#obviously i could talk all day about tempo

[athforskz]

More Random Ult Kpop Group Questions: SKZ Version!

I did something like this a while ago when I first started this blog. So it’s time for another round! Questions below the cut I'm marking as MDNI. Like before, feel free to use this template of questions for your own ult group & tag me (and some friends if ya like). I love to see everyone’s responses 🤗

Dumbest thing you believed as a new fan?

Oof… there’s a few things I fell for as a baby stay, technically I still am a baby stay I think, BUT here’s my uhhh list: 

I thought Hyunjin had an identical twin brother.. 🫣 wait WAIIIT before you come at me, there was a rumor/joke going around at the time and obviously I didn’t know any better, so I believed it. There were even really good edits of Jinnie and his “twin” too. Then when I watched interviews where Hyunjin said he was an only child I was like ???? but eventually I figured it out.

I thought the sunshine twins were legitimately twins (they are) . Like biologically. Wtf is up with me believing twin things??

At first, I could NOT for the life of me tell the difference between Lee Know and Jeongin. No joke thought they were the same person. Which looking back on this one… how could I ever have trouble with them? They literally look nothing alike in facial structure and sound completely different in the way they talk & sing. Only thing they’re the same in is their menace behavior. 

2. Favorite duo/ship?

Usually not a shipper type of person but in regard to favorite friendship dynamic in skz, it’s gotta be SeungChan. Just watch this and there’s my reason why. Jilix is a close second because, again, sunshine twins. Followed by MinChan because watching Lee Know with his only hyung is so precious.

3. Favorite Racha (or other mini group within the whole group)? 

MeanRacha (Minho, Seungmin, & I.N) One of these 3 is literally always up to something. Causing chaos when you least expect it. The phrase “Lee Know is linoing” has become a favorite of mine because it always means he’s doing some menace antics again.

4. Favorite unreleased song?

There was a song that Hyunjin and Chan recorded years ago that Chan supposedly lost. We got a snippet of it and when I heard it I went feral because like Red Lights part 2???! PLEASE I NEED THIS SONG LIKE I NEED AIR! Chan like wtf do you mean you lost the track?! FIND IT. RECORD IT AGAIN. 

Also, all the solo performances they did at the opening concert in Seoul for the DominATE tour. Yeah, I need all those unreleased songs to be RELEASED right tf now. Give us another Replay album! And Chan… ykw let me shut up and be good for once, but I just wanna say THE GRASS AINT WORKING 

5. Favorite old song of theirs? Favorite song from their most recent project?

HEYDAY by 3racha. The whole song is a vibe but Jisung’s lazy rap when he first starts his part just does something to me 😩 

In regard to the whole group, I’d say the song 'YAYAYA' is one of my go-to jams from their older stuff. I love the tempo changes, scratches my brain in a good way.

Now as for the new album “ATE” this may be controversial to say but “I like it” is my favorite. It’s just so catchy!

6. Has your bias/bias line changed?

Since the last time I did this, yes and no? I mean as I’ve grown more as a stay I can confidently say OT8! But if I was forced to choose I say Hyunjin no surprise there and Minho.

7. What about your wreckers?

Chan continues to wreck me every. single. day. Like it’s truly insane, that man KNOWS what he’s doing. I’d also like to add that I.N has been wrecking me left and right the last few months which I blame his hyungs for that. 

NOW FOR THE UNHINGED QUESTIONS!

Please skip this portion if it makes you uncomfortable. This is the delulu brain talking. 

8. Which member are you attracted to the most physically? What about emotionally?

Physically I’m going to say OT8! Like have you seen those MEN?! I would be lucky to even get a crumb from them like bffr. Changbin, Hyunjin & Minho

Emotionally probably Changbin & Chan. From the glimpses we get of their true feelings & perspectives on things I relate to them the most. Honorable mention for this one will be Hyunjin because he’s such a romantic and I wanna say Seungmin too. I feel like before we didn’t get to see a lot of Seungmin ‘off camera’ per se, but with his [Song by] series we get to see more of his real personality and thoughts.

9. If you ever actually had the chance, who do you think you’d work out in a long-term relationship with (please remember the first rule of Kpop)? 

Probably, Changbin. Mans is a walking green flag. He’s a good listener, considerate of other’s feelings while still being honest. Always there for you. Funny af too. Overall, considering how I am as a person I think, Changbin would just be a good match for me. Like in my delulu brain me and Binnie would have that friends to lovers trope going for us. Even my dearest honey bun thinks so, she did write about it for me afterall💕 

10. A favorite kink of yours and member to fit that kink?

To keep it somewhat light in the kink department I’m going to go with hands. And a member to fit it the best, aka who I think has the most attractive hands will go to Jeongin. Innie has giant and such well structured hands. Rings sit so pretty on his fingers too which makes me feral. Like AHHDKSISVJKDW please grip my wrists and throat sir! *ahem* I mean, please let’s hold hands 🫶🏽 

Honorable hands mention will go to Minho because the veins on that man’s hands are just so ✨🥴

11. Favorite sluttiest choreography/move they’ve done?

Damn do I have a lot for this one *cracks knuckles*

The choreo for Silent Cry. Need I say more?

Anytime Hyunjin body rolls

Every single hip thrust/roll from Minho

The “POPPIN 🗣️” part in Maniac, especially when Binnie does it.

That one part in Charmer. Y’all know exactly what part I’m talking about.

Red lights. Need I say more, pt 2

The entire choreo for Taste. Bonus points to Minho when he did the special stage where he’s fucking hip thrusting from the side (I hope y’all know which one I’m mentioning here)

12. Most unhinged fic or edit you have enjoyed of them?

There’s a lot for this question too but I’ll keep it short. I’ll start with unhinged fics. I enjoy dark themes because let’s face it. Trauma. Please be warned these fics aren’t for the faint of heart, so if you read them, be warned. Some are lighter than others, but please read warnings!

Game Over feat. Seungmin & I.N by @sanakimohara

Games feat. I.N by @dandelions-143

Chemical Infatuation feat. Han by @hanjisick

ABANB series feat. OT8! by @doitforbangchan

The SKZ House series feat. Chan & Hyunjin by @writeonwhiskey

As for edits, there are even more that I enjoy. But I’ll only choose 1 for the sake of time and it’s only letting me attach one video.

Alright, that’s it! Thanks for reading if you stuck it out this far! I really didn't intend for it to be this long but it was so fun that I got carried away. Now for tags, I’ll go with my typical beautiful babes @doitforbangchan @jehhskz @torialefay + anyone else who wants to join!

[the-vegetarian-artist]

Asking you about your ska troll concept! They look so cool and I would love to learn more about them

@shadow-ray4 thank you for asking, genuinely was positive that no one would ask 😅😣 but I am HAPPY to share! To start here are the full refs I've done so far and explain as much of the concept as I've developed in my brain lmaooo (ALL MAJOR DEETS undercut cause its gonna be LONG)

@goldendaydna also helped with this and lowkey a concept we are semi working out since her sona Golden Tempo is an Urbano Troll (a recently named concept lol)

Ska Trolls are Big, Bright, and BOLD. Together, these elements create an energetic, highly danceable, highly vibe-able troll genre. They also explode into confetti and confections when excited or surprised. Dont worry they pop back up as if nothing even happened leaving a pile of candy and crepe paper on the ground. (Ska trolls are super popular with the kids.) They practically live for the music, known for dancing for several days straight with hardly a rhyme or reason to stop.

*Like even the smallest of surprises just make em POP! (Bonus Branch doodle cause why not??)

Adara, my sona, is a 4th Generation Ska Troll (her father being a 3rd Gen while her mama is a punk rock troll) so TECHNICALLY shes Ska-punk, but she still has the appearance of your standard Ska Troll so it's more a music specific.

Her great great grandparents being a reggae leaning funk troll and a rocksteady leaning funk troll who formed The Underground after being seemingly left behind along with other alt/subgenres of the main 6 kingdoms when they split. A place for alternative trolls like herself and her friends could live and PARTY HARD without micro judgments against their music. It's a haven for other trolls who feel they dont quite fit a specific genre or even one at all, but also HELLA secluded from the rest of the Trolls so they look different and SOUND different. (Cave acoustics and all) The surface likely gets trimmers and even earthquakes from their raging parties. (I'm still fleshing this out but I have this piece of "concept art")

*Its literally a bioluminescent shroom town. Like glowing mushroom homes, food, ect- glow worms on the cave ceiling like stars in a night sky. All the various alternative genre of trolls have like a glowy eye thing that allows them to just see naturally in the dark too-

*these were some posters I took heavy color influence from for Adara's pallet (I know they arent all ska, but punk, reggae, and rocksteady aesthetics were an addition)

Obviously I took most inspo from pinatas, party/confetti poppers, and the sorts mainly because the funk trolls poop...well. baked goods and I wanted to play off that but lean into the crazy evolution the trolls have canonically in the universe that foam at the mouth for 👀 🤲 But I wanted to make sure her colors and patterns gave off not just Funk influence, but also micro subculture influences that are within The Underground. (This including but not not limited to, how closely Ska Trolls were to the Urbano Trolls communities within The Underground)

*Exchanged tassels and stringy fur textures for more paper textures. Like literally walking, talking, breathing pinatas fr

*Queen Essence I love yuuuu

They are bigger than the average Funk troll and have very similar features to them, but texture and color wise are very different. They much more vibrant and staturated. Giving a mix of felt and crepe paper. They have tails as sortve as an evolutionary trait but also it gives maximum party mode as it can hold objects and act as an extra hand. Their ears are also longer and slimmer, making it harder for them to lift or perk up so they stay droopy unlike their funk counterparts. They are all naturals at brass instruments (mainly trumpet) and ALWAYS have a hop in their step.

*edit if the pics keep messing up... imma have to just remake the post 😭

[centrally-unplanned]

The Gaza floating pier plan is an odd one, I was doing a bit of research & thinking on its logic. Like obviously you can get more aid in Gaza right now, its just Israel (and also Egypt, who buck-passes on this constantly) refuses to in turn increase aid or admit that aid is being truly slowed. Though also its a function of the fact the demand for aid is much higher than before, both through destroyed stocks, loss of domestic agricultural output (which Gaza had a little of pre-war), and supply needs for the occupation forces. And its not like the US right now really wants to get more involved in this issue, its net losses for the US as far as the eye can see. So it puts a bit of a permanent stake in a situation one would rather not, to solve a problem whose cause is tangential to this solution.

But on digging I do see the logic in it - essentially its a sign of the US - or lets the say the Biden admin, good to be specific - losing faith in not only Israel's conduct in the war, but also its goals for the war at all. It symbolizes that not only does the Biden admin expect them to not overly budge on the blockade issue, but they still will not be overly budging on it several months from now. But that this isn't a part of some Grand Strategy on their part, a strategic play to idk pressure Hamas to come to the table or even like weaponize suffering to cause legitimacy collapse. They just can't get around to a coherent end-state vision here, and things like aid restrictions are just strategy theatre run amok, "can't let in the ~weapons oh no" thoughts running on autopilot while Israel fights with itself over its goals. You can tell this because they are letting the port happen! They could just say no, if Lebanon tried to do this they would bomb it.

But of course while the Biden admin is less than thrilled about increased involvement, it (primarily) knows how badly this issue is damaging rep in the middle east given its stuck with its wedded ally, (secondarily) generally is opposed to famine and human rights crimes in any context and needs a strong reason to ignore them (which, to be clear, does happen sometimes, but this the baseline), and (tertiarily) doesn't love the domestic tension the issue is generating. And it no longer trusts Israel to fix its own mistakes in this regard. So it wants to "take it out of their hands" - now the US can set the tempo of aid deliveries, and Israel can't really stop it. (Like sure if they truly throw down they can block aid, they are going to cooperating on security for the pier, but it would be big leap in spiting the US for them to do that) It bypasses their dysfunction, which they expect to be ongoing. ~2 months from now the US can make sure if/when things have continued to go badly it can start mitigating harm and also control the narrative better.

This is cold comfort for any of the ongoing problems today, which are legion. But the other message of the pier is that those aren't changing. Israel isn't budging, and hey we haven't mentioned em yet but Hamas isn't budging either, they scuttled the latest round of cease fire talks and know that their demand of a permanent cease-fire at this point is a non-starter so I think that shows status quo reigning. Hey, maybe we will see what comes out of Doha in the next few days, but I bet it won't be too surprising (a short term hostage exchange is possible but that won't relieve the big issues). I am low certainty on this but if I am Hamas I think so far this is "going according to plan", certainly they wish they were inflicting more causalities on the IDF but they have a track record of realism on this one, they knew this would happen and politically things have been going well for them. And Israeli's political dysfunction seems stable as long as no elections are called, which is the smart money right now (Unless the Orthodox Jewish Freerider Problem blows the coalition up). So for the Biden Admin, the overton window for immediate action is very small, which means that they think plans that have longer time horizons make sense.

Idk it could just be them flailing and trying to look like they are Doing Something, but generally their track record on this front is pretty solid, Biden FP has been grounded (not the same as universally effective, though I think its been good overall). And Doing Something only works if it isn't a boondoggle, 2 months from now isn't after the election after all. Incompetence is possible, sure, but given their track record not my baseline, and I think the logic here does check out. Time will tell...

