#very fitting for her. also shout out to lis for looking at this for me

[starswallowingsea]

Schneider Reverse 1999 // Two Evening Moons - Federico García Lorca

[d0youc0py]

Could you do any 141 member (I don’t really care I love them all) comforting civilian!reader while she’s on her period? Like the cramps, nausea, mood swings?

Thanks!

He winced as another pained groan left your lips.

“Pain killers didn’t help?” He frowned. He laid down behind you tucking you against him. He pressed a kiss to the back of your head, his hands pressing down on the heating pad against your stomach. The pressure made you feel better and you softly grabbed his hand and put it under the heating pad, silently asking him to massage your stomach. “I got you.” He pressed another kiss to your shoulder.

“Are you done with your paperwork yet?” You whined.

“Ya, Sweetheart.” He lied. The thought of leaving you alone to suffer on the couch made his stomach turn. “You rest up, now and I’ll fix us some dinner later, yeah?”

“Don’t leave till I fall asleep please.” You requested, scooting closer to him.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He’s literally the dream partner when it comes to this stuff

He has always been a very nurturing person

He has your special week marked on his calendar so he’s never caught off guard if you snip at him or you wake up and need to change the sheets

When he can’t be with you he always ships a care package to your house with all the things you could possibly need (snacks, pads/tampons, medicine, a card saying how much he loves you)

He’s the best honestly

“Kid, open the door!” The door handle jiggled. You splashed cold water over your face trying to calm down, but no matter how hard you tried sobs wracked your body. You blamed the hormones. You and Simon were new in your relationship, about five months in, and you had just recently started spending the night at his place. You always had a plan for what to do if you got your period during the night but you didn’t plan for it to come almost a week early. You woke up feeling a familiar wetness and practically ripped yourself out of Simon’s arms. To make matters worse he had his thigh resting between your legs, meaning- you didn’t even want to say it. You shook the thoughts out of your head.

“Sweetheart, c’mon.” Simon sighed from the other side of the door. “You know what I do for a living, yeah? You think a little blood is gonna scare me off? I find that a bit offensive if I’m being honest.”

“It’s disgusting and embarrassing!” You shouted through your sobs.

“It’s not disgusting.” He shot back. “Whoever made you feel that way is a cunt. And it might seem embarrassing now, but I promise you in a week it’ll make you laugh. Out you come.” He shook the door handle again. He did make you feel better. “There she is.” He whispered. You looked him over, happy he had changed his sleep shorts. A clunky thumb wiped away a few remaining tears.

The man is completely unbothered

You can throw a whole hissy fit and he’ll just ask if you’ve eaten anything today

Bodily fluids don’t faze him at all- you could bleed, vomit and cry all over him and he’d just pat you on the back

He’s still doesn’t always understand how to take care of other people, so if you want/need him to do something all you have to do is ask

He never ever makes you feel bad/embarrassed about anything

“Si, you aren’t going to believe the blood clot that just came out of me.” “I’m proud of you Sweetheart.”

“I just can’t believe he did that to her!” You sobbed, wiping your eyes on your husbands shirt.

“What a bastard.” He growled, wiping a tear from his own eye. He wrapped an arm tighter around you, throwing a few pieces of popcorn into your mouth.

“Get off the screen!” You shouted, throwing a few pieces of popcorn at the TV.

“Ya, fuck off!” Johnny yelled after you tossing a few pieces as well. You both looked at each other before bursting into a giggle fit.

Every time you on your period it seems like Johnny also goes on his

You would think both of you being so emotional would cause problems, but it really makes you feel less alone

He definitely steals higher grade pain meds from the base to help you (Price caught him and started doing it for his own partner)

Absolutely loves to take warm showers with you

This man is also unfazed by bodily fluids ;)

Whenever you feel sick he is on the other side of the door cheering you on

You hated when you got your period and he wasn’t here. It always reminded you of how sucky life was before him and how much spoiled you are now. You pressed yourself deeper into his pillow, inhaling his scent. Your muscles relaxed slightly- but it was nothing compared to the real thing. The pain killers had yet to kick in and your body felt so hot and uncomfortable. Your ears piqued up when you heard the door open.

“Babe?”

“Ky!” You screeched. The ache in your stomach couldn’t stop you from running through the flat to greet him. “What are you doing here? Your not suppose to be home for another two weeks?” You questioned between both of you pressing kisses against each other.

“I can just stay for two days.” He sighed, scooping you up. “I told Cap you weren’t feeling well- and let’s just say being the favorite has its perks.”

If you thought Price was good wait till you meet Kyle He definitely learned it from Price

Total Princess treatment to the max

“Ky, I can tie my shoes.” “Don’t worry bout it love.”

He shows love through acts of service so this is his time to shine ✨

Has a stash of all your favorite snacks/drinks for when the time comes

He usually puts you between his legs and the two of you play video games for the next eight hours- distraction helps take you mind off of the pain

[bixels]

If it's not too much trouble would you mind sharing more on your thoughts about AJ? Esp the line she shouted at Rarity and her "struggle with sexual identity" I'm kind of new so I would like to hear more! Does Rarity also struggle with sexual identity and fearing AJ would leave? I love the family oriented person A and the business inclined and impressed by shiny new things person B trope

Ok, this is gonna get into head canons and personal opinions.

The writing in Rollercoaster of Friendship (and EQG as a whole) is much simpler and more stripped down in comparison to FiM (most likely to appeal to a younger audience; don't want to seem like I'm dissing the writers), but that one confrontation made me sit up in my seat because it carries the entire special.

More under the cut cuz I don't want MLP analyses clogging up my blog.

For one, we've seen AJ get frustrated and angry about the same exact conflict over a girl in FiM (Rara), establishing a pattern. And even though she's right (her friend really is being manipulated), I read both cases as her acting out in jealousy too. Here's this girl who she's felt a unique attachment to being "taken away" and changed by someone new. This is most apparent in RoF; the moment Vignette introduces herself, kisses Rarity on both cheeks, and establishes herself as Rarity's "new best friend," AJ immediately reacts with shock, betrayal, and boldfaced jealousy (made even worse when Rarity forgets her during introductions). Although AJ acts independent, she's actually very emotionally dependent on certain people in her life.

If we come into this with the assumption that AJ has romantic feelings for Rarity –– which is a normal assumption given the director/writer confirmed the special was written as a romantic drama between the two –– AJ's line is all the more heartbreaking. If I may slip into fictional speculation: your crush is no longer listening or paying attention to you, even though you know something is wrong and that she's getting hurt. Your frustration at her lack of awareness is really your anger at her lack of care –– she doesn't care about you anymore. So in a fit of rage, in your big, dramatic confrontation, just to make her look at you, react at you, feel how she's been making you feel all day –– unwanted and unspecial –– you hurt her back. AJ yells, "You're not special!" and Rarity cries.

And what really gets me is that AJ lies. In this moment, she lies that Rarity's not special when (again, assumption of romance) she's the most special person in the world to her. So special that she's placed all her feelings of self-assurance and security on their relationship. So special that the moment their relationship is shaken and she doesn't know to recover it –– recover herself –– she lashes out, acts against her character, and says something dishonest just to hurt the girl she loves.

(Honestly, rewatching this special, AJ is so insecure and attention-needy. The way she pouts and slouches and lags behind the group and says, "Never mind. It's nothing," when asked what's wrong is textbook "please pay attention to me and ask me what's wrong because i need a reason to be honest about feelings i know i should be ashamed of" behavior.)

I think AJ's insecurities (which could be tied to her lack of experience with romantic relationships) reveal how she has a tendency to misattribute and redirect anger onto the person she cares most about (see Simple Ways as well, where she's caught on the opposite end of a jealousy spat). This could easily become a very toxic trait, but AJ grows past it. Near the end of RoF, the two come together and apologize. AJ recognizes her entitlement and confesses her insecurities about their relationship. She felt hurt and attacked when her status as Rarity's best friend/girlfriend was threatened because it's a role she uses to self-identify –– if Rarity isn't hers, she loses part of her identity. And she admits that she thought her motivation was to protect Rarity, but really she was just being selfish and protecting herself. Rarity was busy and stressed and needed someone to lean on just as much AJ needed her. She isn't AJ's emotional support girlfriend, and it wasn't right to expect her to be one.

(Which is why Rarijack is peak because throughout both series, they repeatedly show just how important honesty, open communication, and trust is in maintaining, supporting, and growing a romantic relationship.)

[messy-jin]

Ikemen Villains x Dreamcatcher

So... This is going to be a long post but after some encouragement, I ended up making a post about the Ikemen Villains' characters, and which songs from the Dreamcatcher's discography I think would fit them best.

Since I'm playing the English version of the game, I didn't included Darius, Ring and Nica since I don't know them much, sorry...

Honestly, if you let me, I'll end up doing that for Ikemen Prince too (Propose is Gilbert's song and you can't change my mind)... Anyways, I hope you enjoy this journey of me rambling about characters and music that I love!

Obviously, let's start with William.

Without hesitation, Black or White is a song that I associate with Will. After all, this is a song about staying true to yourself, and this is what William is all for. "There isn't a right answer" and "A right answer is meaningless" are things I actually imagine him say, with all the times he hits Kate with a "What do you think?" to encourage her to create her own answers to things. The whole "Black or white / I'm neither" in the lyrics... Need I say more? This is his "Is it really bad?" attitude.

Another song that fits him would be Jazz Bar. I don't know... The atmosphere of this song reminds me of him. I think it would be a song he would actually enjoy, even. The mysterious vibe, the flirtuous lyrics (really, go check the lyrics on Genius)... "Endlessly entranced by my humming" is basically him calling Kate out. "If you are going to approach me now / Don't hesitate and come / Let's skip awkward greetings / Like old lovers", come on, guys!

Harrison is next!

For Harry, it was a little trickier than with Will. I went with Demian. Lyrics such as "We know that most of them are trapped accidents / People are corrupt" scream Harrison to me. This song gives me the silent anger vibe going on inside this man. "The evil that grows on its own / Contrarily, between the remaining sincerity" gives a little shout out to his ability to see through lies.

I also could not resist associating him with Boca. The whole idea of counter-attacking and not letting people get away with what they are doing... "They don't have a sense of guilt anymore", yep, shout out to the Three Eagles in his route. I just realized that Harry has the angry songs. Oops, sorry.

Next is my sweetest dearest little meow meow, Liam.

He was tricky too but for another reason (aka I had too many ideas). So... First one I decided to go with is Scream. This song is from the point of view of someone suffering from people's harsh words, comparing it to witch hunts. And the parallels I could make between this and Liam's past, his father and all... Too many. Plus, the shift from "Please, I don't want to scream" and "I just wanna make you scream" is fitting for the shift between Liam's panic and anxiety to Liam having one of his fit. Do you see my vision?

The second I chose is Lullaby. Disappearance is a central theme, in this song. I could not NOT give it to Liam, considering his curse and the fact that acting on stage is a way to make himself disappear to become someone else. "I've waited here every day but I don't know if I can tomorrow as well" or even "I try to hold onto you" reminds me of his relationship with Kate.

Bonus because this one is more Alfons and Liam at the same time : 2 Rings. It is all about looking for thrills. I mean... The very first lyrics of the song are literally "I enjoy the thrills".

Aaah, Elbert... The one who made me start this whole post.

As said in a previous post, BEcause is Elbert's song. It's a song about obsessive love, so obviously it's him. The theme of the ocean is present - his escape place. "Forever mine, everything even your breath, forever mine" is something he told Kate numerous times. "It's okay, even if you reject me / Another voice of mine will call you instead / Just like the way it is now / Would you stay by my side / As a beautiful picture?" I'm telling you, Elbie. Even the other voice is here. The bridge is hauntingly beautiful, which is Elbie's vibe.

Talking about hauntingly beautiful, we also have Shatter. "It captivates me like magic / The splendor and sweetness / I can't close my eyes in the end", ah, yes, here we go again. The "Give me back my freedom" would be Kate if she was not as down for him as she was. Also, on a sadder note, this song is about falling in love with Medusa. And Medusa Tattoos are associated to survivors of SA.

Say hello to the walking problem child, Alfons.

The first song that came up to mind for Alfons was Odd Eye. This song is about illusions, after all. "Ecstatic moment, a perfect illusion / By covering the reality" is basically his curse. "The moment when you're caught off guard by a smile", this song is a warning, I swear. "Everything is a plausible lie / Overshadowed by sweetness", I think that everything is said.

But another song I thought about was Scar. The "Open your eyes (Get up), look around (I can't) / Look at my eyes across the darkness (You're gonna play with me) / Dig deep into me (I can't stop)" sounds like an exchange between Alfons and Kate, with him tempting her, especially the "You're gonna play with me". The themes of memories and oblivion are omnipresent, which are quite linked to Alfons.

So... Roger... I'm sorry, I could not find more than one song, and I'm not even sure I'm satisfied with this one.

I chose OOTD. But hear me out, there are good reasons. First of all, "druken everyday". Now that the joke is done, I can explain more seriously. Roger is a guy who is confident, it has been shown several times in the story. Plus, he does not hide the fact he is rather selfish and does as he pleases - which is the general vibe of this song. "I'm so gorgeous" is fitting for the man who said loud and clear to fear them because they're handsome (Harrison's route).

I hesitated with Poison Love, for the crying part and the "I want you, I want you more" which reminded me of his line "You should try wanting more, because I know I want more" (or something like this) in the Bond Level. But I was not really satisfied either...

This man... So, it's Jude's turn.

I'll go straight to the point : No More has a big Jude's vibe. "Always in packs / You cowardly losers" ? "Don't get in my way, no more" ? "I will never lose, over the pain" ? I don't know what to say more, it just fits. It's his vibe. It's his energy.

Another one that I thought about was Red Sun. "I want to laugh when I see you struggle" is this sadist. The whole "you can't escape me" vibe of this song and the lyrics fits him because, let's be real, once you promised something to him, there is no way he would let you go that easily. "You'll be in danger" and "You'll regret it", this man is always threatening or "warning" Kate.

Ellis, my love, I love you but you scare me sometimes, you're next.

So... Let's start with something sweet with Alldaylong. This song has literally been inspired by a hug. Obviously I'm giving it to Elly. This man is always ready to hug and never misses an occasion to offer one. "Hug my heart", "hand in hand all day long", when this man is all about physical touch. There is also the theme of smiles, which is also something he is all for.

But I was not going to stop at a cute song. Fly High is perfect : an appearingly "happy" song with darker lyrics for an appearingly sweet man with hidden yandere tendencies. "If only I could stop time" makes me think about the whole "preserving people at their happiest moment by offing them". There is also the "Like a thorny rose, I can't escape" which reminds me of his curse - which then shifts to a "You can't escape" during the bridge and "Don't try to get away from me" in the last chorus. The whole "So every night, I can fall asleep next to you forever" also gives Ellis.

Here comes our lovely boss : Victor !

Some Love gives Victor's energy. I mean... This grow-up man is a ball of energy. He is all about loving yourself and your darker side. This song is about embracing yourself and always walking forward. "Never stop, never stop being yourself / No matter what anyone says, don't stop / You'll shine dazzlingly like this" as a bridge is basically him cheering on his darling boys and Kate. There is even the "I'm placing a spell on you now", which is perfect for someone who loves magic tricks.

I also imagine Locked Inside a Door to be fitting for Vic. This song is all about the freedom to be yourself. "Run with me, don't look behind / Bring you back up when you fell / Straighten up your shrunken shoulders" is how a picked up Crown members. "Let me be myself / Gonna take you down / Don't care about everything you say to me", you tell them, sir. "I don't behave / That's who I am" is fitting for a man who said "We are villains, after all".

And last , but definetly not least, our dear beloved Kate !

