#i have the ost of band together in repeat

[aa-draws]

Before BroZone, There was BFFL ✨

I redrew the Trollz girls (BFFL) in the style of Trolls now! I grew up with these girlies back in the early 2000s :D

I remember getting their toys in a McDonalds Happy Meal hehe,,

Here is the speed paint (It starts at Onyx because I forgot to record it after I did Amethyst and Topaz OTL):

[clairedaring]

Shuffle your on-repeat playlist and then list the first ten songs!*

*any playlist on any platform will do!

Thank you Kat @troubled-mind for tagging me (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ). I've been itching to share new music. 'new' being new to my playlist though, most are old releases.

1. Your Call (อยู่ที่เธอ) - TYTAN

I want you to think and reflect Who do you want more in your life? Without him, you seem to be doing fine But without me, you’ll be okay right?

as expected, i like this song so bad i even made a gifset for solely self-indulgent purposes... it's just crazy see how much TYTAN has grown since his Waterboyy days. I feel like this song was the starting point of me finding every songs i liked recently linked to MingJoe from My Stand-In.

2. ชายคนหนึ่ง (Just A Man) - Bodyslam, Clash, Potato Feat. ก้อง สหรัถ, โดม ปกรณ์ ลัม, ตู่ ภพธร

I’m just a man who wants to look after you and be concerned about you, that’s all I just want you to still have someone worrying about you, I’ve never wanted anything else You don’t have to give me anything in return I’ve never wanted anything else

I AM WEAK FOR SONGS ABOUT UNREQUITED LOVE. i first heard this song like seven years ago in Secret Seven The Series but the obsession with it has come back in full force since i recently watched a lakorn starring the original artist of the song (Peter Corp) and there's this scene where he plays this song on the guitar to the female lead... oh i was a goner. (original by Peter Corp)

3. วัดปะหล่ะ? (TEST ME) - 4EVE

Open your heart to know each other a little bit, yeah (like this) Then you will see someone that your heart is searching for

this is a popular song that came out a few years ago but i recently fell in love with it when i heard it used in the trailer for a thai film 'My Boo' starring Bow Maylada, Gee Sutthirak and Thanaerng.

4. อยู่กับฉันฝันถึงใคร (Who are you missing?) - Nine Kornchid

When you are with me, who are you dreaming of? When we're close together, who are you missing? Just a faint shadow. There is no way to own your heart. Why do you still keep me around? Whose substitute do you consider me as? Can you just answer me clearly? The reflection in your eyes, am I the person whom you are looking for.

as expected of a person who's deeply in her MSI era, of course the OST is on repeat. the lyrics though like I AM CHEWING GLASSES.

5. บินเข้ากองไฟ (Flying Into the Flame) - Big Ass

Oh, heart, remember their face They're the same person who once hurt you Enough already, don’t let them hurt you anymore Enough is enough, my heart, why love them? The more you love, the stupider you get, the more torturing it is, you never remember (enough, heart) We’ve been more than sad enough already, why love them? Nothing can be as evil as a heart hurting itself The more it loves, the more it’s hurt (remember that)

this song i actually first heard from Kidnap! pilot trailer but i never looked up the lyrics until recently and god it is so MingJoe coded. this song is a nice monologue talking to the heart and asking why it keeps falling in love, even though it knows it’s only going to get burned. like the inability to get someone out of your heart and still loving someone even though they've hurt you so bad before ಥ_ಥ

6. เพียงพอ (Just Enough) - Potato

If I had you, I would never need to reach for anything else It wouldn’t stir up troubles, anxieties just stopped, and I’m more confident than before Since I had you, I know my needs have ended No need to aspire for anything more, just this is enough Every day, to just have you, regardless of anything, I’d be satisfied

watching The Believers on Netflix really sent me down a spiral of listening to Potato (a Thai rock band). I love this song so much because it's a refreshing addition to Potato's usual collection of 'unrequite love, breakup' songs.

7. Kẽo Cà Kẽo Kẹt (The Creeking) - Hoàng Thùy Linh

I inflect every syllable so that my name goes down with history No matter how much vilification and mockery I have to endure, I’ll stand up against them again I inflect every syllable so that my name goes down with history No matter how much agony they pour on me, I’ll survive, no matter how many times they do that From dire ramified a sprig of nectarine Verdant foliage shrouded the entrance Amidst solitude, I squawked shrilly

i've been on a spiral of listening to old music i love so i'm sharing this mini commentary i made on this song a while back.

so 'the creeking' is based on tấm cám aka the vietnamese ver of cinderella. specifically, the part after vietnamese cinderella (tấm) was murdered by her stepmother & sister, she reincarnated into a bird, but then got killed AGAIN and she reincarnated into a weaving loom (insane, you just gotta read it, after she became a weaving loom, she got BURNED and she reincarnated into a freaking tree). but the simple gist is, when tấm reincarnated into a loom, the loom kept making noises to threaten her step sister as if to remind her step sister of the evil deed she did to tấm. the creeking may at first glance be a simple retell of this part of the story in tấm cám but it also parallels directly with hoàng thùy linh's life story. from the mire (the excessive hate train from her "scandal" when she was a minor and victim of revenge pornography), both hoàng thùy linh and tấm rose up to put their name down in history. ending the song with the statement that they'll survive no matter how many times evil forces (the press/media) try to bring tấm/htl down. the creeking is just such an empowering and feminist anthem like i cannot stress enough. hoàng thùy linh is currently going through her 2nd hate train rn and i honestly wish her the best bc i fully believe she'll make it through this cycle of vilification again.

i truly love this song because even though hoang thuy linh is more popular for her tiktok hit see tinh (sped up) aka ting ting tang tang, her first full album Hoàng is literally a masterpiece full of songs based on Viet culture/folklores. THE viet pop album of the decade for me tbh.

8. I LOVE U - MANBO ft. NAMVEE

viet hiphop hasn't been on my rotation for a few months but i always trust manbo to deliver a good rap on a pop rock beat.

9. Building Outside The Building - TNT

while TNT is known for their youthful, hopeful, lovely music, it's these hard hitting songs that makes TNT music so attractive to me. cpop having better hard hitting songs than kpop these days is killing me. wishing i could steal all the cpop demos and send them to my fave kpop bgs.

10. Ponytail (KR version) - VANNER

my list of music recommendations can never be complete without a glitter gel pen song. THIS GLITTER GEL PEN BSIDE. petition to ask kpop boygroups to opt their glitter gel pen songs to be their title tracks more often.

no pressure tagging @weizhiyuan @poonmitpakdee @uppoompat @sherrymagic @supanuts

[hihi-heart]

Been a while (I think?) but, do you often or sometimes listen to j-rock/band music on Spotify if you feel bored?

Ex.: Alice Schach & the Magic Orchestra, pitcher56, any CHAINSAW MAN related rock OSTs, etc.,

/genq

To my knowledge, I haven't gotten into much j-rock. I do sometimes listen to modern Japanese music. Listened to BABYMETAL during its earlier years, though only out of curiosity.

The only j-rock song I can think of is Senbonzakura or "One Thousand Cherry Trees", a vocaloid song about Japan's westernization and militarization during the Meiji restoration and Taisho Era.

(From here, I infodump about the song's intricacies and go over other Japanese songs I enjoy. Couldn't help myself. Keep reading for my analyses and overviews!)

The song's actually pretty fascinating. It uses a lot of idioms and indirect meaning, typical for older-styled Japanese songs. The idioms include references to weaponry, religion, and period imagery.

The song's visuals use an over-the-top pop portrayal of the time periods. To simplify, the time had a mix of Japanese tradition and western sensibility.

Miku's outfit is based on a army uniform but includes furisode kimono sleeves, a miniskirt, and shoes that combine loafers with geta sandals. Really leaning into the song's historical and anachronistic themes.

All of these aspects have caused some localization problems. Some English translators have put in a pro-war message that isn't explicitly stated. I will say, war propaganda songs then were incredibly subtle at the time, more than Senbonzakura. Both because that was the style at the time and probably to have more effective propaganda.

I'd say, one should expect anything made in modern Japan to be anti-war. They generally don't want a repeat of WWII.

-

Other Vocaloid Songs I Listen To

"Ah, It's a Wonderful Cat Life" is just a cute song about two cats in love. The boy cat wants the girl to join his life as a stray. The girl, however, is a house cat and doesn't want to leave her pamper life or her owner. Both yet still want to be together. This one is just nostalgic, grew up loving this one.

"The Tailor of Enbizaka" is about a kimono tailor who kills a man's family out of a jealous delusion that he's her lover. Like Senbonzakura, the lyrics never states this explicitly but the tone and visuals make it obvious.

Fun fact: The red, green, and black pattern on the side is based on kabuki curtains.

"Feathers Across the Seasons" follows an old folktale called Tsuru no Ongaeshi or "Crane's Return of a Favor".

On a snowy mountain lives a happy couple. The man eventually becomes ill, leaving the woman to provide for both and earn money for medicine. The woman is hinted to actually be a shapeshifting crane that the man once saved. She then returned to him as a woman to marry him. As favor for saving her, the wife weaves and sell cloth made of her own feathers, sacrificing her own wellbeing for her husband's life. It's implied the husband dies, leaving the crane wife a grieving widow.

