions of labour and child birth, waters breaking....basically anything that has to do with giving birth xoxo

Your home was settling into a deep, peaceful sleep. The only sounds being Matty's light snores and the wind blowing through the vents, which was normal for a late night in November. You lay in bed, your swollen belly pressing into the soft sheets, the rhythmic sound of Matty's steady breathing beside you calming your own. You'd been overdue for a week now, and though you had tried to convince yourself that this baby would arrive on its own time, the ache in your back and the persistent discomfort in your lower abdomen told you that you wouldn't be waiting much longer.

You shifted under the covers carefully, trying not to disturb Matty. He was sound asleep, his face relaxed, the lines of fatigue from working early and late on the bands new album, softened by the comfort of home. You admired him for a moment, the warmth that always radiated from him even in his sleep, before you felt another twinge of discomfort deep in your belly. You winced slightly, rubbing the spot with your hand.

Another ache. It had been happening on and off for days now—false alarms, which you were familiar with since you had the same experience with Rosie, but this time it felt longer.

Like your body gearing up for something that never came.

Tonight did feel different though. The ache lingered longer than usual, and when you shifted again, the pressure in your lower back was unmistakable.

Carefully, you slid out of bed, careful not to wake Matty. The room was cool, the dark shadows of the night wrapping the house in a quiet blanket. The house was silent except for the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath your feet. You paused for a moment, letting the ache pass before gently making your way toward the landing.

You didn't want to wake Matty just yet. Not until you were sure.

The landing was dimly lit by the soft glow of a nightlight near Rosie's door. You could hear the steady sound of her breathing on the other side, soft and rhythmic. The last thing you wanted was for her to wake up in the middle of the night to all this.

Taking a deep breath, you started walking slowly up and down the narrow hallway, letting the motion help ease the tightening in your abdomen. Each step was measured and slow, your hand resting lightly on the railing for support. The ache in your back was starting to intensify, and your breath caught as another contraction rolled through your body. You paused, letting it pass. It wasn't too bad yet.

But it wasn't going away.

You took a few more steps, trying to walk through it, but then another contraction hit—a bit sharper this time. The pressure was building in your pelvis, making it harder to ignore. You froze against the wall, breathing deeply, trying to keep calm.

And then, just as you thought you could push through it, you felt it—a warm rush of fluid. Your waters had broken.

You gasped in surprise, the reality of it hitting you all at once. This was happening. Now. The baby was on its way, and there was no turning back.

Your heart raced as you steadied yourself against the wall. You squeezed your eyes shut for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. Even though you were ready you still felt completely unprepared at the same time. But as the fluid continued to trickle down your legs, you knew it was time. It was happening.

"Matty..." you whispered, voice strained, but still careful not to let it rise too loud. Your hand clutched your belly, and you looked down at the wet spot on the floor.

No response.

You called again, slightly louder this time, but still trying to keep it soft. "Matty... wake up..."

There was a groan from the bed, followed by the rustling of sheets. Matty's head popped up from beneath the covers, his bleary eyes squinting at you in the low light. "Mmm? Babe?" He blinked a few times, his brain slowly catching up to reality.

When his eyes finally focused, they widened as he took in your stance—your hand practically white-knuckling the door frame, your face pale from the pain, and the unmistakable wetness between your legs.

"Wait... wait, is your—are your waters broken?" His voice was thick with sleep, but his concern was immediate, rushing to the forefront.

You nodded, still trying to steady yourself through another contraction. "Yeah... I think so."

Matty was fully awake now, his expression shifting from confusion to panic in a matter of seconds. "Okay, okay, right. Are you... are you okay? Is it—oh God, are the contractions...?"

You nodded again, breathing through the pressure. "They're coming, but they're still pretty far apart. It's happening."

Matty blinked rapidly as he processed what you were saying, his hand coming to your back to rub gentle circles. "Alright, you've done this before. You can do it again. It's okay."

He tried to reach for his phone on the bedside table, but his hands were shaking, fumbling in the dark. You smiled faintly at the sight of him, trying to calm him down with a gentle touch on his arm.

"It's fine, Matty. Just... just time the contractions and ring the midwife."

He nodded quickly, the urgency finally sinking in. "Right. Okay. Contractions, then midwife, yeah."

You took a slow, deep breath as another one hit, this time more intense. Matty held up his phone, his fingers tapping quickly as he set the timer. "Let's get this right, yeah? Gotta time them. You're doing great. Just breathe. Focus on me, yeah?"

You closed your eyes for a moment, listening to his voice. His reassurance, even in his panic, helped keep you grounded. You nodded through the next few contractions, trying to keep yourself calm.

"Okay, okay, the first one was, uh, a minute... now we wait... ten minutes until the next, babe?"

You nodded, still breathing through it, trying to ignore the intensity. "Something like that... I don't fucking know."

Matty was pacing now, his mind clearly spinning as he muttered to himself, "Alright, alright, don't panic, don't panic. Breathe. It's fine. We're good."

