#this album will be completely overshadowed

[ohplasticheart]

.

[starkidmunson]

glitter & crimson

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

“Marry.”

“What?”

“Marry. He’s hot, I’m not gonna kill him.”

“Eddie, we’re not playing FMK; you’re supposed to be telling me his name.”

“Oh. That’s…. Joe Jonas.”

“…he’s literally from Hawkins. And he’s holding a hockey stick.”

“Nobody from Hawkins is that hot, man, no way.”

~~~

Gareth posts the clip to his personal TikTok. Before he can get around to reposting it on Corroded Coffin’s band account, it has more than 100k views. Things only spiral from there, because once the band shares it, the video goes more viral and ends up on the screens of the right people.

chiblkhwks: harrington94 is social media challenged, but we’re going to make sure he sees this. Will keep you posted.

The comment is immediately overshadowed by a busy day of PR. A photoshoot to an interview to a radio show to the green room at the Fillmore in Boston, before an intimate pre-album release show for members of their fan club. Eddie has completely forgotten about the video entirely, but Gareth’s phone pings with a text notification.

“A response has been issued!” He declares to the room, still grinning down at the screen of his phone.

The rest of the band shares a collectively confused look, all seeming pleased to find they’re not alone in whatever they’ve missed.

“What?” Jeff asks for the group.

In lieu of an explanation, Gareth just flips the phone in his hand around to show a TikTok, stitched with the clip they’d made earlier that morning.

~~~

“Marry. He’s hot, I’m not gonna kill him.”

#Stitch

“Is… is that supposed to be a compliment?” Steve asks, making a pinched face as he laces up his skates.

“You watched the whole video. He compared you to Joe Jonas.” The girl behind the camera responds, but he levels her with an unimpressed look. She doesn’t respond, and after a beat, he sighs.

“Yeah, alright, I guess Joe Jonas is hot. I’ll take the compliment.” He huffs, standing to his feet and moving from the bench he’d been suiting up on toward the ice. The girl follows him, gliding toward the net once they're in the rink, never falling out of pace with him.

“Do you know who it is talking in the video?” She presses, and Steve looks unimpressed again.

“You mean the other hot guy?” He asks with a grin, then nods. “That was Eddie. I’m surprised you don’t know him, the Party listens to Corroded Coffin all the time.”

The video loops back to the stitched clip from Gareth’s initial TikTok then. Everyone in the room processes what just unfolded.

“The Party? Did… did Steve Harrington just make a reference to DnD? Or is that some sports thing I dont understand?” Jeff asks.

Freak raises his hand, indicating he’s next to speak. “Not only that, but his nerdy DnD friends listen to us all the time?”

“Did King Steve call Joe Jonas hot?” Eddie asks, visibly still trying to connect the wires in his brain that fried at Steve’s agreement. “Did he call me hot?”

All three turn toward Eddie, whose face is still reflecting the long form math equation his brain is trying to work out, and Jeff sighs.

“Well, boys. I think we’ve officially lost him.” He says, bowing his head. Freak and Gareth join him solemnly, making Eddie huff and cross his arms over his chest.

“You’re all so dramatic.”

“Gee, I wonder who encouraged us to be this way,” Freak exaggerates through a grin, before shoving a guitar into Eddie’s chest, just in time for Paige to open the door and summon them.

“We can have a meltdown over Harrington after the gig,” Gareth promises with a pat to Eddie’s back as everyone moves around him, exiting the green room and heading for the stage.

~~~

Riding his post-show high, Eddie makes a bold move in the CC band TikTok, commenting under the video Steve had stitched.

corrodedcoff!n: we’ll be in chicago 1/26 if harrington94 and ‘the party’ are free 🎫

He only gets about 20 minutes of peace before Gareth is jumping around, proclaiming himself the greatest wingman in history.

“It’s an offer for free concert tickets made over social media, and he hasn’t even answered, Gare Bear.” Eddie tries to get him to relax, but he, too, is eager to see how the other reacts to the offer.

He wakes up the next morning to the answer he’d been waiting on, and his stomach flips as he reads it over.

harrington94: only if you guys come to the home game 1/27 🏒

__________

Steve doesn’t even bat an eye when Max shoves her way into the locker room, b-lining straight for him.

“Can I help you?” He asks without looking up, unhooking the padding from his calf and letting it drop to the ground in front of his locker.

“Are you using TikTok to publicly flirt with Eddie Munson?” She asks, voice quieter than he’d typically expect from her, but he just scoffs.

“I’m just being friendly! You’re the one who started this in the first place! What, you didn’t expect me to log on and check if they’d responded?” He asks in response, freeing his foot from the skate, before placing a cover over the blade and letting the boot drop into the lower shelf beside his locker.

“I’m just confused because you’ve been super weird about coming out, and now you’re out here hitting on a rockstar all over social media, that’s all.” Max says, and Steve freezes for a moment.

“Do you…” he trails off, before closing his eyes and rubbing a thumb into his temple. “You really think I just accidentally came out?”

“You called Joe Jonas and Eddie Munson hot, encouraged this rockstar to come to your game when he’s in town and also accepted tickets to see him perform, Steve.” Max was monotone, and held her hands up defensively when he groaned. “I’m not starting anything, I’m just saying that this could get blown out of proportion now.”

They discuss a little further, deciding neither of them will publicly acknowledge anything that’s been posted to the account for now, until they actually come up with a plan.

Once he’s in his car heading home, Steve calls Robin.

“Dingus,” she greets, as always, and he lets out a grumble. “Uh oh. What happened?”

“I think I accidentally came out on the internet, and it’s Eddie Munson’s fault.” He’s met with several seconds of silence as he starts his car on the path to him and Robin’s shared apartment.

“Eddie, the drug dealer from high school?” Robin eventually asks, confused, and Steve groans again.

“Yeah. He uh, also is in a band?” He supplies, and Robin’s quiet for a moment as she processes. Then, he hears the tapping of a keyboard. “What are you doing?”

“Looking Eddie up, obviously.” Steve can practically see her eye roll, even though they’re not FaceTiming. “You’re nothing if not consistent, I guess. Doe-eyed curly brunet.”

Steve scoffs. “You say as though you’re not the one currently waking up beside Nance every morning.”

He’s met again by a short silence, before Robin lets out a little puff of air, in a small laugh. “Thank you again for being so cool about that, by the way.” She says, before he hears clicking on her end. “Apparently, Eddie is out as bi. Corroded Coffin does a charity show for the Trevor Project every year, and he’s been to a lot of Pride events.”

Steve’s stomach twists with each new bit of information she provides, because a part of him wants to be that out, wants to be like Robin or apparently Eddie, freely sharing that part of themselves with the world and having no one give a shit. But that’s not how it works on so many levels for Steve. Beside the shit he’d have to deal with on the ice from certain other players, he had no idea how it would impact the team overall. There’s no way to gauge how fans would react, when there’s never been an openly gay player in the NHL. And that didn't even begin to touch on how his parents would react.

“Hey,” Robin breaks him out of his spiral and he realizes he’s been chewing a hole into his cheek. “I can hear how loud you’re thinking right now. Do you need me to come home?” She asks, gently, and he sighs.

“Please.” He mumbles after a long pause, and is grateful when he hears the jingle of car keys from the other end of the phone.

