#inspired by Hitman playlist

[myth-blossom]

I mentioned this before on my blog, but recently I've been imagining the song Two Birds On A Wire by Regina Spektor with 47 and Lucas/06 and I feel like crying, you know what to do

HI Issy! Thank you for sharing this request, that’s such a great song and I can definitely see the connection to Grey and 47. Hope you enjoy the fic! :)

“You can’t be serious.”

“This is the only way.”

“They’re trying to kill us, Grey—“

“Olivia…”

“—and you want me to draw them a map to your front door?!”

Grey looked over the remains of the Institute. He was in Romania alone, but the clarity of Olivia’s voice in his earpiece made it seem as if she was right there with him. He moved forward towards the entrance.

“I need to speak with 47.“

“Grey, you have to understand...I went underground, I waited to hear from you—I wasn’t sure if you were even still alive. Then the first call I get is that you want to meet the man who is hellbent on killing you?”

“We can’t destroy Providence without him.”

Olivia sighed in frustration. “You said you knew him, when you were kids?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. What happened?”

Grey walked through the ruined halls, feeling as if he was still being watched by Father’s cameras. But Father was no more, the guards and other subjects mere memories now. Only their ghosts remained.

“We formed a new plan, a better one, to finally escape this place. Father prepared for it, though. He expected a rebellion and had enough firepower to pin us down. Survival seemed impossible.”

“What did you do?”

“47 saw an opportunity for one of us to escape.” Grey stepped on a fallen window pane, cracking the glass under his boot. “He chose to stay behind. He wanted me to live a new life, the one what we  had fought so hard for.”

He ran his hand along the dusty railing of the staircase. “I kept track of him over the years, but we haven’t spoken since that day.“

Olivia’s voice softened. “Do you feel like you owe him?”

Grey stayed silent.

“I’m not sure you do.” Olivia pressed further. “Have you considered that he didn’t…want to leave? Maybe he was afraid.”

Grey exhaled sharply as he approached the large hole in the wall, looking out over the wilderness beyond the ruins. He kicked a crumbled piece of brick at his feet and watched it fall to the earth below.

“47 was—is perfect, at what he does. It’s all he’s ever known, and it’s all he’s ever wanted. He’s never been the master of his own destiny.” Grey turned to the faded bloodied handprint on the wall. “I want us to tear down Providence once and for all, as he and I swore to do years ago. Only with their destruction can he finally have a say in his future.”

Olivia was doubtful. “You think a simple conversation with him will put him on your side?”

“We’ll have a bargaining chip. They took his memories, after I escaped. There’s a chance Ether can help us get them back.”

“I don’t know about this…”

“Olivia, I see no other way for us to end Providence without him.”

Olivia rubbed her hand over her face and sighed in resolution. “Fine, I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you.” His words were short but nonetheless grateful. “Let me know when it’s done.”

He ended the call as he surveyed the dusty room full of rusted bunk beds. Olivia would use their crypto funds to anonymously purchase the ruins of the Institute for Human Betterment, and Grey would find out more about the location of Ether’s antidote to the memory loss serum. He planned to obtain a dose before the ICA fed 47 the intel that would set up their meeting in Romania.

It would be strange, Grey knew, to be greeted by 47 behind the barrel of his silencer. 47 would be mistrusting of him, understandably, but Grey was counting on the facility to jog his memory as much as possible and allow him enough time to speak before a shot could be fired. Grey hoped his friend wasn’t completely lost in the past, yet another ghost trapped within its walls for eternity.

Perhaps Olivia was right and 47 never wanted things to change. Perhaps Grey was lying to himself and 47 would be happy to carry on with his life as it had always been.

Grey stared at the scar on his palm before clenching his fist in resolve. It was his turn to allow 47 the chance to escape, no matter the cost. 

There would be no other option.

[headfarintheclouds]

VALORANT: Iso As A Boyfriend HC

Quick Disclaimer ! These are my HC about how I think Iso would be as a partner ! I might be writing a fanfic inspired by one of those in the future :) Also please forgive any gramma mistakes, English is not my first language !

He is not big on PDA, matter of fact he rather not show his affection to you in public at all. Not because he doesn't love you or anything, but because his past as a hitman was a dangerous one. He has made many enemies during that period and would rather die than endanger you like that.

And while he doesn't show his affection to you outside, he makes it up to you behind the closed doors. As soon as you step into his bedroom, he would swoop you up and drop you on his bed. He loves to cuddle you, enveloping your smaller form with his arms. For him it was as if he was protecting you from all the bad in the world, plus he loved to press soft kisses on your forehead and the crown of your head. Good luck trying to escape him through, that man is 6'3ft and pure muscle.

You steal his hoody all the time and he doesn't bat an eye. He likes the way it looks on you. In his eyes there is nothing more adorable than you in his clothes.

He makes you a special Playlist for when he's away on a mission.

Buys you gifts ! There is no rhyme or reason to it really, he just wants to spoil you. You tried to tell him he doesn't need to spend that much money on you, to which he replied: "I have enough of it to spend it on someone I love." and that shut you up really quickly.

He gives you private 1 on 1 lessons in Marksmanship. He wants you to be prepared for anything and everything so he takes his time teaching you. Super proud whenever you land a successful headshot !

Speaking of shooting. He refuses to let you go alone on missions, even if there is five people on your team he will convince one of them, or Brimstone, to give him a place in it. And then during the actual part he will follow you like a shadow, ready to take out anyone who dares step too close to you. Good luck to the unlucky fuck that dares shoot at you, his Arena is set and ready and so is he.

He takes you out to hotpot every once in a while. Mostly to secluded areas where he knows it's safe and he can trust the workers there. He's a massive foodie and loves exploring new dishes with you, it makes Iso feel closer to you on another level.

His grandma adores you ! He introduced you to her during your guys vacation time when he took you to his hometown. Iso was pleasantly surprised about his grandma accepting you so quickly.

He's not the jealous type, or at least he liked to think that. That was until Neon invited all of the younger agents out to a club in the city nearby the HQ. You were dancing on the dancefloor with Jett and Neon, having the time of your life when suddenly you felt two hands garbing you by the waist. Turning around you saw a stranger, grinning down at you with visible hunger in his eyes. Before you, or the girls could react Iso was on the scene. He didn't say anything but put his own hand on your shoulder, gently prying you from the strangers grip. You couldn't see it, because your back was turned to him, but his eyes started to glow a vivid purple. A silent threat to the man in front of him to back off. You can bet your ass, he was standing next to you for the duration of the whole party right after the incident.

I hope it was alright for my very first post :) I am taking requests for Iso if you guys have anything in mind ^^

[itboythings]

is there something wrong with HYBE/BIGHIT? do they dislike jimin?

since people don't want to admit it...