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 12/04/2024

Plasmaseeker

Season 8 Featured on: The Joke​-​Explainer 7000​™​'s Highest Quality Rips: Sunrise

Ripped by eg_9371

Tentative rip name: Light! (Potentialseeker Colress)

The Season 8 train keeps chugging!! Its honestly been a lot of fun keeping up with the channel in real-time and jotting down rips that I think would be fun to talk about on here. There was Shiny Smily TALE of course, with its connections to a rip made nearly four years prior, and there was Luna, mi Amor, which sold itself as worthy of discussing immediately and only became more interesting the further I dug into it - tons of Season 8's features on here have had some truly fascinating backgrounds to them. But as soon as I heard Plasmaseeker, I didn't need to know anything else - it was LOCKED in. eg_9371 has hit me with yet another terminal banger.

I say another, of course, because eg_9371 has introduced me to a lot of cool music through his absolute truckload of contributions to the channel. kris gaming comes to mind as the main example, but it was also through Jesus of the Underground that I first learned about Jesus of Suburbia to begin with! The guy has his fingers in a lot of pies, and it's as if no matter what part of his circle of interests that he chooses to arrange music from, the result will be a guaranteed banger. I was, of course, mainly drawn to Plasmaseeker for the track it's using, Colress' battle theme from Pokémon Black & White 2. An incredible piece of music, in a game already defined by its crisp and distinct soundscape, heard in rips like Four Ardain ~Roaming the Route~ and Battle! The Trainer Inside Your Head!: in other words, get the reference or not, its hard for me NOT to love Gen 5 Pokémon melodyswaps. Plasmaseeker indeed uses a song I've never heard before in Aegleseeker, originating from the mobile rhythm game Arcaea - but I didn't need to go stumbling down the wiki trenches to realize just how hard the rip, and song, both bang.

What surprised me about listening to the original Aegleseeker for this post, though, was how starkly different it sounds from Colress' battle theme and by extension Plasmaseeker itself. Colress' theme is electronic yet not noisy, sounding like a perfectly-wound machine, a system working without flaw yet electronic in its very nature - by contrast, Aegleseeker's brand of electronic music sounds as if its racing toward the sun, as if its a cluster of information traveling at indescribably speeds through an online web breaking apart at the seams. An intense BPM, fervent percussion, heavy guitars and distorted vocal samples, all paired up with a lead instrument that sounds like a light breaking through the dark, desperate to not fade. The two songs share a thematic baseline yet veer in such harsh opposite directions, that I'm amazed eg_9371 made it work so effectively in the rip itself. It cleans up some of Aegleseeker's noise to have things still sound as if they're feasibly part of a Nintendo DS game, the BPM is obviously sped up from the original battle theme yet still sound just slightly behind in tempo from Aegleseeker, and the elegant synths from Colress' synths punctuate the rip at all of the perfect moments. I can't put my finger on if Battle! (Colress)'s vocal samples slowly counting down from four to zero replace any particular part of Aegleseeker's sound, but they really do help round the piece out, perhaps as a way to echo Aegleseeker's distorted vocal samples.

I could sit here and listen back and fourth and back and fourth to the two, but I think the important part has been conveyed well enough. Season 8 has only just begun, yet has brought me surprises at every turn, be it an entire day dedicated to Justin Bieber with BELIEBERDANSEN or the ongoing frequency with which Stuck Inside rips like Willievan Afton Polkka are still impressing me. But amidst all of those larger-scale hits, one mustn't forget the smaller things. Plasmaseeker may just be one rip, and the combination of Aegleseeker's (relative) obscurity and sheer intensity likely means it won't be showing up much again on the channel going forward - and despite that, eg_9371 gave the song his absolute all and made an absolutely unforgettable rip in the process.

[euphoricfilter]

Controversial BTS opinion 🏌🏼‍♀️

Mine is that Suga is the best rapper out of the rap line, I hate on eminem everyday … But him having listened to him since he was 14- activated a switch in his brain or sum 😭 Like.. I’ll admit I think it made him better/the best than the others who idolized Nas or Cole. Oh my god writing that feel like co*ning 💀💀 #GoWhiteboyGoWhiteboyGo

i love controversial opinions 🚶‍♀️

okay so there’s a lot to unpack. why do you hate eminem 😭 objectively he isn’t that bad??, and maybe that just because i grew up listening to him 🏃‍♀️

i guess it’s all down to influence and style and then your own personal preference?? all of their influence does come from music written or originated from black people or POC communities, even yoongi listening to eminem who obviously is a white dude has influence from those communities.

i’m not like super well versed in all genres of music but from my understanding, rap as a whole, hip hop too had started within communities of people of color. so i guess within some capacity all the rap lines early influences had originated from the same pool of music, or listened to musicians who more or less held the same musical values

and eminem says in “without me”

which goes deeper into his musical influence, obviously working with dr dre as well as making music within d12

we could also like probably go into a super in depth discussion about the foundation of certain types of music and influences that’s had throughout other genres or go deeper into certain lyrics of the mentioned artists, and all that kinda stuff but maybe that’s for another day 🚶‍♀️i don’t really want to bore anyone LMAO

though eminem’s style of rap, word play, lyricism is all very different to Nas and J Cole.

i think the reflection in style is there, you can tell how some of namjoons work, lyricism all that kinda stuff is influenced by Nas. as is yoongi’s style somewhat comparable or founded on the same musical values as eminem. i think agust d (the song) in terms of tempo and style of rap is most similar to eminem’s style though i think yoongi ventured out a little more especially within d-2 and d-day

and then again an opinion can’t objectively be wrong? if there is no straight facts to counter the claim or the difference of opinion hasn’t been disproven by factual evidence. in this circumstance it’s all opinion based so i get it!! and you’re completely entitled to have this opinion!! and again i think for opinions like this one it’s all down to your own preference in muscle style and sub-genre

music is kinda a strange thing when you really think about it, how different people can like different sounds and have certain preferences musically is kinda cool!! and how musical influence is kinda passed down from artist to artist, always changing slightly to fit their own unique style

i think maybe within the fandom it could be considered somewhat controversial?? though i guess it depends on who you ask? or their own values as a fan. from what i understand, it’s not you shaming either of the other two for their skill— or lack thereof or their individual style??— but correct me if i’m wrong!!

personally, again, i think it’s simply down to preference. each of the rap line have their own style, their own influences and i have respect for all their craft. i don’t think i’ve ever really compared their style simply because it’s all different and work on their own playing field and each of their artistic influences are all kinda in their own bubbles in my mind, all like within this bigger bubble which represents music as a whole🕺 and eminem, Nas and J Cole all have varying sorts of music that they’ve crafted over the years which is why i would probably never compare them because they’re pretty unique and have mastered their own craft!!

i feel like we could talk about this for ages theres so much to unpack 🥲

thank you for sharing your opinion!! it was interesting to think about, and i guess it made me think more about where each of the rap lines musical roots really came from!!

i went on a bit of a tangent again, sorry 🥲

[z-exo-l]

My Top Kpop songs of 2022

So, 2022 was a rough year for me and mine. We survived it, and truly things could have been much worse, but it didn’t make for many happy repeat listens, Kpop wise. It’s a shame, because there were SEVERAL well-deserved solo debuts this year, and I feel like I didn’t give a lot of the songs the appreciation they deserve. To be clear, I did enjoy this music, and the year wasn’t wholly without happiness, I just couldn’t muster up as much enthusiasm as normal. But that’s okay, I’m going to desperately hope that 2023 is a better year, for all of us. 🤞🏻

There’s plenty of artist repetition, like always, BUT, this year has the most female entries so far! (Even those are a little repetitious, but I digress!) Let’s begin.

Honorable Mentions

Veil by Lay: Yixing nailing it every time! I didn’t love this song, (an unfortunate trend for Lay songs lately) but I have to mention it, if only for his sheer talent. ♥️ Bite by D.O: I’ve still got to watch this drama, but I’ll take any opportunity to hear Kyungsoo sing! Especially in a spooky, punk r&b style!

Dice by Onew: Even if I didn’t exactly care for how Jinki sang this, the MV is quintessential SHINee, the black and white look was A+, and his dancing was delightful!

Zoom by Jessi: I know who Jessi is, of course, her music just doesn’t really suit me. But this song had me giggling from the lyrics and dancing from the beat. A fun little earworm. 

⚠️Good Night by Rolling Quartz: PLEASE check these girls out if you haven’t yet! They’re a kickass girl K-Rock band (their vocalist Jayoung has an outstanding rock voice!) that are hustling their hearts out and not nearly enough people know about them! The only reason this is in honorable mentions is because this is a Dreamcatcher cover.

TOP 20

20. Vision by Dreamcatcher: I appreciate the environmentalism concepts the girls did this year, and to me this track is far superior to Maison.

19. Diamonds Only by WayV: Phantom had some excellent aesthetics, but this groovy B-Side had the best sound on the album.

18. Cursor by Purple Kiss: I’ve grown to appreciate an angsty pop-rock song, and the stripped down instrumental paired very well with PK’s voices. (I’ll miss you Jieun 😢)

17. Don’t Wait by Super Junior: A goofy, happy SuJu track is always welcome. It’s kind of fabulous that one of the silliest groups around is also one of the oldest; and the drag in the mv is just the cherry on top.

16. Bear Hug by Suho: I loved Suho’s powerful vocals here. And like I’ve mentioned, I think his time on stage really helped his stability. Beautiful singing!

15. Summer Rain by Purple Kiss: The vocals of this song are just right for a rainy day, and the melody is very folksy.

14. Traveler by Chen: A gentle, toe-tapping song that was a great addition to Last Scene! His ballads are obviously excellent, but more mid-tempo Jongdae numbers, please. (Bye Babe w/ 10cm was a BOP, mkay?)

13. Fire Flower by Purple Kiss: The rhythm and Eastern influence on this track are very compelling! Unfortunately this song gives me a terrible case of musical amnesia, so even though I like it a lot I always forget how it sounds. 😅

12. Love is Dead by Purple Kiss: A very catchy and almost haunting song; the kind of track I love from PK. And I’ve tried to figure out what era of music this makes me think of, and outside of a sample (I think) all I can come up with is 90′s or 00′s girl group. Works for me!

11. INVU by Taeyeon: The AESTHETICS of this MV!!! It hooked me like you wouldn’t believe, it is GORGEOUS! And musically this is my first Taeyeon song to top Spark! Goddess indeed! 😍

10. Devil by Changmin:

This song is AMAZING! Give this man all the praise and appreciation for putting Gospel and Blues into a KPOP song!! And that’s not even talking about his voice! His voice is so high, but forceful that he’s able to match it pitch for pitch! Criminally underrated!

9. Feedback by Xiumin:

This is a song, like many dance tracks, that absolutely SLAPS when the mood is right! If this came out during the dubstep era, (the very tiny window where I went clubbing) this would’ve been on constant repeat. As it is it’s still a really fun song to bop around to. ☺️

8. Pretty Psycho by Purple Kiss:

Outside of a really niggling, almost distracting Britney Spears sample, this is an awesome song. It’s very dance-able, but still has that signature wickedness that I love about PK. And the vocals menacingly glide over the instrumentals in almost a Eurythmics style. Easily the best track off MemeM!

7. Decanting by Suho:

Mature idols being allowed to sing sbout mature subjects will always get me, and while I compared it Baekhyun’s Drown, Decanting feels like a much slower, more lavish type of seductive sound. You could play this during a rainstorm, or on a commute, or at a café, and by the end you’d feel contented and satisfied. Beautiful guitar, and stupendous vocals. Well done Junmyeon!

6. Hot by Seventeen:

Even though I think the autotune almost teeters into too much, this song is immensely delightful and catchy. You can always count on Seventeen for something fun and happy, and that was something I needed a lot this year. And it was probably the best song released in 2022 that I could just shut my brain off and boogie to.

5. Voyager by Kihyun:

I obviously love rock and kpop, so it was especially exciting to learn that not only was Kihyun having his solo debut, but it was a rock song! This was such a great track; very easy to sing along with, as well as just rock out to around the house. Kihyun has the perfect voice for the genre, and I’m already very excited for his next comeback. 

4. Brand New by Xiumin:

I’ll be the first to admit the sample took some getting used to, but once I did, this song was stuck in my head constantly. Even without the sample though, I love Brand New’s retro sound; most people brought up the 90′s, but what came to mind to me were the effects from the late 60′s/early 70′s, which I love, and it’s a great match for Minseok’s voice. Not to mention it has crazy athletic choreo that showcases what a talented dancer he is! It was the perfect debut song for Minseok, and I’m SO proud of him!

3. Mango by Super Junior:

I LOVE this song and I LOVE that it’s from SuJu! This came at a point in the year when I wasn’t enjoying a lot of the releases coming out. But omg, this song! The pre-chorus, the colorful mv, the KRY bridge, the display of experienced talent all around (vocalist Eunhyuk, center Shindong!) Ahh! The song is a gotdang BOP!

2. Love by Monsta X:

I pretty much always give high spots to the songs I can dance to, and on the rare occasions the urge struck me this year, Love was the was the song I was most often shuffling to in my kitchen. It didn’t start out this high on the list, but more and more often I caught myself wanting to play it just to brighten my mood. The chorus is super catchy, but at the same time it’s still laidback and easy to listen to thanks to the instrumental, and Joohoney’s parts make me giggle. A great track if you need a pick-me-up!

1. Hurdle by Suho:

The biggest surprise of 2022! I was so stunned that Suho released a song like this, but the funky pre-chorus had me hooked immediately! Plus for as high register as Suho sings, it works shockingly well against the 80′s pop rock sound. It almost gives Joan Jett with Pink Floyd vibes??? …If those comparisons make any sense! Anyway! Then you throw in an almost wacky, utterly surreal mv, and this track all but demands a revisit. It was one of the only songs this year that had me on first listen, and I’m still not sick of it. I hope the other members follow in your tracks Junmyeon, and dare to be just as experimental, because damn does it pay off!!