~~~

Robin scrolls through article after article once she gets to their place, pulling Steve onto the sofa with her and laying his head in her lap. Her fingers twist through his hair, doing her best to keep him calm as she reads up on the situation playing out to try and help gauge how big of a hole he’s dug himself this time.

“I don’t think there’s really anyone who thinks you were flirting with him. Not seriously, at least.” She tries to assure him, but he’d already seen the twitter posts to contradict that before she came over. He sighs and rolls onto his back, so he’s looking up at her, and shrugs.

“I kind of don’t think there’s any avoiding it, at this point.” He mumbles. “I’m not… I’m not ready to come out, not like this. Not on this scale. I think the only thing I can do is carry on and hope it doesn’t get turned into any bigger of a deal.”

Robin hums down at him, and continues to brush his hair back out of his eyes. “Okay. So you don’t come out yet. But don’t overcompensate for it, okay?” He scrunches his face up at her, and she types something into her phone before turning it back into his face. He immediately pales, met with a photo of him out with Heidi last year. With a black eye on full display, he looks miserable behind a fake smile.

“Low blow,” he grumbles, pushing himself away from Robin to sit up beside her, and she raises her eyebrow at him, still holding the photo pointed in his direction.

“‘Maybe they won’t notice or ask why my literal teammate punched me in the face at practice if I take a fucking supermodel out to dinner.’” Robin’s imitation is a little too good, a sure sign of too much time spent together.

“Hey, it worked, didn’t it!” He asks, taking the phone off of her and closing out of the image before locking it. He drops it back into her lap with a sigh. “I just don’t know how many times I can keep getting away with hiding it.”

“Well, it helps that Billy got traded out to LA. He would be insufferable about this, and would absolutely make everything 10 times worse.” Robin muses.

Steve sighs and hesitates for a moment before dropping his head back into her lap, curling into her. “I just want it to be on my terms, when I’m ready.”

“We’ll figure it out, and it’ll all be okay, no matter what. Okay?” She assures quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to his cheek.

His phone dings with a new notification; Max texted him a screenshot from TikTok.

corrodedcoff!n: you’ve got yourself a deal 🤝🏻

[coff33andb00ks]

More Than Anything

oscar piastri x pop!singer reader x lando norris (with charles leclerc)

summary: In the spotlight's harsh glare, she shattered into a million pieces, then found redemption in an unexpected place warnings: language notes: complete rework of Until You because i wasn't happy with that that still follows the same premise and yes reuses a lot of the same things, but i promise it's different (better) - also a very special thank you to @driverlando for her help with this

Heartbreak and Hits: Y/N Y/L/N and Justin Bieber’s Rocky Romance Ends in Tears and Tunes

The whirlwind romance between pop sensation Y/N Y/L/N and global superstar Justin Bieber has come to a dramatic and emotional end. After nearly three years of ups, downs, and endless speculation, Y/N has finally confirmed their breakup in a raw and revealing Instagram post. The announcement comes just days before she’s set to kick off her highly anticipated world tour, leaving fans both heartbroken and intrigued by what’s to come.

A Love Story Born at the Grammys

Y/N and Justin’s relationship began in 2021 after a chance meeting at the Grammy Awards. The pair hit it off instantly, with insiders describing their connection as “electric.” Despite their undeniable chemistry, the couple’s relationship was far from smooth sailing. Rumours of infidelity, intense public scrutiny, and the pressures of their respective careers often overshadowed their love story.

Cheating Allegations and Cryptic Songs

As their relationship progressed, whispers of trouble in paradise began to circulate. By late 2022, rumours of Justin’s alleged infidelity started making headlines. While neither Y/N nor Justin addressed the cheating allegations directly, fans couldn’t help but notice the shift in Y/N’s music. Her lyrics became darker, more introspective, and filled with themes of betrayal and heartbreak.

Y/N’s 2023 album was particularly telling, with several tracks seemingly alluding to the turmoil in her relationship. While she never mentioned Justin by name, the lyrics spoke volumes. Lines like, “I gave you my heart, but you broke it in two,” and “Trust is a fragile thing, you shattered it with a fling,” had fans speculating that she was using her music to process the pain of her partner’s alleged unfaithfulness.

The Engagement Ring Mystery

In mid-2023, Y/N was spotted with what appeared to be an engagement ring, sparking a fresh wave of speculation about her relationship with Justin. The ring, a stunning piece with a massive diamond, was the talk of the town. Was this a sign that the couple had worked through their issues? Or was it a desperate attempt to save a crumbling relationship?

For months, fans and tabloids alike debated the significance of the ring, but Y/N remained tight-lipped, neither confirming nor denying an engagement. Their public appearances together became increasingly rare, leading to more speculation about the true state of their relationship.

The Bitter End

Early 2024 brought the final, heart-wrenching chapter of Y/N and Justin’s love story. Y/N took to Instagram to announce their breakup in a post that was equal parts salty and heartbreaking. “Sometimes love isn’t enough,” she wrote. “I thought we had forever, but it turns out, I was wrong. Moving on isn’t easy, but it’s necessary, especially when your partner does not respect you.”

The post quickly went viral, with fans flooding her comments section with messages of support. While Y/N didn’t go into specifics, her tone was clear: she was deeply hurt, and the breakup was far from amicable. The caption, coupled with the timing—just a week before her world tour was set to begin—left many wondering how she would cope with the demands of performing live night after night, while still nursing a broken heart.

What’s Next for Y/N?

As Y/N prepares to embark on her tour, fans are eagerly anticipating how this emotional rollercoaster will influence her performances. Known for her raw and authentic stage presence, it’s likely that the breakup—and the feelings surrounding it—will play a significant role in her shows.

Industry insiders predict that the tour could be a cathartic experience for Y/N, allowing her to channel her pain into powerful performances. “Y/N’s always been an open book with her music,” a close friend of the singer revealed. “This tour is going to be intense, emotional, and maybe even a bit therapeutic for her. She’s hurting, but she’s also a professional. She’ll pour all of that emotion into her music.”

While the world waits to see if Justin will respond to the Instagram post, it’s clear that Y/N is ready to move forward, albeit with a heavy heart. As she embarks on her tour, fans will be watching closely, eager to support her through this challenging time and to witness how her heartbreak will shape her music and her future.