Some think the wife also dies, after using her last feather. I don't think that's the case though. But, like poetry, it's inappropriate to reference death directly, so without visuals, both deaths are ambiguous.

-

Other Japanese Songs

Easy Breezy by Chelmico. I just heard the song from the anime Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! It's a fun song about creating and having fun regardless of what other people will think of you. Very appropriate for Eizouken, funny considering I don't think it was made for the show.

Nippon Egao Hyakkei or "Hundreds of Japanese Smiles" by Momoiro Clover Z. This song is mainly based in Rakugo, a traditional form of comedy. A single storyteller tells a long tale to build up to a big punchline. These stories rely on wordplay and delivery, so it's a bit hard to get into without a innate understanding of Japanese. The music video also uses elements of kabuki and festivals.

It has a simple message of enjoyment, to just laugh regardless of what strife comes along your way.

Through these songs, I realized that there's a common sentiment to enjoy life regardless of social expectations.

-

Pacfiic Overtures

I wouldn't be me if I didn't mention Pacific Overtures. This musical is American-made. But it's based in Japan before the Arrival of the Black Ships and then before the Meiji Restoration. The original production is styled mainly after kabuki with a gradual westernization in visuals and instrumentation.

Pretty much every song here is great, my top three being The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea (the song above), There is No Other Way, and Someone in a Tree.

I recommend watching the original version then the 2003 Japanese prodution. That one removed the explicit kabuki elements, opting to use the more subtle parts of Japanese culture with a modern taste. (Using the 2004 Broadway revival since that was based on the Japanese one.)

-

As you can tell, I prefer songs based on traditional music and history, something a little more that I can sink my teeth into. Also musicals but that's a topic for another day. Sorry for rambling, had to take the opportunity.

[mcalhenwrites]

6 Name the frogs

13 Geckos Automata

Thank you for the ask! :D

6 for Name the Frogs: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

A few of the reasons are spoilers, so I’ll have to navigate around those to answer this question. Some of them deal with the types of relationships I write in the story! (Though I did add a reporter character friendship again.) While I do tend to stick with certain themes in all my stories, like characters navigating trauma, in this one the main character, Irving, is the son of someone openly detested. It makes him a pariah, even though Nestor mistreated him. People think he has been groomed to take over for his father. That has led to some interesting relationship developments in his adult life… And a lack of them, sadly, especially for a kid who acted out in class to impress his peers for laughs. He has been crying out for friends his entire life. 13 for Geckos, Automata: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading? Geckos, Automata doesn’t have much of a “playlist” - a lot of my stories don’t, since I tend to either get hooked on a new soundtrack or song in a moment OR I’m repeating the same Yasunori Mitsuda music as I always do. Can’t help it, Mitsuda is good.

Uh, anyway! Here are some songs I definitely recall listening to while writing:

“Abel’s Ark” from Xenosaga Episode III OST, by Yuki Kajiura I want to note that I listened to a lot of this soundtrack recently while editing, and it really fit the mood. But “Abel’s Ark” is the one I keep putting on repeat.

“Dead” from Koudelka OST, by Hiroki Kikuta A peaceful melody from a horror game works well for some of the more heartbreaking moments in Geckos, Automata.

“Waking the Monster” by Darren Hayes When listening to this song, you can definitely sense why it fits the story so well. I actually listened a lot of his music during the writing of this, from “The Future Holds a Lion’s Heart” to “Hero”, but “Waking the Monster” maybe fits a little too well? I’m worried I subconsciously took a lot of plot from the song, even though I actually converged a recent plot with an old one in order to develop the one in Geckos. The old one is from 2011, and yes this song was out back then, but it was about necromancy and stealing from tombs. The one in 2020 that developed alongside some new characters (Duncan, Rosalia, and Kieran) was simply a desire to write a story in a post-apocalyptic world where a group of people banded together and traveled along the train tracks.

“Coffee with a Bullet” from Shadow Hearts OST, by Yoshitaka Hirota I listened to a lot of both SH I & II OSTs, but this one stands out to me a little more than the others. If Hirota didn’t compose it, Mitsuda did. Yes. Mitsuda. I’m predictable.

There’s also a massive chance I was listening to KHUX music at this time, because it hadn’t finished yet, and I was obsessed. This includes a lot of songs from the earlier Kingdom Hearts soundtracks, especially any related to darkness. The game wrapped up in June of 2021, a few months after I wrote the original Geckos draft in one month, so it’s very possible that I was listening to KH music frequently at the time.

[jackfromthefairytale]

bad omens: concrete jungle [the ost] liveblog

whoop whoop I'm here we made it

C:\PROJECTS\CJOST\BEATDEATH: we got some noises? if I had more than half a braincell right now I might have tried to decipher it

v.a.n (w/ poppy): single. love the ambience in the verse, gives sci-fi/superhero specifically dark knight vibes. poppy's vocals, particularly the roboticness of them, fit very well, especially with the knowledge that this is a "character-focussed" song. idc what everyone else says this bangs

the drain (w/ health, swarm): single. industrial vibe, not the biggest fan of the guy's vocals but it does fit the mood. low-key wasn't expecting noah to start singing? tdopom vocal sample, nice touch. I quite like the intensity of the instrumental behind the whinyish vocals in the verse. outro is. ominous.

terms & conditions (w/ bob vylan): vibes. anti capitalist vibes. can you hear me through the white noise? yo the lyrical content in this? they really went there? I gotta check out this band

hedonist (recharged) (w/ wargasm): I haven't heard much wargasm but it checks out so far. drumming stands out on this one. god the breakdown starts stops gave me a heart attack. this is like if hedonist was a wargasm song basically

even: it's light? his vocals are quite nice here, ethereal. checked the credits and michael taylor is the only one other than noah credited and I can hear some chief influence in the vocal style. I'm not sure what the genre/style here is exactly but I vibe with it

loading screen: nick ruffilo song. nice soundscape with the synths and drums. really vibe with this. it sounds bright like a shopping centre at night but without the bad vibes. I want to live here

anything > human (w/ erra): most excited for this. that intro riff is!!! the glitchy effect on jesse's voice? is noah singing lower? is that jt? this second chorus is gooood. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE THAN HUMAN? BREAKDOWN!!! it's weird because it's quite obviously more a bad omens song than an erra song but it is very cure era erra at the same time? (dan braunstein I see you) but also it's like an undefined erra song? it's still Jesse Cash Guitar Work but ? bad omens ambience? bad omens production? bad omens structure, even? good old fashioned heavy song.

digital footprint: uhh this is 4 and half mins long? there's a breathing exhale sample on repeat. not vibing tbh.

nervous system (w/ iris.exe): production is great. oh the guitars kicking in! her voice is nice. this song is danceable. I'd listen to it more as a vibe/background noise than a focus song

C:\PROJECTS\CJOST\FINDPEACE: more noises

artificial suicide (unzipped) (w/ thousand below): it's fast. drumming is different?

the grey (unzipped) (w/ thousand below): it's pitched. the lower harmony is more pronounced. it's also faster. and the drumming is more pronounced. it's like a nightcore version? oh that instrumental bit! it scratches an itch actually.

the death of peace of mind (w/ we are fury): love this so far. beat drop at the chorus? loving this a lot. the choral effect on the second prechorus?

the death of peace of mind (w/ so wylie): single. a very different vibe to the other one, it's more direct to the original compared to the other one. it's also got less going on which is also quite effective. the bridge section is beautiful.

bad decisions (lofi) (w/ dahlia): definitely quieter. kinda sounds fundamentally the same but with a different lead vocalist. instrumental after the chorus changes. the whole machine trained voice is still not sold on me, the accent/voice has noticeable quirks from noah's voice on the original but it's still inconsistent and I find that uncanny. it is a vibe but again. not sold.

just pretend (credits) (w/ let's eat grandma, chief): oooh. not sure which of the girls is singing but she sounds good. has enough of a let's eat grandma flair in there. oh there's michael. their voices work well together. this sounds more let's eat grandma than chief tbh. sounds really good though. bridge filled with longing as it should be. I think noah may have rerecorded for the bridge the vocal pattern is a bit different. I love this

C:\PROJECTS\CJOST\CLEARMIND: more noises. there's definitely something to be deciphered

artificial suicide (live): cheering. it's got the intro monologue thing. mm that riff. better than studio. also it shows he's human with parts of the chorus.

like a villain (live): murder robot wife glados my beloved. jolly vocals! no band should ever sound this good live. this bridge sounds so good live, like you know something big is coming. (it's the breakdown). I love the falsetto on that last "hold on". outro riff?

the grey (live): my beloved.

what do you want from me? (live): zumba time (I'm literally in bed). mix is a lot clearer here than on the studio version thanks matt. does that chorus/main riff go lower in this live version then in the studio?

nowhere to go (live): that first verse stripped thing they do live is ethereal. folio is going off here (as always). I think the crowd need to be louder in this mix for the bridge

v.a.n (live) (w/ poppy): does not need to go this hard. noah's harmony in the verse with the vocal effect stands out straight away. that outro riff is so poignant here

the death of peace of mind (live): I haven't listened to this song in so long it goes so hard. intro sounds especially film soundtrack. is that saxophone (second chorus)? mm that breakdown.

just pretend (live): gonna sob I love this song I wrote a thoschei fic inspired by it. the crowd are living for this. those outro vocal bits! the crowd sounds are not going lol. emo acoustic alternate edition? help I might write that part two to that thoschei fic I had I mind 😭

this ended up a lot more developed than I thought it would

also go listen to cure by erra it bangs lol

k gnight

[ikaroony]

So, I’ve been seeing some Twyla (monster high) playlists on Spotify and

[ID: A playlist named “🌑twyla boogeyman🕸️” with songs including Lotta True Crime (Penelope Scott), creep (mxmtoon), rises the moon (Liana Flores), Bugbear (chloe moriondo), and more in the same vein]

These songs make me think of Twyla, but they are not songs she would listen to. I didn’t understand the playlist was aesthetic at first, I thought it was trying to make one of Twyla’s playlists. These songs ooze Twyla energy. They’re all soft purple like her.