You smiled a little, watching him flit around like an anxious bird, but the tenderness in his movements gave you comfort. He came back to your side after he rang the midwife, holding a warm hand against your lower back. "I've got you, love. You'll be alright."

The next few minutes felt like hours. Matty's calm presence was grounding you, even though his mind was clearly racing. You could see him glancing toward Rosie's room every so often, as if checking if she was still asleep, not wanting to disturb her yet.

"I think it's time to go." he urged softly, his voice now much more steady. "But try and get as much rest as you can in the car, I don't want you to worry about the bags and everything else, I've got them."

You shook your head, though. "I don't think I can sleep through this. So you'll just have to deal with my screaming instead."

The next contraction came quickly, a sharp pain that sent you gripping his arm for support. Matty rubbed your back gently, whispering little words of encouragement between each one. "I'm here. You're safe. You're doing amazing."

Another few minutes passed without any realisation, and eventually, the contractions grew closer together, more intense. Your breath quickened, and Matty's eyes were wide with the realisation that neither of you have moved from you now designated spot right outside your bedroom door, and the two of you needed to get a move on quick and fast.

"Okay, we really need to get going this time, pet." he said, his voice clipped with urgency but still soft. "Don't think we can wait around much longer I'm afraid."

You nodded, but then a small voice interrupted from down the hallway.

"Mummy? Daddy?" Rosie's sleepy voice drifted from her bedroom. "What's going on?"

Matty froze, his eyes locking with yours. He was torn between rushing to get you to the car and not waking up their four-year-old who was now undoubtedly wondering why the whole house was in a state of mild panic.

"I'll talk to her. You just stay here for two seconds, love" Matty said, leaning over to kiss your bare shoulder. "I'll tell her everything's okay."

He hurried off down the hall, rushing Rosie gently back into her room, and you were left standing there, your body in the thick of labour. You closed your eyes and breathed deeply, knowing that the wait for your second child was almost over, and that soon you'd be holding this tiny little person in your arms.

Matty came back a few moments later, looking slightly panicked but trying to hide it behind a gentle smile. "Rosie's good, just a little confused. Told her you were going to the hospital to get the baby. Oh! And George and Charli were on speed dial anyways, as you know, so I dropped them the all systems go text and they were already in the car. Should be here once I get you in the car and grab the bags."

You nodded, wincing slightly at another contraction. "That's great and all but let's get a move on before I give birth to this baby on the landing."

Together, you made your way downstairs, Matty's hand never leaving your back, guiding you, steadying you. The car was waiting in the driveway, the headlights cutting through the darkness as Matty opened the door for you. As you climbed in, the headlights of another car pulled up the driveway, and much to your relief it was George and Charli, meaning you and Matty could just head straight off to the hospital now. The second baby was on its way, and despite the chaos, you knew everything would be okay. ------------------------------------------------------------

The sterile smell of the hospital room clung to the air, mixing with the sharp scent of antiseptic, making both you and Matty feel slightly nauseous. Outside, the world was moving on like any other day, but here, in this room, everything felt suspended—timeless, almost.

Matty stood beside the bed, his hand tight around yours, fingers pressing against your palm with a mix of anxiety and gentle encouragement. His face was pale, eyes wide, constantly flicking from her face to the monitor to the nurses bustling around the room. His usual composure, the calm that usually came with his presence naturally, was nowhere to be found. Instead, he was here, completely present, completely unsure, completely human.

"I can't believe this is happening again," he said, voice tight. "I mean, it feels like just yesterday—" His sentence faltered as you gripped his hand tighter with a loud grunt, pulling yourself through the next contraction. His eyes widened, watching you with concern.

Matty's voice cut through the aftermath of another round of pushing, warm and steady. "You're doing amazing, love. Just breathe, okay? I'm right here. You're incredible."

His words should have been comforting, but right now, they felt like nails on a chalkboard, and so did his presence. You clenched your teeth, trying to focus on anything other than the sharp, relentless pressure. You squeezed Matty's hand harder, feeling his grip tighten around yours in return.

"You're almost there," Matty added, his voice soft but encouraging. "You're so strong. Just one more push, I promise."

Your mind spun. How the fuck would he know it was only one more push? This felt like it was never going to end. You were exhausted, sweaty, and every inch of your body felt like it was being pulled apart. You wanted to scream at him, tell him he had no idea how it felt, but instead, you bit back the frustration.

Another contraction hit, and your breath caught in your throat. You gasped, squeezing your eyes shut as your body tensed against the oncoming wave of pain.

Matty rubbed your back, soothingly murmuring, "I know it's hard, but you've got this, love. You're amazing. You're doing so well."

Your body shuddered, the pain so overwhelming that it pushed everything else out of your mind. You tried to focus on his words—tried—but now you were just getting pissed off by them. "I'm not amazing," you snapped, voice breaking as another contraction set in. "I'm fucking tired, Matty, so fuck off."