Stay tuned for more updates as Y/N’s tour kicks off, and the next chapter of her life unfolds.

liked by charles_leclrec, landonorris, pierregasly and others ynyln: Merci beaucoup, Paris! Je t'aime et à bientôt!! ❤️💋

↳user3: why are f1 drivers here???            ↳ user4: a few were at the show            ↳user5: and she's always been vocal about being a fan ↳pierregasly: magnifique spectacle, rendez-vous à Monaco!            ↳user4: omg she's going to Monaco!            ↳ user9: FINALLY she gets to see a grand prix ↳ user8: almost 6 months in and each show gets better            ↳ user7: her breakup was the best thing to happen            ↳ user9: real ↳ user6: y'all seen the videos of the f1 guys?            ↳user7: my two worlds colliding

liked by ynyln and others f1goss: Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly at Y/N Y/L/N's concert in Paris!

↳user1: Y/N IN THE LIKES??            ↳ user2: Y/N follows 😭 ↳ynyln: omg 👁️👄👁️            ↳ user2: Y/N WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE            ↳ user3: she's so unserious ↳user4: i wonder if they got to meet            ↳ ynyln: no we didn't 😩

liked by landonorris, charles_leclrec, scuderriaferrari and others ynyln: For the first time I will be attending a Grand Prix! Vroom vrooms make my heart go brr. Eternally grateful to scuderiaferrari for the invitation. (They don't have to know my favorite driver is on mclaren)

↳scuderiaferrari: 🤨 ↳scuderiaferrari: we're sure you'll be a converted tifosi by Sunday ↳mclaren: y/n is our fan 🙏🏻 Oscar and Lando on cloud 9 now ↳f1: looking forward to finally welcoming you! ↳user1: alright y'all is she a Lando or Oscar girlie            ↳ ynyln: can't I love them both 🥺 ↳user2: great now I gotta watch all the grand prix stuff this week for a glimpse of mother ↳user3: why haven't you been before?            ↳ user4: tours, covid, j*stin...

liked by charles_leclrec, oscarpiastri, landonorris, and others ynyln: Dinner in Monte Carlo. Do I go all in on black or red?

↳ scuderriaferrari: red, obviously ↳ landonorris: black ↳ charles_leclerc: Red ↳ maxverstappen1: Black ↳ ynyln: all these blue check marks 😩 ↳ user2: yn stays forgetting she's the biggest blue check mark ↳ user1: not max joining in the mclaren vs ferrari fight for YN ↳ mclaren: Papaya 🥺 (but black)            ↳ scuderiaferrari: go comment on your own guest's posts            ↳ mclaren: you sent the invite after we mentioned doing it            ↳ landonorris: do better admin            ↳ mclaren: We'll get her next time            ↳ redbullracing: not if we get her first            ↳ landonorris: if not we're going on strike            ↳ oscarpiastri: we what ↳ oscarpiastri: I quite like the red ↳ user3: I love that YN asked opinions on her fit but it's just f1 drivers and admins fighting over her 🍿🍿 (liked by author)            ↳ ynyln: it's amazing right? no one's fought over me before            ↳ user3: bffr ↳ redbullracing: we vote blue            ↳ mclaren: that's not an option?            ↳ redbullracing: we still vote blue            ↳ scuderiaferrari: don't you have an energy drink to go sell ↳ user4: came for the pics, stayed for the f1 chaos            ↳ ynyln: giggling all the way to the restaurant honestly

note: I know it's not HUGELY different (yet) but I will be taking it in a slightly different direction. Also using Until You's taglist, so if any of you don't want to follow this just use the form to be removed please

Taglist:

@lichterfee | @formulaal | @a-beaverhausen | @dullypully | @wobblymug | @apollosfavkiddo | @callsignwidow | @saachiep81 | @midnights-lily | @waterlilypat | @kiwi43-81 | @fastfactory | @leodette | @calumthomcs | @landinhoe | @driverlando | @maxlarens | @d3kstar | @frenchyjuju | @warrensluvr | @tpwkstiles | @mcmuppet | @eveninggstar | @noooway555 | @bookishnerd1132 | @lorena-02 | @hiireadstuff | @theseus-jpg | @landoslutmeout | @ivy-34 | @trisharee | @colmathgames2 | @norrissainz33 | @littlegrapejuice | @spiderbeam

be added (or removed) to my taglist here

[zeppelinlvr]

Kiss Your Eyes Again

Sam Winchester x Female Reader

Summary: you and Sam head home from the bar before dean, the two of you get ready for bed but you find yourself wishing you had gotten a room for just the two of you.

Notes: Like half of this got deleted and I had to rewrite it and I almost cried. Also, the fic literally has nothing to do with the song Anything by Adrianne Lenker I was just listening to the Songs album while writing this. I want to thank all of you for the continuous support, I appreciate it so much. Also feel free to send in requests because I'm running out of ideas 💔

Warnings: Cursing, this gets frisky but there's no actual smut, making out, fluff.

w.c 1.4k

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You placed two beers for Dean and Sam down and a seltzer for yourself, on the small table at the bar. Sam, Dean and you were in the middle of a case, Dean and Sam had done interviews with victims and visited the morgue while you looked at autopsy reports, symbols they had found, and the contents of the hex bags they had discovered. You knew the three of you were dealing with a powerful witch as the spells you found being used were from around the 15th century.

“This witch is hardcore, her end goal looks like she wants to be possessed by or summon a demon, we need to get to her before she can even attempt to do that” You told the two as you sat down.

“Why the hell would someone want to be possessed by a demon?” Dean asked, taking a sip of his beer.

“No clue” you shrugged “Some witches have sex with demons too, they use it as a way to seal the pact they made with the demon”

Dean scrunched his face “I’m glad you're smart but you don't have to share everything you know”

Sam was watching you with interest in what you were saying “so we’re not just dealing with some everyday pagan?”

“Nope, this bitch is crazy” you told him with a giggle.

Sam gave you a soft smile, the two of you had been dating for a while but he always looked at you like it was the first time he’s seeing you, his eyes wide, taking in how beautiful you are.

The conversation carried on, the two boys sharing about the people they had met and how a few seemed off their rocker.

You finished your drink then said to the two “I’m tired, I’m gonna head back” You gave Sam a look, wanting him to join you, not only because you didn't want to walk in the dark but you missed the two of you being alone together and you were hoping to get some time with just him.

“I’ll go back with you, I’m tired too” Sam responded.

“Don't be gettin’ your freak on you two, I’m not gonna be out all night, I’ll have a couple more and head back” Dean told both of you, a smile on his face at your reaction of embarrassment.

“He’ll be done before you even finish your next drink” you joked, earning a laugh from Dean and Sam quick to defend himself with statements about how it wasn't true.

You and Sam headed out of the bar, the motel was only about a 5-minute walk away. You gave a dramatic shiver in hopes to get his jacket.

“Sammy, I’m so cold” you giggled and rubbed your arms dramatically

“You don't deserve my jacket after that comment” he replied, rolling his eyes as he shrugged his jacket off and placed it over your shoulders.

“We both know it isn't true and that's all that matters” you told him, putting your arms through the sleeves and cuddling into it, his smell engulfing you.

Sam laughed and brought his arm around your shoulder, his larger frame completely overshadowing you. You brought your arm around his waist and began to gently scratch his back. He placed a sweet kiss on the top of your head.