But she wouldn’t listen to these. Well, I can’t speak for her, but I don’t think she would. And here’s why: Twyla’s autistic.

I’m autistic, and I have playlists like this yeah. Genre-specific playlists tend to look like this. But my most played music consists of weird obsession stuff. I have a playlist for sea shanties, modern and old covers. I have a playlist of “alien music” consisting of sounds that don’t really make a beat because it’s just alien core and I like it? My playlist “♾️on loop♾️” is the songs I’m obsessed with at the moment, because I have autism-ed with these.

[ID: A playlist titled “♾️on loop♾️” constructed as follows: Lovefool (Pomplamoose), Choice (Jack Stauber), Choice (Jack Stauber), Choice (Jack Stauber), Rule #4 (Fish in a Birdcage), Rule #4 (Fish in a Birdcage), Rule #4 (Fish in a Birdcage), Coffee (Jack Stauber), Two Time (Jack Stauber), The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Charlie Daniels Band)]

Songs not in image: two more instances of The Devil Went Down to Georgia and one more instance of Two Time.

This is what an autistic playlist looks like. Not necessarily repeating songs, but I find that it’s mostly just songs that make you happy. Not organized or anything. Just vibes.

Now, all autistic people are wildly different. Two people can be complete opposites and still be autistic (this video by Reberra Bonbon on TikTok shows that). So I must say that this is MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

I have found myself masking my playlist names or even songs thinking that someone will say “that’s not real classic rock!” or something like that. I’ve had playlists named “Classic Rock and extra stuff”, “animated movies”, etc instead of more specific genre names because I’m worried of others judging it. I’ve added songs I don’t really like to playlists so people don’t think I’m a poser. But in reality, I just want to throw my favorites together. Who cares if I call Fall Out Boy classic rock and it comes after Duran Duran in my playlist? Who cares if a dreamworks original slips into my Disney songs mix? I don’t, and since nobody else currently uses my playlists, I don’t see why people care.

I just like my songs. I like designing/finding aesthetic cover art and making cool playlist names. I like having U2 immediately followed by Blink-182 and then Jimmy Buffet. Why does it matter that Margaritaville isn’t classic rock? It owned its place on that list in my heart.

Nobody can take any of that away from me. Nobody can take away my playlist with different covers of the exact same song because they all have a different vibe. Nobody can take away my playlist from when I reorganized the Luca OST to be in the right order. Nobody can take away the playlists I made for my DND characters and the songs that define them. Nobody can take away what makes me who I authentically am. They’ve tried. I’ve pushed back harder.

Wow, I didn’t mean for this to become a mild vent. But if any of you are listening to this and feel like you’re in the same boat, I’m here for you. Feel free to reblog, send asks, or DM me. I’m still working through this but there’s a few things I’ve realized that just changed… everything for me. You’ll get through this, I promise.

[durotoswrites]

When you see this, post 5 songs you actually listen to and tag 10 of your favourite followers/mutuals!

Thank you for the tag, @acediee ! I'm almost always listening to music, so I have a lot of favorite songs, but here are some that keep coming back to me in no particular order:

I can never give my heart - Rose Betts - Rose Betts's unique and lovely voice is one of my current obsessions. Heartbreaking lyrics and intense instrumentals, it's a relatable song of yearning.

If I'm being honest - dodie - dodie's soft vocals have been a longtime source of comfort for me. It's a soft song of cautious optimism that says "maybe you didn't choose me on purpose, but maybe I am worthy of love, from both you and myself".

You're not special, babe - Orla Gartland - (warning for clowns/mimes in the video, but honestly, the video is so fantastic and adds so much to the song). I love Orla Gartland's work, and this song really resonates with me and is a great pick-up. The title might sound harsh, but it's a song of acknowledging that we all go through our own heartbreaks, triumphs, and sorrows, and it's easy for other people to uncomfortably look the other way. That's why it's so important to find people in your life that you can depend on. Orla's character going from being horrified by this notion to acknowledging and embracing it is done so well in this video. It's also a legitimate bop.

Still into you - Paramore - I'm still into this song! It's a fun love song that celebrates the everyday blushes and smiles you can still share with your partner after years together. It's perpetually stuck in my head and it just gives me a burst of serotonin when I hear it. 🥰

If you know that I'm lonely - FUR - Besides FUR making hilarious music videos, their retro sound is so addictive. This song always has me coming back. The melodramatic angsty lyrics combined with the comedic timing of the video always hit me in the right way.

This barely touches the tip of the iceberg of the songs I love listening to. Techno, Celtic, electroswing, jazz, blues, big band just to name a few off the top of my head, and there are so many genres that I'm still learning about.

Snail's House, who focuses on kawaii future bass, is always fun to listen to, and my favorite song by them would have to be Ramune, which is such a fun mashup of satisfying sounds, blips, and melodies to keep you listening on repeat.

It would be a crime for me to leave mxmtoon off of this list. Her soft vocals and trusty ukulele always calm me down and I love the themes in her music. She's probably best known for Prom Dress, but among many of her other works, I really love Myrtle Avenue, particularly the slower version - it really hits differently.

I also love listening to video game osts, including the Mother Series, Animal Crossing, Octopath Traveler, Mana Khemia, and whatever gives me feels and is relaxing.

Tagging: @friendofbats, @cluing4looks, @joyfulsanctuary, @beck-a-leck, @hikamaus, @krosaceae, @lm-tomatito, @emeraldhazeart, @icefire149, @julikoloveszestiria, @quartzfox, and anyone else that I forgot! <3

[maeljade]

5 songs I am into right now!

Tagged by the wonderful @zeloinator! Thank you thank you!

1: Cloudbreak from the Women of Xal OST

Its surprisingly difficult to pick just one song from my favorite game but I landed on this one. It's the song that plays during the final test of combat training, going from a frail low level punching bag where even all 6 apprentices together couldn't land a hit on the combat trainer to Xjena beating her solo. By the amazing @plottwiststudios

2: Fucked with an Anchor by Alestorm

It's pirate heavy metal. Its a Scottish band having the nicest conversation ever recorded between a Scot and a Brit. Playing it at a very loud volume and singing along is a great way of blowing off steam. It's musical perfection. I don't think it needs to be explicitly said with the name and age restriction but there is some cursing in the song, dont play it in public.

3: Hatupatu by Alien Weaponry

I am continuing the trend of weird metal genres and now present to you: Maori Heavy Metal. Both song and music video are an experience that I do not have adequate words to describe, its simply awesome.

4: Captain Clock by Jinjer

A wonderful mix of clean singing and growling, the song just hits all the buttons for me. I repeat sections of the lyrics in my head multiple times each week. Not quite as famous as "Pisces" as introduction to the band or "Who is Gonne be the One" but its one of my favorite Jinjer songs to have running in the background on loop.

5: Demons are a Girl's best Friends by Powerwolf ft. Alissa White-Gluz

My favorite Powerwolf song covered by Alissa? With an amazing music video? Hell yes please! I am consistently stunned by her vocal performance (... and all the pretty people in the music video) and its an overall great song.

Thank you again for the tag and welcome to my weird music taste of niche metal genres, I guess.