First one I wanted to mention is Mayday. "In this darkness that grows deeper and shakes me up / I'm going to see you so I can reach you" is really Kate coded. There is the idea of being lost and disoriented throughout the whole song, which reminds me of Kate's situation among Crown. Funny note with the "Oh, where are you now?" because her love interest always go missing in the middle of the route (we'll see with Alfons in the next route if he follows this rule).

And finally, I was also thinking about Breaking Out. "Passing through darkness, the story begins" is our Kate becoming stronger as the story goes on. Her story really begins. There is also the whole going toward tomorrow thing with "Even if someone tries to block right in front of me / I'm already facing tomorrow". And "I throw everything away, even the past" is fitting for her who decided to let go of her past life to stay with Crown. The only difference is that the song talks about seeking the light, while Kate is more seeking darkness.

[tickle-bugs]

But You Were Mine

Summary: Still hung up on the fit of Bruce’s body against his, Clark attempts the oldest possible ritual: getting to know his pseudo-sweetheart. Too bad Bruce Wayne is the most unknowable man on Earth. Sequel to Chase the Memory of it Still.

Yet again, blame @fickle-tiction for this. Doing a midnight post and run so I don’t have to look at this in the morning lol. Also warning for mild barely even lukewarm makeouts. Probably tamer than Part 1 lol. 

Also also: the beginning scene with Clark and Lois works best if you imagine that Lois doesn’t know that Bruce is Batman but suspects him, all while thinking Clark doesn’t know that Bruce is Batman. So she’s trying to protect him from being lied to and Clark is like ‘but Lois I love him’

“Clark Joseph Kent, you’re a grade-A idiot.” Lois thwaps the back of his head with a rolled-up newspaper. 

“I know,” Clark groans into the surface of Lois’s desk. She thwaps him again. 

“So, let me get this straight.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “You somehow conned your way into a fake relationship with Bruce Wayne of all people, and now you have feelings for him?” 

“I’ve always had feelings for him,” He mumbles, suddenly feeling very small in his seat. When he looks up at her, she’s glaring at him. Ah, he’s in trouble. 

“You don’t know him.” She spreads her hands on the surface of her desk, knocking aside a few Daily Planet pens. He picks them up and puts them back. 

“Yes I do.” Clark frowns. 

“He’s an airhead playboy with zero priorities. You deserve someone who’ll be honest—“

“Oh? Like Selina?” 

Lois gets very quiet. Her stare pierces like a fine needle through his throat. A few battered emotions flicker over her face, leaving in their wake a rare and unguarded Lois. Then, quicker than the cat that stole her heart, her face resigns into something sharp and deadly. 

“I’m sorry.” He circles the desk and pulls her into a hug. After a begrudging glare, she tips her head into his chest. They inhale and exhale together—a routine they’ve shared for years. She relaxes into him.

“No, you’re right.” She chuckles. “I fell for a thief. That’s on me.” 

“And I spent the night with the one guy I shouldn’t have. We can’t all be perfect.” Clark elbows her, looking for a smile. Lois’s eyes blow wide and she starts spluttering. 

“You hooked up with him?” She thankfully keeps to a hissing whisper, but he can tell she wants to shout. He contemplates flying around the Earth fast enough to undo the moment, but she’s gripping his shirt tight enough to stop him.

“Well, okay, we kissed a bunch but it didn’t go further—“ 

“Oh god, we’re both hopeless.” She groans into her hands.

“No, not hopeless. We can both have what we want. I’ll call Bruce if, and only if, you call Selina.” He pulls her hands away from her face. She huffs and smiles. 

“This optimism thing is going to bite you in the ass. How do you think you’re gonna maintain a relationship with someone who doesn’t know that you, uh, work two jobs?” She casts a weary glance towards the office door and drops her voice even lower.

“He gets me, Lois.” It’s all he can say. It’s the truth. 

“Alright.” She brushes a thumb over his cheek. “Then get to know him at least. Find out if he’s the kind of guy worth being around.”

“I know he's worth it. That’s not ever in question.” Clark can’t help but smile a little as he thinks of Bruce. “It’s an internal thing. He sees me. I see him. We don’t have to pretend with each other. It’s…just us.”

Her keen eyes scan every inch of his face, even as he trails off.

“You should tell him.” She squeezes his arm. 

“What? No. Absolutely not. I only said that because I know you won’t call her. C’mon, you’re supposed to be the voice of reason here.” He squints at her. She flicks him in the forehead. 

“Okay, well the ‘voice of reason’ thinks you should say something before you lose this…somehow healthy-sounding relationship you have. With Bruce Wayne, of all people,” She mutters that last part, but Clark both hears and ignores it. 

“We’re friends and it’s good. Really good. He trusts me at least a little. I don’t want him to think I have ulterior motives. If I could read him at all, figure out what he wants…but I can’t. I can’t lose him.” 

“This isn’t the healthiest advice, but…start a list. Treat him like a case. What are some things that draw you to him? Things he hides? Things he shows only to you? If it makes you do that dopey giggle thing you do, he’s probably worth it.” She leans against the edge of her desk and crosses her arm. 

“I don’t do a giggle…thing,” he mumbles, but his face is already heating up an incriminating amount. 

“It’s cute. He’ll probably like it.” She tweaks his nose. He swats her hand away, but his spirits are far lighter.  

His phone buzzes and he checks it as discreetly as possible. 

B: Free this afternoon?

Clark smiles. 

C: On my way. :)

“I’ve gotta go.” He stands and shrugs on his suit jacket. 

“Boyfriend awaits?” She wiggles her eyebrows. 

“Bye, Lois.” He rolls his eyes. 

“Tell him I’d love to do an exclusive with him.” She snickers. 

“I’ll tell him that when you call Selina.” He smirks. She gasps her way into laughter, her face blooming pink. Her hand comes up to play with a diamond necklace sitting on her collarbone--a cat-shaped pendant he’s never seen her wear before--and shakes her head fondly. 

“I will after you kiss your playboy. Again.” She raises her eyebrow. Checkmate. 

“Bye, Lois,” He says a little louder. She playfully shoos him from her office. He kisses her cheek.

Clark can only smile when he hears her phone ringing and the faint “Hey, kitty” through the glass. 

….

It’s apt that Gotham is as dark and segmented as its protector, Clark thinks, because he’s never in his life met anyone as fragmented as Bruce Wayne. Everyone in the League is broken in some way, battered by traumas that still threaten to crush them, but Bruce is markedly...different. He covers the cracks in his soul with masks. For every unveiling, six more facades lay below it. 

The reporter in him finds a dark fascination with it. The lost Kryptonian in him finds it…depressing. The human in him is currently bouncing on his heels in the lobby of Wayne Tower until Bruce finally meets him downstairs. 

Bruce glides off of one of the elevators and nods at a few hushed executives who scurry in behind him. He must come off so effortless to them—not a hair out of place, a new suit and coat every day, but Clark can see the exhaustion clouding his eyes. Bruce Wayne is put together. Bruce is tired. 

“You seem eager.” Bruce gives him a practiced small smile as they fall into step. 

“I’m having the slowest of slow days. This was a much needed adventure.” Clark stretches his spine. It gives a loud, much needed crack. He’s just a little too big for his chair at the Planet and it’s starting to take its toll. 

“We’re just walking down the street,” Bruce chuckles. He bumps the doors to the building open and Clark darts out. A light flurry of snow twirls through the air as they start their walk. He catches a snowflake on his tongue before he can think better of it. Bruce’s smile grows a little wider. 

“So? Every trip away from my desk is an adventure. C’mon, I know a spot.” Clark nods to the side and they hang a left, passing under a train overpass. 

“You know a spot in Gotham?” Bruce raises a brow. 

“I get around.” Clark grins. 

………………………………………………………………………………………….

They end up at a patisserie on the East side, a small family-run shop that deserves far more business than it gets. Clark can smell the wonders within from a good mile away.

Months ago, when he was helping Lois write a scathing exposé on Wayne Enterprises, this spot had served him well. Nothing better than a building full of sweets and a decent wifi connection to get you through betraying a good friend. Shredding that article was easily the best decision of Clark’s life, especially since Lois’s pivot towards flaying Lexcorp alive won her an award. 

He buys them both coffee—black for Bruce, vanilla for himself—and sets about the intricate ritual of sweetening his coffee to perfection. This is normalcy. Normalcy is good. 

“This is the only part of Gotham I like.” Clark steals little peeks at Bruce, waiting for him to inevitably make fun of him, but his eyes are elsewhere.

A refrigerated display tower of macarons stands proudly next to the register, boasting all sorts of delicious surprises. The splash of color is welcome among the somewhat dreary day outside. 

“Hm?” Bruce’s gaze struggles to find its way back to Clark. 

“You seem distracted.” Clark pops the stirring straw into his mouth and pulls the remaining coffee out with a little slurp. He pops the lid onto his cup much slower than necessary. The first time you crush a cup of boiling liquid in public tends to change you, after all. He’s grown since then. 

“Heavy work day.” For a man so difficult to read, Bruce has never clearly been more full of shit. He doesn’t even try to look away from the cookie display. 

“Do you…want a macaron?” Clark doesn’t bother trying to stifle his amusement. 

“What? No.” Bruce withdraws slightly. 

“What’s your favorite? My treat.” Clark jerks a thumb towards the display. 

“Money isn’t the problem.” Bruce scoffs, but not unkindly. He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. Clark tries to ignore the still-fading lovebite on Bruce’s neck that he left. 

“Then what is?” Clark leans forward on his elbows. Surprise flickers across Bruce’s face for the slightest of moments. 

“…I’ve never had one,” Bruce mumbles, shuffling a bit in his seat. Clark beams. 

“First time for everything. C’mon.” Clark vigorously beckons him over to the line. Bruce trails behind with an endearing awkwardness that he’s learned to identify: slow steps, shifty eyes, and silence. 

Clark takes his time to point out his favorite flavors and make a few recommendations, but he feels like he’s stumbling around in the dark. His sweet tooth is only rivaled by Diana’s—even then, their tastes match so closely that he’s a little lost with someone like Bruce. 

Bruce stares deeply at him. Clark’s rambling stutters to a halt. He pulls on his collar a bit. Adjusts his glasses. 

Bruce’s eyes seem so warm. Must be the light. 

“If today was my last day to live and you had to give me a macaron, what would you choose?” Bruce leans close. His eyes are on the display, thank god, because Clark doesn’t know that he can handle more of that eye contact right about now. 

“It amazes me that you’re so committed to the dark and brooding thing.” Clark rolls his eyes, and after some thought: “Raspberry.” 

“Hm. Okay.” And that’s that. Bruce orders quickly and walks away with his prize, leaving Clark to scramble after him. They sit back down in their quiet little corner, the naturally-frosted window fogging slightly at their presence. 

Bruce opens his box of macarons clinically, like he’s stripping it for parts. He takes one out and admires the color, gives it a little test squish, sniffs it. Clark watches the process with vested interest until Bruce pulls out another box and slides it towards him. 

“What’s this?” Clark pulls the box close. 

“Strawberry Cheesecake macarons. I saw you eyeing them when we came in.” Bruce pokes the box again, sliding them just a little more forward. 

“I’m not subtle, am I?” Clark pushes his glasses up again. He cracks the box open and pops a cookie in his mouth. His eyelids flutter shut and he does a little dance in his chair. 

“It’s one of your more endearing qualities.” Bruce quirks a small, smug smile. 

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Clark fake sniffles. The resulting eyeroll is incredibly satisfying. 

Bruce takes a mouse-like nibble of the macaron, catching maybe an atom of cookie and filling between his teeth. He chews thoughtfully. 

“So? Do we have a winner?” Clark rests his chin on his hand. 

“I think so. You have good taste,” Bruce hums, taking another tentative bite of the macaron. A gentle, genuine smile peaks on his lips like a glimpse of the sun through storm clouds. 

“That’s the second nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Clark swipes a macaron from Bruce’s box fast enough to send a small breeze fluttering between them. 

“And it will never happen again.” Bruce peeks open one eye as he finishes his macaron. 

Okay, bumping shredding that Wayne Enterprises article down to number two. This, Clark thinks, watching Bruce smile to himself, this is easily top of the list. 

1 ) He likes raspberries. 

It takes later in the week until they have a moment to truly spend a bit of time together. Criminal roundups never leave much personal time, and Clark’s hearing has him near-constantly running to save lives. But, on a quiet Wednesday night, he has a moment. 

He loves visiting Wayne Manor. It’s been a while since he last swung by, but he adores the place. He could spend hours swooning over the architecture alone. It’s a beautiful place to disappear for a while, and he’s been doing that more and more lately. 

He gets buzzed into the gates easy enough with a lie about taking the bus, and then he’s standing in the massive foyer and hanging up his coat by the door. The manor smells of old wood and citrus. Clark draws in a big breath of it. 

He turns and jumps a bit when a flock of people are suddenly staring at him atop the stairs. Bruce’s kids, right. He knows Dick, Tim, and Jason. The others are still a bit fuzzy to him. They all leer from the landing like royalty watching a gladiator in the pit. 

“Hey there.” He waves at the smallest and angriest of the bunch. This is Damien, he’s pretty sure.

“So you’re the new guy.” A blonde—Steph, he remembers her from the Christmas card—leans on the railing with her forearms. 

“I wouldn’t mess with him, Steph. He’s tougher than he looks,” Dick murmurs out of the corner of his mouth, trying his best to be subtle. Clark gives him a friendly wave. He returns it. 

“He looks like he wears a pocket protector. I could take him,” Steph whispers to Dick. Clark tries to rein in his expression so he doesn’t give himself away. 

“I’m not sure we’ve met. I’m Clark. You’re all Bruce’s kids, right? It’s nice to meet you.” He tries to make himself look as friendly as possible. He gets a few waves, but mostly owlish stares. He sees where they get it from. 

“Is your father home?” Clark sticks his hands in his pockets and tries to kill the silence. 

“Bruce! Your boyfriend’s here!” Jason bellows. Clark bites his lip to hide his smile. 

“Clark?” Bruce peeks around the corner, then shuffles quickly down the stairs. 

“Hey. I, uh, had a few minutes. Just came by to see you before I went home.” Clark rubs the back of his neck with a smile, trying to kill the flutter in his chest. 

“Bruce, say something,” Tim hisses, crouching behind the banister as if Clark can’t see him. Bruce startles, glares at him, and then gestures for Clark to follow him. As they pass, all of the kids watch him go, whispering in a building flurry that he doesn’t bother dissecting. He tells himself it’s because they deserve their privacy, but really…he’s nervous. Severely. 

“I hope they didn’t make you uncomfortable. They can be a bit…eager.” Bruce’s smile is warm beneath the lights of the old manor. 

“They’re wonderful. Terrifying, but wonderful.” Clark chuckles and bumps their shoulders together while they walk. 

It’s these precious minutes that define their friendship more than anything. Clark tells Bruce all about his day, about his Lex Luthor exposé making the front page, about everything and nothing at all. He talks and Bruce listens, egging him on with gentle tilts of the head when he shyly falls into silence.

By the time they reach the gardens, it’s Clark’s turn to listen. Bruce tells him about the kids, occasionally stopping whenever he notices one lurking. He asks for his opinion on random scenarios. Clark can’t tell if they’re hypotheticals but he answers as truthfully as he can, chasing the little noises of appreciation that Bruce makes as he talks. 

Not only are Bruce’s masks interchangeable, taking him from Bruce to Batman to Bruce Wayne, they’re also removable. Clark doesn’t know when he was bestowed with the honor of being with Just Bruce, but he’s immensely grateful for it.  

“Good evening, Mr. Kent.” Alfred nods respectfully in his direction. “Master Bruce, you have a call from Mr. Fox. Line three, sir.” 

“Thank you, Alfred.” Bruce squeezes Clark’s shoulder. “You can wait here, if you’d like.” 