“I’m not really tired, I just wanted some alone time with you” you admitted “I love Dean but I want to be alone with you sometimes”

“I know baby” he told you “how about we get ready for bed then we can cuddle and watch some desperate housewives”

You smiled at the mention of the cheesy show the two of you had gotten invested in, it started off as a background show that you’d turn on when you waited for the boys to come back to the motel, or when you and Sam were trying to fall asleep, but you quickly became invested and so did Sam.

“That sounds perfect” you told him

The two of you had returned to the motel, Sam unlocked the door and you made your way over to your duffle bag, changing into your pajamas, Sam did the same. You made your way to the bathroom Sam close behind, you brushed your teeth at the same time as him, unable to hold back your giggles at the toothpaste that dripped down his chin and how aggressively he brushed his teeth.

You washed your face and he watched you closely, eyeing the products you put on your face.

“Why do you have so many potions for your face?” he asked, a small smile on his face.

“Sam, its three things, and it's so my face doesn't break out and get greasy” You explained

He was nothing short of intrigued by your explanation “But why is your face wash called la roach pussy?” he asked, reading the bottle

“Its probably french or something” you shrugged “I don't know how to actually say the name”

When both of you were ready for bed, you turned on the current episode of desperate housewives that you were on.

You snuggled into Sam, he wrapped his arms around your waist, and you leaned into his shoulder. Both of you attempting to cuddle while still being able to see the show.

Sam placed a kiss on the top of your head “I’m sorry we don't get a lot of alone time, I wish I could give you a white picket fence life, but I think we both know that's out of the question by now”

“Sammy don't apologize, and I’m okay with not having a Stepford Wives style of living” you paused “It’s more interesting to research monsters and see you come back sweaty and covered in dirt, its hot” you giggled and poked his chest, he shook his head in response, but a small laugh escaped.

“Sam, I really do love you and I wouldn't trade the life we have for anything, I like knowing we helped people at the end of the day” you added earnestly.

A smile played on his face as he brought you in for a kiss. It was slow and loving, he brought a hand to hold the back of your head, gently toying with your hair. You scratched and rubbed his shoulder, your other hand on his neck playing with the tufts of hair.

The kiss became heated when Sam picked you up and set you on his lap, doing it with such ease it felt as if you weighed nothing. He worked kisses along your collarbone, a soft moan escaping your lips at the sensation. He placed a few kisses on your shoulder before pulling your shirt over your head. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of your bare chest, running his hands along your sides a few times, tracing your figure, before grabbing one of your breasts with his large hands, he began to gently toy with your nipple. Your incoherent encouragement and praises followed, you were unable to speak properly, it had been a while since you had been able to be so intimate with Sam.

“I know baby, it's okay” he said in response to your babbling.

You ground down onto his lap, earning a groan from him, you had your hand around the back of his neck tugging on his hair more desperately now, your other hand holding on to his large arm. You felt his growing erection against your core, your arousal pooling at the overwhelming sensations you were experiencing.

Sam brought his lips to yours again, his chest heaving as he harshly breathed while kissing you. His hand on the back of your head pushed you into him, holding you close. You continued to grind down onto his lap, Sam swallowing your soft moans and letting out groans and soft whines of pleasure.

As Sam was beginning to pull off your pants you heard a knock at the door. You sighed, not wanting this moment to be cut short. You threw your shirt on quickly and climbed out of Sam’s lap, giving him a sweet kiss.

“Are you two decent” Dean yelled through the door

Sam was uncomfortably shifting around, pulling the blanket over his lap.

“Yep, just watching tv” You yelled back

You heard the door unlock and Dean entered the room, laughing at Sam’s messy hair and your disheveled shirt, he chose to keep his comments to himself and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Sam pulled you into him, his chest flush against your back, he wrapped his arms around you, and you snuggled into him. You could tell he was still aroused, his erection poking you. You giggled at his issue, and he sighed but also laughed.

“We’ll get our own room next time” he told you and placed a kiss on the top of your head.

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

[boop-le-snoot]

masterlist

dirt

sundress+no panties+daryl = uh oh...

title and soundtrack is dirt by depeche mode. you need to take depeche mode away from me tbh, I'm hung up on the exciter album writing smut when I should be making updates to my negan and ironstrange fics.

I also headcanon daryl having huge fat swinging balls for some reason and I'm so sorry you had to read that I turn into an animal when I write daryl

cw: 18+, word count 3k. a little rough (butt slaps, some bites, he calls you a "bitch in heat" and a "slut" a couple of times - lovingly of course), a little pervy (you're fucking outside and daryl eats his own come out of your pussy+breeding kink if you squint really hard).

He reaches in, fingers curling around the bunched up, patterned cotton of the dress and his mind blanks. The low growling, he realises, is coming from his own mouth.

"The fuck, girl?"

You look at Daryl over your shoulder, where the bare skin has erupted in goosebumps from his hot, humid breath. "What?"

You sound annoyed, but there's a distinctive teasing undertone to it. Your eyes are narrowed a little too much. The corners of your cherry-tinted lips are tilted upwards.

"You ripped all my damn underwear, Daryl! What did you expect?" You grouch, breaking the second of still silence. "Can't just take a stroll to Victoria's Secret anymore, can I?" Seeing his face darken even more, you hastily add, "I got a couple I wear on runs."

You sound so cute when you're annoyed, Daryl thinks, but it's overshadowed by his blood rushing in his ears, hot and fast. His cock is still pulsing in his jeans and it demands to be released.

"So you jus' walkin' 'round with allat juicy ass hangin' out fo' all da men to sniff?" Daryl feels an urge to clarify to you, what is exactly you're doing, that he's upset with. "Cuz that's exactly what all them dawgs are fuckin' doin'!" He's jealous, of course he is, but most importantly, he doesn't trust any of the men as far as he can see them.

Hell, he isn't completely sure even Rick would pass on the opportunity to get an eyeful of your soft thighs, your scrumptious ass, or your fat cunt, for that matter.

Lord knows they're the juiciest fucking things he has seen in his whole entire miserable life. Just thinking about it makes his rock hard cock twitch and release a sad dribble of pre-cum in his pants.

"Exactly, your girl!" You declare, eyeroll audible in your voice. "Nobody's seein' me without my panties 'cept you."

Daryl's only response is to hitch up the sundress higher, the movement so quick, the fabric gives a sad crack as the seams threaten to burst. Your ass is still bare, still round and smooth as ever, nobody should have this sort of curves while they're in the middle of a damn apocalypse, he thinks, and sinks to his knees and sinks his teeth into the supple skin of your right ass cheek.

You yelp at the sharp pain. You squirm, your attempt at getting away, of course, futile: your hips and waist are firmly in his grasp. Rough fingertips dig into you, just shy of painful.

"There," Daryl inches back a bit, admiring the indentations left behind by his teeth. For someone who forgets to take care of himself most days, his teeth are surprisingly straight and white and strong. And he lets you feel it. "Now if any asshole decides to go nosin' where he shouldn't, there'll be a warnin'." Daryl sounds proud of himself, which is all and all - fair.