[maxillo]

artist, writer, music-maker, conlanger, occasional indie game developer. bachelor’s degree in information science. see bottom of this post for links to and descriptions of my original story projects. @maxdimo has original content only. 🌈🔥

tags: #llamart (my art), #max yaks (me being silley), #max tunes (my music), #md (me-core stuff), #cosmosis, #cryptidverse, #devius ex machina

things i tag for blacklists: #body horror, #eyestrain, #flashing images, #unreality, #animal death, #blood, #nsfw text / #suggestive (mild shitposts only), #gore (never irl!), #food. lmk if you need anything else tagged

interests: space, sci-fi, conlangs, dinosaurs, chaos ontology & metaphysics, prismatic gemstones, cinematography, indigenous rights/languages/histories, programming, extreme body modifications, writing tropes, speedrunning history, glitches, liminal spaces, worldbuilding, character design, and lizards.

media: spore & spinoffs, better call saul/breaking bad, vs. dave and bambi (fnf), invader zim, fossil fighters, undertale/deltarune, mob psycho 100, OFF, madness combat, flight rising, goatlings. i consume media critically.

fave bands/artists: Igorrr, C418, PilotRedSun/Bittertooth, Death Grips, Alias Conrad Coldwood, NDAD/Lauren Bousfield, Autechre, Toby Fox, The Black Dog, Plaid, Gridlock, Osamu Sato, Chipzel, Download, Amon Tobin, Skinny Puppy, Katagiri, Nine Inch Nails, Rinse & Repeat, Steinvord, Gojira, Justice, Machine Girl, Synthamesk, OSTS: Half Life 1 & 2, Portal 2, Dino Run, Spore Creatures DS

not putting up a public dni, i'll just block you if you're gross and meet any standard criteria for those.

Projects

Note: Wikis will eventually be moved to GitHub.

Do feel free to ask questions abt any of these, I may post about them infrequently here but I fucking love talking about them!!!!! Literally special interest Numero Uno for me it is my Lifeblood and Soul.

Cosmosis 🌌

ART | WIKI | OST [86 songs, 2:38:48]

Genre: Hard (ish) sci-fi

Content warnings: Profanity, mild violence, sensitive/mature topics, drug use.

Format: Disparate wiki documentation, illustrations, comics, animations (planned)

Year started: 2014

Total notes wordcount: 1,389,000

Easily both my largest and oldest story project, and one of my primary special interests. Is almost entirely focused on character dynamics between a gaggle of species and the shenanigans they experience adapting to life on the friendly world of Waboone. The main character, Len, is the only human in the group in a time and place where humans and Earth are completely unheard of, requiring him to learn the modern trade language of standard intergalactic from the ground up.

There's not much public shit to look at yet as far as the actual story goes, but I will be gradually building up a wiki to document its settings, species, languages, and so forth. Primarily inspired by Spore and Undertale.

Focuses:

Character-driven dynamics, arcs, and plot

Worldbuilding (aliens, tech, planets)

Slice-of-life

Linear narrative

Neurodiversity

Effects of/recovery from trauma

Non-romantic intimacy; primarily aromantic and asexual cast

Found family

Conlangs; standard intergalactic is the default language for in-universe content

Cryptidverse 🛣️

WIKI | OST [7 songs, 37:43]

Genre: Speculative fiction (sci-fi/fantasy/supernatural in a blender, very occasional horror elements)

Content warnings: Profanity, violence, gore, sensitive/mature topics. 

Format: Wiki documentation; short animations (planned); written narratives (planned)

Year started: 2019

Total notes wordcount: 277,000

Newer but more public worldbuilding project. A conglomeration of creature ideas I've thought of since childhood, loosely tied together in a shared setting as "cryptids", which are documented by humans and other species. Cryptids inherently defy human understanding of science and reality, making their documentation a struggle. They proliferate liminal spaces and can have wildly varying characteristics. The existential origins and traits of cryptids are a major focus, as well as the dilemmas with classifying them and their traits into any discrete categories.

Primarily inspired by Pokémon and a similarly inspired project by someone else that I haven't been able to track down in years.

Focuses:

Non-human(oid) main characters and POV (for narrative content)

Metaphysics, ontology, and philosophy

Creature design

Decentralized narratives (there is no one linear "story")

Neurodiversity

Liminal spaces

Alternate history

[nozomijoestar]

Cannot get this out my head so just remember what I said about these two becoming more like each other and turn that into an entire piece, if you think abt it they're the same character interpreted two ways as is (tws for one sentence of body horror)

The philosophy of the Trikaya came to mind so I tried to embody it in sections and at times blurring together; my paragraph length is deliberately formatted to show the differences in character, have fun trying to decipher what the paragraph lengths mean for each character mindset

I couldn't decide 100% on what Susumu Hirasawa song fits them best so for now (lyric index) I'm considering Moonlight/Shadow of the Moon, The Master's Mountain, A Strange Night of Omnificence, and Venus

Individually Reina's Hirasawa character song is Day Scanner, Kumiko's is Snow Blind

For non Hirasawa music there’s You by Kazami off the Samurai Champloo ost / Eternal by SCANDAL (lyrics)

Also Yūko is listening to Tupac's Life Goes On & Me Against The World

There was something different. Not a bad thing surely, but different all the same. Was it Kumiko standing straighter than usual? No perhaps it was the way her jaw set while weighing decisions. Maybe it had to do with ease of her touch, or the resolve that could flash like lightening through slow motion at random in her gaze. 

Whatever it was and why didn’t change its singularity against all else. It was a difference. The concept sent a chill rippling through her; she imagined a figure being peeled back then rearranged before being resewn. A terrible nausea took her then and her playing faltered. Her fingers may as well have become lead on the trumpet valves. She stopped and lowered her trumpet ever so carefully. Change. Would Kumiko one day forget her sound?

Why had Reina stared at her like that after practice? Was there something in her teeth today? No she couldn't be silly. Reina would never see through her over anything trivial. If you asked Kumiko, that intensity easily took its place as the scariest feeling anyone worth more than five minutes of effort had shown her. But she wasn't saying Reina, or anybody, came off as some pet project! It was just...she couldn't give everybody equal time. There were only so many pieces of herself to split for everyone. There were only so many Kumikos before she burst at the seams. At least, these days there were. She preferred that; she knew what the alternative made her.

If you asked her to rank them though, Reina had a slice so huge it was unfair. Kumiko was sure she knew it too. So why had her eyes grasped her heart? She felt a repeat of the feeling now as it struck her even in memory. She was naked before that stare- like her whole being had unfurled the moment Reina's presence approached. Like she saw herself outside her own body. Like Kumiko could die fulfilled.

Her fingers slid over the cool brass of her euphonium. The way the sensation prickled her skin made the air sharper, let it flow through her touching everything before she exhaled. It didn't come frantic but steady and coaxed.

She brought the mouthpiece to her lips and played. Her eyes closed amid the cicada calls in this familiar nook under the shadow of Kitauji's building. Her feet planted easy on this ground that'd received her sweat and blood without complaint season after season. She played.

She played a note for everything, for every breath gave rise to a memory. High notes lifted joyful moments like bubbles meeting the sky. Low notes spiraled their way up beside them in hesitation, but rising nevertheless. Soon the divide blurred and she no longer knew where the two separated.

Together they soared from her; the music a tapestry woven in on itself over and over. The feeing was older than her, older than anyone she knew living. Notes wandered, whole passages surged endless. The piece that wasn't a piece vibrated her blood. The sound rattled her bones. She played.

Her fingers burned exhaustion asking so much of the euphonium. She didn't dare stop. A little more and it'd take a true shape and-

From everywhere a calm that stood side by side with anticipation washed over her. There came the sound of footsteps. Reina turned the corner eyes widened by a hair and lips barely open. Her cheeks had gone flush coloring her like a human sized red crayon. Seeing her in shock drove Kumiko's mind frantic and buzzing until all she blurted out after scooting backward was-

"Do you have a fever?"

"........I could ask you the same thing. Here."

The water was cold and the bottle sweating condensation. Drinking it melted her adrenaline into lava. Her body aches as if scrubbed raw beneath the heat under her skin. The world spun just for an instant before Reina pressed a second water bottle against her neck.

Kumiko yelped, jumping out her chair and scrambling to keep her euphonium from crashing to the floor. Her shoe trips but in an instant Reina is behind her holding her upright. Water from the bottle Kumiko clutched splashed across their skirts and sleeves. When she registered the cold dripping down her knees the picture of what she'd done snapped into place. Before she could control it her voice stuttered out.

"T-T-thanks. Sorry for the mess."

"It's fine. Come and sit."

She let herself be guided by Reina's hand. When they sat side by side the world became right again. Kumiko still gasped and wheezed as she let Reina's fingers tidy her hair. Over time the motions had graduated from bumbling to meticulous; she couldn't clearly remember a time Reina hadn't been doing this anymore.

"What were you playing? I've never heard it."

The tone to her words made Kumiko's stomach sink a little. It wavered between curiosity and scolding; yet at the same time found itself half smothered by her quiet voice. Had she been at it that long? Her body certainly said more than either could.

"Nothing. Was just free-styling and stuff...practice."

"Practice doesn't almost give you heat stroke."

"Maybe not for you, but if I'm special too now then I have to catch up. If I don't there's no point."

Reina's laugh burst from her clear and free. Kumiko's eyes widened. She knew exactly what was coming. The way Reina's black hair draped down her shoulders, the way this angle teased at her nape, the crinkle of her eyes and wiggling eyebrows as her head was thrown back; everything was Reina, and it emptied her mind. She remained staring with her mouth slack like an idiot when she heard it. Now Reina's voice became love.

"You're awful." 'Don't you know we're already alike?'

Reina had finally deciphered Kumiko's new attitude three days ago. Perhaps. Almost. Maybe. Her hunch was solid. Now she needed proof. She wanted proof so bad her blood boiled. Voices leaked through the band room doors. Picking out Kumiko's laugh was child's play. It had a warm quality she couldn't describe even as it calmed her heart.

She entered and wrestled the surge of emotions she couldn't pick apart coursing through her. Her expression remained flat. Calm. Centered. Reina Kousaka did not roar at the world before an audience.

For whatever reason Kumiko had yet to notice her in their crowd of bandmates. She slowed her steps, kneeled near a wall pretending to search her bag. Kumiko sat with Midori and Hazuki today. Their conversation filled her ears, stoked her irrational fear. That fear which hung over her heavier than a headman's axe. That fear who's tendrils constricted her heart at its leisure.

'You wouldn't abandon me without a word would you?'

Childish, Reina Kousaka!

"That part is so tough. My mom's been putting dinner aside when I come home late."

"You always practice real hard Hazuki. It'll be worth it. That's what Nationals are all about! Don't you think so Kumiko?"

"Lately it sounds like my breath control's gotten stronger. When I play the sound is talking...or something like that. I wanna give it all I've got. So I'm glad we're going for it."

"Who're you now? Reina?"

They giggled even as they complimented her after. It didn't matter, her mind raced. What emotions had coursed now rose to a flood. She felt her heartbeat through her tongue. Pride? Kumiko felt...pride in playing...because of her? At the very least with her as a reason?

"Kousaka what're you doing?"

Yūko loomed over her causing Reina to smack into her pink headphone wire when she turned. She flinched and rubbed her nose. She looked up at her; her mind blanked.

"Checking my things."

"You must have a museum in there to be checking your bag for three minutes straight. You look super weird, what's going on?"

No quips or barbs loaded in response; nor could anything dampen the joy already swirling in her head. Besides, any qualms with Yūko were long outgrown. Why dwell on what was settled? Her body still tingled. Kumiko was proud because of her.

Yūko kept staring in anticipation as the song blaring through her headphones faded into another. Reina noticed that little twist of the mouth she did whenever she got impatient. Reina's lips moved to answer her but Yūko cut her off.

"Fine. You don't have to tell me. It better not divide the band though."

"...It's between me and Kumiko. No one else."

"Oh. In that case uh...if you want to talk to someone..."

Watching Yūko look away and scratch her chin awkwardly made her swallow a laugh. Instead she smiled and nodded. Maybe she should blame her mood but a calmness settled her back into reason. Like a bridge connecting, a hand outstretched, she grasped Yūko's kindness. It was good to be alone, not lonely.

"I will. Thanks."

Nights on Mount Daikichi were more natural for them than breathing. Cloaked in the silver and blue of moonlight they glowed at first glance. Countless lights below lit the city like a map of stars. Like gazing up at the sky on Tanabata to find Orihime and Hikoboshi. The cicadas buzzing filled in their silence that wasn't silence. They held their breath even as they breathed.

"When you think about improving, what does that really mean?"

Reina inched her pinky atop Kumiko's. Kumiko did the same. Her head went back as she watched the sky.

"Hmmm...probably a road. There's a place far away just enough for me to see. I don't know everything it has; I know because of that, chasing it makes me better. I used to think it had to stay straight once I started. Kinda stupid, 'cuz I take turns on it all the time. You?"

Reina paused a moment, face contemplative.

"There are stars. Most despite sitting in the sky are far from the moon. Most burn out. Some fall. Fewer get their chance beside the moon. Their light shines the longest. Their light inspires people."

"Pft hehe, there you go saying stuff like a book character again. That's just like you. Is there any room for the band up there?"

"...Maybe..."

"Is there any room for me?"

Without warning Reina leaned closer; her expression went stern. Her voice faltered though it tried being firm. It was the softest tone Kumiko had heard in her life.

"Don't ask stupid questions."

"Ok. I won't."

Their foreheads touched and the cool breeze turned warm on their skin.

"What do you think of the others then...past and present?"

Kumiko shut her eyes. Aoi. Haruka. Kaori. Natsuki. Shūichi. Nozomi. Mizore. Midori. Hazuki. Yūko...Asuka.

The faces of all who's paths intersected and footsteps left prints as guides, tethers connecting her to the universe, appeared in her mind. Each had drawn on a blank sheet of her soul. They were nowhere near her yet she felt them echo. They were her as she was them.

"Unrivaled under Heaven."

"Now who's talking like a novel character?"

"Cut it out." Kumiko replied through a chuckle.

Their eyes met. Reina smirked but only for a pause. She inched forward, asking a question. Kumiko shut her eyes again.

The kiss was unlike anything before and possibly after. An explosion of sensations though they didn't move a muscle. There was no time to remember it yet each second couldn't be forgotten. Feelings of melting, soaring, absolving, each melded and surpassed bliss. The result transcended any name they could give it. A release.

They pulled away. Both panted for air then examined each other as if for the first time. They no longer looked; they saw. They no longer knew, they understood.

Many questions were on the verge of pouring; instead Kumiko cupped Reina's cheeks and smiled. Her thumbs brushed off the forming tears. She didn't say a word when Reina fell into her arms. She simply rested a hand on her head and held her trembling body.

The moon's brightness peaked. If you asked her, it'd moved a little closer.

[azpartygirlz]

Monday, November 1st, 2021

UNIFORM

with Portrayal of Guilt, Body Void, and REALIZE at Valley Bar (info/tix)

What if the antihero in your favorite film or book had no chance to repent, reconcile, or redeem himself? There’s no victim to rescue. There’s no evil to thwart. There’s no tyranny to turnover. Instead of saving the day against his better judgment, he just walks a Sisyphean circle of existential malaise doomed to repeat yesterday’s vices without the promise of a better tomorrow. Rather than tell this story on the screen or on the page, Uniform tell it on their fourth full-length album, Shame. The trio – Michael Berdan (vocals), Ben Greenberg (guitar, production), and Mike Sharp (drums) – strain struggle through an industrialized mill of grating guitars, warped electronics, war-torn percussion, and demonically catchy vocalizations.

“Thematically, the album is like a classic hard-boiled paperback novel without a case,” says Berdan. “It focuses on the static state of an antihero as he mulls over his life in the interim between major events, just existing in the world. At the time we were making the record, I was reading books by Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, and Dashiell Hammet and strangely found myself identifying with the internal dialogues of characters like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.”

The lead-up to this moment proved just as intriguing as any of those characters’ exploits. Born in 2013, Uniform bulldozed a path to the forefront of underground music. Following Perfect World (2015) and Wake in Fright (2017), the group’s third offering, The Long Walk (2018), represented a critical high watermark. Pitchfork christened it “their most unified—and most deranged—record to date,” and The Line of Best Fit crowned them “vanguards within the genre.” In addition to touring with the likes of Deafheaven and Boris, they joined forces with The Body for a pair of collaborative albums – Mental Wounds Not Healing (2018) and Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back (2019) – as well as the live release, Live at the End of the World (2020). When it came time to pen Shame, Berdan made a conscious decision to include lyrics, marking a first.

“I wanted my words to carry a degree of weight on this record,” he says. “Books and cinema have always been integral to my life, and that is often because of how I relate to the themes and characters therein. I am naturally shy and terrified of being misunderstood. This time around, I endeavored to trudge through those fears in order to explicitly articulate what goes on in a dreary corner of my inner life. To put it plainly: I was in a dark place. It was the culmination of years of thinking everyone in the world was wrong, but me. I realized that I couldn’t control the attitudes and behaviors of other people, but it was my responsibility to look inward and fix what was there. I had to articulate what was going on in my heart, my head, and my soul. As I set about the task of writing everything down, I experienced exorcism. If I wanted any kind of reprieve, I had to let go of the narrative that the demons in the back of my head had been constantly whispering to me. For years I held onto my lyrics like personal diary entries. Now is the time for a different approach.”

This record marks the debut of Mike Sharp on drums, adding a natural fire to the engine. His presence grinds down their metallic industrial edge with a live percussive maelstrom. Once again, Greenberg assumed production duties behind the board at Strange Weather. Building on the approach from their last LP, the band perfected the powerful hybrid of digital and analog, electronic and acoustic, synthetic and actual that has become their hallmark. In another first, Mixing duties were not handled by Greenberg, but rather handed off to the inimitable Randall Dunn at his studio Circular Ruin. Of this decision Greenberg says, “On ‘The Long Walk’ we took a big step in adding live drums and guitar amplifiers. It was a stylistic departure but it had actually been the plan for years, we were just waiting for the right time to execute. The next logical step with ‘Shame’ was to hand off the Mix phase of production. An alternate set of ears in the Mastering phase is crucial to gaining a wider perspective and creating a powerful end result, I wanted to find a similar constructive collaboration but earlier in the process. Randall was the obvious choice, he has long been a teacher and mentor to me; Berdan, Sharp, and I have some all-time favorite records bearing his name. Randall and I have also worked in the control room together many times before - the Mandy OST, and co-Producing the recent Algiers LP ‘There Is No Year’ for example - so we already had an established workflow and shared aesthetics.”

The opener “Delco” fuses guttural distortion to haunting chants buttressed by muscular percussion. Short for “Delaware County,” the track reflects on Berdan’s upbringing in a suburb west of Philadelphia and “how beatings and bullying by these local hellraisers taught (him) how to keep his guard up and navigate a violent world.” Elsewhere, the jagged thrashing of “Dispatches” nods to “Alan Moore’s Batman: The Killing Joke and how thin the margin between personal stability and total collapse is.” Neck-snapping riffs kick “Life in Remission” into high gear as a spiteful scream spirals towards oblivion.

“The song is about people I’ve been close to who passed away and how I’ve become numb to death. A lot of these songs have to  do with an internal dialogue and overwhelming sense of fear, uselessness, and dread constantly whispering at me, ‘You’re not good enough. Give up and join those you’ve seen disappear and die.’”

The near eight-minute “I Am The Cancer” closes the record, as Berdan adopts the perspective of “The Judge” from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridien, going so far as to crib his proclamation, “God is war; war endures”. In many ways, the title track “Shame” cements the core of the album with unhinged instrumentation and a brutal bark.

“It’s about self-medication not working anymore,” he admits. “This person is so tortured by internal ghosts from the past. He winds up pouring alcohol on his grief and guilt until he’s drowning. It was partially inspired by a Twilight Zone episode called Night of the Meek about a drunk, helpless department store Santa Claus who wants to make a difference, but feels incapable of doing so. That story has a happy ending. We’ll see about this one.”

It may not be pretty, but Uniform’s story is most definitely real. “All I can say is, I’m glad this exists,” Berdan leaves off. “It felt like something we needed to create. Just completing it is enough for me.”

[milkybonya]

Can I request a Soulmate Au series with Pentagon? Please 👉👈 (if possible could you start with Hongseok?) *also my english sucks so I'm really sorry

hello lovely anon!! you are my first request hehe i’m so excited !!! also your english is AMAZING so don’t you worry

I hope you like it !! if this is too short, you can request a part 2 as well

-

Other members: Soulmate!Kino / Soulmate!Shinwon / Soulmate!Yeo One / Soulmate!Jinho / Soulmate!Hui / Soulmate!Yanan / Soulmate!Yuto / Soulmate!Wooseok

Soulmate!Hongseok Au

Part 2

Warnings: mentions of pain/injuries

Pairing: Soulmate!Hongseok x reader

Summary: From the age of six, you feel pain every time your soulmate does until you find out who it is.

Song recommendation to listen to while reading: Hongseok’s cover of an OST by Baekhyun, find it here

[a/n]: omg look i found a gif of Hongseok singing the Baekhyun cover ^

On your sixth birthday, the first time you felt your soulmate’s pain was on your knees. It felt like a scrape, as if you’d fallen on gravel. When you looked down, your knees showed no signs of being hurt though, and you were confused.

When you told one of your friends at your birthday party about it, they said, “you’re six now. It must be your soulmate! He must’ve fallen down…”

Although your knees burned a little, you were more worried about your soulmate. Was he doing okay? Why did he fall?

Over the years, you didn’t feel too much pain, and you were glad to know that your soulmate was taking good care of himself. Sometimes, you would feel a small scratch on your hand - the telltale feeling of a paper cut. You guessed your soulmate liked to read books.

One or twice, you felt something hot against your hands and guessed your soulmate had burned himself while cooking or eating. You would also feel a sharp pain in one of your toes or elbows sometimes, and you knew your soulmate had bumped into something. It was always small pains like that.

You took good care of yourself too, not wanting your soulmate to feel pain. Everything was fine until you reached your teenage years.

The muscle pains. The muscles pains. Oh, were they bad. Your arms, shoulders, legs, even your stomach burned for a good hour everyday. It was the burning feeling of exercise - your soulmate was working out. While you were proud of him for being so healthy, you wished he would give you a break, because you could feel the pain from all of his hard work too.

One day after many years of enduring his workout pain, you decided you were going to get him back. You had been so nice to him all of these years, always taking good care of your body so he would never have to feel any of your pain. This time, you were going to work out, and he was going to feel every bit of it.

You went to the gym that was closest to your home and walked to the front desk to sign up for a membership. There were a lot of people behind the desk, some waiting to help and others talking in the Employees Only room in the back. They all looked fit, and you assumed they were personal trainers.

After filling out the forms, you put them all neatly in a pile so you could hand them to the lady who had been helping you, but you were moving so quickly that the edge of one of the papers pressed again your palm and you got a small paper cut.

When you did, you heard a yelp from the Employees Only room in the back. Even the lady who had been helping you turned around to see what was going on.

“Just a paper cut I think, don’t worry!” A boy said in the back, waving his hand around. You thought it was funny how you both got a paper cut at the same time.

“Oh, it looks like you got a paper cut too. Do you need a band-aid?” The lady behind the desk kindly asked you.

“No, that’s okay,” you responded, since the cut was very small anyway.

“Okay, so I think because it is your first time coming to a gym, it would be good to start with a personal trainer. You can see what it’s like and choose to continue without one. Does that sound good?” The lady explained.

“Yep, that’s fine!” You responded.

The lady proceeded to ask you about your schedule so she could set up times when you could meet your personal trainer.

“This is perfect! One of our trainers who fits your schedule is here right now, I can bring him and he can show you around.”

She went into the back room and when she walked back, the same boy who had gotten a paper cut earlier walked out.

“Hongseok, can you show this person around? You’re going to be training them,” she said to Hongseok.

“Sure,” he replied, looking at you and giving you a big smile. “My name is Hongseok, I’ll be your trainer from today. Let’s go look around the gym!”

He walked around the desk and together, you went to the gym area. He carefully explained all of the equipment to you, and every time he turned to you to make sure you understood what he was saying, his eyes would stare right into yours. You weren’t sure why, but your heart would race and you would have to look away.

After the quick tour was over, he turned to you, hands on his hips. “So, how about we get started today with a quick workout?”

“That sounds good!” You felt so happy to finally be able to make your soulmate feel the same burning that you had to feel everyday.

Hongseok led you to where there were some mats on the ground. “Let’s start with some stretches to warm up,” he said.

He told you to stretch out your calves by touching your toes, demonstrating before asking you to do it. Strangely enough, right when he did it, you also felt pain in your calves. You thought to yourself that wherever your soulmate was, he was also starting his workout at the same time as you.

When you stretched just like Hongseok showed you, he placed his hand on your back and gently pushed you down, encouraging you to stretch as much as you could. You felt such a sharp burn in your legs and smiled, knowing that your soulmate must also be feeling it.

When you finished the first stretch, you stood straight up to notice an uncomfortable look on your trainer’s face. He starting rubbing his calves.

“Are you okay?” You asked him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. My calves really hurt… That’s okay, let’s keep going!” he laughed lightly and showed you the next stretch, but you could tell he was hiding something.

With every stretch, Hongseok would demonstrate first and you would feel pain every time. You thought you were either so afraid of exercising that you were imagining things, or your soulmate really was doing the exact same workout as you.

Hongseok would make sure he was always near you whenever you stretched, making sure you were balanced, always placing a hand on you to encourage you to stretch further. He always looked uncomfortable though, and you were starting to get worried.

He walked you to the treadmill and showed you how all of the buttons work. He set you up for a light jog and stood right beside the treadmill, making sure you were doing okay. You felt a little uncomfortable with him watching your every move, but it encouraged you to work even harder. Your entire body was aching, but you kept going.

You were a little disappointed, though. You expected more encouragement from him, but his face looked sour and he kept spacing out. It was making you a little angry, so you ran even harder.

At some point, your chest started to ache as you breathed heavily. Your legs felt heavy, you were so tired but you kept going.

Beside you, Hongseok was panting with a hand on his chest. He was doubled over and placed a hand on your treadmill, signalling you to stop. 

You came to a stop and stepped off, bending down to take a look at his face.

“Hey, are you okay? You haven’t seemed so well during this whole thing,” you said.

He looked up at you and his face was all scrunched up, full of pain. His eyes looked into yours, and you had to look away again. He took a sip of water and stood up straight.

“Haven’t you noticed what’s going on?” He asked you.

“What’s… going on?” you repeated, confused.

“Every time you’ve been doing the stretches, my muscles also hurt. Just now when you ran, I felt like I was going to die. I thought it was a coincidence, but it can’t be. You even have a paper cut on your hand,” he said, holding your hand to show you the paper cut. “I felt when you got that at the reception desk,” he explained.

Your eyes widened as you realized what was going on this entire time. None of this was a coincidence, your soulmate was right in front of you!

“So it’s you? You who works out every day and makes me feel so tired and full of pain?” you asked, pointing at him. 

He laughed and scratched his neck. “Yeah, it’s me, your soulmate. I’m sorry for making you hurt all this time… Wow now I really know what it felt like though, that sucked,” he said.

You sighed, staring up at the ceiling. You were annoyed, confused, shocked… but also amazed. This was your soulmate! This tanned man with rounded lips and beautiful eyes was your soulmate! And now that you had found him, you wouldn’t feel pain anymore.

“Let’s keep working out,” Hongseok said, winking, “and I’ll treat you to something healthy after we’re done.”

-

Part 2

[transranp0]

forgot to do this the first few days WHOOPS

day 1: I don't quite remember, but I remember I had just watched The Owl House and I was trying to get back into the world of cartoons. I saw everyone talking about Amphibia after season 1 ended of ToH. I saw people talking about how sad Hopping Mall was and other stuff. Randomly decided to watch it and now here we are.

day 2: not sure why, but I really connect to Marcy.

She's really spontaneous and gets really into the things she likes, which is literally exactly like me. My entire personality revolves around my hyperfixations LMAO. She can infodump on things and MAN i can do that. Theres various other reasons that I've thought of before, but I literally cant think of any of them rn-

day 3: MAN THIS IS HARD

if i had to say, probably wartwood. it has such a homey feel and its such a nice little town </3

but my love for big cities also keeps telling me to choose Newtopia. tbh i'd love to wander around Newtopia.

day 4: oh wow my favorite episode? I absolutely loved The Third Temple, Reunion, and Marcy at the Gates. tbh all the temple episodes could fit on here they were all GREAT. The third temple specifically was so good cause they were all together for the first time and it set the scene for the next two episodes (technically one cause we didnt get the other😀). Reunion was great, when i say i watched the sword fight everyday,,, i literally made both of my parents watch that scene. lean on me in the background really added to the PAIN. marcy at the gates because, cmon, its marcy. ALSO hopping mall was MM pain. battle of the bands and the dinner were cute too, heartstomper and no big deal have been #1 in my spotify on repeat (along with train to nowhere) for two weeks now-

day 5: as with literally everything else im extremely indecisive, so i can think of a few. the story and lore are really getting to me now. i was never too into looking into lore (i mean in steven universe times i did get real into some light theorizing but pffft) but now im like looking for every single detail. i also really ADORE the character design and soundtrack. amphibia ost WHEN. art book WHEN /hj. but yeah the story over all is just amazing

[transrightsjimin]

ariana's fans hate bts hdjfjfjfj also let's not forget that almost every fandom and journalist is looking for an excuse to discredit them. i don't mind the collab as a single i honestly don't care, to this is what boys want then sure, but if they were to feature ari on the album people would just claim that she is the sole reason it did numbers. I saw people saying that mots7 is selling so well thanks to sia when most of the fandom hates her version.. they just hate seeing bts achieve anything

ohh i didnt know that but im not surprised. i mainly see fans of both post / tweet abt wanting to see a collab between the two nd make wild theories to prove so thats what my post responded to. i get that itd be nice for them, esp since jungkook is such a big fan of hers, but im not the fondest of various artists they like or have collabed w due to their racism / misogyny (the chainsmokers in the case of both) / being a predator (halsey who had a thing for years for kissing minors on the mouth at meet & greets and a concert nd joking abt going to jail for it) or ppl who side w multiple predators (e.g. nicki minaj), not to mention the countless of cloutchasers who have tried to, and sometimes did get involved in production or collabs (counting the chainsmokers in that too, just like now w the jason derulo mess and also melanie fontana before, who claimed a song she barely added anything to as ‘her’ hit). and then theres ofc Lauv who queerbaits during his whole career lmfao

urgh ppl said that abt the Sia collab? yeah that does indeed not add up. i personally find that version of ON hilarious, and i do wish the version had turned out differently as she’s an amazing singer but that ver was rly underwhelming. but yeah to say it was successful bc of her while it was an extra song that isnt even on all kinds of releases of the album nd has found poor reception in the fandom, makes no sense. the fandom has been steadily growing over the years and become more and more well-organized in streaming, plus bts has already accomplished so much in the past w songs that didnt have major Western producers or singers attached to it.

it’s rly telling that before bts performed at big american music award shows or got picked up by the gp in the US, things like an mv w effort put into it, boy bands, and music award show viewers were considered less of the time and irrelevant, nd after, suddenly others (cough cough Simon Powell, SM ent) tried to make a group that would supposedly compete w bts in popularity, suddenly performances at music awards became more elaborate and attendance became more important, nd that some of the bigger artists bts had collabed w, hadnt reached a no.1 song under AFTER their collab.

like i hate to repeat the ‘the blueprint‘ meme but there truly has been a shift in how western music industries approach releasing and promoting music since it got to hear abt bts, and bangtan’s fandom has grown a lot over the years while the group made steady growth in their recognition. so to see ppl claim a collab is only successful bc of another artist involved, only shows wilful ignorance of the group’s history and their impact. also the ‘on ft sia is popular bc of the collab‘ argument makes no sense bc armys didnt receive the song well and the general public didnt get exposed to it much due to no promotion by fans, nor by radio which largely ignored mots7.

sorry for going on a tangent there, my thoughts are always going 100km/h, but as a final note, i do want to add that i dont think all collabs have been bad! the western cloutchasers / racists / predators / otherwise shitty ppl who have collabed w bangtan, have generally contributed not much to the song or even made demos that were a challenge for bts and other in-house producers to try to fix and try to make interesting and pleasant (e.g. melanie fontana w lyrics that had to be scrapped nd changed for 90%, also ed sheeran w make it right was discussed as a song that was only made interesting bc of bts’s changes to it and vocals).

i rly enjoyed Namjoons past collab w Wale on Change, MNEK who produced Paradise nd seems genuine in how he discusses the group, of course JUICEWRLD (r.i.p.) who did an amaaazing collab for a freaking OST for their mobile game??, ofc Steve Aoki who theyve worked w on various songs nd has mentioned nd defended the group well in interviews, MAX who collabed for a mixtape song nd included Yoongi in his own album nd had very fun interactiond for years. and then of course there are many others such as the Korean artists who get overlooked a lot in these discussions!! i especially love winter flower by Younha and Namjoon, and NiiHWa singing on yoongi’s mixtape song 28. i def think that those only seeking fame instead of creativity, audibly do not add much to their songs as cloutchasers and white westerners who are used to making hits by lifting a finger (or payola lol) dont put much effort into their work.

like, it just baffles me that ppl r hyping up a supposed collab w ariana grande based on vague theories, while there are also people like Rina Sawayama who we (and she, and bts!!) have been hoping to see work together w bts for years! like collabs are what i find the least interesting in future music, partially bc it’s all american interviewers want to ask bts abt, but if there is one, pls just let it be a genuine person, whos in it for the music and doesnt show repeated shitty behaviour.

OK rant is over, sorry it got so long!! i just never know when to stop writing gdhfjh

[dotzines]

Artist Spotlights!

🎤 _creativert_ 🥁 AbelDraws 🎷 Amaari

🎺 andiavang 🎸 Antonia

Interview below the cut!

Introduce yourself

🎤 HI! I'm a geeky, introverted artist who likes to explore many artistic mediums, but really only posts digital art. I kinda like to draw anything and everything, but recently I've been trying to focus more on my OC's! Besides art, I love reading, playing video games (despite the fact that I haven't played many recently) and I like writing stories too. In the future, I plan to create a webcomic story with my OC's. I hope you enjoy my work! Here's where you can find my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_creativert_/

🥁 Hi! I'm Abel. I'm a Design and Mech engineering student, but my passion is art. I love drawing and currently I'm working on my dream project, a comic named FIVE. This takes most of my free time, but besides that I'll be either rping, watching a movie with my friends, reading (usually webcomics) or listening to some tunes while charging my energy up. I preffer digital art over traditional, you can fix mistakes so very easily... I also get more freedom with a program than with the limited tools I own (and it looks way cleaner and nicer when I upload a digital pic than a traditional, but my photography skills are to blame there lmao)If you want to read my comic, it's up on tapas! https://tapas.io/series/FlVE But if you'd rather see some illustrations and doodles you should check my tumblr: https://abel-draws.tumblr.com/ 🎷 Hi! I'm an avid 3-d and 2-d idol fan as well as a bee fanatic!! Drawing/painting is mostly a hobby for me, but in the future, if time ever allows it, I'd like to sell every so often. My default medium is digital using program SAI but sometimes I'll pick up a pencil/watercolors for traditional pieces. If you'd like to take a look at some of my other works/doodles, my art twitter is here @ https://twitter.com/hiwamaari . 🎺 I’m predominantly a digital artist! But I also crochet, sew, and embroider! I’m Andiavang across all platforms! 🎸 Hi, my name is Antonia, I'm an artist who does traditional hand drawn art. I love to draw and listen to music, often in tandem with each other. You can find me on tumblr @chibiranmaruchan

Do you do commissions post? Where can we find the info?

🎤

🥁 https://abel-draws.tumblr.com/post/184015135166/commissions-are-open-i-renewed-my-commissions 🎺 https://andiavang.tumblr.com/post/186764888718/commissions-are-open-all-payment-through-paypal

Do you listen to music (or tv shows/films/anything else) when drawing?

🎤 Yes! I actually create a new playlist every month filled with songs that have recently come out, or new songs I found that I really like! Generally, I'll listen to music when sketching but once I get to the lineart and colors, I'll listen to podcasts. For podcasts, I really like story podcasts and true crime podcasts. A couple of my favorites are Crime Junkies, Myths and Legends, The Bright Sessions and The Edge of Sleep.

🥁 *Yes*. All the time. I don't usually watch shows while drawing because my atention is all focused on the piece at hand, so... I miss most of it x'D so I preffer listening to music by a mile. It also helps me get myself in a nice mood for drawing <3 🎷 I mostly listen to music, generally one song or album of whatever artist I'm vibing to at the time. Constant repeat lately has been Blackbear's Anonymous album and Mesemoas. 6th single, Crossing Threads. Solid 12/10 🎺 I mostly listen to music! Sometimes I listen to a Podcast instead 🎸 I do listen to music while I draw, if I'm on a tight deadline where I need to focus, I listen to the Pokémon mystery dungeon red and blue recuse team OST. If I have plenty of time to draw, then what I listen to depends on what I'm drawing. it may be where I am getting inspiration from or connected to the aesthetic of the drawing or directly connected to it.

What’s your favorite music artist/band? If you could ask your favorite band/music artist one question, what would it be?

🎤 Oohhh, this is pretty hard honestly. I don't really think I can choose a favorite, but no matter who I'd choose, I'd probably ask them who or what encouraged them to keep going along the path they chose.

🥁 Currently it's panic! At the disco, I'm listening to all their songs on loop constantly lmao. They have such great songs, they inspire me a *lot*. I even created a character based on one of their songs, he's the one I'll be drawing for this zine!:DI'd ask them about the meaning behing lots of their songs <3 The interviews at hand do not satisfy my curiosity enough lmao.I also love Halsey (her first album is my fave), Set it off, Maldita Nerea (a Spanish group) and plenty of musicals (Hamilton, Be more chill...) 🎷 I've so many favorite music artists its so hard to choose, but if I had to pick one, the male J-idol group ARASHI. And if I had to ask them a question, I'd ask them if they're happy and enjoying life well. 🎺 My fave band is Placebo! If hav to ask them what their inspiration would be for their early songs 🎸 My favourite artist is Hikaru Utada and I would ask her if she likes her pre-existing songs, some being based on her life, being used for kingdom hearts or if she would prefer to make songs specifically for the game, about the game itself?

Do you play an instrument? If not would you like to play one? Which one?

🎤  I have a guitar, but I'm still learning how to play that, and definitely want to dedicate more time to that in the future. I'm also kind of interested in learning the piano or violin!

🥁 Nope, but I *wish*, I have such admiration for people who do, seriously. Live music is the best. I'd love to learn how to play the piano, the guitar or maybe the ukelele... But I doubt I will, at least for now, my hands are pretty full with college and comic making. 🎷 I wish I could play the piano and any string instrument. Maybe violin or the harp. 🎺 I used to play the drums 🎸 I can play basic piano. I used to play a recorder when I was much younger.

Which song(s) are you going to draw?

🎤 Magic Island by TXT and Audio by Sia, Diplo and Labrinth

🥁 King of the clouds, by panic! At the disco. 🎷 To the Me of Those Days - KOKIA 🎺 Special K by Placebo 🎸 Sanctuary by Hikaru Utada & Slow dancing in the dark by Joji

What do you expect from this zine?

🎤 To see everyone create a work they're proud of based off of a song they like!

🥁 I just really liked the theme, I have all kinds of imagery and videos in my head about several songs I'm obsessed with. It's a nice excuse to draw a pretty, fleshed out illustration and to learn some new songs in the way from the others' pieces<3    🎷 To be introduced to many different genre's of music and to hopefully find a song/genre I didn't expect to like! 🎺 Mostly just to interact with different people and artists! Make same new friends! 🎸 I expect to see a wide range of music presented, of different genres and both lyrical and instrumental. I hope the music resonates with the individual, something they're proud to share with the other participants and the eventual readers. I would like to have a journey through the zine, experiencing different emotions from everyone's art pieces.

Anything else you want to add?

🎤 Everyone has been super nice so far, and I really look forward to seeing everyone's pieces!

🥁 Best of lucks to everyone participating! I can't wait to see everyone's pieces together :D 🎷 Thank you for taking interest in this zine!  All the artists have put in so much love into each of their pieces. It's been a pleasure to see so many different styles, their works-in-progress and I'm equally excited to see everyone's final product. I hope everyone is able to enjoy all the wonderful artworks being created and produced for all the songs being represented here when the zine releases.  ^^

[kim-lexie]

march favorites.

once again i am insanely late to the party. but still need to keep this up-to-date for memories sake. plus this was a month full of absolutely great dramas and music.

music.

tomorrowXtogether. debut. seriously long awaited/drawn out debut has arrived from the bighit ent. all of the songs are bops. it has a fresh new kid on the block vibes. i love the bright concept, and i shall continue to listen in anticipation of what is to come for this next generation of kpop. p.s. was going to write my top tracks but that would be the album as a whole, it’s been on repeat. (side note i ended up purchasing the album bc i stan these precious beans and i love them. 10 out of 10 would recommend)

‘rooftop’ by N.Flying. this song, just this song! it’s great give it a listen and support this talented band.

‘wakey wakey’ by NCT127. let me just flip a freaking table. this one came for me and my well being. it shall have its own post. bc all my feelings cannot be contained.

also, anything and everything NCT. i have the incredible honor to purchase tickets to see the one and only NCT 127 live when they come to america for their tour. i am incredibly blessed and shall be listening, living and breathing NCT (and their fan chants) until the fated day when our destinies collide. 

“bon bon chocolat” by everglow. this was unexpected. i’m not big on girl groups other than blackpink or mamamoo. but freaking dang. this was great! the track, the lyrics, the choreography! it’s just great all around. go give it a listen and stan these beautiful talented humans.

“gogobebe” by mamamoo. these incredible vocalists have done it again. this is another bop that took over my playlist. 

“photograph” by 1415. touch your heart OST. i hardly ever have OSTs on my rewind but my goodness this group is incredible and this song just hits me like a truck everytime. it is great! here is a link to another one of their songs that just hits you in the feels.

persona. Dang RM went off. it’s old school and all the references are perfect! the lyrics. he’s truly laying it all out there, saying the person you think he is, is only the part he’s choosing to show to help us through life. being that shoulder to cry upon from the lyrics in their songs. dang. it hit hard. i am glad they are finding themselves in their journey as well and if they choose to share than by all means, but if not as long as they are happy with their own growth as humans than that’s all that truly matters. 

dramas & movies. *spoiler alert*

how to publish love. also known as romance is a bonus book. this is such a cute drama with ‘pretty noona buys me food vibes’. i didn’t know how i was going to like this drama but it has grown on me. dan-i is making her way and finding her voice; though at times i feel like she is dulled out by the people in the company trying to shut her down. i wish they would be able to speak up. i enjoyed how all the unknowns unfolded in the last two episodes. really loved and appreciated how all the loose ends were tied especially with ji-yool and seung jin! this was seriously the best drama for lee jong-suk, and i cannot believe that this will be his last drama until he returns from military service. (i’m still in the denial stage.) side note i felt the relationship with her daughter was majorly slacking, and we haven’t been able to see this side of her. overall, a 10 out of freaking 10 would recommend to anyone and their mother, pets. and house plants.

radiant. also known as the light in your eyes. never been this lost with that unexpected turn at episode 10. like my goodness thought i signed up for a fantasy drama but it was really all her reality. this was a remarkable drama that came for my heart and soul. every aspect had me looking toward a new goal or way to fix this mess but in the end it was all her own reality, formed in a way to help her handle this helpless situation. it will make you cry and you will need a box of kleenex. overall a great drama i would 9 out of 10 recommend.

touch your heart. THIS WAS INSANELY GREAT AND LONG AWAITED. EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS OTP FINALLY GET TOGETHER. i loved the carefree relationship that formed between these two. they were absolutely precious, and i loved how dynamic this show was, from the romance, comedy, crime, cop aspects it had everything! i would totally watch this again in a heartbeat. just go do yourself a favor and watch it! seriously 11 out of 10.

this freaking scene. i am weeping just thinking about it. 

finding mr. destiny. my goodness this was a great watch all the way through. i enjoyed the way that the storyline unfolded. i’d like to think the scenes with him in them, were from the future of their own visit to india. they’re precious and i love how both of them grew and developed dynamically through the story. 

one more time. my goodness and unexpected tear jerker brought to you by Netflix. i don’t know what i expected but i am so glad i watched this one. it held goblin vibes and i appreciated that. thought this was a short series that i finished in a day it will truly be lasting. i appreciate how tan developed and grew through this. i had no idea dan in would have been going through such hardships at he beginning. i appreciate how her story unfolded and how we got a hold episode depicting her life events which really turned the page for both our main characters. all the people he impacted by changing a few steps in one day was incredible to see how he went from materialistic gains to ensuring the safety of his love. ahhh the ending really got me. the fact that he sacrificed himself to go with her was deeply saddening but i understand where he was in this moment. and how they came to finding each other there again at a similar spot to how she met him in high school. him busking. and i totally appreciated how it was the first snow fall. it was a really great watch. i give it a 9.5 out of 10.