"seven" by jungkook is a tactic by hitman bang and scooter braun to surpass "like crazy" by jimin.

jimin goes number one on the billboard hot 100 in the first week of april. jungkook is then flown out weeks later to LA during Coachella where he is courted by scooter's artists and their entourage for days. he is then given a single by bangPD and is put in a studio with a western producer under scooter's watch. mind you, weeks before like crazy was released, jk said he had ZERO plans to release an album and needed to find the inspiration (the album is still not done as of today). taehyung was supposed to release his album sometime during this summer but this impromptu project has left me curious as to why that has not happened.

why is it that you feel the need to recreate and emulate the success of like crazy with jungkook instead of just taking the time to make sure that like crazy gets the push that it deserves? is that too much to ask?

the song received minimal playlisting. also, it was NEVER sent to radio. radio djs had to search the song because they never had a file for it. the song was ignored for weeks until dedicated jimin supporters (not even armys) pushed for the song by calling or texting in requests. even then, the radio support was not there.

now, jungkook's song will be serviced to radio immediately upon release.

the same armys that said "like crazy" WAS NOT sent to radio because hybe does not do payola are now saying the song WAS sent to radio but wasn't being played because of xenophobia....lol.

radio means much more on the billboard charts these days and bts fans literally mass buy songs to get them to chart because even streams are NOT enough to get a good position on the hot100.

as far as billboard rules are concerned, everyone knows about jimin dropping from number one in the second week. however, this was preventable.

hybe/bighit could have prevented this from happening.

jungkook had an extended preorder period (longer than j-hope's single) in which the fans could buy itunes versions of the songs and a physical CD. it is later revealed that a billboard hot100 rule change would take place during his preorder period that no longer counts digital sales from a D2C store. jungkook never had D2C digitals to begin with which means that hybe/bighit KNEW about the billboard changes before they were made.

if this is true, then that means they also KNEW about the rules being changed after jimin went number one on the hot100. this simple rule change left jimin with a "free fall" record that is absolutely due to the company's negligence.

the same negligence has allowed jimin to become the punching bag of the fandom. he has been criticized and blamed for having "more" during his solo release than the other members before him which is not fair.

jimin's album was announced a week after suga announced a world tour. in jimin's promo schedule, there was an entire week missing. "on the street" by j-hope was announced a few days later.

jimin had to take a week off of promo from his album in order to compensate j-hope who would be leaving to the military in the following month. if they were to wait and announce his album AFTER on the street was released and had a full tracking week, then there would not be enough time to promote or have ample preorder time for his album. he was not given extra time because they love him so much.

he had 9 days.

they consolidated his promotional period into 9 days which is ridiculous to think about. he was struggling with shoulder and neck pain which is his chronic injury that he has to treat. he was caught on camera talking about how he felt as if there wasn't enough time or that the promotions were too short. to have his album released and a week later, see another album be announced was so shocking.

in just 9 days there were articles slandering jimin's name, his album sales were basically deleted (the company never demanded transparency), his youtube views were being deleted, his song's streams were split, etc etc etc. all of which could have been stopped by his company.

in 9 days, jimin was on the receiving end of vile insults and remarks that he was in a s*xual, transactional relationship with higher ups in his company and that is why he was able to get any achievements. the display names of multiple twitter users were changed to mock him, lewd s*x jokes were made about him, and now, to this day people trend hashtags alluding to a relationship between him and bang pd in which he was gr00med and SA'd. not to mention he is receiving p*do allegations because of a pair of pants he wore.

all of this because of 4 weeks of preorders and a number 1 on billboard. 9 days changed everything. it has changed the way "armys" see him, and the amount of horrible things people say about him has intensified.

but nobody will do this to jungkook.

even though they didn't do this to suga (who has now been promoting his album for like 4 months), they definitely won't do this to jungkook AT ALL. a huge american rollout is expected and nobody will give a damn. the same people that discouraged the "tools" jimin had to succeed, now encourage jungkook to have them and the company is doing nothing to discourage them anyway.

armys baby jungkook and have moved the goal post so far that now they can recognize that it is the company behind his promotion but when other members barely got any of that, it was just the member's "own choices"?

ok.

-----

i could probably add more but i wanted to rant here. i know i'm all over the place but if you made it to the end of this post and read through my typos, thanks.

sincerely,

a jimin biased army who is strongly considering leaving this fandom alone

[eachlittlebird]

He’s a Killer

a playlist for an unreleased film inspired by a single still

(because I have a problem)

Old Guy is a film about a hitman who’s paired up with a younger partner and must win back a love interest who... honestly, I have no idea what this movie is about. This playlist is entirely inspired by that still and that look. Please don’t judge me. Or you can. That’s okay too.

Listen on Spotify

Rag Doll - Aerosmiith Miss You - The Rolling Stones You Got Lucky - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar Dirty Work - Steely Dan Crazy on You - Heart Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top Everybody’s Talkin’ - Harry Nilsson This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us - Sparks Train Kept a Rollin’ - Aerosmith In the Evening - Led Zeppelin Whipping Post - Allman Brothers Band Heart of Glass - Blondie D’yer Mak’er - Led Zeppelin Funk #49 - James Gang

[katsushika-division]

Katsushika Division ⛓️

Main Blog: @lilyspade

Katsushika Division’s Death Row Block is a rap group consisting of Hitman and Division Leader Akihisa Mashiro, along with fellow members Serial Killer Touya Kisaragi, and Terrorist Bomber Rintaro Himura with Hidden 4th Member, Akari Himura.

The group's color is a deep red. The color was chosen to symbolize the blood that stains their hands. 

The group's symbol is a handcuff. It represents the group's imprisonment and was chosen to remind the members that they have no freedom.

The group has some form of a handcuff on them. Akihisa has one connecting the harness around his chest, Touya wears a modified one as a pair of bracelets on each wrist, and Rintaro has it as a buckle on his belt. 

Their hand sign from Rhyme Anima is the middle finger. 

Though these men seemingly have nothing in common, they are drawn together by one thing: they’re all inmates on death row and have been given an offer by the Prime Minister. Enter the D.R.B. and they get a chance to get off death row.

Masterlist:

Akihisa Mashiro 🪦

Character Profile

Family Profile

Moodboard

Timeline

Character Playlist

Birthday Event 2023

Touya Kisaragi 💔

Character Profile

Family Profile

Moodboard

Timeline

Character Playlist

Birthday Event 2023, 2024

Rintaro Himura 💣

Character Profile

Family Profile

Moodboard

Timeline

Character Playlist

Birthday Event 2023, 2024

Akari Himura 🎆

Character Profile

Family Profile

Timeline

Cinder A.P.B.

Character Playlist

Extras ⛓️

Character Inspirations

Before & After

Team Dynamics

Voice Claims

Profile Cards

Pride Month Headcanons

NSFW Headcanons 2023, 2024

Picrews

Isekai Outfits

Extra Wardrobe I & II

House Aesthetics

Day In the Life

Death Row Block x Sanrio Collaboration

Death Row Block 1st Anniversary

Valentine Event 2023, 2024

Halloween Event 2023

Christmas Event 2023

Albums (Songs & Drama Tracks) ⛓️

First Album

1st Drama Track: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Uncompleted) — Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Killer Love (MC Darling Birthday Mixtape)

Hell’s Symphony (Ignis Birthday Mixtape)

Katsushika Style ~Don't Make Us Laugh~

Division Rap Battle

Survival of the Illest

Alternative Rap Battle

Rhyme Anima Opening (Fatal Four Ver.)

Ain't No Love (Hell Spawns Duet)

Scorpion Battle Anthem (The Crossroads Diss)

Next Stage

Miscellaneous ⛓️

KaiShuuYa Polyship (Kaiji Sano x Shuu Edogawa x Touya Kisaragi)

Mr. Hypmic Beauty Pageant 2023

Mr and Mrs. Hypmic 2024 Couples Pageant

[5errano]

ADVERTISEMENT;

Hello! I am 26, and prefer partners to be at least 18+. I am Literate (1-2 Para) and a bit of a slower writer. I'm looking for Fandomless Crime / Neo Noir OC roleplay. My character (40s, M) is an enforcer /hitman /bodyguard, contracted by yours for a long haul. CW; Violence, Substance Abuse. I'd prefer if your character were a man at or above the age of 30. Chemistry is a major preference, and if we click, I would love to plot with you, make pinterest boards and playlists, character art, etc. :) If interested, shoot @5errano a message on Tumblr and we can go from there! I prefer writing over Discord.