Once the initial shock subsides, your feel your cunt lips stick together even more as your arousal oozes out of them- and down your thighs, now that there isn't any fabric to contain it all. In all honesty, you did enjoy the occasional breeze that would waft up your skirt, even if it didn't offer much respite from the sweltering summer heat.

And Daryl is definitely not helping matters, either. He's like a damn furnace, pressed up against the back of your legs, all solid bulk, breathing hot and moist into your skin, every exhale going around the curve of your ass and disappearing between your legs. He knows it the moment that you shift in place, subtly trying to widen your stance even though there is nothing more you want than to rub your thighs together to provide relief to your swollen lips and throbbing clit.

He raises a hand, wide and open-palmed, and smacks your ass. "You're such a fuckin' slut," he grouses. And your first instinct is to gasp at the offense; you hide your grin in a lip bite. Yes, yes you are. And you know it. And he knows it. Your ass cheek jiggles as he gives it another well-aimed slap. "Lookit you," Daryl presses the issue, "drippin' wet." To hammer his point home, he takes a thick, fat finger and runs it along the seam of your cunt.

It glides easily. You shudder, biting back a moan. Your legs shake just a little, but Daryl notices - he always does - and his finger dips inside your lips. The rough, calloused fingertip swipes through your labia, stopping just short of your clit. You whine and he withdraws.

His numerous knives and tools clatter as he abruptly gets up.

"You wanna be fucked, huh?" Voice quiet, Daryl's front presses to your back with a malicious intent. The prominent bulge of his erection is pushing into your back. "Is that why you goin' round naked? So anybody coulda bend you over, anytime, huh?" He reaches around you, hand blindly nosing for your face. When he finds it, he wastes no time in prying your mouth open, sticking the damp finger inside.

Your own cunt, salty and tangy, blossoms on your tongue. The gesture makes you moan around his finger and him- he sticks another one in, keeping you quiet.

"Shut the fuck up," Daryl orders. The rasp in his voice makes your knees buck and your cunt weep and he knows it. His free hand moves at your back, and with the accompanying noises, you come to realise that he's opening his pants and hurrying to free his dick.

When the damp, silky tip touches the bare skin of your ass, your body reacts before you do. Your mouth wraps tighter around his fingers. Spit dribbles from the corners of your mouth and onto his wrist. Your back arches into his body. He is just as scalding as the sun beaming down from the sky.

Daryl pushes his fingers deeper into your mouth, holding them there until you gag. The motion makes your whole form spasm and shiver; his cock gives a responding jump of its own.

"Lookit you," he rasps directly into your ear, hot breath tickling the shell of it. "Like a fuckin' bitch in heat," he grabs the meat of your ass cheek, spreading you one-handed. His cockhead noses around the cleft, leaving a sticky trail behind itself. It dips near your cunt, adding your juices to the mix. "You want it so bad."

You do. You really, really do. But you know Daryl is mean. You love it when he's mean to you. When he is proud of the strength of his bulk, when his eyebrows draw tightly over his brilliant blue eyes and nothing, absolutely nothing can escape his predatory stare. You crane your neck, trying to look back at him, to plead with your eyes.

He gets it, because he always does. Daryl's fingers quickly leave your mouth, dragging a wet trail of spit down to your neck where his fingers wrap around it in a secure hold.

"You want it so bad, then fuckin' beg," he says the words and you immediately, greedily descend into the permitted depravity.

"Please, Daryl," your voice sounds hoarse, interrupted by hiccups as you struggle to swallow the saliva that had pooled in your mouth and around his fingers, "please, fuck me. I'll be good. Please."

You feel him fist his cock as it twitches; you can't help it, really, as you arch your back even more and push your ass against his rough hand. Immediately, he withdraws it, just to slap you again.

"You're a bitch in heat," he muses, but you can hear the beginnings of impatience in his voice. "Say it!"

He's never made you do that before. Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, you gasp, part shock part offense, until you feel a drop of fluid roll out over the outer lip of your cunt and fall and disappear somewhere below you. Then it's just lust. The kind that tints the whole world red and narrows your field of vision.

"Fuckin' say it!" Daryl demands, patience thin.

You wouldn't put it past him to just shove himself in at this point. "I'm... I'm a bi- I'm a bitch in heat," you hiccup, feeling your face flood with heat. "I'm a bitch in heat, please fuck me!"

You feel his lips tilt up just the tiniest bit against your ear before he reaches back for his cock and aims it at your cunt in a single, precise thrust. You gasp and mewl as he suddenly stops halfway through. Your cunt ripples and flexes and squeezes. Daryl drops his forehead onto your shoulder, panting.

"So fuckin' tight," he murmurs, mostly to himself. You're not - he knows better, he makes sure you're not before he even thinks about sticking it in - but you are. All that blood that went straight to your cunt the moment his breath caught up in his throat at the sight of your bare pussy - It's making your cunt swell all around him.

A pathetic mewl leaves your lips, your satisfaction incomplete. You wiggle, you arch, but Daryl is as unyielding as ever.

"You take what I give you," he growls, teeth bared like an animal against your ear. Nonetheless, you feel the tip of his cock kiss your cervix. Stars burst in your eyes. You are so full, practically bursting at the seam of your cunt where his fat balls rest against the stretched hole.

Slowly, Daryl withdraws, both of you hissing at the drag of his fat cock in your engorged cunt. You may be a bitch in heat but he's every bit the stud that is just as fervent and feral to breed you. His teeth creak as he pulls back completely, leaving just his weeping tip inside of you.

And then he slams home. And again. And again. And again.

With every powerful thrust of his hips, you gasp. Quiet, pleading moans is the limit of your vocal capacity. Mouth dry, the air gets trapped in the back of your throat as your lungs demand their due.

Daryl is unrelenting. His blunt fingernails drag over the skin of your throat, leaving marks in their wake, as he makes way to your mouth.

"This is what you wanted, slut?" He pants into your hair. "Be quiet. Be really fucking quiet unless you want everybody to see what kinda..." He inhales sharply, feeling your walls flutter at the flith dripping from his tongue.

And it shouldn't make you feel the way you feel. Those fucking words just add more accelerant to the fire in the pit of your stomach, spreading it from there and up, over your face. It flames. Your hand helplessly clutches the nearest surface as you attempt to brace yourself against his thrusts and the notion that anyone could see you.

Bent over something or another, dress hiked up to your waist and Daryl's hips pistoning in and out of you at a rapid pace. He didn't bother undressing save for letting his pants hang freely just below his cock and balls. Heavy, fat balls, littered with coarse dark hair, that slap against your cunt and your clit with a resounding smack every time he drives his cock inside of your cunt. The squelching noise it makes is obscene.

Another whine, and your pussy squeezes him once again, blind and hungry for release. You can feel it building steadily, deep within your abdomen.