“Am I allowed to touch anything?” Clark teases.

“Anything you want.” Bruce winks at him, completely straight-faced, and disappears into the corridors of the manor. Clark’s face grows embarrassingly hot and he reclines against the lip of the fountain. 

He birdwatches as he waits, counting which of Bruce’s kids make normal, completely non-suspicious trips through his personal space. Dick’s the least sneaky of the bunch, but it lends him a genuine quality. He sits and chats with Clark for a few minutes, asking him about work and the like. He asks about his relationship with Bruce and Clark mumbles something non-committal, cheeks warm. 

Bruce, uh, never put out that statement about them breaking up. Clark thinks he might be alright if it never gets published. 

As the hours draw on, he catalogs where the other Robins like to hide. Tim and Damien have an affinity for hiding in the massive hedges surrounding the gardens, while Steph takes to watching from the windows. Cass is the hardest to spot but he catches her on the roof a few times, perched and enjoying the warm dusk breeze. He sees Jason with her once too.

If he’s learned anything from their father, it’s that staring is caring. Probably.

When Alfred fetches him hours later, he arrives at a scene he wants to burn permanently into his memory. 

Bruce is seated at the beautiful. obnoxiously long table in the dining room. He’s got a knee hiked up on the chair, picking idly at the fabric of his pants. On the table, a black kitten rolls around and bats at a toy. It’s sweet and oddly domestic. 

“Hey.” Bruce doesn’t turn. 

“Hi. Who’s this?” Clark holds a hand out to the kitten and it drops its paw on top of his palm, mewing softly. The squeaky, deflating noise that leaves him is not one he’s proud of. It’s so sweet and small. 

“Nyx. She’s a stray. I give her food when I can.” Bruce scratches her head gently. Nyx purrs and lays down on the table, tucking her head into the attention. She’s a precious baby, is what she is. Clark has half a mind to take her home. 

That is, until Bruce sneezes loud enough to send poor Nyx running. She flings herself off the table and into one of the manor’s seemingly endless corridors. 

“Bless you.” Clark chuckles. Bruce pulls a face. 

“Master Bruce.” Alfred hands him a box of tissues. 

“I can hear you laughing, Alfred,” he sniffles, hair a bit ruffled from the sneeze. Clark purposefully averts his eyes. 

“I would never, sir. Goodnight, Mr. Kent.” Alfred bows his head, sharing that mischievous glint in his eye. 

“Goodnight, Alfred.” Clark grins, settling into the oversized chair beside Bruce. 

2 ) He’s got a cat allergy, but he feeds the strays anyway. Bruce = cat person?

“Stop it.” Hearing the Batman voice and knowing it’s mostly because Bruce is annoyed is truly golden. 

“Stop what?” Clark floats leisurely alongside Bruce, arms behind his head. Keeping pace with him isn’t hard--he’s fast for human standards, but not by Clark’s. He’s made it a habit anyways not to zip too far ahead as they’ve grown closer. It kills the banter. 

“Look, all I’m saying is that if Batman started flying, criminals would absolutely take the week off. If I was a criminal and I thought Batman had suddenly gotten superpowers, I’d simply leave Gotham.” Clark flips upside down and hangs in front of Bruce, still drifting backwards in pace with him. 

He can sense Bruce trying not to smile, but when he opens his mouth to tease, karma speaks instead. Clark smacks his head into the side of a building just as Bruce slips through a narrow space between it and its neighbor. Clark flies up over the building and catches up with Bruce again, scowling. 

“I know you’re laughing.” Clark crosses his arms. 

“Me? Never. Just thinking about how great it is to be grounded.” Bruce allows himself the tiniest of smirks, just enough to be infuriating, and it’s Clark’s turn to roll his eyes. 

3 ) He restrains his emotions. Even the good ones. 

Roaming the Hall of Justice late at night is a cultivated hobby of Clark’s. The best snacks hide in the dark, after all, and he knows that no one’s gonna come bother him about a missing bag of chips at this hour. He needs time to think and food to think with. 

Clark’s feelings for Bruce could both span and fill an ocean. He doesn’t know when this happened. As far as he can remember, there’s always been this beacon of warmth in his chest guiding him to Bruce. Through every late night and early morning, through hopelessness and joy, Bruce is a constant. It’s too much to put on one person. Too risky. 

The ‘l word’ pops into his head like a dark omen, and he skids to a halt. He glances around, listening for any league members skulking around. All he hears is his own thundering heartbeat. 

Fuck. Fuck. 

He makes his way into the kitchen past a snoring Arthur, pausing to snatch the jumbo bag of cheese puffs from his limp grasp. He slips quietly out into the hall, passing by the lounge, where Bruce and Diana are laughing—

Clark backpedals, nearly tripping over his own feet, but god it’s worth it. Bruce is clutching Diana’s shoulder and giggling, stuck in the loop of overwhelming laughter that follows an unyielding barrage of jokes. 

They’re still suited up, probably fresh off a patrol, and Clark wonders how long they’ve been sitting here. A mountain of chocolates, the fancy ones, cover the surface of the table. Diana delicately sorts through and plucks the ones she wants from the pile as Bruce watches. 

“Diana’s the new team comedian. None of you are funny.” Bruce recovers from his laughter, but the smile stays, and Clark makes an active effort to be normal about it. The delirium of another late night in a row must have gotten to him. That’s the only explanation. 

“Barry will be devastated.” Clark chuckles. He leans in the doorframe and catches a cheese puff in his mouth. 

“He will survive.” The sparkle in Diana’s eye has him wishing he had tuned into their conversation. 

“If I had known y’all were partying in here, I would’ve come to hang out.” Clark crunches on another cheese puff, mostly to distract himself from the way Bruce’s eyes are sparkling. He didn’t know they could do that. 

“There’s no reason you can’t party with us now.” Diana gestures to the seat next to Bruce. 

Aw, what the hell? Eating junk food together couldn’t be much worse than doing it alone. 

4 ) Bruce can laugh--he just has to be caught off-guard. He likes to laugh (?) (who doesn’t?)

“When you said you needed help, I thought you meant with translating.” Clark wanders into the room. The concrete is irritatingly cold on his feet. 

Bruce types away wildly at a computer station with too many monitors. A pair of giant goggles on his head pull his hair out of his face. Clark leans over his shoulder to see what he’s doing, but the code flying across the screen is a nightmare. 

At the opposite end of the room, a mechanical rig sits primed on a set of rails. In the center, a gnarly looking gun barrel stares out into an empty expanse. 

“I’m trying to test new ammunition for the Batmobile, but my target system is down. Can’t reboot it.” Bruce clicks something else and the gun starts calibrating. A pathetic clicking sound picks up as targets struggle to ascend from the floor, twitching lifelessly in their compartments. 

“Do you want help?”

“With coding?” Bruce turns with an expression just shy of condescending.

“God no. I am bulletproof, if you remember.” Clark sticks his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. 

“Doesn’t help. I need to study the impacts afterwards.” Bruce gestures to a massive chunk of concrete on a stand nearby. Clark hefts it into his arms with a quiet grunt. 

“Just...keep up with the gun. I prefer my walls without bullet holes.” Bruce quickly turns away from him. Clark can hear his heartbeat pounding. He starts to ask, but the gun rig starts warming up and he sacrifices his curiosity. 

“Alright. Whenever you’re ready.” Clark adjusts his stance to prep for the recoil. The machine whirrs and clicks as it loads itself with rounds. Bruce types in a few things on a nearby control panel and pulls the goggles down over his eyes. 

The gun barrel spins and whines as it gains force. Clark hovers a few inches off the ground and tenses. He lines the concrete up with his chest, his eyes just clearing over top of it. 

The machine fires quicker and lower than he anticipates. 

A sharp zing zips up Clark’s side, then another, then another, and he drops the concrete, instead covering his smile while forcing himself to stay still. That’s certainly not his best idea--no block means no cover, which subsequently means getting pelted with another wave of bullets. 

Clark crumples into a flurry of giggles before he can stop himself. He curls up as much as he can—partly to stop any new onslaughts, mostly to hide his reddening face. He’s been shot more than anything and it’s never bothered him. He didn’t know he could be ticklish to touch, let alone to goddamn bullets. 

“Clark! Are you okay?” Bruce leaps over the gun rig and pulls the safety goggles up onto his head. 

“Y-Yes. I’m fine. Your machine…thing packs a punch.” Clark clears his throat to stop the rogue snickers forming a conga line in his throat. 

“I thought you were supposed to be bulletproof.” Bruce huffs, kicking the pieces of shattered brick out of the way. He swipes at Clark’s torso, probably trying to brush away the dust on him. Clark flinches under the touch and coughs over a laugh. 

“I am. It just…felt…weird.” Clark snatches Bruce’s wrist a little too quickly. Bruce’s brow furrows and he leans close, eyes glued to Clark’s stomach with sheer worry. His face resolves into tense understanding. Clark lets his hand go. 

“What? What?” He tries to catch Bruce’s gaze. There shouldn’t be anything wrong. He feels fine. Nothing pierced. Definitely not bleeding—he learned what that feels like and he hates it. But Bruce has an eye for things that Clark could never dream of noticing, and right now he’s staring like Clark already has a foot in the grave. 

“Can’t believe you fell for that.” Bruce smirks. He pulls Clark close—hello—and kneads unhurried fingers into his stomach. 

No one will ever believe him. Bruce Wayne is tickling him and no one will ever believe him. 

“B-Bruce!” Clark strains out of Bruce’s grip as best as he can, trying not to break any useful bones, but his joints keep turning to jelly. His forehead collides with Bruce’s shoulder and he shimmies rather uselessly. 

“This is very entertaining, in case you were wondering.” Bruce hums and starts pinching up Clark’s sides. His warm breath sends goosebumps flaring over his throat. 

“I wasn’t!” It’s more of a squeak than words. Evil fingers manage to squeeze beneath his arms and Clark jumps directly into the air. 

“Did you just fly away?” A genuine laugh floats out of Bruce, warm and a bit scratchy. Clark wishes he could hear more of that instead of his own dorky laughter ringing in his ears. 

“Not on purpose—shut up!” Clark aims a half-hearted kick at Bruce’s shoulder. His face burns hotter than the sun and he hides in his hands. 

Bruce grabs his ankle and tries to reel him in like a lost balloon. Clark almost falls for it until suddenly calloused hands are scritching along the bottom of his foot. He giggle-snorts. Kryptonite through the chest would be a mercy, at this point. 

A hush falls over the room. Clark dares to peek through his fingers. 

“Oh.” Bruce blinks, then the most wicked grin overtakes his face. “Do that again.” 

“You’re the worst!” Clark pulls his leg towards his body and accidentally takes Bruce with it--who doesn’t seem the least bit bothered, by the way. Every time he lowers his leg, Bruce doesn’t let go. 

“I don’t want to drop you!” Clark shrieks as if a bug is crawling on him, rather than a person. 

“Then don’t.” Bruce squeezes his calf and Clark whines his way into a fit of cackles. His body trembles with the effort to not fly directly through the ceiling. The illusion of escape makes it so much worse, especially with Bruce’s fingers worming behind his knee. 

“You coming down or am I gonna have to call the fire department?” Jesus, Bruce has a real talent for smirking out loud. Clark tries to shake him off without throwing him across the room. Bruce digs his fingers into Clark’s thigh like he’s climbing a tree and the resulting yelp has Clark resolving to flee the country. 

“Y-You’re not building a great case as to why I should!” He flinches after a flurry of giggles and slams his head into the ceiling. Plaster and dust rain down on the two of them. Clark tries to cover the crater he left behind with his hands and a bashful smile. 

“Alright, I’m done. I’d like to keep my ceiling in one piece.” Bruce pulls him down to Earth, only letting go when he’s sure that Clark won’t float away again. 

“Ticklish Superman. Who knew?” Bruce scritches beneath Clark’s chin, just like at the gala all those weeks ago, and Clark shoves his chin down with a snort. 

“No one, and I prefer it that way. Keep it quiet.” He can’t muster any severity in his voice and he’s not sure it would help if he could. The thought of Lois finding out--or worse, Diana--starts an inescapable loop of nervous smiles and a light fluttering in his chest. 

“No promises.” Bruce smirks. “I hear Lois wants an exclusive. Maybe I’ll give her a call.”

“Don’t you dare. Bruce—“

He dials her office line, jogging towards the stairs. Clark shrieks and chases after him. 

5 ) He’s mischievous. Deathly so. 

…

After a long while of staring at his pitiful little list, Clark still finds himself restless. He has naught more than a skeleton, clinging scraps of Bruce’s infinite depths. The paper isn’t suited to contain him. He might actually know less than before.

Even as Bruce beats the shit out of him, he can’t think of anything else. 

“Why don’t you let anyone get to know you?” Clark frowns at Bruce across the sparring mats. Bruce runs and leaps onto his shoulders, executing a flawless scissor grip. Clark raises his hand to support his back and Bruce swats him away. 

“What?” Bruce grunts, bringing his elbows down onto Clark’s head. He barely notices. 

“You’re always so stoic. You never let anyone see you happy.” Clark flips Bruce off his shoulders and down onto his back. He puts his hands on his hips and stares down at him. 

“No, I never let anyone see me vulnerable. There’s a difference.” Bruce wraps his legs around Clark’s and takes him down, quickly rolling atop him. Within a second, Bruce unleashes a flurry of blows that, if Clark could feel more than dull impacts, he probably would fear.  

“You’re allowed to be vulnerable in front of your friends, Bruce. That’s what makes them friends, not coworkers.” Clark catches his fists and holds them. 

“I’ll pass along your suggestion. Are you going to fight back or should I go get Diana?” Bruce raises an eyebrow, breathing hard. Clark flips them both and pins Bruce down. 

“I just think—stop wiggling—we should bond more, y’know? Know thy enemy, and all that.” Clark keeps pressing down until Bruce sighs and goes still in his grip. He knows he’s defeated. Smart man. 

“That tends to apply to actual enemies, not coworkers.” Bruce sighs. 

“Well, we’re more than that, aren’t we?” Clark presses, searching Bruce’s eyes. Bruce nods, looking all for the world like he might bolt from the room. 

“Sooo, what’s your favorite color?” When Bruce is silent, Clark rolls his eyes and sits back. “Mine is yellow. Your turn.”

“…lavender.” Bruce eyes him warily. Clark helps him to his feet and they start the cycle again. The minute they stop fighting each other’s rhythm, they find a flawless sync. 

“Nice! Okay, uh…favorite food?” Clark ducks under Bruce’s left hook and shoves him back. 

“Alfred’s chicken noodle.” Bruce kicks Clark across the face and he lets himself go down. He brushes some of the dust off. 

“That sounds nice.” He grins up at Bruce from the mat. The light haloes behind his head so beautifully. 

“Yeah.” Bruce clears his throat. “And you…?” He pulls Clark to his feet and resets his stance. 

“Can’t go wrong with a slice of fresh apple pie.” Clark sweeps forward with a wink. 

Bruce shakes his head and snickers, then punches Clark hard enough in the ribs to crack his own knuckles. 

…

Two sharp knocks on the doorframe announce Bruce before his voice does. Clark looks up from the dull light of his laptop. 

“Got a second?” Bruce leans in the doorframe, cloaked in slight shadow. He’s dressed comfortably, surprisingly, in a soft t-shirt and sweatpants that hug him well. It makes Clark wanna pull him close. 

“Always, yeah.” Clark sets his computer aside and sits up. Bruce leans against the edge of his desk and fishes something out of his pocket. 

“Found some intel. I could use a fresh set of eyes on it.” The moon casts loving light across his eyes and jaw.

“Of course.” Clark sits up more. 

“Found this nearby. I was hoping you could decipher it.” Bruce hands over a scrap of folded paper. Clark furrows his brow as he takes it, gingerly opening it up. He casts a curious glance at Bruce before he starts to read.