Inspirations; The Killer (2023), Polar (2019), Legend (2015), The Gentlemen (2019), Léon: The Professional (1994), Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) + Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), W.I.P.

[peridotglimmer]

1, 14, 19 for the end of year asks :D

Jan 2nd still counts as answering on time right?

1. Favourite fic you wrote this year.

Probably Suite Night! Two soft idiots (the idiots in question being Hermitcraft's Cleo & False) in love, just barely willing to admit that out loud. And there was only one bed! A brilliant prompt by @abschaumno1 that was a joy to write.

14. A fic you didn't expect to write.

I already picked Transition #1 when answering @myth-blossom , so I'll choose a different fic now.

rapture / evil inside of me / is on the rise is my pick this time! Cuppa J.O.E. (Jealousy and Obsession Exchange) was my first fic exchange in years, and my first Ao3 fic exchange. I accidentally offered Scarian as a ship, I hadn't meant to select it, but when I got matched on it, I decided to take it on anyway. I actually had to watch the right season to be able to write it, I only ever watched Cleo's point of view, never Grian's or Scar's. I don't think I'll ever be a Scarian shipper, but it was really fun to write toxic, jealous, obsessive Scarian with Grian as the very unreliable narrator. I had fun! (Even if my recipient never interacted with the work. 🤷🏼‍♀️)

19. Any new fics to start next year.

@cicaklah 's amazing Yuletide gift to me, pas de deux might finally make me write that Hitman ballet AU I've been talking about, instead of just daydreaming about it (and compiling a youtube inspiration playlist for it).

Other than that, Deaf!Diana is a WIP I hope to finish sometime this year, and Hermitcraft season 10 will be starting in the near future, so I'm sure that'll bring about loads of inspiration.

Also let's be honest here, I'm sure my brain will find more blorbos to latch on to. It always does. ❤️

[naturalprime]

☆ Prime/Emily • she/they they/them • 30 • Queer • Pisces • INFP-T Hi I'm a guy who does art! My style inspirations bounce between whimsy, pop and the absurd. I love to explore gender, diversity, self-acceptance and mental health in my art. Most of my work is character illustration and I will always encourage you to infodump about your OCs to me so I can draw them ehhehe

I stream lots of games on twitch - mostly PS1 classics, life sim, management and indie stuff! I also love to hear music recommendations from people and listen along on stream. I try to make one big community playlist a month of songs we think slap. I've also been living out my childhood fantasy of making Sims videos on youtube!!! I used to be addicted to reading/sharing stories on the Sims 2 in my youth and that did a number to my lil sponge ass brain. Now I make legacy? completionist? humour? videos. They are also gay. I'm not really into any fandoms particularly but in the past I've enjoyed (you can tell I was on tumblr a lot in the past...): Gundam Wing/Seed/Destiny, Inuyasha, Shaman King, Hitman! Reborn, MMBN, MML, Pokemon, Digimon, SSX, Bust a Groove, Homestuck, Supernatural, FF, WWE, AEW, EmpiresSMP, Sims And these are my go to streamers/ccs: luxiegames, jerma, Mega64, Kurtis Conner, melynnrose, domiwoof, nanaimobars

[myth-blossom]

for songs & silencers: aly & aj's slow dancing perhaps?

(youtube link: here)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLE!!! I hope you’re having a wonderful day! 🥳🥳🥳

Here is a lil something based on your awesome Aly & Aj song request 🥰 I hope you enjoy!

Providence loved parties and the luxuries that accompanied them. It took little to convince the Heralds to host an exclusive gala for their organization, the likes of which would rival the Met’s in both exclusivity and splendor. They would celebrate their power in one of the finest art museums in the world while welcoming new members into the fold, an annual tradition made possible at the behest of the Constant. It was normally held in a far more secluded location, but the Heralds were pleased with the change from remote castles and the chaos that was cliff parking, and Diana set them free to make the new arrangements.

The event was indeed lavish and extravagant with many of the world’s most powerful businesspeople and power brokers in attendance. They mingled and conspired as Diana expected them to, indulging in the finest spirits and spilling their secrets for her to use against them later. She plastered a smile on her face for the Heralds as she masqueraded through the pageantry, engaging the practice she had perfected after many long and difficult months behind enemy lines. Her personal security team began to shrink as she spoke with various ambassadors and CEOs, but she mentioned that observation to no one.

She allowed herself a break from the gala to explore the museum proper, setting her sights beyond the party toward a new exhibition on mythology and space. Her heels clicked lightly along the tiled floor as her bodyguards followed not far behind. One by one their thudded steps disappeared as she reached her destination, leaving her with only the pleasant music of the band echoing from the main hall. 

The exhibition was spread across a fairly large room and two adjoining halls, each room offering a variety of paintings, pottery, sculptures, and tablets based on various mythological representations related to space. The central room was lit softly with a changing glass installation overhead, its design alternating displays of constellations, nebulae, and supernovas from the heavens. Diana enjoyed a moment watching the majesty above when a voice appeared behind her, her heart leaping in recognition.

“You shouldn’t wander off.”

“I wasn’t alone,” she reminded 47. “You didn’t kill them?”

“No,” he confirmed. “But they were sloppy.”

“That’s a shame. They’re the best Providence has to offer.” Diana smiled warmly as she turned to face him. “Though against you, they never stood a chance.”

He flashed a smirk before easing into a soft look, a look he reserved only for her. “You planned for this,” he murmured.

“I did.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to see you,” she admitted softly. “To remember what I’m fighting for.”

47 nodded in understanding. “It’s been a long time.”

“It has.” A brief silence stretched between them. “I didn’t know if you would come.”

Diana’s voice was steady, but she felt the betrayal of tears threaten to spill over. He closed the distance and gently cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away the vulnerable evidence as she nestled into his familiar touch.

“I wanted to see you, too.”

He placed a soft kiss on her lips, a kiss that deepened and lingered from months of distance and longing. They rested their foreheads together and savored the tenderness of their reunion.

“How long do we have?” he asked, knowing her absence would soon be noticed.

“A few more minutes, perhaps.”

“Good,” he replied, taking her hand in his.

They embraced under the stars, letting the sweet echo of the band serenade their slow dance. The song would be over soon and he would make his escape and she would return to her mission. But for a moment they were together, and for a moment, they found heaven in each other's arms.

[louiesmixtape]

shawn christopher’s 1990 breakout success of “another sleepless night” emerged during a pivotal to dance music, particularly house music. at the time the genre was undergoing a significant transformation, transitioning from underground clubs to mainstream music charts.

“another sleepless night” and shawn’s equally slamming’ follow-up “don’t lose the magic,”both produced by mike “the hitman” wilson, exemplified the inroads house music was making at top 40 radio and major record labels. released on arista records, both singles struck a chord with house music purists and a broader pop-loving audience.

released at the top of 1992, “don’t lose the magic” not only a showcased the genre’s growing versatility but christopher’s powerful and beautifully emotive voice. backed by remixes by todd terry and david morales, the song became christopher’s second #1 on billboard’s dance chart. it was also reach #71 on billboard’s main chart, the ever coveted hit 100. a respectable showing for a song from a genre that was still edging its way to radio playlists nationally.

shawn christopher released her debut album on arista records in late 1992. she was released stand alone singles throughout the 90s including another dance chart topper, her 1998 cover of michael mcdonald’s “sweet freedom.” shawn now records and releases inspirational songs.

shawn christopher’s one-two punch of “another sleepless night” and “don’t lose the magic” were a statement about the potential and direction of house music in the early 90s and pointed it the dominance it would later achieve at pop radio. both singles were great pop songs and remained deeply rooted in the foundations of the rhythmic innovations of house music.