"Fuck yeah," Daryl growls, "you fuckin' like this, don't 'cha?" He's gotten the hang of it: the dirty talk, he knows exactly how to get under your skin. He's a mean bastard with nothing close to dignity or self-respect. If anyone saw him, rutting into you, little more than two animals, he wouldn't, couldn't stop.

Daryl would stare them down up until his cock swelled and busted, depositing his seed inside your womb.

Your knees feel weak. It's getting harder and harder to keep up with him; seems like every pathetic whimper that leaves your lips only makes him meaner, stronger somehow. The grip of his hand on your hip is bruising. Daryl effectively wears you on his cock, submerging himself into the warm depths of your pulsing cunt over and over.

"Da-Daryl..." You gasp, you moan and you plead.

He doesn't stop. He merely handles you into a different angle, the one that hits that special spot inside of you with every powerful thrust. He is mean, but he is also fair.

"Gonna cream my cock?" He barely makes sense to himself, the words that his dry mouth garbles seem to have a mind of their own. "Gonna be good, girl? C'mon."

"Ah," you want to say yes, you want to affirm, but all that comes out of your mouth are garbled, unintelligible noises of pleasure. But Daryl sees it. It's in the way your arch becomes near-painful, body overtaking your mind. Even the slightest bit of pain blends into hot-blinding pleasure. You don't know where what ends and begins.

It begins somewhere behind your cunt. The contractions start slow and aching, and every punch of his cock to your guts intensifies the feeling tenfold, until every last inch of your cunt is squeezing around him in that same arduous, suckling rhythm. It's like your pussy is nursing at his cock, attempting to suck his life out of him and deposit it into you.

The pleasure is like a wall of fire and water. Your chest blooms with it, but your extremities swarm with pinpricks. Mouth parted in a silent scream, you sway forward, managing to catch yourself on your elbows at the last moment.

The man behind you doesn't care. He's way past caring, having had started chasing his release the moment your cunt enveloped his cock in a vice grip. The meat of it is sensitive and he spends the few inches to the finish line gracelessly mashing it inside of you, accompanied by the sound of wet flesh meeting even wetter, sloppier flesh.

"Take it, fuckin' take it," you hear him gasp through your stupor before that familiar, warm rush floods your cunt. His cock twitches, once, twice, three times, each forceful throb followed up by more and more seed being pumped into the depths of you.

Against your back, Daryl sags and pants out his excerption. Like a dog. His wet nose leaves sweat stains on your back where he nuzzles into you.

Your knees shake as you struggle to hold up his weight, and then your legs completely turn to mush when droplets of his cum escape your cunt as his spent cock slips out. You know you should be worried about stains in unsightly places but somehow, you can't bring yourself to care.

Daryl notices this, of course. His bulk slides off you; you hear him quickly shove himself back into his pants before his ass hits the ground with a loud thud. Next to you, of course, his stubbly, prickly cheek rubbing over the skin of your leg. He places a wet kiss on the inside of your thigh, and then another.

You know the drill. It's hard for him to find words, sometimes, after a scene like that. It's the intensity of it, the forceful ejection of him out of his head where he spends most of the time, that renders him speechless. Daryl is forced to feel - good things. It's not something that he is used to.

Your skirt is still around your waist and the hot sun is shooting lasers directly at your ass and pussy. You've managed to get your bearings enough to feel at least a little self-conscious, a little exposed. Your combined fluid still drip from you and for a split second, you think about pulling up your panties to try and at least somewhat contain the mess.

Right, you sigh to yourself. It makes your exhausted body twitch and sag even more.

Daryl gently pushes away your hand that was attempting to pull the dress over your ass. You freeze; he smiles against your skin, a little closed-lipped grin that makes something warm and fuzzy make a nest inside your chest. That quickly turns into a startled gasp as his fingers glide through the mess of your cunt.

You're spent. Exhausted. So sensitive, his rough skin practically hurts on your hole and clit.

But Daryl gets it. You get him, and he - he gets you. His hot breath fans over your pubic hair and it's all the warning you get before he opens his mouth wide, flattens his tongue and licks. You've made a big mess and there is a lot to take care of, but if there's anything about Daryl that you know, is that he's thorough at what he does.

In no time, he's got his tongue shoved down your cunt as far as it would go, curling against your walls, lapping up his and your cum like your pussy is an all-you-can-eat-buffet and what's inside of it is sugar and spice and everything nice.

But it's not enough. It's not anywhere near your clit, or any other place that could make you produce more of the cream he's feasting on. Idly, you think about who's the real bitch in heat here, but push out your hips to meet his face nonetheless. You can be mean too. If you want to.

I don't know what to say for myself

[marshvlovestv]

In honor of me having so much video game music downloaded on my phone that I ran out of storage and had to buy a new phone. My favorite track from each video game OST I have!

Bastion: Brusher Patrol (Such a bizarre clash of styles, I can't help but love this one. Shout-out to the part that sounds like Darren quietly scatting in the background.) (Also special shout-out to Build That Wall, probably my favorite vocal track in any Supergiant game)

Celeste: Scattered and Lost (I am such a normie for this choice but face it this track absolutely slaps.)

Chicory: A Colorful Tale: Song of the Wielders (I love how this song has actual lyrics but I still prefer to sing along with the Simlish version that Pizza and Chicory sing.)

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood: Illusion (First of all I love how every character in this game has their own theme I go feral for that kind of thing. Kurielle is probably one of the characters who stood out to me the least but by god is her theme gorgeous. I love the vocals and how a later track includes a sneaky reprise.)

Cuphead: Dramatic Fanatic (Tap dancing :D)

There are literally thirty of these so I'm doing a read more

Death's Door: The Grey Crow (A heartbreaking boss fight scored with the appropriate amount of anguish)

Deltarune: Cyber Battle (This melody is so underrated and ya know what, so are the characters associated with it. Sweet Cap'n Cakes forever.)

Elsinore: Donne, The Boat Boy (I love this song because it's associated with Lady Guildenstern, aka the best character in gaming full stop, but it's also just a fun little sea shanty that I think they made up for this game so I love that. Also has a lyrical version.)

Evergate: Police (Okay so the level with the police drones is one of the more frustrating ones in the game but the music is hauntingly beautiful so I give it a pass)

Going Under: trust fall (Marv is easily one of the most hateable video game antagonists of all time but damn if his boss theme doesn't slap)

Hades: Last Words (The rolling and the tolling of the bells bells bells bells bells)

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie: Reverie Ascendant (Lena Raine does these medley tracks so good man)

Hollow Knight: Dung Defender (By far the catchiest song about poop on my entire phone)

Ikenfell: Rose Thorns (So the insanely long final boss fight against Oxley overshadowed Aeldra's boss fight in my memory for a long time, but when I watched another playthrough and bought the OST I realized "Oh her theme bops SO much harder than his ever could")

Inscryption: A Final Duel (A hardcore remix of The Scrybe of Magicks, aka one of the only melodic tracks on the album and therefore the one every YouTube video about Inscryption uses in the background. I prefer the epic version just a bit more because honestly that Magnificus setpiece is the best moment in the game)

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass: Fun, Sunny Day (A fun and silly track as the title suggests, elevated even more by the context in which it plays in the game. The area music alternates between this and the more somber Rainy Sunday to illustrate that Jimmy mother is bipolar [very cute and silly game])

Omori: Bready Steady Go (Like the absolute dipshit I am I actually completely missed the optional Orange Oasis when I played this game myself. Every Let's Player finds it somehow, though, and when they fight the Unbread Twins I invariably stand up and dance along to the boss music.)