So ends the countdown for 2022. Kyungsoo has said that he was recording for his album, Jongin said that he’s deciding on a title track right now, and Chanyeol wants to release a solo album as well. Then Suho declares more than once that there will be an EXO 2023 comeback as soon as Baekhyun is back from the military. …I’ve been an exo-l long enough that I’m handling this with a healthy bit of skepticism, but I’ll hope for at least the exo comeback, and go from there. Who knows, with any luck at all my next top 20 will be chock full of exo songs. :-)

I hope you all had a great, or at least survivable 2022. Happy New Year, and have a great 2023!

[northwest-cryptid]

idk if they're music is actually classified as techno but I totes recommend Team Grimoire for music :3c very high energy I love listening to them

I've listened to a few of their tracks and I like what I hear but I don't necessarily think it's techno. That's not to say my word is law or anything.

I think when it comes to music genres are actually really dumb these days because you have so many layers of genre now. Like I have literally seen Acid Jazz called Down-Tempo and then the same song was called Weirdcore and that same song was called Exotic Lounge and like, technically those are all different genres but here we are.

A big reason I have such a deep love of old Techno Trance music is because it's what I grew up with, or more specifically what was played at the underground warehouse raves I would DJ at. I feel like I've spoke on that a lot already but I guess to help classify what I'm talking about examples are the best option.

When I talk about old school techno trance music a lot of what I'm talking about falls into sounding like this:

You also have well known artists like Basshunter or Gigi D'Agonstino:

and even some artists who are still making music to this day have absolute classics out there like DJ Satomi:

If the name Gigi D'Agostino rings a bell however it's likely for his song The Riddle which has literally over 100 Million views on Youtube (at least the original upload which wasn't by the original artist sadly, does.)

A lot of this music was played at the raves I went to, and those raves introduced me to artist like Scooter and such, believe it or not that was actually where I became familiar with the bulk of Eiffel 65's music other than just you know, Blue.

At the end of the day music genres are more or less up to interpretation which is an issue I run into a lot while discussing music. Something I've gone on record saying is that music is great but genres have become completely irrelevant. Which is something I stand by 100% that's not to say genres can't be applied to music nor that they don't help to explain music. But I think even within a genre there's so much overlap and so much variance that it's almost pointless now. Like I'd classify what I've heard of Team Grimoire as speedcore, but I don't know if I'd lump them in with artists like USAO, RoughSketch, or P*Light. Somewhat yes, somewhat no. Like it's almost closer to something like S3RL's more recent works which is technically classified as Happy Hardcore/Hardstyle but seems to greatly be leaning into Gabber and Hard Bass.

You have songs that absolutely fall more into Speedcore than Hardcore but then you have others that would be Melodic Hardcore. Like Rrhar'il which feels more Melodic than things like Grievous Lady, and while Sheriruth is absolutely upbeat, I think calling it Speedcore is kind of a gross over-exaggeration.

I've yet to find anyone who sounds similar to what I've always heard called Techno Trance and is now referred to as Old School Techno.

I think Genres are dumb though if I'm being entirely honest, with the creation of the internet we had the death of the genre. Things like Nightcore for example, used to actually be proper genres. Believe it or not when Nightcore originated it was (if I'm remembering correctly) the name of an artist who made pop songs into Night Club style dance tracks, hence the name. It later evolved into a style of remixing where artists would take popular songs and make them EDM tempo, however I cannot make it important enough to emphasize the word "remix" here, these songs weren't just pitch shifted or tempo bumped. They were properly remixed including entirely new melodies, new segments to the songs; sometimes even new lyrics and bridges. When it became popular with the up and coming young Otaku community however, we saw a rise in popularity where people would take a song, tempo/pitch shift it; and upload it. Obviously this could be done significantly faster than artists actually taking the time to add various samples, melodies, lyrics, and other mixes into their songs. So the genre of Nightcore became overwhelmed by these cheap two second fad songs. That became the norm, and people made it popular because a lot of the people who listened to it genuinely, and this isn't a put down; didn't have the capacity to hear it and think critically about what they were listening to. They just heard a fast paced song they liked and went "oh cool anime picture dude" and ta-da the genre was killed. Then this happened with Vaporwave, losing any identity it had and becoming "just slow the song down" and then it happened with Future Funk losing everything that made it a unique and interesting spin on retro funk and disco music; instead becoming "take any weeb song, speed it up; and add a drum loop in fucking garage band!"

It has happened over and over again, we're seeing it happen now where every song that has a certain kind of sound to it is being labeled as Dreamcore or Weirdcore (which are used interchangeably so that's cool, we literally have two labels that can mean the same thing depending on who you ask.) Ironically I've seen "Vaporwave" songs called Weirdcore/Dreamcore because they follow the same formula now. This all goes to ignore a lot of the actual genres behind these songs, no one* knows what acid jazz, or exotic lounge actually is anymore.

*No one here meaning "the majority of people who run popular music channels on youtube and just name drop whatever popular genre they feel like

I've even been told that the music I call Techno was in fact just European Pop where they come from. It sort of became an issue of "if we let people call anything whatever they want, there comes a point where it doesn't mean anything at all." You of course have music snobs who argue what a song REALLY is back and forth to no end. You have people who say "it's an umbrella term" which doesn't change the fact that the umbrella covers entirely too many different things to actually help define the music.

At this point I'm just starting to give people examples of what I'm talking about, whether it be direct links to music or outright name dropping artists because I feel like the water of genres has become too muddied for everyone to see the same thing. Which isn't me saying "I'm right and everyone else is wrong and stupid" it's me saying "none of us know what a genre is anymore and that's a problem we ALL face, myself included."

Given the way I learned about genres through popular word of mouth and other people telling me "this is techno that's hardstyle, etc." I could be as wrong as anyone else. I've even heard people say "well the artist calls it this kind of music so it's this kind of music" and as someone who has made music and played in a band before, I cannot tell you how stupid an artist can be about their own music. If I play some Jazzy Lounge music and say it's Speedcore that doesn't make it Speedcore, it just makes me stupid.

Regardless, while I don't know if I would consider their music to be Techno, I will say that I have enjoyed what I've heard of Team Grimoire and I appreciate the recommendation! I always love discovering new music to listen to :D

[forgotten-contract]

Voidtouched-blue--[Prior]

Cyra's eyes drifted off to the side for a moment as she tasted the concoction. Brows furrowed, she paused...and then took another sip. It was sweet, but didn't have the same kind of burn as some of the other bottles that sat in the cabinet. She looked back over her shoulder at the assortment of alcohol that sat just a few steps away, then back to the cup in her hand. "Well, it certainly tastes better than it smells...but I never really could get past the way it burns my nose." She shivered at the thought of it. Cyra took another sip, this time taking in more than the previous two. "It's very...uhm...sweet? It almost reminds me of tea, but it's quite obviously not tea." She blinked, realizing that he probably had more knowledge in this than she did. Her observations were nothing more than new experiences...at least for her.

To see her sit atop the table of all places was not what he’d been expecting, but it… didn’t quite surprise him. Well, a little, and a single raised brow paired with a gentle smile as she made herself comfortable fell naturally to his features, but it was a shared mirth as he listened to her own admittance of sense, the soft jest earning a soft breath of a laugh. What a pair they made.

Silvaire did feel a bit more comfortable knowing she wanted to drink to some degree, and it wasn’t some pressure of the moment - filling her mug as he’d done for his own. They weren’t drinking glasses in the traditional sense so the amount within them was a fair bit more than the rounded or curved material that was made for a tempered drink; though, he knew his own tolerance for drink was a general amount - hers had to be similar… right?

From the way she was drinking it like the aforementioned tea probably meant she had some knowledge of her limits; or at the least her senses would be aware enough to learn that…

“Sweet.. Like tea. Interesting… I can see how the scent of alcohol would burn for most drinks hrm...” It was a casual remark, a pause taken to take a drink for himself, trying to place the idea she’d offered on the pallet - like trying to piece together the unseen, yet familiar, and finding some gesture of what she was talking about as a ghost. “-Having senses like your own most likely makes certain things difficult, overwhelming at times?”

A pause, lips pursed in thought as that tail flicked in an idle shudder as the scent once more buried itself in her nostrils, he hummed a light note with that smile at the expression she made. “I can’t relate to scent as such, but-“ It wasn’t much of a secret after the day they’d had “-I’m ah, lightblinded, if that’s any consolation.”

Seeing as she wouldn’t be using the couch as she had made herself comfortable on the table (It was still a sight that brought that smile to his features) Silvaire made himself a bit more comfortable in turn by pulling a leg up to the cushions, with his other knee bent beneath it, coming to understand that his comfort… might be her comfort as well.

Cyra wasn’t the type to have the stiff rules of date regulated order, or defined perfection for stance and speech.

The home was quiet for a little while as the two drank the sweet-drink, a different type of silence than the hollow halls of the manor - it was closer, warmer, much more… casual. Even to him, as her guest.

Part of that warmth might have been the strength of the mystery drink he realized after a moment - as it wasn’t often that he felt heat at his fingers like that. Perhaps it was a fairly high alcohol content, well, that wouldn’t be too bad-

-At least he’d think so for a few moments longer before blinking at the way that tabled ornament was flushed far quicker than one would assume. Looking as content as could be with that once-harsh-smelling mug clasped in loose claws as if it were nothing more than a warm cup on a cold day. Her tail curling and unfurling with that same temperament as her fluffy ears wiggled in a slow tempo.

Cute.

No, stop that.

Shifting to sit up a bit more he cleared his throat with that lopsided smile; “I suppose you may need to ask that patient later for the recipe-” It was a jest at the way she seemed at the moment, but in the same breath he couldn’t really blame her.

The voidsent couldn’t tell if it was the probably high-content alcohol, or the nature of his strange stolen body, that made him feel this way, this tenure of soft enjoyment despite the hoard of questions and wealth of horrible thoughts of the day; the sense of peace and comfort.

Perhaps it was just her, and that warm light aether that he couldn’t seem to escape.

[sweet-teeth-mfs]

TEMPO TEMPO DO TEMPO PLEASE

I hate love you. 

Yeah so due to recent mental health stuff I’ve not been overloading myself by watching any mvs repeatedly, (cause it can cause me to get really emotionally overwhelmed) so when I got this ask from Bee it was probably like, only the 7th time I’ve actually watched the whole MV since it came out? (I know, call myself a fan/mv lover!) and holy shit man, HOW DID WE GET SO GODDAMN LUCKY TO BE GIFTED THIS FUCKING MV?!? HOW COME WE ALL JUST FORGOT IT HAPPENED?? I know Love Shot was intense but come on, this was the fucking shit. 

BEST LOOKS: 

Well there’s clearly no way in hell to choose which look is best cause OMG YALL THEY ALL LOOK GOOD!!!

But if I must, 

Baekhyun:

This fucking look. Omg. I died a thousand deaths. I lived a thousand lives. Omg. 

The fact that he’s wearing a FREAKING CINDY SHERMAN TSHIRT is also you know, a fucking thing. 

Kai:

HOW. DID. THIS. LOOK. HAPPEN?!?!

HIS SOCKS ARE A DIFFERENT COLOUR!!!

HIS TROUSERS ARE WAY TOO SHORT!!!!

HE’S WEARING A KNITTED CROP TOP!!!!!

AND SUSPENDERS?!?!?!

WHAT IS KPOP?!? WHAT IS FASHION?!?!

WHY DOES THIS WORK SO FUCKING WELL?!! 🥴💦

Chanyeol:

CHRISTONAFUCKINGCRACKER!!!! 😭 

I legitimately had fucking heart palpitations when his tempo concept shots were released and we saw the fucking glory on fucking high that was Chanyeol’s like 2-day silver hair. Holy cow. It was…a maze ing. I remember Bee and I were working a conference and these shots were released in the afternoon and I just went straight into the office and printed them all out in full colour and hid them in my conference clip board and just you know, died repeatedly. 

Suho: 

Hear me out alright, but, even though this lothario!dad!suho outfit is all things terrible in my eyes (its just a big old plain NO) somehow, someway, it just works on Junmyeon. Its so cringe its fantastic? It’s also so incredibly SDJ that it makes me laugh. When I rewatched the MV for this ask I literally squealed the second he appeared in this outfit. Its so bad. Omg its so bad. I love it.

Sehun:

@feedmeramyun​ will tell you, I have a bit of a thing of not making a deal about Sehun (mainly because he always comes off as childish and has resting bitchface -like me tbf- but also cause I love teasing Bee about him) so for me to say that Sehun is included in some of the best looks in this mv is a lot but hot damn, Oh Sehun with red hair and in amber lighting does something for me cause yeah I fucking loved this look/these shots!!!

Kyungsoo:

Ok so Soo did like, amazingly style wise in this MV, but the outfit he wears in the dance sequences in red is just… oh god. I shouldn’t like it. I really shouldn’t. But by god I really, really do….

*looks at the clock and the length of this post already*

…..ALSO EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE WEARS LIKE COME ON ITS GLORIOUS I THINK I COULD DO WITHOUT DAE IN THE GIANT COAT BUT THATS FUCKING IT OMG THIS WAS AN AMAZING MV STYLE WISE. XIUMIN! LAY! EVERYONE! IT WAS SO GOOD! HOW DID WE GET THIS MV?!?!

BEST SHOTS:

ANYTHING with the holographic/iridescent effect had me in fits of delight, I love this kind of effect and for an MV, this was really well done. I especially like this shot (reveal of Evil/Avatar/Spy?!Baekhyun) and the shots of Kai and the piano. I’m such a sucker for tech rainbows. 