[therappundit]

"For you, I recommend...” - The Rap Pundit’s Picks From the First Half of 2023

****PART 1 of 2****

*If you are interested in tracking my favorite songs released in 2023, I will be updating this 2023 Tidal Playlist all year long*...and yikes it’s already ridiculously long.

https://tidal.com/playlist/2a4cccc0-19db-4ef2-8ad9-d29e866ef672

Been a while, how’s everybody doin’?  Me, I’m just doing the same ol’ husband/father/jaded American worker thing, exhausted but well aware of how fortunate I am.  As with any art, the irony is that inspiration is too often tied to depression, frustration, and a need for change.  I regarded the past few years of rap music as some of the strongest in recent memory, which is not a coincidence, considering how increasingly unhinged our world appears to be.

From the standpoint of major releases, strong underground releases, and a growing range of different sounds and aesthetics, I would argue that 2022 could go up against any of the greatest years in the history of rap music.  The nostalgia factor will always hold court over recency bias whenever folks who claim to be in the know get into such conversations, but I think 2022 had something for everyone - and those somethings were at the highest level that each respective lane has to offer.  Now here at the midpoint of 2023, we have a year that is extremely shallow when it comes to noteworthy releases trickling down from household names that loom large over mainstream rap music, but instead there are a seemingly unlimited amount of under the radar gems washing up on our streaming shores on a weekly basis.  In 2023, if you want to hear the best rap album of the week, there’s a good chance that it won’t receive a shout-out from On Thin Ice’s New Music Friday post (but a HUGE s/o to CROWNTHEM and RapSurvivalGuide for digging deep every week, and not just catering to your own personal biases or whoever kisses your ass for a slice of that sweet, sweet Twitter Share pie...but I digress).  ;-)

For the past decade my musical tastes have shifted, grown, and sharpened, and while getting older has certainly played a factor, my own interests in rap music have expanded due in no small part to the names I mentioned above, as well as many others.  Thank you all for doing what you do every week, it takes discipline, a good ear, but above all else, a real passion for the music and artists that share their gifts with the world.  Staring down at the back half of the year (July already!?), I hope to continue to share the same love for the art form, and put at least a few folks on to dope songs or albums that they otherwise may have missed.

So for my “Best of 2023 so far”, I tried to do the following:  pick *some of* my favorite songs of the year, NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER WHATSOEVER, choosing one song from each artist (not including features or producers, both could have multiple showcases within the list below), and trying to touch on all of the different styles of rap music that I love.

Hope you enjoy, let me know your thoughts, and see you when I drop Part 2 (which I’m aiming to do within the next two weeks).....

🙏

“Fair Oaks Drive” - Ace P feat. Righteous Emcee, Juice Lord & Knucky

https://dontaskwhy.bandcamp.com/track/the-proof-prod-roper-williams

“Veracruz” - Che Noir feat. 7xvethegenius

https://bigghostlimited.bandcamp.com/track/veracruz-ft-7xvethegenius

“OPEN LETTER” - dp0mmy feat. K9shmere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7vaRgkzbBw

“Swing!” - KING VISION ULTRA feat. Nakama

https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/track/swing-with-nakama

“Red Jacket 6″ - MIKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1AZB7ZxNf8

“Auntie Crystal” - Jae Skeese

https://jaeskeeseofficial.bandcamp.com/track/auntie-crystal-explicit

“STARS” - Papo2oo4 feat. YL, Starker & DVNTBEATS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4lBqeubo4M

“Hitman Synopsis” - Freddolo & Charlie Mayo feat. Blu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLBR-TE8BjI

“Gerald’s Flattop” - SickInTheHead

https://soundcloud.com/sith92/geralds-flattop?in=sith92/sets/smokin-boots

“Pressure” - Wulf Morpheus feat. Silky Southern & BACKSEAT [S]MILES

https://soundcloud.com/wulfmorpheus/pressure-feat-silky-southern-backseat-smiles?in=wulfmorpheus/sets/epp

“Imported Goods” - Kadeem feat. Caliph, Avenue, & Latrell James

https://itskadeem.bandcamp.com/track/imported-goods-feat-caliph-avenue-latrell-james-prod-by-god-damn-chan

“Woke Up” - Jay NiCE feat. Big Cheeko, T​.​F & Jansport J

https://nicesupreme888.bandcamp.com/track/woke-up-feat-big-cheeko-t-f-prod-by-jansport-j

“SOUTHSIDE STORY” - Hoodlum

https://tidal.com/track/286322005

“Already” - EastsideEggroll

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GL8Qk1h9Ws&list=OLAK5uy_n7zKo_AAp5vLgvFZH5BowfcuRs7VZSVvc&index=4

“Top Of The Morning” - Talibando feat. Samuel Shabazz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Nrh4kOcBw

“Pistachio” - MVW, Valee & Zelooperz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7YpBd09TGc

“Really Him” - Mike Shabb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptUo-N6cWgE

“Look Closer” - The Legendary Traxster feat. Buk Of Psychodrama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyhTwWglaIk&list=OLAK5uy_k61kabHMaTugmcIsGP0BAWmja7XF6sD5M&index=16

“Family Tithes” - Gnarly Marley feat. Martyy Jugg, Esoderic & The Abnorm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXGi9QDPP94&list=OLAK5uy_lOKtMuI2x9AnUeGKsx7FxtbxVWK5lgOXk&index=6

“STOOP” - Akhen feat. Roscoe P Coldchain & Lord Maskoff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivVEnzMBOuA

“Boat Interlude” - Veeze feat. Lil Yachty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69jRaPHx0vk

“Club Spook” - Popstar Benny feat. $pook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRgCcHoioug

“Stand On It” -  DaBoii feat. Philthy Rich, 4 rAx & Mac J

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBmejHaDpVo

“Top G” - King Hendrick$

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzSHrpp3n68

“Okra” - Young Nudy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4YxcS_SNRA

“Bipperz Anthem” - KP SKYWALKA & Lil Dude

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iftj9Sud6nk

“'86 TESTAROSSA“ - Curren$y & Harry Fraud feat. Rome Streetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBUpBbucBMY

“Starting Lineup” - Murs & Wiardon feat. Larry June & ICECOLDBISHOP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ienLlyytWK8

“Chit Chat” - French Montana & DJ Drama feat. A$AP Rocky & Smooky MarGielaa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaR_ZRLcLqI

“Basket” - DaeMoney feat. Babyface Ray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvNkAPFwS2o

“Woedy” - Rob49 feat. Birdman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zihkny_M42Q

“PILL FORM” - 2 Eleven & T.F feat. Rome Streetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkX7cS7jZeM

“Hollow Way” - El Michels Affair & Black Thought

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYqcfCtRARM

“I USUALLY SAY HOW I FEEL” - Tree

https://mctreeg.bandcamp.com/track/i-usually-say-how-i-feel

“Boom (Mouskatool)” - Mello Buckzz feat. Amari Blaze, Moni Da G & Kashh Mirr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AMwuCjoNeA

“Fuck Mr T” - RRB Lil Mel & RRB Cheese feat. feat. RRB Duck & SME TaxFree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1kI8DBl5No

“Ron Artest” - Babyface Ray & 42 Dugg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqP7EwfbroE

“Slipping Into Darkness” - Hit-Boy & The Alchemist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqeK6BIS_pQ

“Three Kings” - Wiki feat. Big Ouee & Papo2oo4 

https://wiksetnyc.bandcamp.com/track/three-kings-ft-big-ouee-papo2oo4-prod-juju-merk

“Ghetto To Meadow” - Oddisee feat. Freeway

https://oddisee.bandcamp.com/track/ghetto-to-meadow-feat-freeway

“Eastside” - Jay Rock feat. Kal Banx

https://tidal.com/track/300682190

“Gurd” - Drego fest. Beno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2EuvC5NjaM

“F**K Yo’ Set” - DJ Rude One & RXK Nephew

https://djrudeone.bandcamp.com/track/f-k-yo-set

“Brucifix” - Conway The Machine feat. Westside Gunn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slqKjNdjseU

“Foie Gras” - Your Old Droog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Udq9HXLmnKs

“Robbers Cave” - Sleep Sinatra feat BloodMoney Perez, Sekwence & KlwnKat

https://sleepsinatra1.bandcamp.com/track/robbers-cave-feat-bloodmoney-perez-x-sekwence-prod-by-klwnkat

“The Proof” - YL

https://dontaskwhy.bandcamp.com/track/the-proof-prod-roper-williams

“k.o!” - Raz Fresco feat. Daniel Son

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuxx33m_AdI

“PBS Kids” - AJ Suede & Televangel feat. Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire

https://fakefour.bandcamp.com/track/pbs-kids-feat-mr-muthafuckin-exquire

“Class” - Spectacular Diagnostics feat. Curly Castro, Illogic & Defcee

https://spectacular-diagnostics.bandcamp.com/track/class-ft-curly-castro-illogic-defcee

“hue_man nature” - Saba & No ID

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o01_JnGtj8A

“Smug” - Nappy Nina feat. maassai

https://nappynina.bandcamp.com/track/smug-feat-maassai

“She Could” - phiik & Lungs/LoneSword

https://phiik.bandcamp.com/track/she-could

“It Don’t Stop” - J. Rawls feat. Wordsworth & MC Bravado

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QOK22JQlVg

“Blunt Guts and Laundry Rooms“ - Tokyo Cigar

https://tokyocigarmusic.bandcamp.com/track/blunt-guts-and-laundry-rooms

“S.H.O.W. ENT” - Sideshow

https://ghettosoundz.bandcamp.com/track/s-h-o-w-ent

“Zoo” - Mr Brady & Budamunk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuVFDHSdZFg

“BlitzBerg” - Niontay

https://sexafterchurch.bandcamp.com/track/blitzberg-2

“Venison” - Chuck Strangers feat. Navy Blue

https://chuckstrangers.bandcamp.com/track/venison-feat-navy-blue

“The Plug” - Jay Worthy & Roc Marciano feat. Kokane & Ab-Soul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF-pNfKHiKM

“Chicago Piffers” - Jamal Gasol & Vic Spencer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CHXucmHMuE

“Sunflowers and Gunpowder” - Stik Figa

https://stikfiga785.bandcamp.com/track/sunflowers-and-gunpowder

“Cocaine On My Sweatshirt” - Stove God Cook$ feat. Earl Sweatshirt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABBh1fS_M4Y

“Michael Myers” - AyooLii & Run Along Forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFqaDKNVkB4

“Oh Dear” - Jadasea & Laron feat. Wiki

https://jadase15.bandcamp.com/track/oh-dear-ft-wiki

“HALLELUJAH” - Pote Baby

https://soundcloud.com/potebaby/hallelujah-1

“bread & butter” - Gunna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpaKdWGnUF4

“Jellyfish” - Roadrunner Glockboyz Tez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWdIgSoyRrQ

“Hts” - Myaap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8GxPW2_piY

(s/o to @JunkiesRPeople for putting me on to this one, Milwaukee has some crazy fun records)

“Gettin Fishy” - Luh Tyler feat. Scy Jimm & Wizz Havinn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3cdOha_8i4

“Let’s Do It” - DD Osama feat. NLE Choppa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aV_GtP3hH8

“Adventure Time” - A$AP Twelvyy feat. Roc Marciano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCZAAJKtgjk

“Baby Steps” - billy woods & Kenny Segal feat. ELUCID & Benjamin Booker

https://billywoods.bandcamp.com/track/baby-steps-featuring-elucid-benjamin-booker

“LALO” - Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher feat. 38 Spesh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DxN5IqE7Q0

“Nat Turner” - Talib Kweli x Madlib feat. Seun Kuti & Cassper Nyovest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caim8oPc4r8

(Yeah.  I get it.  You don’t like Talib Kweli.  But if you get a chance to check out Liberation 2, do so, because it’s dope.)

“Kill Switch” - Navy Blue feat. J Rocc

https://soundcloud.com/navybluethewaterbearer/kill-switch

“The Hillbillies” - Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhivl6fln3s

“Duckin Smoke” - Mac Ty & GloRilla

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhiBY3ViqOM

“Kia Boyz” - Trdee feat. Certified Trapper & Mariboy Mula Mar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw-mgOxrJK4

“Michelin Star” - WateRR & Lupara feat. MIGHTYHEALTHY

https://waterr.bandcamp.com/track/michelin-star-feat-mightyhealthy

“4DEVILHEADZ” - Estee Nack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJzMNDzzwWY

“Transactions” - Gabe ‘Nandez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTd7JNH8VfE

“On The Floor (Remix)” - Latto feat. Cardi B

https://tidal.com/track/297661618

“RIP Hutch” - Babytron feat. Rico Nasty & Remble

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSb6guRt10E

“Top Dog / Under Dog” - YUNGMORPHEUS

https://yungmorpheus.bandcamp.com/track/top-dog-under-dog-prod-fitz-ambro-e

“Terpalation” - Zombie Juice feat. Curren$y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC2dF2canl0

“Tell Em That” - Dre Wave$ feat. Marco Plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vyuTs_UsZg

“BFFR” - Kenzo B

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpdfKEqTqZE

“Corsairs” - Knowledge The Pirate feat. Roc Marciano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GlmtXE8PjA

“Each Smack” - Certified Trapper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgn5FiUlXdQ

“Get A Ticket” - Chase Fetti feat. Benny The Butcher 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ZqCby_ie4

“East Side Summer” - SKECH185 & Jeff Markey feat. I​.​B. Fokuz, Collasoul Structure & Solar Five

 feat. https://skech185.bandcamp.com/track/east-side-summer-feat-i-b-fokuz-collasoul-structure-and-solar-five

“Raps Don’t Move Me” - greenSLIME & Boathouse

https://closedsessions.bandcamp.com/track/raps-dont-move-me

“Lift Me Up” - Marco Plus feat. Chris Patrick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf7_XCjuDqk

“Biddy Mason” - 7xvethegenius

https://soundcloud.com/lovethegenius/biddy-mason-1

[adelmortescryche]

Fic Writers Week - Day Two

Now that I’m feeling a bit better, here I am, trying to contribute to day two. Even if I’m behind schedule. Here’s my contribution, @ficwritersweek​!

Day Two: The Muses

Fan art? Edits? Playlists? Draw some inspiration from the fics you love and share some new content with the fandom!

On the topic of muses, hm. Amusingly enough, I tend to draw the inspiration to write fic from the strangest of places. I accumulate character songs and mood themes to play in the background while writing, but I'm just as likely to get irritated with ambient noise when I'm focusing on a specific scene.

That said, music is definitely the biggest muse. Aside from that, I've found that art can work as a great inspiration as well, whether created by someone else or just me sitting and scribbling away in my sketchbook on days my brain isn't ready to string words together coherently. In addition to these are conversations with like-minded people, or even just friends who have fun throwing more fuel on the fire. I've somehow been lucky enough to have befriended at least a few people who enjoy having crazy discussions with me. These conversations always end in new fics. Or, at least, leave me with ideas to put on the back burner. ( @lemondropz @insanescriptist @aerialflight​ @voxofthevoid​ @onceabluemoonwrites​, I’m looking at you guys. And a lot of the other wonderful people I’ve met since joining tumblr. Amazing people, the whole lot of you. You know who you are.)

Here are a few playlists I've put together for older fics, and some fics that are still being written. Some of these tracks I've already mentioned on AO3, but they're definitely not mentioned on tumblr, so here's some music if you didn't read the notes! I figure sharing music is always a good thing, but hopefully this is good enough for the day two promptfill. I'm actually feeling terrible that I can't pass on the good cheer and share stuff about other people's fics instead of this. Well, here's to the days when I can put together fic recs instead...

Does Your Amber Heart Bleed Purple Gold (Cloud!Tsuna Part 1) (KHR)

Halsey – Control (Tsuna)

Christina Aguilera – Hurt (Yoshi and Tsuna)

Shinedown – The Crow and the Butterfly (Tsuna and Yoshi)

Middle Class Rut – Busy Bein’ Born (Yoshi)

Into the Mist | This is Not the End (YOI)

Eivør Pálsdóttir - Í Tokuni

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Sadness (can’t seem to find anything not behind a paywall for this, sadly)

James Newton Howard - The Gravel Road

The Bravery - This is Not the End

Crouching Tigers (YOI) - A playlist to give me some atmosphere while writing Yuri P.

Major Lazer - Too Original

Krewella - Human

Sia - Move Your Body

Metallica - St. Anger

New Fics:

A 10027 (Byakuran/Tsuna) fic in the works (yes, @insanescriptist, this is that thing I've been writing since forever):

Brand New - Handcuffs

Theodore Roethke's The Waking

Part 4 of the Cloud!Tsuna series: This one's a Takeshi piece, so all of these set the pace for him. And Hibari and Tsuna, because reasons. (KHR)

Imogen Heap – Glittering Clouds

The Offspring – Staring at the Sun

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Dark Necessities (this one would be the main character track for Takeshi)

Faustus | Fausta: this is an in-the-works AU R27 (Reborn/Tsuna) fic I've been writing for a while now. Also, I feel like I should specify that it features a genderbent Tsuna. Who’s pretty dark, because of in-universe reasons. They bring out either the best or the worst in each other, depending on how you look at it, really. *wry grin*

Halsey - Young God

Simon Curtis - Super Psycho Love

She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart

Emily Browning - Sweet Dreams

Jamey Johnson, Twiggy Ramirez and Shooter Jennings - You Are My Sunshine

Filter - Happy Together

Brand New - Degausser

Daniela Andrade - Bang Bang

Oh Be Clever - River

A Silver Mt. Zion - Stumble Then Rise on Some Awkward Morning

Ok, that’s about it. Here’s hoping you folks enjoy the playlists! Hit me up if any of you are curious about the fics that are still in-the-works. Or if you just want to scream with me about music.

[burningcrab]

the blaseball zine jam is over! i ended up doing quite a lot (and yet still not as much as i hoped to do! same as it ever was.) collected here is every zine i contributed to, and a few bonus little recommendations :)

suns out, guns out (page 55) - a magi ruiz/alaynabella hollywood story for the season 24 zine THE END! it’s about the game where magi used the equal sun to nullify the equal sun. also i wrote it in exactly 26 minutes and 54 seconds, the length of that game, because i wanted enrichment and had a very tight deadline

they turn the light on and it’s burning up the sky (page 48) - another magi/layna piece, because i’m incorrigible. this time it’s my playlist for them, annotated for the playlist zine radio immateria. it has a lot of lyrics that connect to their story and their messed-up relationship, along with some little author’s notes about those connections. i’m really happy with how it turned out.

highway to hell(mouth) (page 6) - a story about alaynabella hollywood and howell franklin’s road trip to the hellmouth when he gets traded for brisket friendo! it’s a silly piece for the travel zine The Open Road - which i also organized and very hastily assembled last night. it’s a sweet zine with lots of great pieces from friends of mine. check it out!

look at me (page 46) - a new IRM for deceased core mechanics player ruffian applesauce, made for the letters from the rumour mill zine. she’s a horrible teenager who wants to kiss fellow horrible teenager york silk and it’s about coming back home and realizing everyone you’ve hurt is still there. and then dying without fixing it. i love her very much.

the smallest gap (page 14) - an interpretation of feedback weather for REALITY FLICKERS, a do-this-in-your-style zine. it was vaguely EEAAO-inspired and is about two unnamed players who meet over and over again in the time it takes to run to second base. it’s funky and weird and i like it a lot!

time and time again (page 30) - a shortish piece for the fanteam zine The Yourplace Ourfolks. it’s about two players for the Nevada Timekeepers, unwilling maintenance people for the temporal anomaly that swallowed their home. it’s also about not wanting to talk about work until you’ve had your coffee. it’s also about geological eras with respect to dinosaurs. i like them :)

the garages section (page 14) of the tales from the short circuits zine! the garages went through several iterations in the circuits — some folk-punk musicians in an orchard with crashed spaceships, apocalypse survivors navigating a wasteland on an endless train, and space pirate radio DJs who broke the universe! read about them and many other teams here.

that’s everything i contributed to, but if you want even more zines to read, i recommend these!

the kansas city dispatches, a hilarious postmortem look at jon halifax’s time in the ILB. imagine if agent 47 from hitman had hair, sucked at his job, and died when a cowboy tried to shoot him and missed. now go read this zine because it’s even better than that!

The Salt, a truly incredible alternate-universe work set in a lost circuit, where the halifax region has become a massive salt flat. it’s got amazing character work, worldbuilding, art, and so much writing that all tells a beautiful story. i can’t recommend it enough.

Salmon and Snake, the product of months of work by my dear friend sonder. it’s a season 25 1 AU where everything (well, not everything) resets to season 1, the rosters shuffle, and the game proceeds just like it did. it’s more than i can possibly explain here, just check it out!

and of course, every other zine (over fifty! holy shit!) in the blaseball zine jam 2022 deserves your love. it’s been buckwild and i can’t believe how much stuff we all made

[hostilecityshowdown]

[ Put your loving hand out - Notes]

[ fic ] ◇ [ mango's heartbreak hotel au ]

thanks for reading! here's a quick breakdown of some additional information, mostly about my diesel muse.

• he's a long-haul trucker working for a shipping company. his first job was a car production factory which his parents also worked at. he was pursuing a career in basketball when he sustained a career ending injury, and he started working as a bouncer at gay and leather clubs. he met dallas and razor working this job and is still tight with them.

• he may or may not have participated in performative kink under the stage name vinnie vegas at dallas' club for extra cash

• he isn't a wrestler, since this is a strict au, but he's still very passionate about professional wrestling and probably would be happy doing it

• he's a traditional leatherman, and you can read about leather culture here

• ^he loves depeche mode

• the song "shot full of love" is what inspired scott hall to call michael hickenbottom the heartbreak kid in real life

• his tattoos are not identical to kevin nash's! he has arm and hand tattoos in the same places, but their imagery is different in both design and significance. kevin nash isnative american and his lingeage unknown but, being in michigan, i assume it isn't a stretch to write my diesel muse as ojibwe/anishinaabe. his tattoos were performed by indigenous artists and feature imagery significant to the ojibwe. i'm algonqiun and alutiiq and don't feel comfortable trying to ascribe exact descriptions of appearance and importance as i'm not ojibwe, but i imagine they're similar to my experience with other anishinaabe family/community members' tattoos.

• the title of this fic is a line from "beggin," first performed by madcon then expertly covered by måneskin.

recommended listening: stay in the light - honeymoon suite, rooms on fire - stevie nicks, seven day fool - jordan valentine, come back and stay - paul young, and depeche mode's entire "violator" album. actually, i have a whole playlist for hbk and diesel with all these songs and more. go nuts

• diesel is a trans man. the narrative implies and supports that he has had chest masculinising surgery (peri technique), hysterectomy, and atl phalloplasty with an erectile device implant. here's a link to some history about implants in ftm and trans masc phalloplasties.

• the narrative does not imply he's had facial masculinisation surgery, but he has. with his phalloplasty, he also had vaginectomy and urethral lengthening performed, and he is on testosterone.

• i used leatherman, a collection of erotic stories edited by simon sheppard for inspiration

• i mention a character named xan, in reference to corey alexander's nom-de-plume xan west. xan wrote a story about a gay vampire and a trans man titled "willing" that holds a very special place in my heart, and i recommend seeking it out. self described as a "autistic queer fat Jewish genderqueer writer with multiple disabilities," corey had a massive influence on modern LGBTQIA+ fiction, especially in relation to kink, and they sadly passed away in 2020. everyone interested in writing (especially) bi, gay, trans, non binary, and gnc men and LGBT+ subcultures should read their work and dissertations on the topics of writing these characters

• full credit to mango, @1-2-3kid ! this takes place in their universe and was edited and co-written by them. special thanks to johnny, @bret-hitman-hart for being very fun and cool and contributing to a big thing i have in the works. you're both the realest

• thank you for reading

[breadboylovin]

NEW POST FOR MY 95060 PLAYLIST!!! complete with explanations of every song choice under the cut because i love explaining my own creative decisions for some reason (PLEASE DO NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO READ ALL OF IT IF YOU DONT WANT TO ITS VERY LONG LOL). i may add a few songs here and there later on, or more likely rearrange what i've already put in slightly, but for now i consider it done.

alright now heres a look into my twisted mind

PART 1: TEMPTATION

Franz Ferdinand - Michael: It's a song about seducing someone named Michael. What more can I ask for (serious explanation is that it’s also very homosexually charged like you just have to listen to it… also feels taunting in a way where it’s like ‘oooooh you want me so bad’ and he’s RIGHT Michael DOES want him so bad). Also credit to this post for letting me know this song existed and inspiring me to make this playlist in the first place :-3

Mystery Skulls - Paralyzed: Just another song about how Michael is awestruck by David and feels compelled to follow him for whatever reason (the reason is that he wants him so bad)

TAEMIN - WANT: This is one of three Taemin songs on here because I think if David survived until present day he would fucking LOVE Taemin. Anyways this is a song about knowing you’re hot shit and everyone wants you and I think after seducing Michael through fucking?? Fatal motorcycle races and evil noodle mind tricks??? David deserves to feel that

Glass Animals - Gooey: OHGHGHGHFH THIS SONG… the vibes are impeccable on this one, Dave Bayley’s alluring voice feels like a slight remix of what David is going for and the way it feels like the singer is trying to convince the listener of something (even though it’s purposely vague) just FEELS like David with Michael. The line “I can’t take this place, I can’t take this place/I just need to go where I can get some space” especially fits when imagining how Michael is new to Santa Carla and may want a place to belong that David and the boys are happy to provide

TAEMIN - Impressionable: I see this as the moment that Michael downs the bottle of “wine”, where this song is David’s internal monologue reveling in how easy it was to charm Michael and get him to join. I always thought this sounded like a taunting villain song so it just fits. Also it’s like ridiculously horny which is a plus

PART 2: THE RELATIONSHIP ITSELF

MGMT - Me and Michael: In my head this is directly after Michael drinks the “wine”, and if it were an actual song in the movie, it’d play instead of Cry Little Sister in that scene. I already made art related to this but I really just love the juxtaposition between something that Michael will later see as horrible (becoming a half-vampire) and David seeing it as a perfect slow-dance moment. Also “Me and Michael, it’s not a question now” because the blood drinking has now linked them together… mmmmm. Credit to this post again for making me find this song!!

ALI - DESPERADO: This one is less about David and Michael specifically and more about how the night in the cave went down for everyone there, starting with a soft slowness as they ate and then descending into chaos as Michael downs the wine and they celebrate a new addition to the pack. The bacchanal energy is off the charts

Dorian Electra - Man to Man: This song is just one that I attribute to all of the boys because I think they do a lot of homoerotic sparring. Also the part of the movie where Michael punches David in the face and David just goes >:-3 back at him

Chase Atlantic - Friends: I don't know what it is about this one but it just Hits… The chorus kinda sounds like David and the boys trying to convince Michael to stay with them instead of coming back to human society after drinking the blood, in the same sort of taunting manner that they had when David (presumably?) made Michael hallucinate the bike lights and sounds outside of his house

Taking Back Sunday - You're So Last Summer: THIS SONG IS JUST REALLY GOOD. I don't know what it is about this one either… I guess the “Maybe I should hate you for this/Never really did ever quite get that far” part could represent the first glimpse of Michael’s more conflicted feelings about David. Also the second half of verse 2 not only fucks so hard but could also be indicative of Michael’s repressed gay feelings, lying to himself about how he wanted to be around David because he’s cool or whatever but he actually just has the hots for him and would let him do anything if he asked to

MGMT - Little Dark Age: Mostly here just for vibes. Have y’all seen that one edit set to this song? Yeah

The Neighborhood - Prey: I feel like this song captures the general unease that Michael feels right before he sees the boys kill for the first time, knowing that he’s probably turning into a vampire and something horrible is happening… especially with “Something is wrong, I feel like prey” just generally describing what it must feel like to be a human among vampires (though he’s not fully human anymore at this point)

PART 3: REALIZATION + FIGHTING BACK

TAEMIN - Criminal: YET ANOTHER TAEMIN SONG!!!! It’s all about realizing you're with someone who’s like, an evil manipulative villain and genuinely bad for you but you can’t escape just yet because you’re kinda into it. I don't think David is THAT bad of a guy, but Michael could be like “I need to get out of this situation because this man is a vampire but I feel attracted to him and it’s hard to really get away”. Also the line “My hands holding yours that stabbed me are not clean either” just HITS cus Michael hates David’s vampirism but HE’S a half-vampire now so it’s not like he’s innocent either. This is just a really good 95060 song AND a good song in general, listen to it even if you don't normally like K-pop cus it slaps

Glass Animals - Wyrd: This would be the moment where Michael snaps out of it and just starts running away, but to no avail, because he’s still a half-vampire (“You can’t run so you must hide” meaning that he can’t outrun his new monstrous nature, the best he can do is hide it until it eats him alive). Meanwhile David laments over how this is a stupid decision from his perspective (“So, my friend, our time is done/You and I could’ve had so much”)

Moonface - Minotaur Forgiving Theseus: This is a very veeeeery bitter song from Michael’s perspective about David being a vampire… with the “You’re just a hitman” repetition referencing how David. Y’know. Eats people. And the “I heard you're coming for me now” references both how David first approached him and the impending confrontation

The Neighborhood - The Beach: This song goes from the bitterness of the previous one to a pseudo-acceptance of the end of their brief friendship and what’s inevitably going to happen next. However, I think the bridge of the song illustrates the little bit of Michael that doesn’t want this to happen, that wants this relationship to somehow work out because he cares about David even if he is a vampire (unfortunately he ends up repressing this because he feels a duty to kill David now)

Gorillaz - Rhinestone Eyes: This is mostly in here because of the music video, the buildup to a battle just echoes in my head whenever I hear this song now. In the context of this playlist it makes me imagine David looking up at the Emerson’s house from the hotel (and Michael doing the opposite) knowing that something’s about to happen and it’s going to be horrible

Glass Animals - JDNT: This entire song feels like the climax of the movie. Verse 1 feels like the Emersons and Frogs getting ready to attack the cave (“I’m all armored up”) with “I feel that final poke” being when Marko gets staked, and the chorus right after is a tinge of regret that Michael feels once the plan starts to take shape. Verse 2 is the other boys waking up to see that Marko is dead + them dying themselves (“Where my funny friends gone?”) and the bridge is Michael and David’s fight before Michael finally gores David on the antlers. The outro of “You can’t breathe without me” VERY much feels like David taunting Michael from beyond the grave, knowing how much Michael loved him and how horrible what he’s just done is

PART 4: GRIEF

The Brazen Youth - Burn Slowly/I Love You: Ooooooghghgh the conflicted feelings about their relationship is STRONG in this one… The “Burn Slowly” part being him trying to convince himself that he did the right thing by killing David while the “I Love You” part is him realizing that he really did love David and it fucking hurts

Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us: MAN. MAN… Everything past “I can’t explain the state that I'm in” is just so… it’s Michael realizing what he had even more and just how much it hurts that he’s lost it. He knows he was in love now and it fucking hurts SO MUCH!!!!!

Sufjan Stevens - The Only Thing: [head in my fucking hands] Michael moping around Santa Carla because it feels empty without David. All the “should I tear my eyes out now?/Should I tear my heart out now?” parts oh my GOOOOOOOOD sufjan stevens i'm going to slap you on the head.

Paramore - Tell Me How: THIS SONG HURTS SO MUCH ITS SO. It’s another one about conflicting feelings so theoretically it should be earlier in the story but I always envision something very morbid when listening to this (and have now written a fic about it so check that out)… Michael going back to the hotel where he put David’s body and musing to no one, asking how he’s supposed to feel now, the “And always coming to your defenses” where Michael keeps defending David and their relationship to his family who all think David was a horrible monster… this song fucking hurts. Also I unintentionally drew a parallel between JDNT’s “You can’t breathe without me” and this song’s “Do I suffocate or let go?” and now that I’ve realized that it hurts even more. Fuck this song

[myth-blossom]

I have had “Cold Hard Bitch” by Jet stuck in my head for days…

Hello Nonny! That song is so damn fun and I’ve been blasting it on my speakers again. It got me thinking about Diana and Grey and the frenemy nature of their relationship. With that in mind, I hope you like how I re-envisioned their first meeting. Enjoy! 😁

She entered the popular lounge and chose a private booth in the back, her image clear in the reflection of the large mirror behind the bar’s bottle display. Her sultry blue cocktail dress replaced the muted colors of professional wear he had grown accustomed to seeing, though for a Friday night, her change of attire wasn’t unusual. He casually sipped his bourbon and watched her order a drink before lighting a cigarette.

Lucas Grey didn’t know what to expect of Diana Burnwood, and that bothered him. When Olivia was unable to dig up much about Burnwood’s past, he decided to follow her from a safe distance. After a week’s worth of quiet observation, he hadn’t discovered much about her personality, her habits, her potential weaknesses or her hidden strengths. She handled herself carefully, not that he expected much else with her ICA affiliation. Though as a handler to 47, he had rather hoped she would let some sort of intel slip.

Getting closer wasn’t ideal, but it was a calculated risk for his mission. Burnwood became slightly easier for Olivia to track and him to travel to, with her having stayed in one place for longer than a few days for once. If he hoped to learn anything about her and get an opportunity to reunite with 47, he would have to close the distance between her daily route and his recent perch over the café across the street.

He was impressed when the bartender appeared with another bourbon for him ten minutes later, its pour coming from a finer vintage than he had previously consumed. “On behalf of the lady, sir,” she offered, gesturing to the back of the lounge in Burnwood’s direction. It seemed his target was sharper than he realized.

Grey took the glass and turned in his seat to raise a toast in her direction. She nodded and seemed to beckon him to the booth with a smile. Against his better judgment, he left the bar to make his approach.

“Was that an invitation?” he asked. She sipped the last of her wine and returned the glass to the table.

“I thought this would give you a better view,” she teased. “Please, sit.”

He slid into the booth beside her, guarded but wearing a smirk. She had chosen the best area of the lounge with no neighboring patrons nearby to pay them any mind, as if her presence dictated the exclusive reservation of the space. She was certainly interesting, if perhaps more dangerous than he had originally given her credit for. He couldn’t allow the distraction of her dress raised high on her thigh as her slender leg crossed over the other, or of the shape of her painted lips as she blew out a steady stream of smoke… 

He tore himself away to gesture at her empty wine glass. 

“Can I return the favor?” He noted the imprint left behind by her lipstick and ignored the urge to stare at the origin. “A glass of red, was it?”

“That’s correct,” she nodded. He signaled a waiter over to refresh her drink before giving them privacy once more. “Thank you, Mr….”

“Call me John,” he replied.

“John,” Burnwood repeated, her face neutral but her tone offering a hint of mischief. “Do you come here often, John?”

He sipped his bourbon, its taste more striking the second time around. He would’ve feared the addition of poison had he not watch her keep still at her table the entire time. This is a great vintage, he thought, and let his caution stay hidden beneath a calm expression.

“No. Just visiting.”

“How do you find it?”

He eyed the well-dressed businessmen and socialites near the bar with not-so-subtle disdain. “The crowd is unappealing—present company excluded, of course,” he gestured to her stiffly. She chuckled. “The drink is decent, though.”

“I see. And is it the drink or the company that keeps you here?”

He held her gaze as he drank his bourbon. “I haven’t decided.”

She placed her hand on his thigh and leaned in closer. He felt his breath catch in his throat at her intimate touch, her warm breath tickling his ear as his grip tightened on his near-empty glass. 

”Oh, but I think you have…”

Just observe, he tried to remind himself. You’re only here to observe.

The voice of reason faded into nothing as he allowed her temptation to meet his lips, his eyes closing easily at the pleasurable sensation of a stranger’s kiss. It had been months…years?…since he last allowed himself such a delicacy, and for good reason. It was far too easy to get distracted from his surroundings, to let his guard down, to become prey instead of predator in enemy territory—

Fuck!

He felt the recognizable sting of a needle pricking his leg, his attention so ensnared by the temptress that he neglected to notice her subtle movement. He would’ve spat a particular curse against her lips had his vision not immediately grown foggy, his body succumbing to the drowsy effects of the sedative. She took the glass from his loosened grip as his arm thudded weakly to the table.

“I don’t know who you are or how you found me, but I won’t let it happen again,” she murmured, her voice slipping away as his head dropped to his chest. He watched her drink the last of his bourbon before exhaustion claimed his vision.

“Sleep well, John.”