One Step from Eden: Perpetual Motion (It's just a good-ass track y'all)

Ori and the Blind Forest: Conundrum (In a soundtrack of sweeping orchestral pieces, this more subdued version of theme that only plays during one small puzzle section might seem a weird choice. But I've always really liked it)

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Kwolok's Malaise (Kwolok's leitmotif is perfect for a giant frog and the boss remix takes it to it's logical conclusion)

Paradise Killer: Go! Go! Style (This track makes me feel like I'm having a sugar rush. The whole OST does actually but this one especially)

Pyre: Path to Glory (It's just got a really unique vibe to it. I like it)

Scarlet Hollow: Avery (Chill and really beautiful. Avery themself is kind of a sleeper character at this point but I can't wait for Brandon to remix their theme when they get assimilated into a giant plant monster)

Slay the Princess: The Princess (Okay full disclosure I've only played this game once so I don't have the full context for a lot of the tracks on this OST. Maybe hearing them alongside their respective princesses will make me like them more, but for now the title theme is too iconic to beat.)

Sounds of Sympathy (the OST for the game anthology Essays on Empathy): Zen and the Art of Transhumanism (In the Essays on Empathy documentary, fingerspit talked about how she prefers writing obscenely long tracks so the loop doesn't get annoying. Unfortunately for her my favorite track on this album is only three minutes long. It's a lovely little bop.)

Spiritfarer: Mind Palace (I played Spiritfarer before any of the character updates were released, so I didn't get Daria's mind palace sequences in my game. And I mean, they look very platforming-heavy so I'm okay with that, but god this is a gorgeous piece.)

Transistor: Impossible (I think this is Royce Bracket's boss theme? I don't know when any of the tracks on this OST specifically play in game. Regardless of all that this one gets me pumped.)

Unavowed: One Man's Power (I couldn't find a video of this one, but it's gentle saxophone solo that plays when Logan Brown is introduced. I think it fits is character really well and just sounds really nice)

Undertale: Death by Glamour (Best song for best character, enough said)

Wandersong: Moonscape (God knows this game gave me a lot of great options to pick from, but I settled on this one because it's so uplifting.)

[aurianavaloria]

👑 The King - An Analysis ✨

I've already stated my love for the Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack in a previous post, and in case it wasn't already obvious from my ambience edits, "The King" - essentially, King Baldwin's theme - is one of my favorite tracks on the OST album (if you're curious, "Burning the Past", "Crusaders", "To Jerusalem", and "Ibelin" are my other faves); it so effectively encapsulates his character with several simple variations on a single melody, on top of just being a lovely piece to listen to. What follows is my amateur analysis of this track (fully enabled by @atomnolly - please go check out their art, they're amazing). Please note, however, that I have absolutely zero experience with musical composition and theory. I'm just going by what the piece invokes in me, as a listener, in relation to Baldwin's character in the film.

I'll primarily be analyzing the OST's version of the track, which brings me to my main gripe about the way this piece is presented in the film and one reason why I'm doing this analysis to begin with: there's actually two variants floating out there - the basic OST album version and the Complete/"Full Expanded" album version, the latter of which is how it was implemented in the movie. Unfortunately, in the film, you never get to hear "The King" as its own full track like you do with "Burning the Past", for example. Instead, it's spliced up over the course of several scenes, one of which has nothing to do with Baldwin himself. 🙃

Go figure.

Because of this, I'm using the full "suite" version from the OST (called the "Album Edit" on the complete soundtrack) as, oddly enough, it is far more coherent to listen to than how it actually shows up in the film. More on that later.

The suite opens up with an intro that is called "Golgotha" on the complete soundtrack (unfortunately, Tumblr isn't letting me upload my audio clips no matter what I do, so we'll go by timestamps instead - I highly advise docking the video in your sidebar while you read for convenience). Between 0:00 and 1:20, we get this soft, meandering, mysterious melody on duduk, accompanied by equally mysterious female vocals that briefly drift into a brighter, almost angelic sound. This change in tone is backed by what sounds like a glass harp before the duduk repeats the initial melody.

I've noticed that the "tinkling" glass harp often shows up in the film to seemingly emphasize something ethereal or supernatural, and we mostly hear it in connection to Baldwin, although it does spring up in other places on occasion. Each time it's used, it invokes the slightest bit of tension, as if it's a cue to think more closely about whatever it is the viewer is looking at.

Even more intrinsically tied to his character, however, is the presence of the Armenian duduk, which, if I haven't missed anything anywhere (which I could have), doesn't appear in any track other than those clearly associated with the king. In this way, I think we can effectively say that, as far as the KoH soundtrack goes, the duduk is "his" instrument - fitting, considering his Armenian heritage.

As a side note, this is why it's strange and somewhat frustrating to me to have this intro segment tacked onto Balian's visit at Calvary in the film, because, after hearing it as part of "The King" suite on the album edit, it's obvious that the duduk signals Baldwin's presence. Yet at this point, the king hasn't even been introduced and won't be for a few more scenes. I do believe it replays in full after Balian's invitation to speak with Baldwin, but it is almost completely overshadowed by his conversation with Sibylla, leading the viewer to possibly attach it to her rather than her brother.

Back to the duduk. The Armenian duduk, a double-reed instrument traditionally made of apricot wood, has a very distinctive sound that's been described by listeners as everything from mournful, lonely, and haunting, to relaxing and soulful, to majestic and even romantic, depending on how it is played. This powerful versatility is certainly demonstrated in "The King", beginning with this introduction that I would say ventures into "haunting" territory. In fact, it almost feels like a lure - a siren's call for listeners.

After that call, we get the beginning of what is "The King" on the Extended soundtrack and the first appearance of the leitmotif that is attached to Baldwin from that point forth. Between 1:20 and 1:50 on the album edit, we have a very "gentle" (as @atomnolly put it 😁) melody played on a flute, first heard when Baldwin is beckoning Balian to come closer, again accompanied by the glass harp. While starting at a lilting higher pitch, it soon trails off into a lower one before a slight pause, and then a slide of strings precedes a repetition of that same melody at a lower pitch than the first. A solemn tension builds from then until 2:24, at which point, in the Complete soundtrack, it is very obviously and awkwardly chopped to silence. 🙃We'll get back to that in a bit.

This introduction of Baldwin's leitmotif is a very interesting point of the suite, because the almost light airiness of the flute doesn't last very long. It soon gives way to a much richer, even "darker" sound. For me, this represents what belies the almost angelic appearance of the king - there's far more depth there than his friendly introduction might suggest, and this is reflected in the music itself... brightness intertwined with mystery, and possibly a little danger (this is a king we're talking about, here, with all the power that position provides).