Your words seemed sharper than you had intended, but you couldn't help it. The overstimulation, the pain, the exhaustion—it was all too much. You were too close to the edge to care about being gentle.

There was a brief moment of silence, and Matty paused, his hand still resting on your back. You could see the flicker of hurt in his eyes before he quickly masked it, but that didn't stop your heart from sinking. He'd always been there for you, always supported you, and now, in this moment of weakness, you'd snapped.

But Matty knew better than to let it effect him too much. You were in pain, and you didn't say anything hurtful towards him, you had just snapped, and if he was in that position, he thought to himself, that he probably would've exploded, never mind snapped at someone.

"I'm sorry," you muttered under your breath, voice cracking. "I didn't mean that."

Matty squeezed your hand. "You don't have to apologize," he said gently. "I'm just trying to help. I know you're in pain. I'm right here."

Your eyes welled with tears, frustration melting into something deeper, a mix of guilt and exhaustion. "I don't want to keep hearing how amazing I am," you admitted, a little breathless. "I just want it to be over."

Matty nodded, understanding the unspoken weight behind your words. "I get it," he said quietly. "You're incredible for doing this. I know it's hard, so tell me to fuck off and scream in my face all you want if that's what makes you get through this a bit easier."

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart, trying to center yourself. It felt like everything was spinning out of control, but Matty's words grounded you in the moment. You squeezed his hand again, body trembling with the force of another contraction.

The midwife spoke up then, her voice clear and reassuring. "Alright, we're almost there. Just one more push, darling. You're doing beautifully."

With one final surge of energy, you gave everything you had left, and after what felt like an eternity, the pressure finally released. You collapsed back onto the bed, your body weak and spent, while the sound of the baby's first cries filled the room.

A soft gasp left your lips as the midwife gently announced, "It's a girl."

You blinked, heart skipping a beat. A girl. Another daughter.

You turned your head to look at Matty, seeing the same emotion written on his face—surprise, wonder, a deep, quiet joy. His eyes were a little misty, his lips parted in disbelief, and he pressed a kiss to your forehead, his hand resting against your cheek.

"Two girls," he whispered softly, his voice thick with emotion. "We have two little girls."

Your heart swelled in your chest as the reality of the moment washed over you.

You smiled weakly, the exhaustion heavy in your limbs, but the love you felt for this tiny new life—this little girl who had just arrived—was overwhelming.

------------------------------------------------------------

The hours passed slowly in the dimly lit hospital room. The baby, still nestled against Matty's chest, slept peacefully, her tiny body rising and falling with each gentle breath.

The world outside the room continued on, but in this small, quiet space, it was just the three of you.

You layed back against the pillows, the exhaustion of labor slowly fading into a soft, contented peace. You watched Matty as he looked down at the baby, his face a mixture of awe and tenderness, as though he couldn't quite believe she was really here.

"Flora," You said softly, the name slipping from your lips as you watched him with a faint smile. "I've been thinking about it... I think she looks like a Flora."

Matty's gaze shifted from the baby to you, his eyes lighting up. "Flora," he repeated, as if testing the name. "Yeah. I like it. It feels... right."

You smiled, face aching from how much smiling you'd done in the last few hours your new baby girl had been here.

Flora. It was simple but beautiful, elegant, like a quiet bloom in the spring. You felt the weight of the name settle into the quiet space between you both, a name that belonged to their daughter. "I love it," you murmured. "Flora Healy."

Matty grinned, a slow, fond smile spreading across his face as he adjusted the baby on his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of Flora's head, his voice barely a whisper. "Flora... Yeah. I think she's perfect."

You felt tears prick at the corners of your eyes again, but this time, they were tears of joy. It wasn't just the name; it was everything—the shared decision, the quiet beauty of the moment, the knowledge that you both had built this family together, and now, this little girl, Flora, was all yours.

Matty glanced up at you, his eyes warm. "I love you," he said simply, his voice thick with emotion.

Your heart began to beat faster, the simple words carrying more weight than you could express. "I love you too, so fucking much." You whispered back with just as much emotion.

Together, you sat there in the soft glow of the room. Flora snuggled against Matty's chest, and everything in the world seemed right.

Flora Healy. Your daughter. Perfect.

[glitchgw2]

OC deput post!

Meet Autopsist Luccem (Lucc for short)

An Inquest "scientist" who's tasked to perform autopsies on deceased fellow Inquest members, experiments (asura only), or asura brought to him from elsewhere by the Inquest to determine their cause of death or...just because! They don't even need to be dead; but if they get in Lucc's hands, their demise is guaranteed. Low scum are often sent to him to be dealt with, to get rid of, be tortured, or have their brain removed for proprietary knowledge. He is quite renown for his enthusiasm about his job, and so people hope they never get sent to him for anything.

Some more art:

Some trivia, toyhou.se link and a bonus art piece (cw gore) is below the read more!