It’s his notes. His notes on Bruce. Shit.

He looks up slowly, horrified. Bruce smirks in full force, oozing mischief that Clark now knows is very much in character. 

“Normally, I’m not a fan of being watched. Try to avoid it as much as I can.” 

“You’re a hard man to read.” Clark clears his throat and folds the paper down to hide its contents further. 

“Yet it seems you’ve cracked the code,” Bruce hums. Clark catches the faint glimmer of that old playboy spark. Bruce’s lips tilt into a devilish smirk. 

“So, I’m right then? It’s important…for the record.” Clark scoots up against the headboard in an attempt to look casual. Bruce sits at the foot of the bed. Voluntarily. Clark stops breathing.

“I would say that parts are accurate.”

“Parts?” He clears his throat. Bruce snatches the paper from his grip. He starts murmuring as he skims the list. 

“Let’s see…I like raspberries but I’m allergic.”

“You’re what?” The color drains from Clark’s face. Bruce shrugs.

“What else? Oh—I’m a dog person. I have a soft spot for cats.”

“Huh.” 

“I am physically capable of laughter.” Bruce rolls his eyes.

“Proved that one already.” Clark smiles. Bruce scowls, then turns back to the paper. Clark remembers, in a terrible flash, the looping doodles of ‘Clark Kent-Wayne’ at the bottom of the page and chokes out a strangled scream. 

He disintegrates the paper with a precise blast of heat vision. He feels a little bad for scorching the wall, but not that bad. The evidence is gone. Plausible deniability. 

“Seriously?” He brushes the ash off his hands. 

“I gotta keep my secrets.” Clark shrugs, but his face is incandescent with heat. 

“What about that paper was so bad that it made Superman blush?” Bruce smirks. 

“There is nothing on God’s green earth that you could do to make me tell you.” Clark grins from atop the high ground. 

Bruce plucks his glasses off of his nose and sets them aside, careful not to touch the lenses. It’s a tender gesture for what is essentially a costume, but something in his heart flutters at the delicate care. 

“Are you sure?” He leans close—close enough for Clark to catch a whiff of cologne and the intoxicating sparkle in his eye, close enough for Clark to lean in on instinct, and close enough for Bruce to wrap his hands around Clark’s waist like he’d been wishing he would since that stupid gala. Clark’s lips part. 

“Okay, there might be a couple thi—“ Clark cuts himself off with a squeal, slamming his head into the headboard—the resulting crack speaks to a later promise of duct tape. As Bruce shoves his hands under his arms, Clark’s laughter bowls him over quicker than he can apologize. 

“You are such a kid!” He throws his head back and cackles, curling into the tightest possible ball that his hulking form could take. Bruce leans over him. 

“You have no grounds to call me that. You’re giggling.” Bruce raises an eyebrow, 

“Because you’re t-tickling—” Clark regretfully finishes his sentence with a snort. Bruce lights up and chases the sound, relentlessly working his fingers into the grooves of his ribs. Clark hits his head again--there goes the rest of the headboard. And part of the wall.

Between the buzz of being touched by Bruce and being unused to this kind of touch, Clark melts into a haphazard pile of Superman with embarrassing speed. Bruce manages to work his fingers up further, right into his top rib, and he punches a hole directly into the nightstand, sending the lamp toppling over. Bruce relents then, passively assessing the damage while Clark drags in a deep breath. 

“You really think it’s a good idea to tickle someone who could throw you into the sun?” Clark huffs, wobbling on a smile. Bruce smirks. 

“Never said it was a good idea. Just an alluring one.” 

“You find me alluring? Scandalous, Mr. Wayne.” Clark offers a teasing grin. Bruce’s brow crinkles with concern. He goes from fiddling with Clark’s waist to fiddling with his hands. 

Bruce gets tactile when he’s stressed. Or when something’s on his mind.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Clark asks softly. He scoots just a bit closer. 

“The day after the gala, I had Vicki write up a piece about you and I splitting. Like I promised. It was never published.” 

“I noticed,” Clark says carefully, tracking every detail of Bruce’s face. 

“I asked her not to.” 

“Why?”

“I knew if the article went live, you would stop with the affection and the dates. I know it was only for appearances, but…I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t ready to let it go. I…care about you.” Bruce looks up at him, worry entrenched in the dips of his face. It slips to something resigned and neutral, a blank mask. 

Clark smiles like a lunatic, covering his mouth to hide it. He contains the desperate urge to take a lap around the manor. Months, years, of pining bloom into sweet possibility within him. The weight of guilt sloughs off his shoulders. Bruce likes him. 

“Y’know, for the smartest man in Gotham, you miss quite a lot.” Clark leans in and waits. Bruce’s eyes flick to Clark’s lips, and in a Batman-esque flash of motion, he swoops down and kisses him. Their bodies slot together almost magnetically. Clark flips them over and bears back down, swallowing Bruce’s gasp of surprise in his mouth. 

In an insane way, kissing Bruce is like coming home. 

He flings his arms around Clark’s neck, pulling him impossibly closer. Clark immediately, greedily, lets his lips travel along Bruce’s pulse point. He chases the memory of the gala, littering desperate bruises along the cologne-tinged skin. His hand lingers at the base of his throat, brushing reverent fingers as he marks every inch available to him. 

Bruce yelps into a giggle, breaking them apart. Clark blinks, processing, then grins with unbridled power. 

“This feels…counter-productive.” Bruce swallows, bobbing Clark’s hand. His skin is hot and red to the touch. 

“Nice try. You already enabled me—that was your first mistake.” Clark tickles him everywhere he can reach, dodging elbows and headbutts. Bruce cackles from his core, stumbling through a few high-pitched syllables of protest as he twists. He works so hard to force his voice back into its usual octave that it cracks. Clark snickers. 

“I am going to kill you,” Bruce growls, reaching back to return the favor. Clark slams his arm down on the mattress, caressing the back of his hand with immovable fingertips. 

“Then this is a wonderful last night on Earth.” Clark nibbles on his earlobe. Bruce’s giggly scream and the ensuing threats on his life are music to Clark’s ears.

[barrenclan]

for the next music post: bird song by f+tm is a good one for rainhaze killing asphodelpaw (& then, depending on how the rest of the story goes, him subsequently being haunted by his actions)

Ahh, Bird Song is such a classic. You know the visual I can imagine for this; Rainhaze speaking to himself/his conscience/previous self as the "bird", as he wanders to BarrenClan territory. And then in the part of the song where he kills the "bird", it cuts to him having killed Asphodelpaw.

"Well I didn't tell anyone, but a bird flew by Saw what I'd done he set up a nest outside, And he sang about what I'd become He sang so loud, sang so clear I was afraid all the neighbours would hear, So I invited him in, just to reason with him I promised I wouldn't do it again"

"I opened my mouth to scream and shout Waved my arms and flapped about But I couldn't scream I couldn't shout, The song was coming from my mouth"

Yeah, Rainhaze. Fuck McCafferty though.

"And I know that I'm not a nice guy I hurt people's feelings, I guess I should die But my body says hurt myself, and my heart says to harm myself"

"How did I get like this? So afraid of everything"

Wow, yeah, it really is. Look at these lyrics.

"We're machines that breathe and weep And look really good Trained to kill"

"Send me back in time And I'll bring us back in line Just tell me whose mother I have to kill" <- ermmm. well.

"And I've replaced my heart With metal parts And I'm working out just fine But I can't get it to start"

Lmao? Okay YouTube thanks

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS MENTIONED!! This AU idea is actually along the lines of my original draft of the script; originally Asphodelpaw and Pinepaw wouldn't have a last moment of connection before she was murdered, so he'd be more torn about her death. But yeah, wailing, I love this song. Watch this show.

"No time for goodbyes Didn't get to apologize Pieces of a clock that lies broken"

"If you could only know I never let you go And the words I most regret Are the ones I never meant to leave Unsaid Emily"

Another classic! I think I've been suggested this one before, but it fits very well of course. Cormorantpaw specifically I can imagine singing it; goes well with Issue 33.

"All day I've been wondering what is inside of me Who can I blame for it? I say it runs in the family"

"But business is business and business runs in the family We tend to bruise easily, mad in the blood I'm telling you 'cause I just want you to know me"

Wilbur Soot is honestly a pretty good voiceclaim for Rainhaze.

"Under the weight of a broken nose It's not that simple, but he won't seem to notice There must be more to this"

"Would do something, if it wasn't all so effortful 'Cause I'm so high, my brain can't even look at the fall And when you've reached the top there's nowhere else to go but-"

I hadn't, but I do like it!

"I'm alive and I can see The water is foul and it's hard to breathe There's lead in the water, there's lead in the water There's lead in the water, and you think that I'm fine I'm stained by the water and only the water I'm drained by the water, are you losing your mind? Dead in the water, dead in the water"

No, I haven't heard of this one before! But you're right, it's very fitting! Also, psh, no one has ever animated before you start animating. If you want to, go for it. I'd certainly be interested!

"Oh, in Pine Point, where I was born The roads are all overgrown And no one's lived there for years The town was never the same The mine was closed in '88 And everyone disappeared"

"Oh, in Pine Point It's deteriorating And your memory started fading"

[foibles-fables]

happy aloy day y'all

this might be Thee Most Unpolished piece of writing I've ever shared, and it's got me a little bit nervy, but. I wanted to get something out for Aloy Day. I'm nowhere near satisfied with it, but I also wanna post about Talisah more than ever, so please enjoy this lil scribble?! Happy April 4th babeeeyyy

It’s not until years and years later that Aloy can be shaken from slumber without snarling and thrashing to defend herself. 

But Aloy survives. She fights, she mourns, she grows. Those years do pass—one and then another, step after step, a blur—like a slow walk that breaks gradually, seamlessly, into a run. Wounds heal where you can see them and where you can’t. Scarred, but always reaching for the light, she lets go, and lets herself begin to flourish.

And today (years and years, they echo behind her), she wakes calmly to a weight scrambling onto the bed and a quick jostle of her shoulder.

It’s past the time when she usually rises. Slowly, she coaxes her eyes open, squinting against the bold Meridian sun streaming in through the bedroom windows. As her vision clears, it settles on another pair of eyes, intent and bright, hovering very close. 

It’s the same amber gaze she’s grown used to waking up beside, reprised on a small face that Aloy knows is half her own—even if most couldn’t tell from a single glance.

Talisah, three years old and bursting with every bit of its energetic willfulness, leans in and speaks a little too loudly for the distance.

“It’s morning, momma.”

Aloy blinks hard and reels back from the near-shout with a soft, surprised laugh. Voice scratchy with oversleep, she says, “So it is, girl.” By habit, she lifts her finger to tap her daughter’s nose—Talisah scrunches her freckle-dusted face into a grin. It’s Talanah’s smile, through and through. “How come you’re waking me?”

She says, “For your birthday,” and Aloy feigns cluelessness. 

“Today’s my birthday?”

Talisah nods eagerly, scooting closer on her knees to crowd against Aloy. “Mama said.”

Aloy shifts to sit upright, pretending to ponder that for a moment. “Well. If mama said that, it must be true.” She gives the girl a big shrug. “I guess it’s my birthday.”

Satisfied with the concession and clearly raring to move on, Talisah retrieves a leaf of parchment from behind her and all but shoves it into Aloy’s face. “Here. Look!”

Once Aloy gets it held at a more suitable distance, the childlike and colorful pigment markings on the page take shape. Vivid blue sky, dazzling yellow sun (of course). A herd of four-legged machines grazes in a field full of sunflowers and the purple-petaled stems they keep in vases around their home. Among them stand four smiling human figures: three large, one small. 

And even though Aloy’s fairly sure she’s understood the concept, she asks anyway.

“This is so nice, Lis. Did you make it for me?” Talisah nods again, beaming. A few pieces of hair fall astray from her messy little tie-up. Aloy tucks them behind her ear. “Will you tell me about it?”

“It’s Grazers,” Talisah explains, nestling easily into the crook of Aloy’s elbow. She has grown so much, but she feels so warm and still fits just right. A crucial part of the new whole. “And us, petting them.” Of course. Putting her hands on any machine is her absolute favorite thing to do, in spite of Talanah’s cautious concern. “See momma, there’s Aunt Milu—” (she points at the tallest, broadest figure, scribbled in green) “—mama—” (long hair, tied back, holding a bow) “—you—” (red braids and a spear) “ —and me.” 

Her own smaller shape is standing closest to the Grazers, connected to Aloy’s at the hand.

And for the umpteenth time in three years, Aloy thinks of how unfathomable and effortless it is to love and to be loved this fiercely. Throat full of embers, she presses a kiss into Talisah’s silky black hair.

“I love this, little one,” she murmurs. “Is it alright if I keep it with me? In one of my pouches?”

“Yeah!” Talisah replies, puffed up with pride, snuggling closer into Aloy’s side. “Don’t rip it, please.”

“You have my word,” Aloy swears. Then, a thought strikes her. She contemplates the drawing again, trying to find what's missing. “Hey, hold on. What about Aunt Beta?”

Without missing a beat, Talisah points to another figure Aloy hadn’t noticed before—sitting a few paces away from the group in the shade of a boulder. “Got sunburn.”

Incredible. Aloy snorts out loud, imagining how Beta’s face will look when she sees it later. “That sounds about right.”

Talisah looks up at Aloy through her long lashes, expression as hopeful as any three-year-old’s could be. “Good birthday, momma?”

Truth be told, Aloy has celebrated very few of them. She’s only known when it actually is for less than a third of her life, and let it be known to others for an even smaller share. It’s always come and gone as a quiet turn of the world—she’s surrounded herself with people who understand why she prefers that, without needing to ask.

But with Talisah, that changed. She reflects her own contagious joy outwards, with no reason not to. A traditional Carja birthday celebration is her only context, and all comparisons are still simple. If for her, why not for everyone else?

And it still feels uncomfortable to acknowledge for Aloy her importance and worth for its own sake—to separate herself from the role she was given, and the ghost whose footsteps she followed. But the years have helped, and maybe it’s never supposed to be completely comfortable to untangle yourself from what’s laid out behind you. Maybe the point is to keep walking on through the rawness of it, and to keep trying.

Aloy looks down at the watchful child in her arms and tries. 

(She makes trying easy.)

“The best,” Aloy says, and means it. She lays a gentle palm on Talisah’s clean-scrubbed cheek. “Do you remember what the Nora do on their birthdays?” Talisah shakes her head, and her brow furrows in reflexive concentration, ready and eager to devour every new bit of information she is offered. “They spend the whole day celebrating their mothers. Would you like that? Giving mama and me gifts on your birthday?”

“Yes,” Talisah answers without hesitation. Then, less than a heartbeat later, with quiet uncertainty: “Would I still get mine?”

Aloy chuckles, rolling her eyes. Talisah’s life is full of safety and an abundance of affection, spoken and unspoken alike. Aloy would accept nothing less. “Of course you would, girl.”

For a moment, Talisah looks assured. Then she gives Aloy another thoughtful frown, a curious glint lighting her gaze.

“What about Elisabet, today?” she asks, sparking a connection between what she knows and the small ways she’s heard that story told. Someday Aloy will tell her the rest. “Your momma.”

It’s a marvel how smart she is. How quickly she cuts to the center of questions Aloy avoids asking herself. 

There’s an ache that comes with it, now. A flare of awareness—an old emptiness that no amount of longing ever could have filled. 

But where some parts linger empty, others run overfull. That, Aloy has learned, can be its own kind of wholeness. Words from long ago, in a voice that sounds like her own, resound gently into the present—into this world of Elisabet’s vision and Aloy’s fulfillment, the only world Talisah has ever known. 

(I would have wanted—her, to be…)

“I think Elisabet would want us to celebrate by going to see some Grazers.”

Talisah almost quivers with abrupt excitement, eyes wide and sparkling. Her hand slips into Aloy’s, gentle and warm. “Can we? Please?”

“We’ll ask mama.” Aloy gives her a reassuring squeeze. “Is she making breakfast? I hope so. I’m hungry.”

“Maize cakes. With honey and peaches.”

“Our favorite.” Aloy smiles and kisses Talisah’s head again. Then she sets the parchment aside and wraps her little daughter into a tight hug. “Thank you for my gift, Lis. I’m going to look at it all the time.” 

(It’s the truth. She will, and she’ll remember this morning.)

Talisah hugs her back, clinging to the soft-worn linen of Aloy’s shirt and burying her face against her chest. “Love you momma.”

Aloy’s heart swells—in that moment, like always, it’s enough to overwhelm every empty space she has ever felt or begun to forget.

“Wherever you go,” she whispers, a promise she’s made every day since Talisah came red-faced and screaming into this new and hopeful world, “I will follow.”

They lie cuddled close and quiet and content in the sunlight until Talanah calls them for breakfast.

Years and years ago, everything came open for this—this is the future that was worth fighting for.

[ascesabo]

the pjo/omori brainrot have unfortunately come for me at the same time so i'm going to make it everyone else's problem. sorry

soooo... assuming the di angelos were a well-off family (which i think is implied, but don't check me on that), it wouldn't be so far-fetched to believe that bianca would have had the opportunity to learn the piano. and nico, who adores his sister and wants to be closer to her, thinks they can bond if he learns an instrument too, right? but he can't impose on the piano. that's hers. so he takes up the next best thing, something he can play by her side- the violin.

in a hypothetical AU where bianca di angelo doesn't join the hunters, she and her little brother nico spend their time shut inside the big house's piano room, going over the same pieces again and again. to bianca, it's her last connection to her mother, to the life they'd had before the lawyers and the lotus hotel and camp half-blood. to nico, it's a way of desperately trying to bridge the distance he can feel growing between them. to both of them, it's everything.

but it isn't enough.

and so she practices harder and her temper gets shorter and one day she snaps at nico because his violin doesn't sound right, just what aren't you getting, nico? and nico is only ten and just wants to make his sister happy, because everything should be alright as long as they're together- but what was supposed to be a shared hobby has only driven them even farther from each other. you can probably imagine what happens next, right? he storms away from her, maybe to a secluded part of the forest, and relishes in the way his violin shatters against the big rocks when he swings. and bianca is so, so angry and she's coming closer. her face is red and she's shouting at him, and nico does the only thing he can think to do in his panic and frustration- he pushes her. he pushes her into the same rocks that hold the splintered pieces of his instrument and can only freeze in horror as the snap of her neck makes the same sound.

maybe in this universe, he'd also befriended a certain son of apollo a little earlier on. will solace isn't very popular with the other campers- they love pointing out how ironic it is that a son of apollo couldn't play an instrument to save his life and he knows, even if they try to hide it, that his older siblings are embarrassed by him too. but then this enigmatic new demigod shows up, with nothing but his mythomagic cards, his violin, and a big sister who takes will under her wing, and they offer to let him listen to them practice- and all of a sudden, he isn't so lonely anymore.

nico is will's first and closest friend. so when he follows the sound of their argument and sees nico push his sister in a fit of anger, all he can think is nico wouldn't do that to her.

kind, earnest nico, who loved his sister more than anything... couldn't have killed her. it had to be something behind him, and he can't let them punish nico for what SOMETHING else did. will has to help him. everything is going to be okay.

everything is going to be okay, he says when he shakes nico out of his grief-induced stupor.

everything is going to be okay, he tells himself when they steal a coil of rope from the stables.

everything is going to be okay, even as tears blur his vision and he swears that the lifeless body swaying in the wind is looking at them.

he takes nico's cold, shaking hand and lies to himself.

everything is going to be okay.

[l0velyrand0m]

Old Soul - The First Avenger

This is the second chapter for my captain america/bucky barnes fic (full story on wattpad, l0velyrand0m). Posting the second chapter to see if i get any interest, if so i'll continue posting, but the main story is linked below.

The first chapter is also pinned at the top of my blog <3

"Hey there, grumpy," Bucky said, finally catching up to Eliza as she strided confidently down the street. "Mind if I walk with you?"

"Screw you, Bucky," she retorted in reference to the "grumpy" comment. She wasn't grumpy, she was pissed off. And she had every right to be.

"Maybe later," he replied, making her scoff. "Look, remember earlier when I said you were twenty-four? So he couldn't control you? Same goes for him."

"But I'm protecting him, Bucky," she strained, tears threatening her eyes. She sucked in a deep breath. Elizabeth Rogers didn't cry. "There's a difference. He's gonna get himself killed."

And then it hit him. Why Eliza had been so adamant about Steve's enlisting. About his lies. About his sacrifice. She was scared to lose him like she'd lost the rest of her family. And to an understandable extent - she would be alone.

"Lizzy, look," Bucky said softly, taking her hand in his. "It's gonna be okay. I swear to you. They're not gonna take him. He's not physically capable of doing that. But if you don't take this position. You're gonna regret it."

"I know," she sighed. "He'd be mad-"

"No, Liz," Bucky stopped her. "He's gonna be so proud of you."

Eliza raised her head and looked at Bucky in the eyes. Her own brimmed with hot tears that threatened to spill. Her lip trembled.

Bucky took her in his arms as she let out a small sob. "I can't lose him too. I can't lose either of you."

"Neither of us are going anywhere, doll. You gotta believe in us."

•••

"Welcome to camp, Miss Rogers. I'm Chester Phillips," the colonel said as he took Eliza's hand, and shook it firmly.

"It's an honor, Colonel," she replied.

"This is Agent Peggy Carter, she's here to supervise the division."

"Basically, I'm your boss," she said with a genuine smile. Her accent caught Eliza off guard at first, but it was certainly nice for the ears. "But somehow I think you'll be the only other competent person in this camp."

The Colonel walked away, leaving Peggy and Eliza to walk to the different tents.

"As the division's mobile nurse, you'll hang around me and take care of the boys as you see fit," Peggy explained, handing Eliza a clipboard with some personal files on all the soldiers.

The two girls came up on a line of soldiers waiting for their orders.

"Recruits, attention!" Peggy yelled, grabbing everyone's attention. "Gentlemen, I'm Peggy Carter. I supervise all operations for this division."

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria?" one of the men shouted, a sly smirk on his mouth. "I thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army."

"What's your name, soldier?" Peggy requested, calling out the special soul in the crowd, this made Eliza snicker quietly. She'd gathered enough information on Peggy in the few minutes she'd been talking with her to know what was going to happen to the guy.

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty," he said sarcastically.

"Step forward, Hodge," Peggy instructed. And he did so, smirking. "Put your right foot forward."

"Hmm," he hummed. "We gonna wrassle? 'Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like."

Peggy punches Hodge hard in the face, causing him to physically inch back a couple paces, clutching his nose.

"Agent Carter," Colonel Phillips says as he drives up.

"Colonel Phillips," she greeted.

"I see you're breaking in the candidates. That's good!" he turned to Hodge, who was still very much in shock from Peggy's surprise introduction. "Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention 'til somebody comes tells you what to do."

"Yes sir," Hodge apologizes quickly, running back into line.

Phillips now turned his attention to the recruits in line. "General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men. We are going to win this war because we have the best men..." Phillips trailed off as he noticed one of the men were shorter, much more frail looking than the rest. Eliza felt a pit grow in her stomach as she looked down at her clipboard and sifted through the pages.

Steven Grant Rogers

Brooklyn, New York

07/04/1918

Her head shot back up as she scowled at her brother, making dead eye contact as Phillips spoke. He finally took notice, cringing as she burned a hole in his head with her angry gaze.

"But every army starts with one man," Phillips says, catching Eliza's attention again. "By the end of the week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of Super Soldiers."

•••

"Are you crazy?!" Eliza reprimands as she follows Steve to his barracks. "What the- What did I tell you? Did that whole angry outburst mean nothing to you Steve?"

"It meant you don't believe in me."

"Oh for Christ's sake, stop doing this. Stop putting words in my mouth. You're being very unreasonable right now."

"Sometimes I wish you would swear, so I could tell how you really felt."

"Oh trust me, I'd get us both kicked out of this camp if I was swearing right now. I can't believe you!"

"I don't wanna hear this."

"Well you're gonna!"

"Rogers!"

"What?" the twins said in unison as they turned to look at Peggy Carter.

"Agent Carter, I apologize," Eliza spoke quickly.

"Me too," Steve added.

"Okay.. Elizabeth, come with me. You.. off to wherever you need to be. Bye now," Peggy waved him off. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Unreasonable patient," she shrugged.

"I can tell the Colonel to have him sent-"

"No! Well..." Eliza had to think about her next words very carefully. Or there was a good chance she wouldn't be speaking to her brother any time soon, and not just because he was now in the military. "No. It's fine. I'll speak with Erskine about it later. What did you need?"

"Hodge is in the infirmary and requests that you look at his nose," Peggy said with a roll of her eyes. "He's fine, I didn't punch him that hard."

Eliza chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure. I'll be over there as soon as I can. Thank you."

"No problem," she replied. "We leave in about fifteen for a bit of running practice for the men. You have to come to make sure none of them keel over and die."

"One of em might," Eliza muttered bitterly.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing. Gotta go attend to the crybaby, I'll see you in ten."

Eliza rushed to the infirmary tent, ducking through the opening to see Hodge complaining to one of her assistant nurses about his nose and the tiny trickle of blood that trailed down his upper lip.

"Gilmore Hodge, my pleasure," Eliza strained. Ever since his little theatrical performance, she decided she didn't much care for Hodge.

"How-do-ya-do, doll?"

The term felt weird hearing it from his mouth. The last person to call her that was Bucky. Whom she was beginning to miss ever since he left after their walk only just about a week ago.

"It's Nurse Rogers, for you, Hodge. Please," she told him.

"How about Lizzy? Liz?"

"Absolutely not. We're done here. Shut your mouth before I get Phillips to send you home. Got it?"

"Spunky. I love it. We'll talk soon, Liz," he says as he got up and walked out.

She was livid with the man. The audacity to take her name. Her nickname from Bucky, and drag it around so carelessly. Somehow, it hurt much more than she expected it to. Bucky was her best friend, and basically an older brother to the two. When he told her not to let anyone call her any derivative of "Liz" or "Lizzy" back when he coined the nickname in the first place... it made her want to punch Hodge. Right where Peggy had before.

But she didn't have time to chase him down just to scold him. He'd enjoy that. And she wasn't going to give him the time of day.

She took in a deep breath, packed her kit, and headed towards Peggy in the jeep next to the starting point of the recruit's run.

"So how was Hodge?" Peggy asked. "Dream man?"

"I'll kill him myself if he doesn't do so in the trench," Eliza chided.

"Oh damn," Peggy smiled. "I love your attitude. I can tell how well working with you is gonna go."

Eliza smiled at Peggy with a feeling of worth.

This was the start of a wonderful friendship.

•••

"That flag means we're only at the halfway point," Sergeant Duffy explained, his voice extremely loud. Eliza wondered how his vocal cords still worked at this rate. "First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Carter. Move, move!"

Eliza sighed. "Don't worry," Peggy said, leaning over so she was heard. "No one's come close to getting that flag in 17 years I've heard. No one's getting a ride back with us."

"Rogers! I said fall in!" Sergeant Duffy yelled. Eliza whipped her head around to see her brother pull a pin at the bottom of the pole. The pole toppled over, the flag brushing against the ground about seven feet from him.

He strolled over, unhooked the flag, and handed it to Sergeant Duffy (who looked as if he'd seen a ghost) with a small "Thank you, sir". He climbed in the car and sat on the other side of Peggy, who was grinning uncontrollably and watching the Sergeant's reaction with glee.

The others continued running off, and the car drove away.

"Smartass," Eliza mumbled. Steve caught her word however, and his face dropped. He leaned back in the seat and let his hands fall in his lap.

"Don't let her get to you. She doesn't like anyone in this division," Peggy told him. "That was rather clever of you."

"Thank you, ma'am, but I don't think that's why she's upset with me."

[shotofaluda]

this is a post about my brainrot over bkdk and everlark(katniss and peeta from hunger games) having parallels based on the same colours they represent🐢

colours that they represent:

peeta: orange bakugo: orange

katniss: green deku: green

even though peeta and bakugo represent orange, there is a contrast. bakugo and katniss are a better pair. let me explain by individually going through each of them.

starting with deku, full name izuku midoriya, midori in his name means green and midoriya means greenvelly

i am taking this as reference

coming to katniss everdeen, she represents forest green. forest is her home, she feels the safest in there, forest keeps her hidden from everything. she and gale have this idea of running away from everything and living in the woods forever so they dont have to face snow, the hunger games and the after effects of it. meaning of deku's name also fits her perfectly.

coming to the orange boys, katsuki bakugo, his colour is orange because of his last name and his quirk that are both 'explosions'. The left part of his kanji stands for fire. his name goes well with his personality and character.

my sweet bread boy, peeta mellark, says his favourite colour is orange, the sunset orange, the soft orange. it contrasts from bakugo's orange that is explosive but is similar in a way because both indirectly and directly mean fire. peeta's name comes from pita, a type of bread, going well with his character too. peeta's name, even though very literally meaning bread, has so much significance i could write an essay but i WONT(i swear, this post is going to be long djdhjd sorry), i will only write things that are important. so

1) panem, the country peeta and katniss reside in, gets its name from a phrase 'panem et circenses' that means "bread and circus". i think many people would be able to relate it to mha just from this if you know what the phrase means. this describes how if you give people bread(food and clothes- a life of ease) and circus(entertainment), they would not really care about anything else or anyone else who is suffering, they would enjoy their life in atmost ignorance. now peeta, who means bread, gives panem just that, entertainment. he entertains the people of the capitol who live in luxury by his 'star crossed lovers' story.

2) bread is made by heating up a soft dough, symbolises all the struggles he went through to get where he is now. this connects him to bakugo, bakugo's character is literally "win yourself"-the second meaning of katsuki. how bakugo, a brat, grows up and struggles to be the self he is right now. a soft, tender and delicate dough shaped into a sweet bread.

ok so now that i have laid out the meaning of all four and why they represent the colour they do, i wanna point out how katniss and bakugo/ deku- peeta fit together.

1) the personalities- bakugo and katniss are fierce, not afraid to say or do anything they want, talented and strong. they also are rather...insecure, they dont want to appear "weak". this is highlighted in katniss' case when she shoves and hurts peeta in book1 when he lies about them being lovers. she says "he made me look weak" when all peeta did was help her

who else thought the other's help was an act of pity and made them look weak? :D our sweet boy bakugo, who pushed deku's hand away that was there to HELP him but he thought it was an act of pity, that deku thought bakugo was below him and thats why deku thought of helping him. but both deku and peeta had no intentions like that.

katniss and bakugo, no matter how talented and strong, are not 'appealing' to the public eye. bakugo curses and shouts at people and katniss kinda does the same too jdjd not cursing but her personality pushes people away(not my opinion cuz i love her but thats how its in the books). bakugo shouts "die" and katniss actually k/lls people dkdjjd love them cutie patooties.

apart from the scene i just mentioned above, peeta also helps a starving katniss when they were kids and katniss questions his motives till they meet again(at the age of 16). very bkdk river scene coded too where bakugo falls into the shallow river and all his friends are laughing but deku rushes to help bakugo up and asks if he is ok but bakugo smacks his hand away thinking deku is looking down at him and now bakugo regrets not taking his hand. also this scene stays rent free in katniss' head like how the river scene stays rent free in bakugo's 😭 peeta remembers it but it doesn't plague his head like it does to katniss.

majority of book1 katniss questions peeta's intentions, thinks about how peeta is lying to her and what manipulative tactics he is going to use to win the games. much like bakugo who accuses deku of lying to him about not having a quirk and deceiving him. bakugo also doesn't trust deku in the initial chapters, questions his motives behind the things he does.

katniss and bakugo solidarity, the tsunderes.

now that i think about it, katniss and bakugo are very barbie coded djhdjd as in "she is barbie and he is just ken".

katniss and baku are individual people with goals and ideals and their own motives, they dont think about love and friendship that much, they are focused on what they want and they strive to achieve it.

now coming to the Ken's🥸 peeta in the series exists to support katniss. peeta in both games had one motive and it was to save katniss. deku too desperately wants to save bakugo, time and time again he wants to save bakugo but cant. katniss and deku are similar in a way that they both fail to protect the one that means the most to them. this made me remember, like in book1 katniss questions peeta, takes him for granted, kinda(?) uses him to survive and win but in the second games she is dead set to save peeta, doesn't matter if she dies, peeta is #1 priority. she knows peeta will sacrifice himself any chance he gets so she is there to look over him. very similar to bakugo in the 1st war arc. deku is there, doing hero things and ready to sacrifice himself and bakugo is there looking over him, seeing how he is destroying himself and saved deku with his own life(he doesn't die there).

reminds of a scene in book2 where peeta's heart stops and katniss cries and screams to finnick to save him. and deku screaming after bakugo gets kidnapped

peeta fell in love with katniss when they were children, he admired her since then. he looked at her in the corridors of the school, my man is a simp. deku is also a simp(this is a joke, i am trying to keep this post neutral and not including any headcanons, if i did, i am sorry), bro admired bakugo since they were kids, bakugo was his image of victory.

now coming to the point of "bread and circus". even though the hero society in mha is not entirely distopian like hunger games, this sentences fits here too, very perfectly. how the hero society was set up, the civilians were pushed to became the audience, no one without a hero license is not allowed to fight or hurt anyone, not even students in hero training who dont have a license. this made the civilians entitled and ignorant. entitled cause they started thinking that heroes exist for them, they are supposed to fight for them(much like how people in real life treat soldiers or doctors, they take them for granted) and ignorant to all the struggles heroes go through. not just heroes may i correct myself but also people around them, if anybody has a quirk that doesn't fit the societal standards(like toga's, she has to drink blood to become someone else for some time), they are treated differently, deku who was quirkless was bullied, by bakugo and literally so many others, even adults, he was treated differently than everybody else. examples can go on but you get the point, people of japan in mha get bread(a life of ease) and circus(entertainment as heroes fight with their life on line and people watch in awe as if its some action film). the people of the capitol(panem, hunger games) are like that, they watch teenagers killing each other on screens as entertainment, they bet who would win etc.

peeta and deku fit right in. i explained how peeta fits, now ill talk about how deku fits. deku, a "true hero" like his predecessor all might, who wants to save people with smile but as the series goes on, he himself cant smile bcoz the burden on him. people want their bread and circus from him and want to stay ignorant to his struggles. they wabt him to protect them and give them the life of ease back to them, they want him to fight the villains while they sit comfortably but when he needed protection, when he needed rest, they straight up said no. like the people of capitol or even some people in the district who hated katniss when she became the mockingjay(face of the revolt) but loved when she was serving as a cute little girl in love and giving people the entertainment they needed.

ok so this got a lot longer than expected, i am sorry sjsjjsjs and i still must have missed a lot so feel free to reply with more things if you can think of any.

god the way i love everlark. its the writing that is sooo good, you can keep reading into it and making connections and keep analysing the text. same reason why i love bkdk so much cuz they have material that you can keep analysing.

i thought of all this when i recently watched hunger games movies again and went "wait....green and orange...sounds familiar🥸" sjdhjd. then i kept thinking and found so many parallels between them. take this as an disclaimer that i am not saying that bkdk are based on them or ANYTHING, its just my brain mixing up two things that i am obsessed with<3

[venusxsturnio]

✧.* 𝒟𝐸𝒥𝒜 𝒱𝒰 ✧.* - Olivia Rodrigo

EP.2.GOOD 4 U

EP.1.PILOT

PAIRINGღ matt x ex!black!fem!reader!influencer

SUMMARYღmatt and y/n, were the perfect couple. until everything started to go downhill for them. the secrets, the lies, the gaslighting. It became too much for y/n. 8 1/2 months later...here we are.

FROM VENUSღ hey y'all. i just want to thank everyone who read the first part of this series and returned for the second. i hope you guys like this chapter, and it also might be really long because there is some sh!t that's about to go on...✿ (shout out to xduinen for helping me. y'all go follow her. my #1 supporter!) sorry there wasn't a lotta dialogue in the last part, i was just trying to give a general gist of the story anyways let me stop yappin. hope y'all enjoy :)

WARNINGSღ cussing...use of the word babe/baby...featuring Olivia's song(do not own the song. or other characters only mine. only plot.)

kinda proofread...i was kinda lazy today it was a lotta writing...sorry if i messed anything up. :)

REALITY...

POV: 3RD PERSON

9:45 AM

Y/N'S PLACE:

y/n was in her bathroom doing her facial routine for vidcon when she heard a faint sound of her phone ringing. she got up and walked in her room searching for her phone. she lifted up the blanket on her bed to find her phone buzzing. she flipped the phone over to find that her manager, miguel was calling. "Hello?" she answered "I have a job for you today. You're performing at vidcon. Like singing." y/n's face lit up at the thought of her performing at vidcon for all her fans. "OMG! Are you serious.?" y/n asked still in shock.

"Deadly." her manager stated. y/n silently jumped up and down in excitement. "What time do I need to be there?" y/n questioned. "12. But you might want to get there a little earlier being as it can get very hectic. You remember last year." her manager explained, laughing a little at the end. y/n chuckled a little at the thought of last years vidcon, the two hung up as y/n went to her closet to grab some gray gallery dept sweats, a white fitted long-sleeve top, and her white/black/gray retro 4's, along with her gray beanie, keys, purse and her phone as she walked out of her room, downstairs, out the door, and to her car.

10:04 AM

STURNIOLO HOUSE:

the triplets and megan were all getting ready to go to vidcon. they all got dressed and headed down stairs to eat breakfast. "So what creators are gonna be there?" chris said breaking the silence. "I know for sure that my favorite tiktoker is gonna be there. She's like the best. I can't wait for you guys to meet her." megan squealed. nick and chris looked at her in confusion, being they never really liked megan. similar to someone, they really missed y/n.

that's why they still keep in contact with her. "Who is it?" matt asked with a confused expression on his face. "You'll find out when we get there." megan stated. "Uh, guys I think we should get going. We don't wanna get caught up in traffic this time. Remember last year?" chris changed the subject, laughing at the last part. "I agree." nick said. the group finished eating, gathered their things and left.

11:40 AM

ANAHIEM CONVETION CENTER:

y/n was in her dressing room just chillin when she heard a knock at her door. "come in!" y/n yelled. her manager walked in with a rack that had a white dress and some bedazzled heels on it. "ok so this is what you're wearing on stage." miguel stated grabbing the dress and showing her. "thanks, i love it." y/n said admiring her dress. "you're welcome" miguel said as he walked out. y/n smiled to herself. she sat back down and got on her phone.

12:05 PM

a few moments later she got a text on her phone from miguel saying "come on out the ppl are waiting!". y/n grabbed her phone as she walked out of her room. she made it to the door of the building and walked into the big room, with all the booths, and tables, and people. every section she walked by people were screaming and cheering for her. she laughed as she walked over to her section, and everyone started screaming. "OMG HI!." one fan said. "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! CAN I GET A PIC!" another said.

y/n got flustered and she felt her cheeks go hot. she smiled and waved at the fans, as she went to sit down at her booth. even some people from other booths were running over to hers. that's how much people loved her. she started grabbing books, and papers, and started signing them. she even took some pictures. y/n was happy until...

12:10 PM

the triplets walked into the building and to their booth while megan went to grab a chair and sit on the sidelines, since she was kind of irrelevant in this situation. she watched as all the girls piled up all over the triplets. giving them hugs, and fake little kisses on the cheek. some might say she even got jealous. the boys signed some books, and papers as well. they also took pictures, you know the usual. megan was kind of getting tired of it, so she went to go see if her favorite tiktoker was here. she walked around for some time, until she came up on a long, line. she gazed her view from the back of the line to the front. she met eyes with y/n. she smiled and waved, y/n smiled back as megan ran to the line, to wait for her turn.

the guys took a break from taking pictures and went back to signing autographs as matt looked around for megan. "Guys, where's Megan?" matt asked confused. why would she leave without telling him. "Don't know don't care." nick said with a bit of an attitude in his voice. "Same here." chris said with a sarcastic tone. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?" matt asked. he always wondered why the boys would act like that whenever megan was brought up, or she said something. "What do you mean?" nick said, acting clueless as usual. "You know what the hell I mean. Why do you guys act that way towards her?" matt asked started to get irritated. "BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE HER!" the boys yelled out of frustration. the fans jumped back a little at the tone of voice that was being used.

the triplets went back and forth for a little while longer until matt saw megan running excitedly. "OMG MATT! LOOK I GOT HER SIGNATURE!" megan yelled. before matt could get a good look at the autograph, smoke started shooting out of canons, and everyone looked towards the stage. lots of people started running towards the stage to figure out what was going on. before everyone knew it CoryxKenshin walked out onto the stage.

"What's up everybody. It's ya boy CoryxKenshin and welcome to Vidcon! We have a special guest joining us today. She has over 4.3M followers on tiktok and she just got to 1M subscribers on YouTube. Please welcome our special guest!" Cory exited the stage as 'Good 4 U' started blast on the stage speakers. y/n entered stage left in her dress in heels. she walked like a model. once she reached the mic she grabbed it, spun around and blew a kiss at the crowd. everyone started cheering and y/n started singing. "Well good for you I guess you moved on really easily."'

matt was frozen he didn't know what the hell to do, as he looked towards the stage to find a familiar face.

MATT POV

i looked towards the stage and i saw a girl who looked to be y/n. she looked so...different. she looked good. she dyed her hair. she shaped up. damn, is that what breakups do to someone. i-i can't believe she's here. and where did she learn to sing like that. i felt megan's grip on my arm and she jumped up and down signing with y/n.

Y/N POV

"Well good for you I guess you're getting everything you want." 'you bought a new car and your careers really taking off' i sung. wow, this was amazing, i cannot believe i am on stage right now. wait is that who i think it is. oh my fucking god. it's matt. omg i cannot believe i signed her picture and she dates...matt.

MATT POV

damn she's really good. wait is this the tiktoker megan was talking about? is this the whole reason megan wanted to come? i can't believe how much y/n's changed. i wonder...has she been thinking about me to?

Y/N POV

why does he keep staring at me. maybe he's enjoying it. alright maybe i should do something big for the end to impress him. or make him jealous. i think i should jump into the crowd. 'like a damn sociopath, i've lost my mind and i've spent the night crying on the floor of my bathroom' alright get ready.

3RD POV

y/n got ready to finish the song as she l=made eye contact with matt. she jumped off the stage and into the crowd. she made her way onto the floor in the middle right with megan and matt. they made eye contact. she spun around whipping him in the face with her long goddess braids as she ran back up stage and finished the song. "Well good for you I guess you moved on really easily."

MATT POV

well ouch for one. why did she jump off the stage and come to me. why did she make eye contact with me. why did she whip her hair onto me. i can't help but to think this song, this performance, that dress, the new look, was all meant for. me.

FROM VENUSღ hey guys! hope you liked this chapter, it was A LOT to write! how did y'all like my suprise. i mean coryxkenshin, like what ? when did he get here. anyways remember my dm's are always open, so if you have any ideas or suggestion, i'm happy to help. :)

[liberty-or-death]

“The wildfire in the fields can’t be extinguished, the spring breeze blows and it grows again.” Wei Wuxian’s Spell (MDZS only) (Farewell on the Ancient Grassy Plain 赋得古原草送别 by Bai Juyi 白居易)

Before I proceed, I just wanna say that this was the poem that inspired me to take up translation. 😍😍. I learned and analysed it back in school, so when I read it in MDZS, I knew I had to make a post about it. Yes, I know I’m such a geek. Everyone wants to translate wangxian smut but I was aiming for this. But LOL the my translation never got there FML so here it is anyway.

If there was a list of “top 10 famous Chinese poetry”‘s online, this would definitely be it along with Li Bai’s 静夜思（Through the Quiet Night). In MDZS, Wei Wuxian uses this poem in Chapter 76 to animate the effigies. So just what does it mean and what is his relation to the novel?

This poem was written in the Tang Dynasty by Bai Juyi. In the poem, the author sends off his old friend on his journey , and bades him farewell.

There’s an interesting backstory to poem. Firstly, this is a “赋得” which means that this was a poem that the author wrote for exam purposes. 😂. So yes, this was his examination essay. The topic was “to bade farewell on the grassy plain”.

So the story is that the examiner Gu Kuang looked at his essay, then commented “米价方贵，居亦弗易 Chang An’s rice is expensive, it’s not easy to freeload! (this is a pun on the author’s name. He shortened the poet’s name to Ju Yi 居易, which means to stay for free)”. But as he read on, he was subsequently very impressed with the poem, particularly the famous line (which was used in MDZS) “���火烧不尽，春风吹又生 The wild fire in the fields can’t be extinguished, the spring breeze blows and it grows again.” And since then, the poem has been praised for the way it describes the grass full of life, its symbolism (the never say never ideal), the imagery and sadness when he sends his friend off.

离离原上草，一岁一枯荣。

The ancient plains are filled with lush green grass, it withers and prospers every year

野火烧不尽，春风吹又生。

The wildfire in the fields can’t be extinguished, the spring breeze blows and it grows again. (This is the famous line/idiom)

远芳侵古道，晴翠接荒城。

The scent of spring grass from afar has invaded the ancient path, a sea of green has permeated the abandoned city

又送王孙去, 萋萋满别情。

I’m here to send my friend off, the lush grass is filled with my parting feelings.

ANALYSIS - with relation to MDZS

"野火烧不尽，春风吹又生 The wildfire in the fields can’t be extinguished, the spring breeze blows and it grows again,” is now a commonly used idiom to describes tenacity and grit; the grass that thrive again after it has been burned by wildfire.

When I first read this, I felt this poem was a shout out Wei Wuxian. He persevered when faced with adversity multiple times. And imagery of “spring grass” in this poem is particularly fitting descriptor of him; it’s full of life and adaptable to any circumstances. It even grows in the most barren of conditions, such as the ancient paths and the abandoned city. (Burial Mounds, I'm looking at you XD)

Secondly, the last line of the poem also reminds me of Lan Wangji. It gives off an image of someone sending off a friend, but he can’t send his said friend off the entire way, so he hopes the grass which have grown everywhere would do convey his feelings. isn’t that lwj when he realises Wei Wuxian has passed away the first time? :( Or perhaps that's Wei Wuxian's feelings when Lan Wangji and himself were on different paths (The Ghost path vs the orthodox Cultivator Path)

Additional Links:

Wei Wuxian's Spell - "Her Shy Charming Eyes"

More MDZS Meta

Poetry Analysis

[sekaithemystic]

run away with me [chapter 2]

and we are backkkkk, one of the last scenes is inspired by @yuu707yuu's art so shout out to them for such a beautiful work. also we go w/ so mi's pov this time fellas

The Aldecaldos was friendlier than So Mi expected, although she was not sure what to expect in the first place, considering this was her very first encounter with a nomad group. They were well-organized and well-coordinated- everyone all jumped into their tasks the moment their cars stopped at a suitable place for camping.

“V, the generator!” Panam called out, and V nudged at her shoulders, signaling her to come. They approached the monstrous Thorton, one that the younger woman had described as “the craziest thing I’ve ever sat upon”. Warhorse was a fitting name, So Mi agreed upon closer inspection, eyeing the thick armor plates with a raised eyebrow. 

“Where’s the damn thing…” grunted V as she was leaning over the window, her feet dangling impatiently. Then So Mi heard a click, and the trunk opened, revealing some kinds of machines and a sniper rifle. “Ah, Overwatch. Been locked in here for a long time, huh?” She chuckled, dragging her blunted nails across the body. A look of reminisce crossed her face, along with the ghost of a rueful smile.

“Remember something?” inquired So Mi, and V nodded as they hauled the generator out.

“Yeah, Panam promised it to me as a reward if I managed to rescue Saul.” Her eyes suddenly went unfocused, brows furrowing as she tried to figure out what happened next. “It was successful obviously, then… she gave it to me?” The young woman sighed, widening her step in order to avoid a rock. “We hid in an abandoned shack in the middle of nowhere for some reason. The rest…” She shrugged, awkwardly turning away from So Mi’s look.

“Hey, stop chatting, you two,” Panam scolded, and V rolled her eyes, whispering to Song.

“Let’s just finish our work first. Panam is so bossy when things aren’t in her way.”

“I can hear that, V!”

“No, you don’t.”

.

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching Panam work on her magic, or more specifically, So Mi watched V shadowing Panam as she tried to teach the mercenary how to detect a failure in the engine.

“I have no idea how you survived until now,” the nomad flicked an oil-covered finger at the younger woman, who only grunted at the “punishing” act, “and frankly I’m disappointed, V.”

“I’ll admit we didn’t have time to prepare.” V sighed, tugging at the collar of her short-sleeve shirt. The intensity of the afternoon heat had died down, but such a level still left their clothes dampened by sweat.

“Scared that your days are numbered or something?” V’s expression darkened at that, the hand holding the wrench trembling ever so slightly, but So Mi caught the motion nonetheless. “Relic’s out of you now. You have a whole life ahead, though I can’t blame you for your impulsiveness at this age.”

“You are only three years older than me,” she countered with an accusatory finger, a smile having replaced the storm of emotions Song had just seen just moments before, “and I don’t think you have the right to lecture me about reckless actions. Who threw hands with Rogue Amendiares huh?”

Twenty-three, she realized, V was only twenty-three, and soon twenty-four in October. Minus six months of mercenary work and two years in Arasaka, the young woman hardly grew into adulthood when cooperation molded her into one of their most effective agents, the same age Reed dragged her out of Brooklyn to Washington.

It was good that V managed to get out of that hellhole; she wouldn’t want her friend to live through that soulless experience again. So Mi blinked, and suddenly a question popped up in her head, are they really friends?

Obviously, they were friends, good friends, loyal friends even. V had stayed by her side throughout the first time they met, when the whole world was against them, and more importantly, after knowing So Mi had lied about her chance of survival. Their bond had been tested by deadly danger and unconditional trust; so why did she feel like something was off?

If she had to be honest, she found V’s attraction towards her rather flattering: the young woman was so easily flustered for someone whose hands had so much dirt and blood on them. Her innocence in love remained a grand puzzle to So Mi, who observed and analyzed, but to no avail. Or maybe she hadn’t tried hard enough.

“Hey,” Song jolted up on her seat, blinking rapidly at a confused V, “it’s dinner time. You good?”

You are a woman made of contradictions. She took the extended hand, and the mercenary pulled her up. How can I understand you? How do I know if I deserve your affection? “Nothing, just thinking about you.” 

That was enough to make V’s ears turn red, eyes unable to meet hers as they made their way to the campfire.

.

After a nice meal and having spent the rest of the evening chatting with the Aldecaldos, So Mi had expected to get some good sleep. But it was only two hours since V said goodnight to her when they heard a commotion outside, and Panam yanked open their tent with a horrified expression.

“Raffens are here.”

“Fuck,” V cursed, already reaching for her revolver. She was still dressed in shorts and t-shirt, though the change in her body language made So Mi feel as if she was ready for this long ago. “How many?”

“Forty.” Panam tossed five or six magazines at the mercenary, who caught them easily with one hand, before putting them into her utility belt. “I'll take the watchtower, trying to pin them down. You—”

“Will take them from behind. I know, Panam. This isn't the first time we fought together,” chuckled V, her weapon letting out a loud crack as she finished reloading. As Panam dragged her oversized sniper rifle away, the younger woman finally turned to her, worry welled up in her eyes, so clear even in the dark.

“You can stay back.” Her hands still moved to fasten the belt around her waist and strap the gun to the hostler. All was done with seasonable proficiency, not even a single redundant movement, like she had woken up in the middle of the night and found herself under attack so many times before.

“I'll go with Panam.” That made V's eyebrows raise. “Should be able to fuck with their vehicles and cybernetics.”

That smile V was giving her—So Mi tried not to think about it too much. She had a nice smile, a little awkward where the corners of her lips turned up. Must be because she spent too much time donning that emotionless mask, she thought; but it made something flutter in her stomach nonetheless. Nodding, V handed her the black jacket folded nicely on their trunk.

“It's cold. Besides, we wouldn't want sand getting into your cyberware, would we?”

Before she could reply with a sarcastic remark or complain that the woman herself was still dressed in pajamas, V already dashed out of their tent towards the rumbling sound of engines. By the time So Mi stepped out, that familiar figure had already disappeared into the absolute darkness and the howling of winds.

“Glad to see someone come up here to keep me company,” teased the nomad, eyes still training in the direction where Raffen Shiv was fast approaching. “You are a netrunner, right? Think you can work on your magic from this distance?”

Song So Mi had penetrated the Blackwall, had reached places only Spider Murphy or Bartmoss left traces (V said the latter was lying dead in a fridge in Municipal Landfill; she scoffed, until the woman actually found the audacity to drive her there to witness the rotting body and needless to say, the smell was horrendous), had done enough shits in her lifetime to be called a legend by now, so the question elicited a faint chuckle from her. She could obliterate everyone with at least a piece of cybernetic inside them in the radius of a mile, or she could blow those jeeps up before they even touched the border of the camp.

V would probably call her a show-off later, though.

“They are coming,” V's voice rang in their ears. “Saw Saul and the others on the defense line. I think those fuckers are trying to ram in.”

“No worry,” Song replied, before connecting herself to the makeshift station. It was not long before she managed to hook herself into the communication channel of their enemies and the systems of those cars. “Hm, their camp is in the south, about thirty miles from here. Marking it on the map for you guys.”

On the other side, all she could hear was the noise of wheels skidding to a stop and vulgar curses. Panam let out a whistle, eyeing So Mi with an impressive look.

“Now that isn't something I see every day.” She returned the compliment with a cheeky smile, still delving deeper into this ridiculously amateur network. Emails, blueprints, business documents… Pairing her knowledge with V's ability, that camp of eighty-three raffens would be down in less than an hour, and she was not even exaggerating.

“They are walking out,” V whispered, and the netrunner could almost imagine her crouching behind a stone, that focus look plastering across her face. “Pan, start from the left, I’ll go right, Saul and his people in the middle.”

“Hear hear,” Saul’s voice bore the ghost of a smirk. “Try not to get your ass kicked, V.”

Replying to him was the loud noise of Panam firing the first bullet; a headshot undoubtedly. For such a hothead character, the nomad’s sniping ability was beyond exception, and So Mi could hear the sound of bodies hitting the ground from V’s channel, along with her deep breathing. By the time she had memorized all the weak points of the Raffen Shiv’s building, Panam must have hit at least a dozen guys in all kinds of places by now. She sat up, sweat rolling down the side of her face; apparently, such work took a toll on her body.

“V,” her voice was breathless, “please tell me we are done.”

“Give me a sec.” Then a scream, then the sharp noise of a gunshot, then absolutely silence. “Saul, any injured?”

“Kid, you almost cleared all of them out,” Saul scoffed and V snickered, “or distracted them enough that shooting those bastards down was as easy as practicing with a standing target.”

“Yeah yeah,” the mercenary replied, though there was hardly a trace of apology in her words as she walked back to the camp.

.

“You are freezing,” complained So Mi as she snuggled against V, whose teeth were chattering uncontrollably. The younger woman easily turned into an awkward log of wood whenever someone gave her the slightest touch, so to see her voluntarily clinging to Song like this meant that her need to feel warmth had diminished her body's reaction toward physical contact.

“And you are so warm.” She doubted V could feel much warmth from her nightshirt and carbon frame, but whatever kept her from shaking like a leaf, she supposed. Those strong arms tightened around her waist, where what little part of her skin remained, still hot even through a layer of fabric.

“Take your own advice sometimes, and maybe you won't end up in such situations.” That brought out a scoff from V's mouth, shaky breath unintentionally teasing the side of her face. That felt… nice, and frustrating, and it didn't help that they were so close right now, enough for Song to hear the beats of V's heart against her back. She forgot how much she needed this sometimes; after years of loneliness and fear of being seen as just a weapon, she finally found someone who accepted her for who she was, for what she lacked, and she craved the touches that they could give her. Unconsciously, she shifted deeper into V's embrace, noting to herself that her temperature seemed to have returned to normal by now.

“I'm not making you uncomfortable, am I?” inquired the mercenary. “Sorry, I'm not used to holding others.”

This is anything but uncomfortable, So Mi thought, but decided against speaking it out loud. “It's fine, though your techniques still need some polish.”

Though it was rather low of her to tease V like this, she hoped that the young woman would take the hint and try to hug her more often to improve her hugging skill, obviously. Totally not ridiculous and childish at all.

“I’ll… try?” The uncertainty in her voice made Song want to chuckle, but she just let out an agreeable hum instead. As the adrenaline from the recent fight died down and V’s heart settled for a steady rhythm, they slowly drifted into sleep, limbs tangled like carbon wires and metal chains.

.

“So, New York huh?” Panam was doing one last checkup of their car, and So Mi nodded. V was still stuck with Mitch on the other side of the camp for whatever reason, leaving her alone here with the nomad. “Visiting friends there?”

“Just my old home,” she replied, though she doubted it still existed, similar to those friends she had left behind when she became a NUSA agent. For years, she had wondered if they still remembered her at all, or if the image of reckless netrunner Song So Mi had long faded in their mind.

Only one way to find out now, she supposed.

“V is…” Panam suddenly spoke up, still focusing on the system underneath the hood, “hard on herself. Even for an ex-corpo, she carries enough guilt to last for a lifetime.” A sigh, followed by the rumbling of the engine. “You probably been through more shits with her than me, so can you try to keep an eye on her? Just in case, you know.”

She was not sure what cued Palmer of their experience together, considering how tight-lipped both of them were, but decided not to dwell much upon it, instead focusing on the woman’s request.

“What do you think might happen?” Panam turned to face her, leaning against the car with a torn expression, one that So Mi tried to ignore.

“To be honest, I don’t know.” Her gaze drifted to the direction V was supposed to be with Mitch, and Song followed hers, hoping to see that mass of familiar emerald hair. “Having seen the way she works, I can only point out that she depends too much on commands and others’ wishes. Now that freedom is in her hands, I feel like she might be—”

“Lost,” the netrunner acknowledged with a nod. “She is used to being ordered around, first by Arasaka, then by fixers and clients; it’s hard to get that out of your system.”

Maybe that was why V decided to leave her fate in Arasaka’s hands once again, even when it once took everything from her. She couldn’t live without their shadows and their commands; a hound holding its own leash, waiting for the owner to come back. She understood freedom, understood why it was important to someone who had been caged for so long—that was why she risked everything to go against NUSA, against Myers, against Reed for So Mi (the last name left a bad taste in Song’s mouth and a sense of nostalgia at the back of her mind), but how couldn’t she see it for herself?

A woman made of contradictions, So Mi scoffed internally.

“Ready to roll?” Like a ghost, V stood next to the netrunner, having changed into her traveling clothes once again. She even managed to get two pairs of black sunglasses for both of them, and So Mi took it with a grateful smile.

“V, a word.” Panam slammed the hood shut, pointing her thumb in the direction of the camp. The mercenary shrugged, a flash of confusion crossing her face but still decided to follow the nomad. While they were still talking, Song climbed into the car and sank into the leather seat with a sigh. Palmer's and her own words rang in her ears, like floating jigsaw puzzles that she couldn't get a hold of. Frustration blended with doubt left her head dizzy, but before she could act on those emotions, V clambered into the driver seat with a grunt.

“Ready?” The answer to her question was obvious, but she indulged the young woman either way.

“Ready.”

.

“This isn't the way,” So Mi stated, a frown deepening on her face. Next to her, V remained way too calm for someone panicked so hard over a wrong turn within those first days they traveled together.

“I know ” Her eyes were still glued on the digital map. “But trust me.”

That was something Song could give her, alright. Still, her mind wandered on the possibilities of this mysterious route. The more they drove, the further they strayed from the supposed route, until the road beneath them turned into dirt. 

So Mi had expected a lot of things, but as the view of a field of flowers opened up in front of her eyes, she couldn't help the delighted gasp from escaping from her lips. Red, blue, and purple—they were all in full bloom under the bright sunlight of summer. A majestic scenery, if not to say extremely rare in this era.

“Panam didn't lie when she said it was beautiful,” the mercenary commented, and their eyes met when So Mi turned around. She looked… proud? Was showing this to Song enough to make her chest bubble with happiness? Something tightened in her throat at the idea; a wave of intense emotions came crashing down at this dam inside her heart. You've done so much for me.

“Thank you, V, for taking me here,” So Mi said quietly, not trusting her voice at this moment.

“Nah, without you, I would never have the chance to get out and see this. So thank you.”

The smiles they shared were tinted with morning sun and the sweet scents of wildflowers, of a bright future and promises of a better life.

[princekirijo]

Thoughts on SEES's 1st tier personas? You can keep this short if you want, and don't forget Psyche!

WOOHOO Prince rants about personas round 2 electric boogaloo!

OK this time I'll focus a little more on the actual designs themselves and my thoughts on how they relate to the character + their stories. Read more because well... You know me...

MC/FeMC: So for Orpheus I think its a pretty fitting choice for the protagonists. The protagonists are on a Journey just like Orpheus journey out of the underworld (kinda on the nose lmao) and both of them have strong connections with music! There's probably some connection between the underworld journey and the fact the plot of the game is to stop death but I'm not sure how to word it if you get me. I also like how they really resemble the protagonists face and hair wise! The mechanical detailing is also a neat touch, I've always seen it as the protagonists being very closed off with their emotions (that's kinda of a trend with a lot of the P3 cast I feel, the inital personas are very stiff but then the 2nd tier have more human feel to them).

Junpei: I think Hermes is a really good choice for Junpei. They're both kinda tricksters and Hermes is often portrayed as being carefree (in media at least) which suits Junpei a lot. In terms of design I think its pretty good, I really like the over exaggerated wings on his feet (the iconic winged sandals Hermes usually rocks) and I like his helmet design. My favorite thing about him as I mentioned before though is actually his animations. The way he slides into the enemies reminds me of a baseball player sliding to a base when they're running between bases (Idk baseball that well I hope that makes sense). Very fitting for Junpei considering his choice of career in Arena and also how he uses his sword like a baseball bat!

Yukari: Io is an interesting one for me. I really like her design, I think the girl in the cow head is a very fitting look for Io (who was a woman who got transformed into a cow by Zeus. Io's story is very sad imo (classic Greek woman gets screwed over by Zeus story) but I'll be honest I've never been totally sure why they went with her for Yukari. I think it works don't get me wrong and I like the choice I just don't see why (I, as I'm sure you can tell, am very passionate about Persona designs and I do my best to understand the choices behind the character and design of the persona and how it relates to the user). It just got pointed out to me (shout out to you Rui) that the way the woman is chained to the cow is kinda symbolic of how Yukari is chained to her past and I think that's a really really cool detail!

Akihiko & Shinjiro: I have to combine these two for obvious reasons. Polydueces ugly design aside for a moment, man. This choice for Akihiko is so good because of its connection to Castor. Regardless of how you view Akihiko and Shinjiro's connection, the way they are so connected to each other and how interwoven they are as characters to the point their personas are literally twins?!! Absolutely amazing I don't think we've had as powerful a persona connection since. I really love how their designs reflect each other two, Polydueces with its lighter and more alive design versus Castor and his dark look and the sword that's embedded in his chest? Symbolizing that he's the mortal twin that dies in the legends? And then connect that with his story in the game? Blows my MIND conceptually the best personas in the series actually. I love them.

Fuuka: OK I love Lucia and how she interacts with Fuuka. Having that glass orb as her body and have Fuuka in there navigating for the team is really really cool! I really like the pose of the persona (there is something about it... blanking on why that is relevant to its design). I also love the detail of her eyes being covered as she is the Patron saint of the blind! A cool choice for a navigational persona. Something about her being considered a martyr is fitting for Fuuka too. I also like how different it is to the others (a lot of the others having Greek connections whereas this is a Catholic saint).

Mitsuru: Oh Penthesilea my absolute beloved. I've discussed her in detail before (mind you probably two years ago at this point) but like one of my favorite things about her is the weapons she uses. The sword, particularly a rapier is seen as an honest weapon. A good knight has a sword, a skilled duelist has a rapier. Mitsuru is a very strong and experienced Persona user (and ofc is a fencer herself). She's convinced everyone she's on this noble quest to fix the Kirijo Group's mistakes, which is partially true to be fair. But her other weapon? A dagger. Associated with dishonesty and treachery. I feel like this alludes to her being dishonest with SEES. I adore Mitsuru but even I can admit she was sneaky and kept important details from SEES (she had her reasons but still). And ofc the treachery I feel is less her and more Ikutski betraying her trust and her father's trust. Also her being dishonest about her own motivations! And then ofc the big details: the absence of red in Penthesilia's design and her face being fully covered by the mask! Showing the walls Mitsuru has built up around herself!!! Sorry I just love Penthesilia and will over analyze her a lot.

Koromaru: Honestly I don't have much to say here but that's not a bad thing! Cereberus is really true to the original myths, a three headed dog with a hellish looking design and that's what they've given us. It's a solid design and I love him!

Ken: OK my own thoughts about Nemesis aside, I think its a really well executed design. It's a very unnerving and angry looking design, perfect for the goddess of revenge. And obvs her being a goddess of revenge is very very suitable for Ken given his motivations up until October 4th! The color scheme really helps with this too. Just a very edgy design perfect for Ken.

Aigis: Palladion is really cool because it's not actually a person but rather an object! Specifically an object associated with protection very similar to aegis. Which well, is perfect for Aigis. A robot dedicated to protecting the protagonist. I can't quite put it into words but its just a really really cool design. I like the big metal spike going through it, very robotic and always reminds me of the front of a pirate ship, not sure if that was intentional tbh.

Metis: OK Psyche is tricky for me. As a design its really cool. I enjoy the butterfly motif a lot. I really like its dress too and I think it resembles Athena which makes a lot of sense given who Metis is! Why Psyche though? The only connection I can make is that Psyche was originally a mortal who was considered so beautiful people mistook her for Aphrodite. Which I guess ties into how Metis was mistaken for Aigis..? Idk there's def a connection here somewhere but I am not sure of what that is. It's still a cool design though.

And I think that's everyone? Hope I didn't forget anyone man this was fun to do. Congrats if you read it all LMAO

[keyblade-wanderer-alex]

Introducing Tamiel

"What was with the shouting?? That's it! I'm coming in!" Both the Dreamer and Gabriel jump as that voice gives it's final warning, something on the other side turning the door knob.

Gabriel looks into the mirror and quickly shushes the alien figure in it. "Don't say anything, I don't want her to worry. Let ME do the talking." ... A moment later, the alien reflection vanishes and Gabriel's is left in it's place. At the same time, the whispers of strange thought quiet in his head.

And when the door opens, a new figure walks in. A young girl about the robot boy's age. Where the boy wore a simple cap to hide most of his hair however, this one let her wiry but somehow full head of blonde hair, dressed in reds similar to the young man, and decked out in steam punk looking gear here and there as well.

"Pfft, what's taking so long lazy bum~?"

Gabe lets out a fond sigh. "Good Morning Tamiel."

Tamiel? .... Huh. And Gabriel. For whatever reason, the Dreamer was starting to pick up a theme here.

"It's Tammy, Gabby! Tammy!" The girl puffs out her cheeks, and the motion looks so fluid and so fleshy, that the dreamer briefly forgets, in spite of the copious amounts of evidence provided, that this girl is made of metal. "You really gotta stop using the full name thing. The only one 'round here who should be saying 'Gabriel' or 'Tamiel' should be dad." The robotic fem huffs and looks around. "BUT, more importantly, I heard shouting. Is everything alright?"

"OH UH THAT. UH... Let's see uh...." This poor kid starts to very clearly flounder, and it becomes apparent to the Dreamer that Gabriel has never lied even once in his entire life. There isn't even a single idea tinging up in his brain that could plausibly explain the shout.

... So that's when the Dreamer comes in, briefly taking control. "OH RIGHT! Meh, it wasn't anything too serious... Just uh.. Just somehow got grime in a place I didn't know I had." The excuse he fires out? It was clear the Dreamer had been INTENDING to imitate Gabe's voice with a simple impression... And yet it almost FEELS like he had briefly taken control of Gabriel's voice box a few times in there.

... He could TELL Gabe wanted to glare at him.

But Tamiel just titters. "Oh is THAT all~? Well I guess that'll teach you not to jump into Ole Mr. Grinder's dump again~."

Gabriel takes over from there, "I JUMPED IN TO GET BACK THAT PART YOU DROPPED!!" Ah, the exasperation of a flustered brother~. And the mischievous tittering of a younger sister. It was honestly cute~.

"Well WHATEVER Mr. gross~." Tammy continues giggling, fit to burst for a good few seconds before she regains control of herself. "Dad's ready if you are! He wants to give us both a check up before we rush out to do work around town!" With that said, she backs up to the door. "Don't keep us waiting anymore! You've already slept in by a lot!"

And with that? Tamiel takes her leave out the door, leaving Gabriel alone in his room.

".... How did you do that?" Gabriel shoots out in anger, though he also sounded terrified at even the POTENTIAL answers.

"... Well, honestly, I was just trying to do an impression of you to help you out... And for whatever reason it just... Came out as your voice-?" Gabriel turns to the mirror to give it a flat look.

The young dreamer in the mirror just blushes a bit. "I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean to take over your voice box too~..."

... Gabriel just lets out a groan. "WHATEVER... Well, hopefully my Dad'll be able to make heads or tails of you." His smile becomes wide and victorious. "He's the smartest guy on the Spaceport and he knows everything! I'm sure he can make sense of it~!"

... Spaceport?

"Hold on... Gabriel right? Where... Exactly are we?"

That causes the robot to look confused. "Wait... You don't know? I thought you might've been some kind of ghost or somethin... But you don't even know that? Weird..." He grumbles as he walks to the window. "Well whatever. You're currently on-" Then he opens the window.

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

... And Words? Words do not even begin to describe the sight that awaits outside said window.

-------------------------------------------------------- Title Card Reference: [ https://youtu.be/tWDv7ZQ9v8A?si=tzSedq2bRZ4OAOOv ]

[queer-goddess-of-the-hunt]

Raeda: An Owl House Playlist

Spotify Link

This playlist is a combination of songs that suite the ship and the characters as individuals. I love these two so much.

As always, I will probably continue to update this playlist over time, feel free to send me suggestions.

List of songs and quotes/explanations under the cut :)

Your Song from Moulin Rouge! The Musical “And you can tell everybody this is your song; It may be quite simple but now that it's done; I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind; That I put down in words; How wonderful life is while you're in the world” I specifically chose this version because it uses strings instead of piano.

 Eda’s Requiem and Raine’s Rhapsody - Epic Orchestral Cover by Kāru It is literally their song, I had to.

Thank You For The Music by ABBA “What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say thank you for the music; For giving it to me” This song is very close to me as a singer, so as a Raine kinnie, I had to.

Love Of My Life by Queen “You will remember when this is blown over; And everything's all by the way; When I grow older, I will be there at your side; To remind you how I still love you (I still love you)” Ouch, here’s the first bit of angst. The part that I quoted in particular I think applies heavily to these two. Also, pretty string in the beginning.

I Hear a Symphony by Cody Fry “I used to hear a simple song; That was until you came along; Now in it's place is something new; I hear it when I look at you” This is an absolutely stunning piece (as is every single song by Cody Fry) and the lyrics fit so well with Raeda.

Bird Set Free by Sia “And I don't care if I sing off key; I find myself in my melodies; I sing for love, I sing for me; I shout it out like a bird set free”

Witch Hunt by VISTA “I'm running like the whole damn world's on a witch hunt; Throwing stones and blaming; Secrets in the closet, send demons on the run; With bloodlust, bloodlust; How am I to know who to trust, who to trust?” I think this song just fits the BATS/CATS really well in general.

Never Love an Anchor by The Crane Wives “There are times when I still wonder about you; You are someone I have loved, but never known; And you'll never see the reasons I had; For keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you” This entire song fits well, with Eda hiding her curse from Raine causing them to break up in the first place. I also blame this animatic for this song being in this playlist.

My Love, My Life by ABBA “I've watched you look away; Tell me, is it really so hard to say? Oh, this has been my longest day; Sitting here close to you; Knowing that maybe tonight we're through” This part is clearly the moment Raine broke up with Eda. “You are still my love and my life; Still my one and only” Yet after all this time, they still love each other.

Songbird by Fleetwood Mac “ And the songbirds are singing, Like they know the score; And I love you, I love you, I love you; Like never before”

In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars “Listen, the birds sing, listen, the bells ring; All the living are dead, and the dead are all living; The war is over and we are beginning”  New beginnings.

Six Pieces, Op, 51, TH 143: VI. Valse sentimentale. Tempo di Valse by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Gorgeous piece by Tchaikovsky, one of my favorites, and it’s a violin version. Valse sentimentale translates to Sentimental Waltz. Take from that what you will.

I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston I think the song title speaks for itself honestly.

I Write the Songs by Barry Manilow “My home lies deep within you; And I've got my own place in your soul; Now when I look out through your eyes; I'm young again, even though I'm very old” As I was making this playlist, I was trying to thing of any music related songs and this came to mind. This particular verse works well.

City Of Stars from La La Land “City of stars; Are you shining just for me? City of stars; There's so much that I can't see”

trust by Christina Perri “Words that hurt the ones you're lovin’; Hatred for who you’re becomin’; I knew better than, yes; I knew better than; To trust myself; To trust someone else” Eda was so determined to hide the truth from Raine.

Take Flight by Lindsey Stirling Another beautiful violin piece. I mostly chose this one for the title, but it in an amazing piece.

Paper Rings by Taylor Swift “I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings; Uh huh, that's right; Darling, you're the one I want, and I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this; Uh huh, that's right; Darling, you're the one I want” Eda loves shiny things and Raine, what else can I say?

Francis Forever by Mitski “On sunny days I go out walking; I end up on a tree-lined street; I look up at the gaps of sunlight; I miss you more than anything” They really miss each other after the breakup.

Stormy Weather by Etta James “ Don't know why; There's no sun up in the sky; Stormy weather; Since my man and I ain't together; Keeps raining all of the time”

We’ll Meet Again by She & Him “ We'll meet again; Don't know where; Don't know when; But I know we'll meet again some sunny day”

My Heart Is Buried In Venice by Ricky Montgomery “ Now my heart is buried in Venice; Waiting for someone to take it home” “Say, say what you mean; Tell me the truth or tell me you're through”

Ready Now by dodie “Feet firm on the ground; We stood hand in hand; And I told the world; That I have a plan; Together, we sang; "I'm ready, now"”

Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper “After my picture fades and darkness has; Turned to gray; Watching through windows; You're wondering if I'm okay”

Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation; Living in the past, it's a new generation; A girl can do what she wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do” This is fully an Eda song.

Right Back Where We Started From by Maxine Nightingale “Do you remember that day (that sunny day); When you first came my way? I said no one could take your place; And if you get hurt (if you get hurt); By the little things I say; I can put that smile back on your face” This is a much more upbeat one, they deserve to be happy after everything.

Demons by Imagine Dragons “ I wanna hide the truth; I wanna shelter you; But with the beast inside; There's nowhere we can hide” The owl beast.

Boys Wanna Be Her by Peaches “The way you rock, don't stop; Girl, you got the chops; Flip-flop, she bops, self-taught; You look so hot” Honestly, who wouldn’t want to be the owl lady?

Cherry Bomb by The Runaways “Can't stay at home, can't stay at school; Old folks say, "You poor little fool"; Down the streets I'm the girl next door; I'm the fox you've been waiting for” Young Eda? Young Eda.

This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole “I'm so glad, you found me in time; And I'm so glad that you've rectified my mind; This will be, an everlasting love for me” They get a second chance!

Mary On A Cross by Ghost “You go down just like Holy Mary; Mary on a, Mary on a cross; Your beauty never ever scared me; Mary on a, Mary on a cross”

W.I.T.C.H. by Devon Cole “ She don't wanna be anybody else; She's a woman in total control of herself; It's such a wonder to be under her spell; What a woman, in total control of herself” Honestly, I’m such an Eda simp, I’m not ashamed to say it.

I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone “I put a spell on you; Because you're mine” I had to include it (I stand by the fact that the Nina version is the superior version.)

Venus Fly Trap by MARINA “ Don't underestimate me; 'Cause one day you're gonna see you're in a losing battle; Babe, you'll never stop me being me; I got the beauty, got the brains; Got the power, hold the reins; I should be motherfuckin' crazy; Nothing in this world could change me” Hell yes, Eda, keep being you.

Roundtable Rival by Lindsey Stirling Violin! It’s my favorite instrument to listen to, I’m so glad Raine plays violin. Also, this song is just really cool.

Thus Always To Tyrants by The Oh Hellos “Let me die, let me drown, lay my bones in the ground; I will still come around when the time for sleep is through; Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale; Do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you”  I love the title of this song.

ilomilo by Billie Eilish “ I tried not to upset you; Let you, rescue, me the day I met you; I just wanted to protect you; But now I'll never get to”

Seven Nation Army by 2CELLOS

Still into You by Paramore “ I should be over all the butterflies; But I'm into you (I'm into you); And baby even on our worst nights; I'm into you (I'm into you); Let 'em wonder how we got this far; 'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all; Yeah, after all this time, I'm still into you”

Dream Sweet in Sea Major by Miracle Musical “She knows you heard her; Staging music murder; In line before the show began; To be where I am; Children born of one emotion; Our devotion's deepest ocean; No division reasoned we'll be free”  This is less to do with the lyrics and more to do with it being an epic piece with lots of strings.

You Found Me by The Fray “In the end, everyone ends up alone; Losin' her, the only one who's ever known; Who I am, who I'm not, and who I wanna be; No way to know how long she will be next to me”

Soldier, Poet, King by The Oh Hellos The lyrics are irrelevant, I just think this is a fun song that they would play and dance to.

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey “ Someday love will find you; True love won't desert you; You know I still love you; Though we touched and went our separate ways”

When We Were Young by Adele “Let me photograph you in this light; In case it is the last time; That we might be exactly like we were; Before we realized; We were scared of getting old; It made us restless; It was just like a movie; It was just like a song”