I also really loved the snap editing of this shot of Soo:

I remember watching it the first time and being like ‘Bitch snapped his head so hard his entire outfit changed!’. 😅😭Also for some reason these shots make him look so little and it just makes me chuckle endlessly (I’m sorry Bee!)

and definitely everything with Minnie and his insane firework hair:

I don’t think I would have changed a jot of this MV, except maybe to get a) more Lay b) more plot resolution (what the hell SM you give me some mystery cube bullshit and then don’t really follow through I mean wtf is really going on, mysterious concept more like cliffhangering your entire fandom i dont even know whats going on) and maybe just you know, more of it. 

I’d like more please.

🎥Send me a band + MV and let me rant to you about it

[coco-city]

Ateez | You Make Them Jealous 

A/N fluff, mentions of cheating, etc.

Hongjoong

You visited Hongjoong at the dorms to hang out with him and the guys

You played a few board games with them before everyone started to get hungry

You decided to go pick up some food for you and the boys

San volunteered to go with you and to help carry the food into the house

Reaching for the house key in his pocket, San made a really bad dad joke about cows

He thought you would find the joke hilarious, but he was left with silence

Walking into the dorms, you retorted smirk, “the only thing I found funny is not your joke, but your believing your joke is funny” This made him pout.

You laughed at him, finding his little tantrum cute

“Noona, you hurt my feelings”

Too busy in your world with San to notice your boyfriend on the couch glaring at you and San

For the rest of the day, Hongjoong angrily stares at San the entire time you guys all sit to eat

Seonghwa

You... Making Seonghwa jealous? 

Tbh he’d probably laugh to himself because he knows your game better than you do

He stood near the bar scanning the nightclub when a woman, who looks older than you, approached your boyfriend

You watched from across the room as they genuinely flirted with each other

The girl leaned in for a kiss, but before you could interject what was going on, Seonghwa told her that he was taken already.

He walked to you, placing his hands on your waist and yours around his neck, as you both slowly danced to the upbeat tempo.

“Did you learn your lesson yet, babygirl?” He smirked.

Yunho

Yunho would be hurt that you would even consider trying to make him jealous

He didn’t understand why you had to go out of your way just to make him jealous

He was disappointed in you

He sat you down to tell you how your flirting hurt his feelings

You were beyond confused, furrowing your eyebrow 

“Yunho babe, what are you talking about? Make you jealous? Why in the world would you think that?!”

He pondered before saying, “ You’ve been talking to Mingi a lot lately, and I thought that maybe you like him more than you like me.” 

You died laughing, “Me. With Mingi? Hahahakakkahaaaa” He stared at you, bewildered that you found a hint of this funny.

“What’s so funny?” He questioned. “Yunho. The reason I’ve been calling Mingi a lot… is that we were trying to plan a surprise birthday party for you. But that obviously failed.”

He was not expecting that. He didn’t know what to say. “So there’s nothing going on between you two?” “Nothing at all,” hugging your gigantic baby.

Yeosang

You and the boys huddled around the tv as The Suspect starring Gong Yoo played on the screen

You were snuggled up to Yeosang on the couch while the others either sat in beanbag chairs or on the floor

There was a scene where Gong Yoo appeared shirtless as he climbed the top of a mountain

This causes you to gawk at his body, in glory

Your boyfriend, however, side-eyed you

For every shirtless scene, you couldn’t help but be in awe  

“Angel, who do you think is better, me or Gong Yoo?” He whispers. 

“Duh, obviously Gong Yoo,” you stated. Yeosang rolled his eyes. 

“So are you saying that you would choose Gong Yoo over me?”

“Of course…”, you paused. He looks down, feeling hurt by your words. “I’m just kidding, sweetie,” you kissed his cheek and turned your attention back to the movie. You didn’t notice, but your boyfriend stared at your profile for the next 30 minutes blushing the entire time.

San

San and you were in a secret relationship. He didn’t tell anyone that you were dating, not even his members, worried that it would make his members uncomfortable since you visit the dorms often

So you guys decided to act like close friends around them

One night, you and the boys were drinking when Yunho brought up playing truth or dare

All nine of you sat in a circle in the living room

Wooyoung started off the game, pointing to Hongjoong, “Hongjoong hyung, I dare you to text your ex.” 

The game went on like that for a few minutes, then it was Yeosang’s turn to ask truth or dare.

He looked around in search of a new victim when his eyes landed on Seonghwa and smirked.

“Seonghwa hyung,… do you like y/n?” You were shocked but didn’t react much. Why would he have a crush on you?

Seonghwa stared at you smiling softly, “Yes, I like y/n.”

You were surprised by his reply. You never that he would like you any more than just friends.

“So, what do you say? Do you perhaps want to go on a date with me?”

Still shocked by his words, you didn’t even notice your San waiting for your response

“Yeah y/n, what do you say?” He smirked condescendingly

Realizing you weren’t going to say it, San interfered, “She has a boyfriend already.”

Seonghwa questioned, “Oh really? Who?”

San scooted closer to you, placing his arm around your waist while pushing you further to him

“Me.”

Whenever you visited him in the dorms, you were constantly pulled in multiple directions, as each member wanted to hang out with you

It was a normal occurrence that happened every time you visited your boyfriend

Sometimes you barely had enough time to spend with San

Mingi

You were brainstorming gift ideas for you and Mingi’s 100th day but had no clue what to get him

You were sitting on your side of your shared bed texting Wooyoung

You wanted to gift him something that was both meaningful and useful

As you’re smiling to yourself while texting Wooyoung, your boyfriend walks in and joins you on the bed

“Who’s got you smiling so hard?” He asks curiously in a way that doesn’t seem invasive.

“I’m texting Wooyoung about something” You smile not looking up from your phone

“Why are you texting him late at night? Is there something going on that I should be worried about?” He lays his head against the headboard, arms crossed and legs splayed out.

You finally look up at him and notice a hint of jealousy on his face? “Mingi, what’s going on with you? You don’t seriously think I’m cheating on you with your best friend, do you?”

He stares at you, as he answers in silence. You know he’s not going to give up on this topic, so you just soul the beans about everything.

“Fine! You want to know!” You sigh. “Are 100th day is coming up and I wanted to get you a special gift but I couldn’t think of any ideas. So—”

“So you asked Wooyoung,” he finishes your sentence for you. You then nod. “I’m sorry for how I overreacted. I promise it won’t happen again. It just really made me angry that someone else was making you smile that much and not me.” He frowns and hugs you tight.

“It’s okay. Do you forgive me?” You ask.

“Of course, princess,” he smiles in your embrace.

Wooyoung

Just like Seonghwa, he would play your game

But he kinda takes things too far

You flirt without realizing when you’re drunk, never intentionally flirting with other men

He was mad because you knew this habit of yours made him jealous

Now he wants to turn the tables

He’d flirt with various women in front of you and would occasionally look your way to see if you were still watching 

Then he would dance with them in a way he usually did with you

You pulled the girl away from your man by her shirt, “You had your turn, move”

Wooyoung was shocked, he didn’t expect you to react in that way

He quickly masked the shock with a smirk

Jongho

mission accomplished

You made Jongho jealous 

Now he feels insecure about himself

He felt like he wasn’t good enough for you and that was the reason why you were flirting with other men

Little did he know, you weren’t trying to flirt with them

They approached you and attempted to make a move on you

But failed

You kept telling them that you were taken 

Smiling ear to ear as you drunkenly bragged about your boyfriend being all strong and manly

And if they kept trying to pursue you that he would break them

Literally…

[shadowsepiphany]

Giving in| myg.

Synopsis: it should be simple. He was your professor and you were his student. But literature taught you both, that passion was a sensation, that overwhelmed rational thinking. Passion was a feeling that was made for giving in.

pairing: teacher!yoongi x reader

genre: smut, romance

Rating: mature.

warnings: mature language and content, sexual content, former teacher! x student (both are consenting adults), dirty talk, use of the nickname princess, soft dom! yoongi

word count: 2,1k / m.list

Your fingertips are staining his keyboard as you  type your  words down, nonchalantly and quietly, as if your last breath was to linger on your blood wine lips soon, as if the tempo of your heart was going down like the words on the paper. His eyes were reflecting the moon that sat above you two as he looked at his laptop, lost in thoughts and finger between his lips. You shouldn't be here, knees kept together with pressure and gaze fixating him too long, his little grin telling you that in fact, he did notice your little act. You couldn't look away, not even if someone would force you to, if someone would grab your jaw and try to shift your eyes away, you would return them to him, with new anticipation. How couldn't you? His nostrils flaring simple and beautiful breaths, his lips parted and painted with the wine you shared. 

“You're making this really hard”

His Voice awakes you in an instant as you try to concentrate on your work again, failing as his gummy smile makes your heart flutter. His expression was dazzling, how he was able to lose himself in his work, like he was made for it. A purple light, created by leds that were led one balcony away from his, were creating an intense contrast to his usual hard surface, an enchanting view to be straining after him once more.

“Why? You are the one, refusing.” 

Your reminder sits deep in your throat and his eyebrow raises as you bite your lip, not trying to tempt him, but simply being nervous and falling into this old habit of yours. It wasn't easy, sitting here and trying to act like an adult, when you were driven by passion for this man, ever since you saw him for the first time in an old classroom in college. His low mumbling voice, intellectual yet distracting to the point where you were unable to recognize any sense behind his words, only his tone striking you and his high setted standards, everyone complaining about him being impossible to please, events, still lost in your memory, lingering in your head like the sun above the sky.

 Now, you were barely 22 and he still was a professional teacher, just not your teacher anymore. Facts that made your barrier crack in completely while his was obviously still up. He was careful with his actions and words but even more with his desires, but somewhere amidst his innocent act, he was tensed and anxiety driven, by your bare leg and your soft gaze, a man was all he was in the end and he could feel it with every second that passed.

“You were my student Y/N, after all. “

“So? I have been an adult since the day we met, Yoongi.”

You, using his name instead of addressing him with mr. min, sparked some sense of interest in him and strong discontent at your behaviour at the same time, eyebrows knitted and shoulders rolled back, an hostile glare sending warnings through your body. He didn't know what he expected when he invited you, trying to teach you some things about literature when in reality, you resembled every page of literature he has ever read. So, even though he did not know what he expected, he knew what he dreamt of and the image of you crying out his name until sunrise was flooding his brain, no matter how hard he was trying to shut it off.

His urge to sleep with you wasn't exactly what caused the concern to be mirrored in his expression, mouth drawn back and his moral pained face was now near your own, it was rather how he wanted it to be: love, beautiful, sensational and slow, almost like a teenage girls dream and it almost caused him to sink to the woodend ground.

He watched, as you bit your lip, the white mark your teeth left on your lower lip disappearing in a second, making him wish that they were his, instead of your own. Your hand was resting on your skin, underneath the dress you wore, he salivated your figure whole and felt his pants tightening with every second your eyes were fixated on his hands. He could almost hear your thoughts and he was horrified, sour by how easy he could get you so worked up. 

“You know what? Fuck it.” he mumbles and your eyes spark up, suddenly feeling almost overwhelmed by his stern expression, shamelessly gazing at you, like you overstepped boundaries never to be crossed.

He wanted to devour you and give your body what it needs, fulfill your dreams and desires until you melted in his touch. Feeling like that made him mad. So mad, he didn't kiss you the way he wanted you to, he damned you for his concealed feelings and you had no idea of his inner fight when you kissed him back, satisfaction filling up your body, despite a sense of stern anger filling up his.

“What do you want, princess? Tell me-” 

He kissed you down your neck, goosebumps shaking up your whole being as his hand wandered down your leg, your core tingling rather uncomfortably as the passion you felt made your heart almost jump out of your chest. You tried to keep your calm, even as his tongue licked slowly over a deep red spot he caused. Your breath hitched and his hand stopped, just underneath your blue dress, sitting there waiting, just like his eyes, lips parted and eyes sly, patience thinning with every breath.

“Won't you speak? I need consent darling.” 

You felt like you were in a shakespeare play, your nod and quiet permission causing the tragedy to happen like a butterfly effect, you didn't know at the time, but you were bound to find out as his hand finally proceeds to play with your underwear, the rest of yoongi's Body being motionless, enjoying every sensation he could hear escaping from your now dark red lips. Wine on the lips you kissed, instead of the usual beer on guys, reminded you how Yoongi was different from the rest and he didn't shy away from showing you exactly that, as he grabs you, suddenly just going inside and closing the balcony door, smoothly with one hand and throwing you on his bed with the other. 

“Up.” he said, his eyes on the skirt of your dress and you understood immediately as you obeyed. Your cheeks were a flushed red and your skin was glowing under the full moon shining through his balcony door. Your expression was shy, obedient and Yoongi swore he could have just cum from you being so submissive for him, his bulge being so visible, it hurt. Humans can be so easy and every emotion that floods through him made him feel like some sort of animal, hands unable to rest, your body mischievous, dark eyes devouring every curve it showed.

“Where is your witty mouth now hm?-”

He lowered his head and before you could grasp what was happening, he was already licking your folds, leaving you gasping and moaning rather quietly, which he saw as an evil challenge. His velocity increases, you lose the ability to breath as his name was now lingering in the air, your first orgasm approaching, as your stomach hurt, pleasure never being so present in your life, like it was right now as he- just stopped.

His Face was now in front of you again, a shocked expression painting yours, a grin being displayed on his. His cheeks were flushed as you put your hand on it, lightly smacking him as his grin widened, piercing eyes and a cocked head shamelessly mocking you.

“Now now princess, let's not get violent, where are your manners?”

He grabbed your hand as you tried to smack him again, his grin now disappearing completely as he pinned both of them above your head, his pressure increasing with every motion you made, trying to get him off of you, without success.

You knew you were being bratty, but what you also knew was how turned on Yoongi got whenever you disobeyed him. You noticed it, on the first missed assignment where you were telling him that his teaching wasn't even good enough for the amount of assignments you got. His darkening eyes told you everything about this man that you needed to know and locked an ecstatic desire for your professor in your brain.

However, when his eyes darkened now, his body above yours and his hard on way too present, you feared that you crossed the line today. 

“There she is, the brat. Even though you're already suffering from loss of words, but that's alright. your body tells me everything baby.”

You clenched around nothing with every word he spoke, elegantly and haunting, his way of expressing of course above those of the general, as a determined literature teacher. He put his finger inside you, at first only his patient appearing fingertips as you let out a huff of frustration. 

“beg.”

“please-” you found your words again, your voice sounding as if someone else was controlling you, passion letting every part of your brain shut off. “please Yoongi, need you, please.” 

He shoved his finger inside you, filling you up and wasting no time in preparing you. He was a man of honor, wanting his partner to suffer from pleasure, but at the end of the day he was still a mess, a man impatiently waiting for his own relief, especially when he was being teased by your expressions and moans. 

“You think you can take it?”

His voice grew shakier, his cock throbbing as you eyed it and nodded. The moment itself was simple: two people having sex. But it was beautiful, the way he gazed at you with adoration and you looked back with admiration. Passion lingering in the air and moans escaping both of your wine tinted lips as he finally entered you, at first slowly, teasingly, as if him putting on a condom wasn't enough time wasted in your opinion. You needed him rough and deep and he noticed that, but he wasn't going to hurt you. He adored you too much for that.

As he increased his speed, finally giving in to his own needs, your gasping and grabbing only burned your image in his brain even more. He wanted you, not only now but forever, beside him when he woke up and underneath him before going to sleep, ultimately in each other's arms. He fought the urge way too long now, your private sessions with him teaching you literature only taught him that he was smart but a coward at the same time. He knew that you wanted him, the only thing he was scared of was you not wanting him like that. 

“Are you mine?” 

His speed was even faster now and his questions weren't left unanswered as you found out how to speak again. “Yes, I am.” you whispered as he sucked on your neck, like creating a proof of your own words, displayed on your skin for everyone else to see. 

“good girl.” he spoke against your neck, making you clench around him, his hot breath still tickling your spot as he returned his face in front of yours again. The position was intimate, his hair was falling in front of his face, sweat on his temple making him almost glitter, he portrayed a greek god. You wanted to kiss him again, as you felt your orgasm approaching and thankfully, he felt the exact same way.

He kissed you again, passionately and hard as both of you came, almost at the same time. It was too good to be true, as he pulled out of you, your eyes closing softly and his arm around your shoulders, pressing your body into collapsing into his own. 

Your heart was slowing down, as you felt Yoongi disappearing into the world of dreams, his heartbeat calming you down. You didn't speak a word to each other that night, but it wasn't needed. You told each other everything you had to say while living up both of your darkest fantasies. The only thing you were scared of was the sudden realization of what you did.

You didnt have sex with Yoongi.

You made love.

[keilemlucent]

prey and promises

 (NSFW)

hawks | takami keigo x reader 

word count: ~2.1k

keigo is a people pleaser at heart, and you’re his person. you want to try some new things in the bedroom. you do the math.

warnings: light restraints, light predator/prey (ish), praise kink, service dom keigo

a/n: people pleasing keigo is my kink, service dom keigo is my kink, here’s some pwp. this was originally my drabble for the exchange, but it got a wee bit long so it’s its own bastard now. enjoy some h word and happy valentine’s day loves!!!! 💗💗💗

“That too tight, dove?”

No, and honestly? Not tight enough.

The rope binding on your wrists was a bit too loose, a bit unpracticed, but a good effort despite all of that. Keigo really tried his best for you, and you could tell.

The bedroom was dim, for the sake of romance, suspense, or both. Only the flicker of a few perfectly placed jar and pillar candles lit the room, allowing Keigo’s wings to cast large, beautiful shadows across the room.

You watched, mesmerized by just his shadow.

That wasn’t mentioning the man who was straddling your hips, chest level with your face as he futzed with your bound wrists.

He worried to himself, nervously speaking just above breathing.

Who would’ve fucking thought, that number two, pro hero ‘Hawks’ was a goddamn sweetheart in bed?

He was a notorious playboy (wrong, but tabloids work harder than sinners on their knees), and unabashed flirt (true, but before you, he’d always been shit at the follow-through). Yet, he’d been worrying about the state of your bound arms for what had to be at least ten minutes.

As much as you appreciated the care, you were practically dripping onto the bed from all of the teasings he’d led up with (kissing, sucking, torturing your poor nipples until they were hard, flushed, and bitten.) It had been too long since you’d had the proper time to spoil each other, and Keigo was exploiting the opportunity for all it was worth.

Some time ago, he must’ve had the rope shipped to your shared apartment without you knowing. It wasn’t too thick, not too rough, just perfectly oiled and deep scarlet. It was worn by the time he’d brought it out to you that night, a surprise for you, but not him. He’d obviously been practicing knots in the little spare time he had.

It showed how much he cared, truly.

You’d mentioned, offhand, a month or two ago over a shared bottle of wine that you’d like to ‘spice things up’ in the bedroom when you had the chance to. Keigo had been intrigued, dug in a little more, and got you blushing and revealing a good handful of kinks.

And he delivered, the best he could anyway, with the experience and research he’d been able to put together.

“Not too tight at all,” You tug on the restraints, wiggling a bit below him, antsy and needy already. “Now get down here, or I’m gonna leave hickeys in some very visible places.”

Keigo ‘ooo’ed and flopped to rest his chest against yours, the chill of the barbels through his nipples making you shiver. He gives you a pleased smile, eyes sharp and half-lidded all at the same time, “Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Both, if you keep talking and not touching,” You really tried to keep your tone from getting whiney. Keigo was content, always content, to be a tease, and without your hands, it was even easier to fall to mush beneath him.

“Needy,” Keigo clicked his tongue, snapping the elastic of the garter over your thighs. With his weight over your hips, and your arms high and held to the headboard, there wasn’t much you could do other than writhe a bit and plead with your eyes.

“If you were in my position, you’d be the same way,” you hissed.

“Maybe,” He mussed, lips trailing over the skin of your throat.

Keigo stole any retort and the breath from your lungs as he chomped down on your neck (really, he bit down) and suck at the skin. The bruise he was leaving began to ache almost immediately, teeth kneading away even as you arched and gasped beneath him.

You bucked your hips, begging silently for just a bit more—

And Keigo growled against your pulse. His hands gripping the fat above your waist and pressing you into the mattress with his body weight.

His wings puffed up and outstretched before your eyes as your breaths became more labored with each moment.

He’s really fucking turned on.

Keigo pulled back to sit over your hips, pupils wide and having eaten the amber of his eyes long again.

You tried to grind up into him, desperate for just something—

And Keigo pressed you to the bed again, wings widening to cover the two of you as a low rumble broke from his throat. You swallowed dry and your lips fell open as you watched Keigo, somewhat in awe and very horny.

“Here’s how tonight’s gonna work,” Keigo sounded way too pleased that you’d finally stilled. “You’re gonna be the good girl I know you are and let me decide how and when you get to feel good. You can do that, can’t you?”

You didn’t have a lot of fight left in you, not with the way he was looking at you, not with the way his hands were stretching and squeezing over your curves.

The small part of your brain that was still functioning recalled your tipsy conversation from months before—

...

“I dunno,” You giggled, leaning on Keigo’s side. “I just think I’d be nice to feel a little bit smaller, and weaker. In like a hot way.”

“... Small and weak is hot to you?” Keigo’s word only slurred slightly.

“Nah, not like that!” You pushed against his shoulder, hiding your bashful grin in his bicep. “Like... Use me a bit, you know? However you want to fuck me up, fuck me up.”

...

Apparently, Keigo had taken your request to heart. Did some serious ruminating. And was planning on delivering.  

“I said,” His wings half-flapped (oh, you were fucked)— “‘You can do that, can’t you?’”

He ran the tips of his nails (talons) over your ribs, the fucking bastard.

The nail in the coffin was the way how he dragged them up and up. Over the curves of your sides, your tits, heaving chest, and collar bones to plant either hand on the side of your head.

And Keigo leaned over you, naked and leaking, wings extended high with a fucking delicious and terrifying gleam filling his eye.

The sharp talon on his thumb ran over your cheek, and your stomach dropped. You felt your cunt clench around nothing as you pulled at the restraints.

“Yes, y-yes, yes!” You sputtered, lost in the pitch of Keigo’s pupils. “I can do that, it, whatever you want, please.”

Keigo visibly shuddered when you begged, but you hardly noticed. You were far more focused on how he shifted a knee between your parted legs, nudging his own flush with your bare cunt.

“Then fuck yourself on my thigh.”

Your hips moved without thought, the muscles and flesh on your tummy flexing to get just a morsel of him.

“Oh, I think I like this,” His breath felt so fucking hot against your ear, you swore you were scalded. “You’re just so fucking gorgeous when you doing just what I want you to.”

A strained, little sound dribbles from your lips as you nod, ‘yes, yes, I’m sure I look nice but I need more’, turning your head to drag your lips over his cheekbone.

His feathers ruffled, wings fluttering and flexing, the primaries scraping the ceiling but neither of you had a mind to care. Keigo had never really had this energy before, and you were a fucking glutton for it. You needed more, more of him and whatever he was willing to give.

You were begging for it without even thinking about it.

Keigo sat back on his heels, chest and cheeks flushed enough to match his wings.

He was so fucking pretty.

You took him all in, lips parting and just a bit of drool spilling from the corner of your mouth. Just a little bit.

All the while, you kept grinding on his thigh, soaking Keigo in slick that he oh so fucking sinfully gathered up on two fingers that he then sucked clean.

Bastard, bastard—

And impatient bastard.

“Such a good little dove,” Keigo purred, palming his cock with his saliva-soaked hand. “My good little dove. I’m sure you want something to fill you up, don’t you? Tell me. Use that mouth of yours.”

And you spewed.

You slurred about how hot Keigo was like this, how much you needed his cock, because, I don’t know, for fuck’s sake, without it you might as well die. You licked your chapped lips as he grinned above you, more smug than you’d ever seen him.

And thank fucking god, he threw your legs over his shoulders and fucked into you clean with one, single motion.

You shrieked, stretched and stuffed without a moment to adjust but you didn’t fucking care. The burn was grounding, the heat spreading from your cunt to the tips of your toes and fingers as you tugged at the restraints, begging for more until your voice went hoarse.

And, as... predatory as Keigo was presenting himself, large and sharp and intimidating, he was ultimately still your dutiful lover who wanted nothing more than to have you ruined for anyone else on his thick, pretty cock.  

“FUCK!” Your voice broke high as you took Keigo’s cock, eyes rolling white as he moved, so fast— “K-Keigo!”

The tempo he set was something worse than brutal. It tore the breath from your lung with each slam of his hips. Each slap of skin on skin had a high moan ripping from your throat in time with the creek of the headboard. The way his cock hit everything so perfectly was overwhelming, but all the same you wanted to drown in it, take it between your ribs and absorb and it and be—

“Whose are you?”

His, Keigo’s, his, his, HIS—

“Y-Yours, yours, YOURS!”

Your vision sparked on the edges as you came, spin curling off the bed, back blown to high hell but you didn’t fucking care. All you could focus on was the pleasure of it all and the way Keigo didn’t slow—

The bastard sped up.

You sputtered something, a weak ‘too much!’, but with no safeword (no need to use it, you felt more alive on his cock than you had in a long time), Keigo kept up his pace, sweat pouring down his temples and feathers twitching blurrily in your vision.

A hand slipped between your bodies, “Y-You’re so perfect, baby, best f-fucking girl in the world for me.”

“Y-you’re best girl?” Your voice broke into a whine as pummeled that knot of nerves, your gut overheating in the best way—

“Yes, fuck, my best girl,” Keigo took only a moment of pause, catching his breath before continuing at a pace and depth you didn’t think you could take but you were— “My b-best, perfect, girl. You’re fucked for me, aren’t you?”

You nodded dumbly, watching Keigo’s bow forward with the curve of his spine.

“Good, good,” Keigo’s voice was just as rough as yours, weak for you and your spent, perfect body and self. “You take me so well, gonna take all of me so, so—”

The finger rolling your clit sped up, and heat shot through you, cunt clenching and sending the two of your tumbling with each other.

“GOOD!”

Keigo’s hips finally stuttered, slamming into yours once, twice, and third time before he spills into you, stuffing you so full you swear you can feel it in your tummy.

You were cresting at the same time, swimming in the sensation of him, slick soaking your thighs as Keigo gave a few shallow thrusts, stuffing you.

And you came down together.

You were only half lucid as Keigo pulled out, laying thick praise on you with words and little kisses to your undoubtedly sore legs. A feather or two loosened the ties around your wrists, so your arms could drop limply to your sides. The rope left the prettiest indentations that you made a not to ogle at when you were more present. 

Keigo flopped beside you in the sheets, greedy hands pulling you close to mingle in sweat, sound and breath.

“So, how was I?” Keigo asked.

Someone less practiced in knowing him would assume his tone sounded over-confident, the lazy smirk he was wearing only adding to his incredible acting.

But you could tell from the tension still bound up in his wings, and the little crinkles between his brows, and the thick swallow he gives you, that he is indeed asking you, genuinely, ‘how did I do?’.

You replied with a deep breath, fumbling a bit to grab his hips, fingers dancing up his spin to rest the roots of his wings between your spread fingers.

“You did so good, Kei’, please fuck me like that again sometime—” It would probably be smart to let your very blown out back heal, but—

Keigo kissed you, hard and hot with a hand pulling your jaw just right.

“‘Sometime’?” Keigo murmured, nibbling your bottom lip, the fucking whore. “Why not now?”

You had no reason to refuse, so why not?

[fruitcoops]

Hi, Eve

Rose here from yesterday, thank you very much for the Birthday message, I wasn't expecting you to read it let alone reply but I was looking for Coops kids Birthday fluff specifically. It doesn't matter if you don't have time however as I don't want to be a bother.

Hello Rose, and happy (belated) 20th birthday! Sorry for the wait--I really wanted to get this one right to celebrate such an important number. I hope your day was absolutely fantastic! SW credit goes to @lumosinlove, but Stella is an OC

Combined with asks for Sirius lightly making fun of Remus' accent and Remus yelling at a game show (@nazar4114)

“Medusa!” Stella shouted with all the force in her thirteen-year-old lungs. Remus leaned forward on the couch. “Medusa!”

The front door opened with a creak. “I’m h—”

“Yes!” they cheered in unison as Nicole answered correctly. Remus turned and gave Stella a double high-five, feeling his heart squeeze at the vivid joy on her round face. “Good guess.”

“I knew she was gonna get it,” Stella said with a pump of her fist as she turned back to the show and folded her legs underneath her.

“Gonna,” a familiar deep voice mimicked from the doorway. Paper bags rustled before footsteps stopped behind the couch; Remus tilted his chin up without sparing a glance, and Sirius pressed a laugh-laced kiss to his cheek before dropping one on Stella’s head as well. “You sound too much like your dad.”

“Love you, too,” Remus said wryly.

“I’ll take ‘Myths and Moths’ for 400, please.” Nicole’s voice snapped his attention back to the screen, and Stella narrowed her eyes.

“Daily Double!” the automated voice announced. Stella gasped; Remus bit his lower lip. “This mythical shield was wielded by Athena, and is sometimes said to be made of goat skin.”

“Aegis,” Stella whispered, then raised her voice. “It’s the Aegis, Nicole. You know this.”

“We know you do,” Remus said, scooting forward. “You just guessed whose head is on it.”

Nicole’s buzzer went off with two seconds to spare. “What is the Aegis?”

“Hell yeah!” Stella whooped.

Remus turned to her and raised his eyebrows. “Excuse you.”

“Sorry.”

“Are you two going to do this the whole afternoon?” Sirius asked from the kitchen, obviously amused. “We might need to get the neighbors some noise-cancelling headphones.”

Stella blew a dark lock of hair out of her eyes as she flopped her head back. “It’s almost final Jeopardy, papa. We have, like, ten minutes.”

Sirius blinked at her, then shook his head. “I swear you two share genes.”

“Ope, you caught me,” Remus said over the noise of the commercial break. “When I was 20 and had literally never left Wisconsin, I went and had a secret kid in Maine who looks terribly like you just so that someone would watch Jeopardy reruns with me thirteen years later. Oops.”

“It’s the truth,” Stella said with great gravity. “I remember.”

“Mon dieu,” Sirius muttered, though he couldn’t keep a smile down. He had never been able to hide around Stella, not once in the three years since they had adopted her. It was one of the things Remus loved most about him. “By the way, nobody under the age of fourteen is allowed in the kitchen for the next…hour. Ish.”

Stella squirmed around until she could rest her arms on the back of the couch. “What if I get thirsty?”

“I’m sure you can invoke birthday privileges and ask your dad to get something for you.”

“Birthday privileges?” Remus scoffed. “Nobody in this house has a birthday today. Yours was last month, and mine’s in March.”

“It’s my birthday,” Stella said.

“What? No, it’s not.”

“Yeah-huh.”

“Your birthday is in June.”

“It’s today.”

“Or maybe July?”

“It’s today, in December, when there’s snow,” she insisted, throwing herself back against the pillows. “Come on, dad, that’s not funny anymore.”

Remus raised his eyebrows. “Is somebody too old to find their poor old dad amusing now? Can you go back to being twelve so somebody will laugh at my jokes again? I know, I know, we're super lame compared to all your friends’ parents—”

“So lame,” Sirius agreed from the kitchen.

“—but I like to think we get one more year of pre-teen cuteness before the teen angst takes over.”

Stella sat up again with a groan. Looking at her, Remus saw a mix of himself and Sirius that had always baffled him, considering they had adopted her comparatively late in her life; beneath it was something uniquely Stella. Maybe it was her double-jointed elbows, or the board-straightness of her hair next to their curls, but there was no mistaking that she was her own person through and through. He loved that about her. “I’m not going to be a terrible teenager.”

Sirius poked his head around the edge of the kitchen—his nose was adorned with a smudge of flour. “Can I record that for future use?”

“Non.”

“Ooo, using the French,” Remus hissed. “That transformation is already beginning.”

“It’s not like you were bad teenagers, right?” She settled upside-down on the couch with her flamingo-patterned socks high in the air.

“I almost convinced Grandma to let me dye my hair blue, but otherwise I was pretty good.”

“I was terrible,” Sirius laughed. “I didn’t talk to anybody for a solid three years.”

Stella frowned. “How? I think I’d die if I did that.”

“He’s stubborn,” Remus stage-whispered.

“I heard that.”

Stella suppressed her laughter as best she could, but she was about as good at hiding her emotions around them as Sirius was. She didn’t really giggle—the amount her voice had deepened over the past three years always gave Remus whiplash—but her laugh had the same cadence as it did the first day they heard it. While Stella had been quiet at first, it only took love and time to bring her out of her shell. Within a year she settled into their lives like she was always meant to be there.

A thoughtful look crossed her face. “This is my last year before high school.”

“Does it feel different?”

“Not really.” She paused, then shrugged. “And a little. I don’t feel older. It just feels like there’s stuff I won’t get to do anymore.”

“And a lot more you will get to do.” Sirius left his dishtowel on the counter before joining them on Stella’s other side. “You can drive soon, you’ll get a longer curfew, you get more freedom…”

“I guess.”

“What are you going to miss?” Remus asked as she toyed with the hem of her shirt. It was a basic Lions FAN jersey; he was fairly sure she bought it to be ironic. That, and she only wore one of theirs if she was upset with the other, or if one needed a boost at a game.

“I dunno.” A few beats of silence passed. “My classmates. My team. It feels like everything’s going to turn upside down.”

“You can still keep in touch with your friends, and I bet your team won’t be too different,” Sirius said quietly. “Even if it does, that doesn’t mean you have to give all of them up. People change in different ways. They come and go on their own time.”

“There’s going to be a lot of upside-downs over the next couple years, kid.” Remus offered her a smile. “But you’re going to be just fine.”

“You two sound like such dads right now.”

“This might shock you, but that’s because we are.”

The corner of her mouth tugged up and she lolled her head to the side to look at Sirius. “Is the cake done?”

“Fifteen more minutes.”

“Will you watch final Jeopardy with us?”

“What’s the category?”

“US Presidents.”

Sirius exhaled through his nose, but nodded. She grinned and turned herself upright to snuggle against his arm. “You just enjoy watching me lose.”

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

“Alright, is everyone ready?” Sirius called from the kitchen.

“On three,” Remus said, raising his phone camera. “One, two, three!”

“Happy birthday to you,” over a dozen voices sang. They were off-tempo and so out of key the composer was probably spinning in his grave, but Stella’s clear joy didn’t waver for a millisecond even as her cheeks reddened. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Stella, happy birthday to you!”

Finn, of course, dragged out the last note. So did Leo, Logan, Kasey, James, Lily, and Talker in varying degrees of awful harmony attempts. It was terrible, and beautiful. “Make a wish,” Sirius said softly as he set the cake down and stepped back. His eyes were the brightest quicksilver Remus had seen in many moons.

Stella closed her eyes, took a breath, and blew as hard as she could—the entire room erupted into cheers when all the candles went out. She was laughing and blushing at the same time when Remus turned the lights back on, though the humor won out in the end and she helped pass plates of cake to her many aunts and uncles. Like every year prior, Regulus managed to smear a bit of frosting on her chin, only to immediately deny it with great offense when she noticed. It was becoming a bit of a tradition—one that Remus never grew tired of.

I know what I would wish for, Remus thought as he looked around the table at their patchwork family. Celeste, Dumo, and his own parents had no doubt spoiled their first grandchild with ‘cusp of adulthood’ gifts, and Natalie and Lily would certainly steal her away after cake for some girl time. Finn and Logan would remain the fun uncles while Leo and Regulus kept their thrones as the cool uncles; Stella would interrogate Jules on the intricacies of high school for at least an hour before they destroyed everyone in a snowball fight. The world they built together had a place for everyone.

I would wish for this. This, for us, forever. It wasn’t a bad eternity to imagine.

[running-with-toast]

Hi there ! Genuinely curious about this : How much time does it usually take you and your team to translate one chapter of Shiori Experience? (btw thank y'all so much for all the work you're doing and can't wait for chapter 63!)

The answer to that is a bit complicated. In terms of actual *work*, chapters don't take all that long to put together. Here's the breakdown:

Translation takes a couple of days usually, closer to a week if it's a long/complicated chapter (or if Prince talks, his puns are a fucking nightmare).

Then it comes to me for lettering. Originally I could turn a chapter around in two or three days, a pace I was able to maintain because I would do a bunch of prep work ahead of time (we get volumes months ahead of when we translate them), and because I ignored sfx. Now that we're doing the sfx, my job has gotten significantly more complicated. Now it takes me a week or two up from two or three days.

Then it goes to proofreading and quality control. These are generally the fastest, taking a day or two at most.

So all together, that's a chapter complete in about two weeks. In reality, we get out one chapter a month if we're lucky. The issue is scheduling. Because we're all either full-time students or whole-ass adults with jobs, it's hard to get all of those steps lined up in a timely fashion. Not to mention some of us work on other projects in addition to this one. Obviously I'd love to have a faster tempo, but real life has to come first. We make progress whenever we can, but we're squeezing it in between other obligations, and that's generally where our slowdown happens.

63 coming sooner than you might think :)

[bbiemochi]

Musician! Diluc × Conductor! Reader AU.... Hm....

𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚢 | diluc ragnvindr x reader

[an]: my wife slapped me with this idea and im not even complaining one bit ☕️

summary: diluc never knew he would be so attracted to the orchestra’s conductor <3

pairing: violinist!diluc ragnvindr x conductor!gn!reader

genre: one shot! orchestra!au, fluff ! (modern!au)

***

to diluc, you were the most beautiful symphony to ever exist.

or was it supposed to be melody. the male doesn’t know which. however, he knows that he wanted to tell you this for so long. but he wasn’t ready for the felt of rejection. sure, he was the most popular one in the orchestra—yet he wasn’t even sure if you’re in love with him, too. after all, girls that were attracted to him are scary. that’s what beidou told him during practice one time.

“diluc, you’re staring at them again.”

the young man snapped away from his thoughts from the sudden exposure. funny how one of his members can catch him staring at you as you chattered with another band orchestra conductor at the background side of the practice room. “damn, i didn’t know you were that obvious, sir diluc,” venti laughs before taking a sip of water from the water bottle beside his seat. diluc scoffed at the harpist’s sentence. beidou jumps in as well, sitting beside ningguang before speaking; “tell me about it. have you confessed to the conductor already, diluc?”

“it’s not that easy,” diluc responded, fixing his violin’s strings. barbara came along to talk, “i agree with sir diluc. it’s really not that easy to show your feelings to someone you adore and love. if you think about it, the conductor is kinda…dense…” she says, rubbing the back of her neck. venti grins, “why? is there someone you like, too, miss barbara?”

“w-what?? of course not…!”

“boo…barbara making it obvious.”

“l-like i said i don’t…! i promise…!”

“but then again, if we’re talking about the conductor here, they’re not an easy target to ask out since barbara’s right, they are dense, i have that agree on that one,” xiangling hops in after hearing the chatter happening around her group. all of the members (except for diluc) sighed. so, was this supposed to turn into a plan now? “well, let’s just hope that sir diluc gets to confess to them properly,” kaeya spoke, and everyone nodded their heads. “we really cheering on for you, man.”

now it was diluc’s turn to sigh. “thanks…i guess.”

“yeah! that’s our diluc-!

“everyone, settle down…!” your yell could be heard far away from the stage, and all of the members were quick to go back to their original positions from before—including diluc himself. “goodness this group…” you sighed. zhongli chuckles, patting your back. “you can take it, y/n. i’ll be going back to band practice now.” he says, and you send him a small smile along with a wave of farewell, “thank you, mr. zhongli. i-i’ll make sure to follow the method you showed me…!” you replied as you watched him disappear behind the door. diluc frowns a bit, making kaeya & venti both look at each other and grin.

“diluc,” kaeya calls to him. diluc turned his head to the two, obviously a bit irritated. “jealous~?” venti teases. diluc shoots a cold glare at the two. “shut up.”

***

a month or so passes.

it was december.

the orchestra concert was almost near and you were nervous. day by day, you practice in your home bathroom your conductor skills and how you should sway your baton properly along with the beat. you don’t even realize how much of a sheepish wreck you are. after all, you’ve been doing this job for years, it was normal for you to do these exercises. mr. zhongli helped you as well, and it was kind of him to do so—same with madam sara.

you told your team to practice at home until the big day comes—yet you were still almost breaking down on sweat like a machine. perfecting their tempo was hardwork. including the voices of the violin section that was led by diluc ragnvindr. his brother kaeya told you (along with an apology) that he was also feeling nervous these days after december rolled in their calendars—which is the reason why diluc makes mistakes here and there on his violin string.

if you had to be honest, you admired diluc.

as someone…who was an old violinist.

too bad you weren’t allowed to play the violin anymore due to some memory you wished you never recalled. but because of diluc, you wished you can go back. however, now’s not the time. you are their conductor, and that’s what you’ll always be—you swore that to yourself. besides, being a violinist takes lot of practice. slapping yourself back to your consciousness, you decided to take a walk outside when the first drop of snow clouded over the skies. you wore your coat, some pants and other comfortable snow wearing attire. as you were preparing yourself to head off, your phone buzzed—popping a notification.

1:27pm

venti: y/n~!!

venti: what r u doing rn??? ;3

you laughed as you saw it was only the harpist who had texted you. grabbing your phone from your coffee desk, not paying attention to the papers falling across the room from the table—you texted back.

you: just heading off to a nearby cafe. it’s cold in my place 🥶

venti: ah i see! :D are u going to do something after?

you: nope 👎 i need to relax for a while 💆‍♀️

venti: oh great, great!

you: is there something u need, venti?

venti: oh no no..! 🎷🎷 i was wondering if the cafe you’re talking about is near windrise st?

you: yup! ^_^ that place!

you: are u going there as well?

…

no reply after that. you shrugged in confusion yet you continued to head off outside.

it was cold. that was the first thing you yet to noticed for sure when you stepped out of your house door. there wasn’t much snow but since december has hit up already in your area—small bits of snowdrops were beginning to fall. your eyes focused on the snow falling, until reality shook you back to life and you continued your way towards the nearby cafe to relax and grab some coffee.

your eyes glued to the ground, only paying attention to your feet walking down the snowy path in windrise. the continuous path of citizens walking pass by as you payed no source of attention towards them. when you made it to the mini cafe, you entered nonchalantly, letting the bright vanilla aroma persuade inside of your nostrils. it wasn’t much of a busy day, in fact you were already a regular at this cafe. the barista, amber that you befriended along with her close co-worker, eula had already knew who you are and what you love to order.

“welcome—oh! y/n! so nice to see you as always…!” amber greets from the counter. you waved her a warm hello back. “table for you and your friend, y/n?” eula questions, her face as stoic as ever. your face scrunched into confusion, “i’m sorry, but what do you mean my friend?” questioning eula, you looked beside you to see a certain tall red haired individual standing beside you, hands in his pockets. you jumped in surprise. “ah…! d-diluc??”

“y/n…! hi,” he answered, normally. eula and amber both exchanged glances before staring back at the both of you. “i didn’t expect to see you here…” you chuckled, and diluc looks away—obviously flustered. amber hopped in, “what can i get for you two then? y/n the usual?”

“yes, please,” you responded, and you looked over to diluc. “what would you like, diluc?” you questioned, and the young male flinches, looking over the menu as he grumbles something underneath his breath, face tinted with tiny dusts of pink. “uhhh i’ll just take a normal latte, please…”

“alright, please wait for your orders…! and in the meantime you two can take a seat now,” amber cheerfully said while nodding her head and writing down the order. you pulled diluc’s sleeve, signaling him to follow you after you noticed he was looking a bit…nervous. he kept looking at the side with a flushed and irritated look as if someone was teasing him outside the cafe’s window. you, payed no mind to it at all, thinking it might only be something random he thought of again like always. this also occurred to him during orchestra practices as well. “diluc?” you called out to him, softly. diluc turned his head to you in a flash.

“y-yes…?? sorry…”

“is there something the matter?”

“no…! not at all! let’s just…” diluc takes a hold of your hand—his eyes squinted shut, “let’s go to our table…”

your violinist pulled you to a table for two close to a glass panel window, where you could see the outside world in a more clear view. the streets covered with powder white snow and different living individuals walking around the sidewalk while cars and other transportation in land drive by, children laughing and running around and so on. you sat where you could face diluc properly, and you smiled at him once you did so. “what brings you here, diluc? do you often come here as well?” you questioned the male. diluc shook his head, “uhhh…no, actually this is my first time coming over in this cafe…”

“i see. i’m a regular here if you can notice so this cafe is basically like my second way to heaven if you know what i mean,” you told him, chuckling in the progress. diluc smiles back. “although, it’s rare to see you outside in this kind of day. didn’t you told me a week ago that you were going to spend your time practicing your part on the violin?”

“oh uhhh, about that…i decided to take a break first, you know? my fingers are a bit rough now after practicing all day.”

“oh…! i’m glad you decided to take a break, who knows what might happen to your fingers if you continued. oh, hey, mind if i take a look?” diluc tilts his head in bewilderment. “pardon?”

“your fingers, silly. are they still calloused? we can go to a nearby pharmacy if they are…! i know a really sweet pharmacist nearby…!” diluc flinches a little, his head shaking from left to right to show a sign of him declining your offer. “oh no it’s fine…! don’t worry about me, y/n. my fingers are just perfectly fine…” he reassures. you frowned a little. “are you sure? we can’t have you backing down now, diluc. you’re going to have a solo this month during our concert, after all…”

“there is nothing you should worry about, y/n, our beloved conductor,” he says with a smile. your face turned red a little. beloved conductor. when did diluc became so smooth with his words? “…i can guarantee that i can take care of myself before our concert within this month so i can make everything prepared for our big go.” sitting back down, you sighed, loudly. “no need to sigh.”

“i’m sorry, i got a little too worried there…”

“doesn’t matter. it’s alright,” diluc replied, and you smiled.

once the both of your orders arrived (as amber calls), diluc insisted to pay for both of your coffees. you tried declining a lot of times but diluc turned into the deaf ear. he still payed, sadly, but you were quite fine by it. being with diluc’s presence was quite warm and…it gave you a comfortable feeling as well. it was like a single same scarf wrapped the both of you in together.

at the end of the day, diluc confesses to you that he was in love with you.

looks like he could pluck the string in your heart other than him plucking the string of the violin.

***

a/n: i had to make this quick oml anyways albedo pls come home

[obsessedwvampbois]

𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐋 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬

Oh boy so this is gonna make people really mad. I have listened to a total of 52 songs from the Diabolik Lovers franchise (that I could find) and ranked them for the hell of it. For this ranking I will be including all character songs, openings (both anime and game) along with the remixes. I will not be counting solo versions of songs (eg. Gin no bara), soundtrack bgm or the endings themes.

My ranking is based on these things:

how well does the song fit the character/s or game, both in lyrics and aesthetic

the overall production and performance of the song

is the song a bop? would I willingly listen to it again?

Couple of disclaimers: I do not speak Japanese so I will be crediting the translations of each song as I go through them along with any think pieces / essays that I come across. If there is any song I missed, please let me know and I’ll slot it into the rankings, its hard to find one source that has all the songs recorded. Finally, just a reminder because I know I'm gonna make someone mad, this is my list! If you don't like it make your own or ignore mine, I'm only one person and my opinion is not final!

With that in mind, my rankings are below the cut

*Least Best*

These are the songs I will probably never listen to again. I have a few gripes with them that I'll talk about in my explanation.

52. 誓いのカンパネラ (Chikai no Campanella)

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This song is just super underwhelming overall. The guitar is my favourite thing about the song but that's it. There is so much build up for a boring chorus. The lyrics don't have much for me either.

51. 血戦のDies irae (Kessen no Dies irae)

Tsukinami Brothers

~translation~

On the opposite end, this song is so overwhelming. There are so many elements to follow and its hard to keep up. This is the first time I'll bring it up but the volume of the voices is so quiet compared to the backing track, its frustrating. The lyrics is what brings it up a notch as it talks about the day of wrath (dies irae) as the day the founders take over. I was also low key hoping to hear some version of the dies irae song hidden in the background but I couldn't hear any.

50. S.O.S-ΑtoΩ-

Tsukinami Brothers

~translation~

This song just feels so forgettable, I just feel like there isn't much to comment on. There are some interesting lyrics sprinkled out like comparing literal self mutilation to abstinence. Also the actual delivery of 'S ah O ah S ah', I can't take it seriously.

49. Dystopia

Kino

~translation~

This had an interesting start because I hadn't heard anything similar for DL but then after a few lines the tone change was just a nope for me. Again, Kino's voice is super quiet and the constant barrage of all these instruments that don't really gel together its confusing. Overall, it didn't leave much of an impression and I couldn't really visualised DL in the song.

48. 吸愛ラビリンス (Kyūai Labyrinth)

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

Praise for the saxophone! Props to that because it shines here and is really the only memorable thing besides that final line of the chorus. The song does give the vibe of the Vandead Carnival with its more playful energy though. The lyrics feel really typical, like there are so many times I read lyrics about drinking blood before I get bored.

47. 極限(UNLIMITED) BLOOD -Remix ver.-

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation w/ original ver.~

I don't think I really need to hear EDM/dubstep and Diabolik Lovers again thanks. It feels super dated and the vocoded singing is a little much for my taste. Good source material and the stripped back vocals at some points is quite nice.

46. 愛しきPain (Itoshiki Pein)

Subaru

~translation~

First off please never let me see Subaru near a fedora again thanks. Overall I felt bored with this song, like its nice, but that it. There are similar sounding songs that just hit home similar themes a lot stronger later on. The best part of this song is the spoken word but it feels weird for Subaru to be singing such a slow song.

45. Luv Apple Juice

Ruki & Azusa

~translation~

Yes, I am counting Ruki's spoken word, its my list. Lyrics are a must read with references to Adam, Eve and Eden throughout. Again, the voices are super quiet and with how fast paced the instrumentals are its annoying. The tempo also backfires because these are two of the more 'chill' characters. The last complaint is that the speed of Ruki's speaking compared to Azusa's singing just isn't right.

44. DIE IS CAST

Kou & Yuma

~translation~

This has to be my least favourite opening to a song, the staccato is just really grating to me. The way I'd describe the chorus is loud, the same note over and over again isn't appealing. The lyrics are an interesting read but nothing feels super important. The highlight of the song is the pre-chorus, thanks production!

43. カレイドナイト (Kaleido Night)

Kanato & Subaru

~translation~

This song is just generic, like overall. The sound, the lyrics, the production. There just wasn't must for me to listen to without zoning out.

*Average*

These songs don't leave too much of a lasting impression on me, but I still enjoy them.

42. 苺の罪 (Ichigo no Tsumi) (strawberry sin)

Reiji

~translation~

First of the generic rock songs! I couldn't really find much in the lyrics of note I think the actual performance of the song is my favourite element here.

41. 真夜中の饗宴( MIDNIGHT PLEASURE) -Remix ver.

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation w/ original~

One the best part of the original is that opening section with the steps, it creates some nice anticipation for the coming song. The chorus this time round feels a little low energy after the hype of the pre-chorus. After watching the actual opening with the remix, I kind of wish they had the voice over, the song is so chill the last chorus could have it to make it feel more grandiose.

40. ZERO

Subaru

~translation~

Second generic rock song, this time it actually suits Subaru's brand! The lyrics do have some hints to Subaru as a character which is better. My sustaining thought is that this sounds like an off brand Arcadia.

39. Bloody★Mayim★Mayim

Sakamaki Brothers

~translation~

This has to have one of the strongest hooks for DL. For how many people sing in the song, it's easy to keep track of and the chemistry between them all is in sync. The main issue is that it feels like its missing some element to make it shine, the lyrics aren't in-depth too which brings it down another peg. The bridge/interlude is the best part though as I can visualise some mini story within the song here.

38. ADDICTED (2) PHANTOM

Ayato

~translation~

This song would be so much higher if I felt like it was more memorable cuz the lyrics here really shine. My interpretation is that this is Ayato questioning where his love stops and his sadistic nature to satiate his desires begin, can he separate the two? He both loves and despises the idea of draining his s/o dry. Another gripe with the song is that its not quite Ayato's aesthetic sonically.

37. Kindan no 666 (Three Six)

Kou & Azusa

~translation~

What puts this song so low is the majority of the instrumental, it takes a backseat here when I feel there could be more added. Props to percussion, drums are great though. After watching the MB opening so many times its hard to not see DL. Lyrics match with this one line here describing Kou in a nutshell:

"Sin spread from mouth to mouth, saying 'I’ll be gentle' pulls the trigger on a casual disaster!"

36. Iolite (アイオライト )

Shu

~translation~

I don't know why the producers associate electro-pop with Shu, I can't really see it much. I think they should have gone full glitch-pop instead considering how the song does a deep dive into his mind and thought process. Again, I think the voice is also quiet here but the instrumentals have some great moments, especially the strings.

35. 常夜KNOW UNDERSKIN

Sakamaki

~translation~

Well this gives Sakamaki vibes, nice guitar! Again, I like how it isn't overwhelming despite the amount of people involved. Lyrics aren't super impactful but super catchy.

34. 冷たい血 (Tsumetai Chi)

Ruki

~translation~

You have to read the lyrics while reading this, please! Its surprisingly wholesome and emotional overall. Again, there is the issue of the voice being way to quiet as the instrumentals swallow him whole after the second clock tick. The delivery is really well timed and production does a great job adding elements that works with the lyrics. There is a subtle echo to the voice that feels super enchanting as he comes to terms with the fact that he has fallen in love. Biggest drawback obviously is that this is just spoken word.

33. KISS♥MARK

Shu

~translation~

This song delves into the more perverse side of Shu, but we haven't really reached the level of Laito (we'll get there). The phone feels a little out of character but it suits that narrative. The straight cut out of music for the intermission was a bit abrasive but the transition back to music makes me forget about that with how slick it is. At least its better than a generic rock song.

32. カモフラージュ (Camouflage)

Shu & Laito

~translation~

What a great match up for subject matter, my interpretation is a denial and inability to accept oneself, ultimately using a mask to hide. So please look up the lyrics for some gems. However, after the 'against the blood' nothing really hit that same point sonically, furthermore its not the most aesthetically fitting for the two characters.

*Great*

These songs I actively enjoy, think about and do listen to occasionally and would recommend you check it out too.

31. >REDRUM<-

Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This song is full of anagrams in the lyrics, I mean look at the song title. Its super catchy and is hard to forget about. The bridge is the weakest part of this song but it is made up by the distortion of vocals after the final chorus.

30. Fanatic of Night

Sakamaki Brothers

~translation~

Well time to party, talk about a bop and a half! Its just so fun, even though its to exactly DL to me, but that's Lunatic Parade for you. Shout out to the guitarist and percussion once again.

29. Bad Howling

Shu, Ayato & Kou

~translation~

This is super catchy, its nice to hear Kou in the opening song this time round, it spices things up. Theres some really nice elements played with the vocals as they sing over one another that is really well balanced. The biggest peg down is that I don't get super DL vibes and the lyrics aren't the deepest.

28. I.M.I.T.A.T.I.O.N. G.A.M.E

Kino

~translation~

Overall this song is a little generic and doesn't sound like DL but! There is a lot to love here too. Starting off with the performance, I really like the vibrato in his voice and the decent of notes at the end of the chorus is just, yes. It a nice hook and the lyrics are pretty good too. My only other complaint is that the drums mask some smaller elements in the background of the song which would have been nice to hear more in the forefront.

27. 極限(UNLIMITED) BLOOD

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This is where the rankings get pretty hard cuz I wish this was higher but oh well. the dramatic shift from the opening piano to the song is so abrupt but it gets you pumped. The intermission does a good job of changing things up without cutting tension. The lyrics themselves seem to be from the view of the Adam project during more blood and the unquenchable thirst they get in the story.

26. アルカディア (Arcadia)

Ayato

~translation~

Immediately I get Ayato vibes from this song and the rapping does help too with a nice flow that isn't too jarring from the rest of the song. These lyrics are basically Addicted2Phantom on steroids, I can't see anyone else other than Ayato in them.

25. Kekkyoku Night

Ayato

~translation~

Don't know why but the guitar melody just seems like I had heard it before but I can't put my finger on it. The bass is super slick here and I really enjoy it. The vocal distortion at the start of the verse sets a scene for him to hunt down this person and its a narrative choice. The main issue is that I wish there was a little more pizzaz to the chorus.

24. Kaikan DEATH-TRUCTION

Kanato

~translation~

Spoilers but I have placed both a Kanato's songs pretty high up so this was a little bit of a let down after the other two. The main issues here is that I don't really get too much of Kanato in the song and the yelling before the chorus is a little much. This, to me, is a self reflection from Kanato which is a good switch up from his last two songs. Overall, the song is abrasive in a good way that isn't overwhelming and the 8-bit section is my fave.

23. 血濡れた密会 (BLOODY SABBATH)

Laito

~translation~

Oh boy, look these lyrics up for a good time. This song is about his hook up with a women with the song getting progressively darker as it goes on. Nice psycho reference but I don't know if it does much in the end. Really catchy hook and the escalation of the final chorus is just so good. Also I'm just going to leave this line from the song here:

“You wend all out with the rodeo girl play? So then, let’s grind!!!”

22. 幻日理論-Parhelion Logic

Ayato

~translation~

This song is meant to be kind of an open letter to Cordelia and my word these lyrics are haunting. It fits the vibe of Haunted Dark Bridal so well, super strong overall. I just wish there was a stronger performance vocally.

21. 暴言シンドローム (Seiron Syndrome)

Yuma

~translation~

Yuma, to me has some pretty good observation skills and its really highlighted here. The first line just hits the nail on the head in terms of how rough he is both in and out of the bedroom. This song is the best of the 'generic rock' with production being really smooth despite the high energy, it matches him really well. First line:

The pain of your sprained neck won’t subside

20. 蠱惑のParade (Kowaku no Parade)

Reiji & Kanato

~translation~

We got another catchy banger here! This song just screams 'the two of us are here to hunt you down and we won't stop till we get a taste.' I mean this song is super pleasing aesthetically and great lyrics to boot!

19. KILLYOU,AGAIN

Azusa

~translation~

The strings are an immediate attention grabber and its hold it throughout the whole song. Super catchy, and these lyrics are Azusa, especially this chorus. Id be interested to hear what people think about the second verse in particular cuz there's a lot to read into:

"In a worn out state of mind, no matter how many nights we question it... We’ve idealised too much."

18. SQueeze…

Subaru

~translation~

Okay before anything else, the squeeze at the start is goofy, I can't take it seriously. Anyway, I can't help but tap my foot to this song. Third times the charm, finally hitting Subaru's aesthetic to a T. The voice is a little quiet on the track but what takes over just sounds so good. The contrast of the bell and the guitar is just, yes thank you. The pre-chorus is a nice mix up to the status quo and these lyrics are great too.

17. 愛の檻 (Ai no Ori)

Ayato & Laito

~translation~

The opening is a nice tone setter for a haunting head bopper. These voices work together so well, just like how the sirens work with the strings. The singular violin during the bridge is great, praise to anyone who can do that my god. The string motif climaxes at the final chorus and it creates an awesome song!

16. 月蝕(Eclipse)

Kou, Yuma & Azusa

~translation~

Well we have a nice build up ballad here. The opening is a little out of place but I forget about it as it builds to this final chorus with the tempo getting faster and faster. The stripped back production also ends up aiding the song in the end with its punches and message. Speaking of which; I get the idea this is about watching some either currently or in retrospective how their personality changes after turning into a vampire; a loss of innocence. How fitting for the Mukami's.

“Despising the sunlight that filters through the blinds is only inevitable, I suppose”

*Faves*

This is what I think the best of the best is. It reflects the themes, ideas and characters of Diabolik Lovers in the best way possible. When people ask me what music from the franchise to listen to, I point to these songs.

15. Count off

Kino

~translation~

There is so much to talk about here, this is a mix of singing and spoken piece and it works so well for me. The delivery over this contagious beat I can't help but get hints of a k-pop vibe here. The movement to singing then vocoded voice are interesting and fun. The bridge switch up too is great, my only wish is that the choir hand a little more presence in the final chorus cuz its fun the first times round, it would be a nice call back.

14. A Certain Prophet's Fate [とある預言者の、運命 Toaru Yogensha no Unmei]

Reiji

~translation~

I can visualise a Nutella Kookie moodboard with this opening alone. To me, this is Reiji explain his views on women with allusions to Faust too, not the Ikemen version relax. there are some cool allusions to his mother in the lyrics too. The bass is so cool to listen out for and the guitar nodding to the chorus at the end is a nice way to end. I was just hoping for a little continuation to the opening like Reiji finding this person escaping on horseback.

13. CHAOS☆PARTY

Laito

~translation~

Aaaaaand another innuendo song from Laito, what a surprise! The jazzy, circus-pop vibes are super fun and catchy, I love it. It's like an upgraded version of Bloody Sabbath to me. The distortion on the guitar is also great to listen out for.

"Don’t decide where’s the critical point, grind as you feel it,

Till the moon oh, mockingly"

12. Mr.ButterflyMask

Reiji

~translation~

The opening may be cliche but it works so well, this is such a deep dive into Reiji's psyche; his mother, inferiority complex and village burning to name a few. The actual song is easy to remember which makes it even better here, the descending notes at the end of the chorus is a highlight.

"Burnt black, that awful land mark"

11. 真夜中の饗宴 (MIDNIGHT PLEASURE)

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

The song to start it all, thank god it's such a highlight. I get so hyped from hearing the opening footsteps; mirroring the prologue with You stepping into the mansion for the first time. I feel so nostalgic for this and I'm hyped to play the game every time I hear this. The spoken section is the high point in terms of the HDB aesthetic but these lyrics maaaannn:

"With a scream that shatters the moon itself I’ll give you this extraordinary pain called “love”!"

10. Guilty×Guilty!!!

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

I'm gonna get crucified for putting this above midnight pleasure but my list and this is my fave game op. The only peg down is the lyrics but it makes up so much for the actual sound variation. The unnerving energy from this scifi-y noise, it screams danger with the Tsunami arrival. The variation between the two verses in robs what places it high and the bridge is excellent to boot.

9. Farewell Song

Shu

~translation~

If I had to make one song recommendation outside of DL with this list it is this song here. The lyrics and melody match up the same way and both are strong in their own right. Onto the song, these lyrics really shine wrangling with ideas and the thought process of depression; something that hits close to home for me. With the inclusion of the destructive nature vampires its truely impactful. The sound of the song aids these lyrics too while all sounding like Shu.

Without pause, the drops of a drizzle had begun to weep...

...Comforting the screams of the things you’ve touched"

8. Mr.SADISTIC NIGHT

Shu, Ayato & Subaru

~translation~

This is my favourite opening of all the games and anime and it is the most on theme with the DL franchise, not just the one game. The guitar rifts at the start are just sooooo iconic. The actual line "Mr Sadistic Night" is delivered so well too. I mean the song speaks for itself. I will make the observation though that this song is the epitome of kids unknowingly singing a song with dirty lyrics.

"If I’m so aroused by the snare of your enticing blood

Tonight, as I thrust deep into you, a lust for death awakens from within you!"

7. 悪魔的（Devil's）Spire!!!!

Kou

~translation~

This song is just Kou at his best, I can imagine him singing this at a concert as a debut single. It has all the elements of a catchy pop song with some sinister elements that just reflects his personality. Production has my praise here too. The song seems to be a friends with benefits situation Kou has as he recounts the tale. Also, more innuendos:

"In the deep red velvet sheets, Do you want to taste my forbidden syrup?"

6. Operation X

Tsukinami Brothers

~translation~

Haven't seen these guys in a while! You can tell production had fun adding all these medical sounds in the back like the sirens and heart monitor. The song itself is super catchy too, that bass just hits you at the core! The lyrics look like the Tsukinami's observation of You as she has become entangled with all these vampires and the situation just seems to spiral even more out of control.

"The risk spreads further the deeper you get involved...

...The more you give up, the more that guy mocks you"

5. GRATEFUL★DEAD★MARCH

Kanato

~translation~

Production had fun again, you can tell. It's more upbeat there is still a sinister vibe here. The constant switch ups within the song all flow so well. I feel genuine despair listening to this chorus, like Kanato is mocking or toying with me before going in for the kill. My only complaint is that the slowing down at the end is a bit of a mood killer.

4. 切断★舞踏会 (KIRISAKI CARNIVAL)

Kanato

~translation~

In terms of character aesthetic, this is sheer perfection. There is a narrative within this song that you need to look at the lyrics for the best experience. The sound effects act as a good way to heighten the story as they match the lyrics. One moment to note it both the chorus and pre-chorus as they act as the extreme ends on Kanato's personality and it creates a great dichotomy when placed together.

3. Q.E.D.

laito

~translation~

My favourite solo song, and the one I constantly visit the most. Laito is a complex character and this song does a self reflection in the best way possible.I would also recommend reading this great analysis by everything laito because I can't do a proper analysis justice. For the song itself, the piano is a great mood setter as it acts as if we are approaching Laito as he plays the piano about to go into one of his many monologues to himself. The intercut from the piano to the guitar is abrupt but it works so well as if there are crack in his facade showing through. The change back to the piano is great too and isn't distracting in any way. I also think this is such an emotional performance, like I can feel the sadness and despair along with almost a self deprecating humour to the delivery. Top notch stuff

2. 罠-If You’re Diablo- (Wana -If You’re Diablo-)

Mukami Brothers

~translation~

I want mention first off that the spoken word from Ruki is such an aid here, the pace is slower, more haunting and despair-inducing in tone. The speaking adds a nice break to the vocals. The chorus in particular packs such a punch its kind of nice to lie on the ground and just let the song envelop you. The lyrics give the impression that there is a mutually destructive relationship here with the Mukami's mentioning of betrayal yet they suck the blood of this person. There is also a feeling of hopelessness that the Mukami's know they can never achieve their goal of becoming Adam.

"I'd been resigned to become Adam since who-knows-when...

I continue to hate this fate, my prayers in zero"

1. Gin no Bara

Sakamaki Brothers

~translation~

And we're finally at the end! This song encapsulates everything that Diabolik Lovers is. Vocally, it's really catchy with such a somber vibe, because that's what DL is. It's a dark series but you can see that darkness with each backstory, the actions these characters take and just the overall hopelessness in this one song. The Sakamaki's all singing together packs such a punch too. There are so many gems in these lyrics, to literally acknowledging the pain and suffering their mothers' caused and coming to terms with the actions they have committed as they fall in love.

"The proof remains on your neck while you sleep quietly Even if an eternal curse awaits me beyond those overflowing tears

I now hold this love and pain in my chest"

*SHOUTOUTS*

I want to give a huge shout out to the following people. They have helped immensely with translation and just overall accessibility to the songs because they would be 1000 times more harder to find without them.

Silvermoon249 (Live Journal)

Asyqin98 Creator (YouTube)

S I s o v o l i (Youtube)

DIABOLIK LOVERS (YouTube)

Dialovers otaka (Tumblr)

Starlight voices (Tumblr)

Cannonette (Tumblr) @canonette

The Precious Sugar Chan (Tumblr)

One final note, I would recommend listening to these with headphones because the audio sometimes does that thing where it jumps from ear to ear and it creates the best effect to be more involved in the atmosphere.