QnA!

How did he get into the Inquest?

After one too many arrests, the Inquest felt like a warm welcome, where his genius and love for unethical cadaver handling wasn't to be punished.

Can he use magic? Does he fight?

He's rather a science guy. He can name every bone in your body but can't conjure fires or anything. He can use a gun though. And he also has a bonesaw. But still, he prefers to rely on defense golems and security systems. Outsmart your enemies and always be two steps ahead of them, you know.

What does he do in his free time?

He likes to play the latest version of digital ecto-gambling on his datapad.

More trivia:

No one knows for sure where his lab is and one can only guess; any and all entry is only available through asura gates placed in different Inquest headquarters. This is also the method he gets bodies transferred to him.

He refuses to work with other asura. He has assistant golems in his lab (and well, technically krewe) exclusively.

He handles a lot of bodies contaminated with chaos magic, hence his yellow pupils.

He's a fan of my goth asura band, Mortis Twins.

He speaks with a slight French accent for some reason.

Bonus art: (cw gore)

I keep saying to myself he's professional, yet his autopsy table is long overdue a fix/upgrade. 😭

And finally, Toyhou.se link.

(Note: he's an AU for an existing character of mine and both of them have content warnings. I hid some darker things behind the content warning because my OC has everything wrong with him in every universe ever.)

[black-arcana]

"Oh my god, there was so much talk: ‘I bet there’s a real rivalry going on!'" How Within Temptation and Tarja Turunen formed the ultimate symphonic metal tag team for blockbuster single Paradise (What About Us?)

Two symphonic metal icons united for this powerhouse 2013 single. Sharon and Tarja tell us how it all came together

(Image credit: Press)

When Within Temptation and Nightwish released their debut albums in 1997, there wasn’t a name for the kind of music they made. Within Temptation’s Enter, released in April, took obvious influence from gothic metal bands like Paradise Lost, but its grandiose, elegiac compositions and symphonic undertones hinted at the direction the band would eventually take. Conversely, Nightwish’s Angels Fall First, released in November, approached metal from a different direction, drawing more directly and heavily on folk and classical music. Ultimately, both bands would spearhead the symphonic metal movement of the early 2000s. But, anchored as it was around two charismatic women – Sharon den Adel and Tarja Turunen respectively – history tells us surely there must have been some rivalry. Symphonic metal’s answer to Blur vs Oasis perhaps, or Mustaine vs Metallica?

"You look so beautiful, Sharon!” beams Tarja, as her counterpart joins a Zoom call. Erm... maybe not then.

Hammer is speaking to both vocalists more than a decade on from their collaboration on the Within Temptation song Paradise (What About Us?), the lead single from 2014’s Hydra. As soon as Sharon joins, any notion of tension is quashed. Tarja’s expressive face lights up and the pair chat animatedly.

There’s a clear camaraderie between them as they joke and discuss new developments. Which raises the question, was the ‘rivalry’ just a load of bollocks?

“Oh my God! There was so much talk, like, ‘I bet there’s a real rivalry going on between you and Sharon’,” Tarja says, hissing like a cat to illustrate her point. “I was just very happy to see more girls singing in bands. It made me feel really proud of the movement. I still am!”

“We didn’t even really become aware of the idea of ‘symphonic metal’ until later when journalists started giving it a name,” Sharon admits. “I don’t think there was much overlap between Nightwish and Within Temptation. The music was very different but because there were some similarities, people had to give it a name!”

Those similarities were enough to turn Within Temptation and Nightwish into leaders of the burgeoning symphonic metal movement, however. Sharon and Tarja were soon upheld as inspirations for a subsequent wave of symphonically inclined artists that included Epica, Leaves’ Eyes and Delain, dispelling the notion of metal as a boys’ club.

“We often felt like the strange duck on the festival bill because there was a woman in the band where most bands had male singers,” Sharon says. “Plus, I wasn’t really from the scene when I started out – I was a big grunge girl!”

“I started out in classical music so I was a complete weirdo in metal, too!” Tarja chimes in. “Though I never let that experience bother me. I felt the embrace of the crowd, but also our colleagues were really nice, so I never needed to grow balls. Although, maybe I got used to it, because I had two brothers at home and was the only girl in my primary class. Six years with nothing but boys! Urgh!”

Although separated by more than 2,000 kilometres, it wasn’t long before the pair became aware of each other’s work.

“When I first heard Within Temptation, I was like, ‘This woman has such an angelic voice’,” recalls Tarja. “We must’ve still been working on that first Nightwish record, so I’ve been aware of them from the very beginning, really!”

“The first time I became aware of Nightwish, we played a festival together,” says Sharon. “People were really excited about the band so we went to see them. We were blown away by Tarja’s presence onstage. It was so powerful... so diva!”

However, the bands’ chances to cross paths proved surprisingly few and far between. By the end of the 2000s, Within Temptation were undeniably still symphonic metal scene leaders. They’d also grown tired of the tag. Both 2004’s The Silent Force and 2007’s The Heart Of Everything had topped the charts in their native Netherlands – as well as charting internationally – but the group were getting increasingly itchy about where they could go next. 2011’s The Unforgiving was a sprawling, multimedia concept record that saw the band incorporate more pop influence into their music. Now the pressure was on to reinvent themselves again.

“Hydra was our most difficult album,” Sharon acknowledges. “We were very much searching for direction, because we’d already achieved our biggest sound. So it wasn’t like we could go much bigger than that, particularly in terms of symphonics. We were searching for a way to evolve and take inspiration from something new.”

It was an exciting time, but the creative tumult meant some ideas almost got scrapped entirely.

“Paradise (What About Us?) was one of the few more typical Within Temptation songs on that album, but that whole record took a lot of searching,” Sharon remembers. “I actually wrote it with our keyboardist, Martijn [Spierenburg], and when I first looked back on it I was like, ‘Urgh, this is too much!’ It was Robert [Westerholt, guitars and Sharon’s husband] who insisted it was really good, and he wrote the song’s main riff. I had originally written it with just lines on the piano, but he added a whole different flavour to it that really worked. Otherwise Paradise might’ve ended up in the waste bin!”

During the writing process for the record, Within Temptation decided to reach out to a number of guest vocalists, feeling they could add unique flavours to the music. They signed up former Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner and even rapper Xzibit, but by far their biggest coup was enlisting Tarja to sing on lead single Paradise (What About Us)?.

“There were two reasons we wanted Tarja for Paradise,” Sharon admits. “Not only for her voice – we felt like she could really add something – but also because in a more literal sense we figured it would be paradise for the fans! Ha ha ha!”

As it turned out, Tarja was delighted by the opportunity. She’d been trying to catch up with Sharon over the years, but their schedules had never aligned. Now they were working together, they could connect properly.

“It felt like I’d known her forever,” Tarja says happily. “I kind of felt that connection even before we met; Sharon must have gone through so many similar things to myself. We could recognise each other.”

Although they were bonding, there was still a distance between Tarja and Sharon – physically, at least. Tarja provided her vocals remotely from a studio in Buenos Aires, where she was living with her husband and infant daughter.

“I was bubbling with the joy of being a new mother and my family travelled with me everywhere, even to the studio when I recorded [2013 album] Colours In The Dark,” Tarja says. “I’d faced a lot of challenges of my own; I wasn’t really trusting in my abilities as a songwriter, for example. Paradise helped me so much, because it was so nice to even be asked about something like that. I think I had been waiting – without knowing – for something big to really happen. I didn’t doubt for a millisecond that this collaboration would be special!”

As it turned out, the distance also helped Tarja interpret the song, and gave her a bit of breathing room to work on ideas.

“I was really nervous!” she admits. “I think if Sharon and the guys had been next to me, that would have been something completely different. Because I was somewhere else, I could get into the song in my own way.”

“That’s also beautiful, because it means Tarja’s meaning for the song became its own thing,” Sharon adds. “For me, the song was about how we never learn from our mistakes as human beings. Because it’s such a big and cinematic song, Tarja’s voice added that enormity to it. She’s the empress!”

Released on September 27 2013, Paradise (What About Us?) finally united two of symphonic metal’s leading ladies. Predictably, the response was ecstatic from critics and fans alike, and to date the song has amassed more than 30 million streams on Spotify, as well as more than 100 million on YouTube. In turn, when its parent album, Hydra, was released on February 4, it quickly became Within Temptation’s most successful release to date, topping the charts at home in the Netherlands while landing a Top 10 position in the UK (No.6) and Top 20 in the US (No.16).

More than a decade on from its release, Paradise (What About Us?) feels like the moment Within Temptation drew a line under everything that had come before, saluting the original leading lights of symphonic metal while also elevating them beyond the genre and into arena-conquering territory.

“Doing a song together, when nobody expected it, was so positive on every level,” Sharon says. “We still have this connection after all these years, and our friendship has only grown from that point.”

“It gave me a new friend in my life,” agrees Tarja. “It’s a song of friendship to me. I’m so happy we could bring people joy and love by working on this together.”

Within Temptation's latest album Bleed Out is out now. The band tour the UK with Tarja Turunen in support this month

[ghost-of-you]

you took no hostages💀💀

Not a single one lspskapskapao. But did I lie? No, I didn't.

[inkskinned]

he says i hate everyone except you and that is addictive and that is kind of romantic and beautiful because you're young and you're kind of a sarcastic asshole too and you don't like bad boys, per say, but you don't really like good ones either. and you like that you were the exception, it felt like winning.

except life is not a romance book, and he was kind of being honest. he doesn't learn to be nice to your friends. he only tolerates your family. you have to beg him to come with you to birthday parties, he complains the whole time. you want to go on a date but - people are often there, wherever you're going. he's just so angry. about everything, is the thing. in the romance book, doesn't he eventually soften? can't you teach him, through your own sense of whimsy and comfort?

at first - you know introverts often need smaller friend groups, and honestly, you're fine staying at home too. you like the small, tidy life you occupy. you're not going to punish him for his personality type.

except: he really does hate everyone but you. which means he doesn't get along with his therapist. which means he has no one to talk to except for you. which means you take care of him constantly, since he otherwise has no one. which means you sometimes have to apologize for him. which means he keeps you home from seeing your friends because he hates them. you're the single exception.

about a decade from this experience, you'll type into google: how to know if a relationship is codependent.

he wraps an arm around you. i hate everyone except you. these days, you're learning what he's actually confessing is i have very little practice being kind.

[changewingwentz]

My First fanart offering 👋👋🙏

looking at manga covers with plots centered around fashion and their official arts on here due to severe art block and thought man I want iii to be put in there cuz I love his fit in the new era wooooo and it’s perfect to me but with a horror twist yknow

So I imagine him being in a cover of a visual novel or manga adaptation for funsies

Other additions below (without filter + texts!)

[lennonblues]

the babygirl-ification of men over 77

[delusionalbitchinthehouse]

Swiss hurt/comfort because I love him. So, so much. Featuring Dew being the absolute best.

It's a peculiar feeling, being the only multi ghoul in the Ministry. Sure, there are some who come close, like three-elemental hybrid Aurora, but Swiss remains, to this day, the only ghoul to detain control of all five elements. Well. "Control" might be a strong word.

He is good with fire, has always been drawn to this element specifically. Quickly started hanging out with the fire ghoul bunch after his summoning, feeling like he might fit in best with them. He is good, yes, but no more than that. Good. Average good. Nothing like the effortless and precise mastery of the element displayed by the fire ghouls.

Air comes relatively easily to Swiss. He has Cumulus and Cirrus to thank for that. Summoned at the same time as them, he remains very close to the girls, and spent countless afternoon practicing with them, learning how to weave breezes and gusts of wind, earning countless praises and kisses whenever he made progress. Still, Swiss has none of the girls' grace or range when it comes to manipulating their common element.

Surprisingly, he is quite good with quintessence as well. Quintessence, this mysterious, elusive element that's known to be so hard to control, somehow doesn't give Swiss as much troubles as he'd expected. In Aether's opinion, it might be that Swiss is so very curious of people, his mind craving connection, which would encourage the spark of quintessence within his grasp. But of course, because there always is a "but", Swiss is far from fully in control of it. He would never try what Aether successfully does to calm pain, soothe nerves or various other things.

When it comes to water...well. Swiss can, with a lot of focus, fuck around with weak currents, direct some droplets to splash someone in the face, or even, thanks to Rain's patient efforts, developpe small gills which allow him to breath semi-decently underneath the surface of the lake, but that's about it. Swiss, as much as he sometimes wishes he could, will never slink through the currents with the water ghouls' elegancy, silent and blending in so very well with their element.

Which leaves earth. Ah, earth. Swiss can feel it, the thrumming under his skin whenever he's surrounded by the element, in the forest guarding the Ministry's grounds or even Primo's beautiful rose garden. Yet Swiss can barely access to that power keeping itself just out of grasp, almost as if it was taunting him. No amount of time spent in the greenhouses helping Mountain, listening to his advice or copying his careful gestures can change that. But Swiss knows it's there, can feel it, and, on rare occasions, has his suspicions confirmed when flowers sprouts around his horns after being subjected to especially intense emotions.

So that is what Swiss is. Jack of all trades, master of none. And it gets to him, sometimes. He knows, realistically speaking, that people like him. That the Clergy sees him as a blessing, the Siblings are irresistibly drawn to him, that the ghouls are all over him. And yet, sometimes, he cannot help but feel like an outsider, a freak, something that shouldn't be, or at least shouldn't be that way.

It's often Dew who notices first when Swiss starts spiralling that way. Everyone always underestimates how perceptive and attentive to others the fire ghoul is, but Swiss has been on the receiving end of his quiet comfort enough times to know Dew cares, a lot. And somehow, when Swiss is overwhelmed by the objectively speaking irrationnal feeling of not belonging, Dew always manages to reassure him.

Maybe it's because the fire ghoul remembers his water days, when he struggled to connect with his element and felt like a disappointment, even with Mist always fiercely supporting him and expressing her pride in what Dew grew to become. In any case, he always find the words to appease Swiss, or, when words aren't what he needs, what to do to make him feel better.

A hand slipping in Swiss', an arm slung around his shoulders. A press of forehead against his, a cheeky kiss at the corner of his mouth. Sometimes, understanding that all Swiss needs is to be smothered with affection, Dew simply throws himself at the multi ghoul and wrestles him onto his back with surprising strenght before calling for a cuddle pile.

It's harder to feel like an outsider when your packmates are all purring and making happy noises on top of you.

[xejune]

since I have no style, what about floyd in something cheesy from the target pride collection

one of his brothers got it for him (because he's proud and a sibling! it makes perfect sense!) & now he just wears it ironically everywhere.

[enden-k]

hi youn, it’s been about forever since i last dropped by, so i hope you’re doing well <3 (and that you remember me jshsh)

i wasn’t as active over the summer, but i’ve been eating up your oc/alnst content anyway when it crossed my dash, even if i’m still unfamiliar with a lot of it (your art is just too pretty to scroll past hehe)

in response to vika curling up like a burrito to sleep, i can’t help but wonder if he’s been introduced to weighted blankets before and, if so, if they would help him calm down? there’s probably more interesting things to ask but unfortunately this is the only thing actually forming a coherent question atm, sorry ㅠㅠ

(also i’ve been getting alnst art on my twitter tl lately, and i’m pinning the blame on you for that (affectionately ofc))

ohh hiii holly, its been a while indeed!!! i kind of fell out with a bunch of ppl/mutuals bc busy w work and a bit of a rough time a few months ago where i just rlly avoided ppl and wanted peace i guess but ofc despite everything i still remember names and ppl :D im managing ig, hope youre fine too!!

also nice u got into alnst, just in time for the coming R7 haha... (sweats nervously) i love introducing ppl to pain, we can all jsut suffer together yaaay lmaooo

anw to ur question: yes vika does indeed sleep with weighted blankets!! tho he learned abt those sometime when he hit his 20s so it wasnt always weighted blankets. wrapping himself tightly into blankets is smth he always did tho, starting in his childhood when he had a nervous breakdown and didnt know what was happening or what to do. he was shaking and trembling really bad and assumed he was just cold so he wrapped himself into his blankets as tightly as he could "to warm up" and found out that the pressure and weight helped him calm down bc it gave him the comfort he was needing (it felt akin to getting hugged tightly and grounded him back to reality, back to existence)

anw pressure/weight helps him a lot in calming down thats why he also kind of likes tight vests/straps/ropes (i know i know but im not intending to make this sound kinky, its rlly abt the pressure grounding and soothing him)

[nocterish]

Ta-da! Here it is for all ghesties out there, a lil' sumthin' sumthin' for everyone on Valentines day

[blood-mocha-latte]

from an ask from @lamialamia... for an edit i made months ago and totally forgot about

[sendmyresignation]

speaking of danger days, ive been reading a bunch of critical reviews/bad rym scores/blog posts about the response to dd (introducing a friend to it after we talked about bladerunner) and I find the just. complete inability to take the project as art engaged in meaning-building soooooo fascinating im not even mad. the second a synth is heard the entire effort is reduced to something lesser, only made with the intention of fun. even defenses of it refuse to take it seriously as like. a project which is using pop convention, form, sci-fi world-building, etc to commentate. or even that it is actually depressing lmao. but the narrative around an electronically minded followup to a magnum opus is basically "sell-out" catnip even if that makes literally zero sense/they scrapped an entire album before this project. people will simply create their own interpretation!

[theflyingfeeling]

I think today I will cry about BC not making tour vlogs anymore 😔

[lostconductor]

really longwinded fuckass trans oc essay

despite being trans myself i don't really think any of my trans characters actually satisfyingly explore the trans experience to me, which is fine because a trans character can just Exist, but also i do wish i had more characters who's lives and identities are affected by being trans. because my experience so far is that being transgender has affected me in a way where i feel proud to wear the label on my lapel because i've come this far. but i find that in most of my trans ocs' stories, being transgender is either a: destigmatized and/or b: not a problem (hormones and medical transition readily available, taken care of). there's that line between "do i really want to write transphobia into a world where everyone can just be happy?" and "i want a character that's had one of the genuine modern trans experiences" (i say one of and not "the" because there is no The Trans Experience).

then theres project moon world. where gender is and isn't important because gendered bodies and traits do exist, it's literally just the names that are subverted. but (at least as far as i personally know, i dont know anything beyond lobcorp, half of ruina, and everything up to like the lab half of yi sang's canto) we don't actually see or hear any discussion of gender or gender issues, or anything implying that a gender inequality or trans people even exist. which is fine i guess. not the main focus when people are turning into giant monsters and killing each other with giant swords. but it makes it hard to picture any sort of modern experience and relationship with gender in that world that'd match up with anything we relate to. body modification is a commodity and normalized there. you can get surgery to transfer your body into a robot body as long as your brain is intact. you can replace your head now. top and bottom surgery is ancient news, that's just normal. you can replace your head with a triangle now. do people still come out of the closet? does gender even come into play with sexuality anymore? does anyone give a fuck when people are turning into monsters and shit? it sounds like a nice world, where you don't have to constantly be on defense because someone might kill you for being a little too queer, but it also makes it really hard to visualize anything you can relate to without it seeming a little old-fashioned or silly for it to even exist

in my salem world buggy / skuggy being trans was me slapping it on them because i was trans and i wanted to connect with my ocs. i honestly havent revisited them in a while so i forgot a lot but i tried to work it into their stories but mostly ended up thinking longer on it for skuggy as kind of just him crawling out of a bad home situation and him being able to transition finally being his foot down on earth away from that old life. like shedding a shell into a new one. yeah things still suck and i'm heading for a town that's going to kill me, but i finally am on t and i can start saving up for top surgery. but after that point in his life it fades to the background and it's just normal. i think my salem folks are the closest ill get to being able to explore a genuine transgender experience

farrow is weird because the entirety of his life he's been kind of accustomed to playing this certain role and sticking with it, and losing himself in the tough guy facade of uncaring manipulative loner that he just becomes it and doesn't see another way until he's literally killed for being a prick and reduced to a speck that can't hold that facade anymore after being put into his place. as a child he was androgynous and didn't care about it but was still a boy. but the moment he's forced to stop revolving his life around the sole purpose of survival (in fact probably now the opposite) and has to be forced to face what actually lies beneath that facade he's implanted into himself , that nonbinary elephant in the room suddenly gets very very big and loud and he's forced to stare it straight down. i explored his very disorienting confused tiptoes into gender expression and identity mostly in private because i got shy being anything less than funniejokes about my ocs, but it was really just "i think i might be nonbinary but i have a job so i cant think abt that rn" "oh shit im unemployed im fighting these fucking demons" "why did being called this term awaken something in me" "oh god help me". i think i explored and pushed it the absolute most in band au where it's the most similar to modern day reality and just got to make him a little thing. but it's kind of the same thing where while i did get to explore his gender presentation and his thoughts on it and how other people close to him reacted to it or affirm it it i don't ttthink it has a lot of bearing on his character. which is fine i guess. i dont know how i feel about characters who's entire basis is being trans. but i guess that is literally just how it is irl being a stigmatized group you are just Defined by it bc it affects Everything In Your Gd Life. idk where im going with this

idk the thing that prompted this is just thinking about my lobcorp ocs because it is so. HARD. to relate to any of their trans experiences or write anything resembling a modern trans experience with them. they live in a hyperdeveloped future, why Wouldn't they have access to hrt and gender affirming surgeries. why Would it have any bearing on them what gender they are, they have to go die in a Nest or smtng tomorrow. i think a lot about eva and griffin and even like myukeu or roger/mags. i'm trying to go back and think about how it might've been for eva growing up but the most i can think is that he probably just stayed in the closet until he built up the courage and his parents were just "oh okay cool i guess. maybe you wont be limited by the glass ceiling now. finish your damn homework" like just such a anticlimatic end. (but even that response implies any sort of gender imbalance or acknowledgement of gender in this world and honestly, with all the women taking leadership and even mastermind roles in this world there is no way that's anything close to canon. also i dont want to write in fuckin misogyny. but thats the thing in a modern au His Parents Would Fucking THink Like That his identity gender and all takes a backseat to his Purpose. but its hard to write that when Everyone Is Just Like That with gender). like yeah i can write this character juggling work and arranging pharmacy prescriptions and fitting in a daily t shot into his routine and having to recover after top surgery but once he's socially transitioned even if he doesn't pass it doesn't have a bearing or effect on him because It Doesn't Matter Here You're An Employee All The Same. his identity is an afterthought in the corporation. the only time it comes up is when he befriends other trans people and has that "oh hey" feeling of solidarity or when years down the line he's getting freaky with julian and has to explain no an abnormality did not scar me those are surgery scars. im trans. and then it's fine

idk this is a very looseform ramble because in the end i don't know what my actual thoughts are. i guess i yearn for just a mundane trans experience. which is why i'm so drawn to band au / modern aus of any kind because it lets me write these people being Very Mundane Normal People. sure writing them in doomed time loops and turning into giant monsters and harnessing powers beyond comprehension is fun but also i really like writing mundane shit even if its boring to read. why do you think i spamdraw post-lobcorp so much. theyre normal. anyways time to brainrot more over band au than the actual canon

also if there have been any mentions/discussions of gender in projmoon games i would 100% be down to read an analysis or whatever. this isnt a projmoon haterpost believe it or not it's just me thrashing within the nonexistent box i've put myself in.

i like mundane modern trans characters. i like trans characters that look like people i would meet irl and just Exist the way we do irl. i dont care if there is no transphobia in the world i just need to see them being mildly inconvenienced by having to do advanced aerobics to take off their binder or experience gender euphoria after wearing a tank top and jeans. i wanna see them having a sleepover and getting their nails painted for the first time and just going "oh my god i can actually be pretty thats just something i can do". idk. i think i just want to write more trans joy into my stories it's just hard when there's a more prevalent ongoing plot going on (hell timeloop and melting away of identity)