This mystery is further emphasized when the duduk comes back in, echoing the leitmotif between 2:25 and 2:50, and it is further strengthened by the dual presence of the glass harp and growing strings supporting it. Unfortunately, this part doesn't show up at all during Balian's first conversation with Baldwin; in fact, it is put off until the middle of "Terms" on the complete soundtrack: the discussion with Saladin at Kerak. IMO, it would have been far more fitting to have it in the background during the most serious part of Baldwin's lecture (a la my first atmosphere edit); this is really the second-strongest iteration of his leitmotif and should have accompanied his most powerful quote in the film.

What comes after is the closest thing we get to a battle theme for Baldwin. From 2:50 to 3:06 we get another repetition of the leitmotif by the duduk, but in its strongest form: at a higher pitch but with greater power than before, it is accompanied by drums and backed by strings that give a sense of urgency. This is the king on horseback, both right before the meeting with Saladin and immediately following. Utterly gone is the glass harp - mystery gives way to majesty.

The leitmotif then continues with even stronger strings alongside the duduk at a lower pitch from 3:07, almost overpowering it, before being repeated a final time by horns at 3:22. This, I believe, is essentially a royal fanfare of sorts; brass has been associated with military and nobility (as the ultimate leadership of said military) since ancient times, and it is here that the score emphasizes Baldwin's role as commander of his kingdom's army. Again, unfortunately, this part isn't kept singular to Baldwin and is replayed in the future scenes of Balian's battle at Jerusalem - it's possible this is intended to evoke the memory of Baldwin, but it further takes away from the composition's uniqueness.

At 3:37, then, we get a small "falling action" portion that actually doesn't appear where it was intended. According to Drake55116's analysis, this particular bit was actually supposed to play while Baldwin dismounted his horse and approached Raynald in Kerak's courtyard, but was ultimately cut. I'm not sure why - it has a definite sense of "impending doom" to it, not just for Raynald, but for Baldwin himself, as this becomes his last great "hurrah" as king. Both the string and horn buildups are wonderful and really emphasize it as the climax point before the disaster that follows.

After that, interestingly enough, the portion that appears at 4:17 on the album edit is actually put where the leitmotif chops off suddenly during Baldwin's earlier conversation with Balian on the Extended soundtrack. To be honest, I think it would have served just fine during or even after Baldwin's interaction with Raynald instead. The slide of the low strings and the slightly discordant horns continue that regal majesty, but also provide appropriate tension for the situation.

Briefly returning to the initial conversation between Baldwin and Balian - there is one portion of the theme that is reserved for the Complete soundtrack and doesn't appear on the OST album edit: at 56:28 there is a unique high string version of the king's leitmotif followed by a slower, half repetition by the duduk, which has had an echo added to it. It essentially serves to "close-out" their conversation after Baldwin gives his orders to go to Ibelin. This iteration is much, much softer in tone, and with the echo and the growing glass harp sound alongside it, it seems to purposefully emphasize the ethereal mystery of the king, but this time with a definite positive tone... perhaps reflective of Balian's hopeful outlook on him?

Back to the album edit. From 4:42, the leitmotif appears again as an even higher flute than it first appeared, almost delicate. A deliberate pause follows with emphasis on the glass harp between 5:06 and 5:15 before the duduk echoes the theme one last time... the softest and slowest it's played on the whole track as it extends to the end. Here, from 4:42 onward, is the dying king. A certain innocence is reflected in the high flute notes, weariness and vulnerability conveyed through the duduk. Despite being the gentlest segment of the suite, it is perhaps the most powerful way to close it out, the prior strength and mystery quite literally fading away into nothing.

In essence, I think "The King" would have been much more effective presented in the movie exactly as it appears as a suite on the OST, going precisely in that order and restricted to Baldwin's appearances alone. As a whole, it perfectly illustrates the king as a character - the flute and glass harp reflecting the angelic elegance, the horns the majesty, the duduk the mystery, power, and tragedy. Harry Gregson-Williams's composition is beautifully-deep despite its relative simplicity, and it adds so much to every scene in which Baldwin appears; thoughtfully-crafted to invoke the above feelings in the audience, it effectively enhances the Leper King's brief but powerful presence in the film.

[aois-amaterasu-painting]

The GazettE - DOGMA book + lyrics translations

Ruki:

The current situation the GazettE finds itself in. And the attitude we are trying to uphold there. The title track reflects this most vividly. At the same time, it also contains a kind of antithesis.

Uruha:

Once the concept of the album was decided, this song remained true to the image I imagined while thinking about touring with such a worldview. In other words, it also marks the beginning of the flow of time from now on. Without fearing misunderstanding, I think it's a straightforward song that should be easy to understand, even though it may not seek expansiveness. It is precisely the song that embodies the theme of "dogma," nothing more or less than that.

Aoi:

"DOGMA" is "DOGMA." There's no other way to put it. Since I first heard this original track, I've always thought it's the song most suitable for this title. When the word "dogma" came up and we discussed what it means, this song resonated the most. Without this song, I feel like this album itself would have been completely different; it's that important.

Reita:

"DOGMA" is zero, and at the same time, it is one hundred. The title track that suggests such thoughts. Naturally, it's only when all the songs gathered here come together that "DOGMA" comes into existence. But at the same time, this song itself feels like it encompasses everything.

Kai:

A door that had naturally loomed before us for a long time. It was very solid and not easy to open. The powerful image of the door opening with a sound. Of course, it didn't open naturally; we finally managed to push it open ourselves. We had always been convinced that what we were seeking was there, but we had sometimes stretched our legs in different directions while trying to complement what we lacked. Here, however, we faced that door head-on... As a result, what allowed us to open it was the power of the "experience" we had accumulated until now.

DOGMA: Translation

The facades are beginning to crumble Sins dissolve into faint echoes The teeming masses of society are the carcass of greed

I deny everything I deny all of it I deny everything

The rite I must face is cloaked in darkness and isolation Only there will truth be found

I devour the dogma of the frenzied mob And overshadow them with “unadulterated blackness”

Rebelling against the herd mentality, directly opposing set boundaries I’ll be a brain-dead god

A blood-stained future burning in shadow Transforming into an idol, moving towards truth

I’ve witnessed the death of greed Frenzy unleashed in these eyes Flock of puppets Growing hate I pity you Hate your life Flock of puppets Growing hate

Overthrowing God, here we offer death

The sound of countless voices and clapping is heard from that direction We shall become one with the shadows And die the most excellent death

I will blacken out this world Darkness in the world Starts tonight

RAGE

Ruki:

Anger. This song is heavily imbued with anger. "DOGMA" isn't an album rich in emotional ups and downs; here, there's not a trace of "joy" or "pleasure," only "anger" and "sorrow" instead. It strongly reflects what we have felt as ourselves in the current situation, from 2014 to 2015. