Children of the City is a hauntingly beautiful and lyrically complex song composed by the indie musical group Mili, specifically for the 2021 tactical RPG Library of Ruina, developed by Project Moon. As the character theme for Yan Vismok, a Messenger of the Index faction, the song serves as a profound commentary on determinism, the loss of individual agency, and the crushing weight of societal expectations within a hyper-capitalist dystopia.

Full Lyrics of Children of the City by Mili

Sleep for a total of eight hundred hours per day And then drink a liter of milk Warm-up before you go play Only eat, or write Or pull the trigger with your right hand Only thing that's left Is to work on following commands

By the time you realize You'll be restrained to a desk And with your dreams on the floor, you comply Eyes chained to the test In thirty minutes, find a groom or bride Bonus if brunette In ninety hours, spill their insides Paint your room picturesque

Now it's time for another vendetta Going through the shelves Picking out my pre-written persona (Ha) Children of the city sees only the neon stars Reflected upon the murky gutter sky Don't ask me why I desperately wish to be included in the city's night

In four hundred thousand meters, turn right

Pick up a knife and stab a familiar warm body Learned to fight before I knew love or bitterness of coffee Snippy scissors cut down the strings I set myself free Only to figure out everything I chose was by proxy

As we suckled upon the nine millimeter pacifier Swallowing the fact that other than to expand We had no purpose As my ever-burning will to stay afloat backfires I now know I must be comfortable being Who I considered worthless

Follow the city's ribbon To a heart nobody seems to listen It takes my heart being broken and broken again (Broken and broken again) To know that I am the reason why (the reason why) The sufferings never end

Now it's time for another vendetta (Hmm) Going through the shelves Picking out my pre-written persona (Ha) Children of the city sees only the neon stars Reflected upon the murky gutter sky Don't ask me why I desperately wish to be noticed by the city's eye

Do not go home until you finish reading the value of e 2.71 8281 8284 5904 5235 3602 8747 1352 6624 9775 7247 0936 9995 9574 9669 6762

The Setting of the City and the Role of the Index

To understand the lyrics of Children of the City, one must first grasp the setting of Library of Ruina. The game takes place in a sprawling, nameless metropolis simply known as "The City." This City is divided into twenty-six Districts, each governed by a "Wing"—a mega-corporation with absolute authority and a unique "Singularity" (a form of advanced technology that often defies the laws of physics).

Within this world, the Index is one of the "Five Fingers," the most powerful criminal organizations that control the Backstreets (the lawless areas not directly under a Wing's protection). The Index is unique because it operates not on the whims of a leader, but on "Prescripts."

What Are Prescripts?

Prescripts are divine-like commands delivered to the citizens of the Index's territory via Messengers. These commands are often nonsensical, mundane, or horrific. A Prescript might tell you to "hop on one leg while eating an apple," or it might tell you to "slaughter everyone on the next bus you see."

The citizens follow these orders without question because the consequences of disobedience are death. The song’s opening lines—"Sleep for a total of eight hundred hours per day"—immediately introduce the listener to this absurdity. It is an impossible command, yet in the world of the Index, it represents the absolute surrender of logic to the system.

Breaking Down the Stanzas: A Satire of Modern Life

The genius of Mili’s lyrics lies in how they blend the specific lore of Library of Ruina with a broader critique of real-world societal structures.

The Childhood of Indoctrination

The first verse uses the imagery of childhood to describe a life of total control. Phrases like "drink a liter of milk" and "warm-up before you go play" sound like parental advice, but they are twisted into mandatory commands. The transition from "play" to "pull the trigger with your right hand" signifies how the City weaponizes its youth.

The reference to the "right hand" is particularly poignant. Historically, left-handed children were often forced to write with their right hands to conform to societal norms. Here, it symbolizes the erasure of natural inclination in favor of a "pre-written" role.

The Corporate Grind and the Test

"By the time you realize, you'll be restrained to a desk." This line shifts the focus from the physical violence of the Backstreets to the mental violence of the Wings. The "eyes chained to the test" reflects the extreme meritocracy and academic pressure found in many modern societies, where a single exam can determine a person's entire future.

The lyrics then take a dark turn: "In thirty minutes, find a groom or bride... In ninety hours, spill their insides." This represents the absolute lack of emotional autonomy. Even the most intimate human connections—marriage and family—are dictated by the Prescripts. The "picturesque" room painted with "insides" suggests that in the City, beauty is often derived from sanctioned violence.

The Tragedy of Yan Vismok and the Pre-written Persona

The chorus introduces the central conflict of Yan Vismok, the character for whom this song was written. Yan is a Messenger for the Index. His job is to deliver Prescripts, but he begins to question the source of these commands. He desperately wants to find the "Will of the City"—the logic behind the suffering.

The Jungian Persona

The line "Picking out my pre-written persona" refers to the psychological concept of the Persona, as defined by Carl Jung. The Persona is the "mask" we wear to satisfy the demands of society. In Yan's case, his persona isn't just a social mask; it is a role literally written for him by the Prescripts.

Yan realizes that his thoughts, his rebellion, and even his eventual "Distortion" (a monstrous transformation caused by emotional collapse in the game's lore) were all predicted or even commanded by the system. He is a "child of the city" who can never truly grow up because he is never allowed to be himself.

The Neon Stars vs. The Gutter Sky

"Children of the city sees only the neon stars, reflected upon the murky gutter sky." This is a powerful metaphor for artificiality. The citizens of the City don't look at the real sky; they look at the reflections of neon lights in the sewage. They chase artificial dreams (the "Star of the City" rank) while living in filth.

The desire to be "included in the city's night" or "noticed by the city's eye" reflects the desperate need for validation from the very system that oppresses them. It is a form of Stockholm Syndrome on a city-wide scale.

The Mathematical Despair of Euler's Number

One of the most discussed parts of the song is the recitation of the digits of Euler's number ($e$) at the end: 2.7182818284...

Why the Value of e?

In mathematics, $e$ is a transcendental, irrational number that represents the limit of compound interest and exponential growth. In the context of the song, it serves several symbolic purposes:

  1. Infinite Labor: The command "Do not go home until you finish reading the value of e" is a death sentence. Since the digits of $e$ never end and never repeat in a pattern, the task can never be completed. It represents the infinite, Sisyphean labor of the City's inhabitants.
  2. The Formula of Growth: As $e$ is the base of natural logarithms and essential for calculating growth, it symbolizes the "Singularities" and the cold, mathematical logic of the Wings. The City views humans as variables in an equation of constant expansion.
  3. Transcendental Despair: Just as $e$ is transcendental (meaning it is not the root of any non-zero polynomial equation with rational coefficients), Yan’s suffering is transcendental—it exists beyond the reach of simple logic or escape.

Analyzing the Post-Chorus: The Proxy and the Pacifier

The second verse contains some of the most visceral imagery in the song.

The 9mm Pacifier

"As we suckled upon the nine millimeter pacifier" is a stark image of a society that raises its children on violence. A pacifier is meant to soothe an infant, but here, the "soothing" force is a gun. It implies that the only way to survive or find comfort in the City is through the threat of force.

Choice by Proxy

"I set myself free, only to figure out everything I chose was by proxy." This is the core of Yan's tragedy. In Library of Ruina, Yan attempts to defy the Index and find his own path. However, he discovers that even his act of rebellion was part of a larger Prescript. This "illusion of choice" is a common theme in dystopian fiction, but Mili’s lyrics make it personal and agonizing. The "snippy scissors" that cut the strings of the puppet only lead to the realization that the puppet has nowhere to go once the strings are gone.

The Musicality of Dystopia: Mili’s Composition

The contrast between the music and the lyrics is a hallmark of Mili’s style. The song features a jazzy, almost upbeat tempo with intricate piano work and Cassie Wei’s ethereal vocals.

This juxtaposition creates a sense of "dissonant comfort." The music sounds like something you might hear in a high-end lounge in a wealthy District, while the lyrics describe the brutal reality of the Backstreets. This mirrors the City itself: a polished, technological marvel built on a foundation of human misery.

The inclusion of GPS-like instructions ("In four hundred thousand meters, turn right") adds to the feeling of being a cog in a machine. The singer isn't just a narrator; she is the voice of the system, guiding the "children" toward their inevitable end.

The Universal Themes: Capitalism and Bureaucracy

While Children of the City is firmly rooted in the lore of Project Moon, its themes resonate with contemporary audiences because they mirror real-world anxieties.

The Critique of "The Grind"

The "eight hundred hours of sleep" can be seen as a critique of the impossible work-life balance demanded by modern corporate culture. We are told to be "productive," to "optimize" our lives, and to follow "best practices" (our version of Prescripts) to achieve success.

The Loss of Identity in Systems

In an era of algorithms and data-driven decision-making, many people feel like their choices are "by proxy." Whether it’s the content we consume or the career paths we choose, the "City’s ribbon" (the algorithms) often guides us toward a pre-written persona. The song captures the feeling of being "broken and broken again" by a system that doesn't listen to the human heart.

Summary of the Song’s Narrative Journey

The song follows a trajectory from indoctrination to realization and, finally, to total submission/transformation:

  1. Indoctrination: Learning the rules of the City and the Index.
  2. Performance: Adopting the "persona" and performing the violent tasks required for survival.
  3. Rebellion: Attempting to "cut the strings" and find freedom.
  4. Despair: The realization that freedom is an illusion and that one’s "will" is just another variable.
  5. Infinity: The endless recitation of $e$, signifying the permanent state of being a "child of the city."

FAQ about Children of the City

Who is the character Yan Vismok?

Yan Vismok is a Messenger of the Index in Library of Ruina. He is a sensitive and observant individual who becomes overwhelmed by the cruelty of the Prescripts he must deliver. His journey involves trying to find the meaning behind the "Will of the City," which ultimately leads to his "Distortion."

Why does the song mention a "9mm pacifier"?

It is a metaphor for the normalization of violence from a young age. In the City, weapons (like 9mm handguns) are as common and "necessary" for survival as a pacifier is for a baby.

What does "picking out my pre-written persona" mean?

It refers to the fact that the characters in the Index do not choose their own lives. Their roles, personalities, and actions are dictated by the Prescripts. They are essentially actors following a script they didn't write.

Is there a deeper meaning to the number of digits of e read in the song?

While the digits are mathematically accurate, the act of reading them is what matters most. It represents a task that is impossible to complete, symbolizing the eternal servitude of those living under the Index's law.

Who are the members of Mili?

Mili is an indie group consisting of Cassie Wei (vocals/lyrics), Yamato Kasai (composer/guitar), Yukihito Mitomo (bass), Shoto Yoshida (drums), and Ame Yamaguchi (stylist/art manager). They are known for their unique "world music" style and their frequent collaborations with game developers like Rayark and Project Moon.

Conclusion

Children of the City is more than just a video game soundtrack; it is a complex piece of art that explores the darker side of human civilization. Through its use of absurd commands, psychological metaphors, and mathematical constants, it paints a picture of a world where free will is a luxury no one can afford. Whether you are a fan of Library of Ruina or simply a lover of deep, metaphorical songwriting, the lyrics of Children of the City offer a chilling reflection of what it means to be a "child" lost in the machinery of a heartless metropolis.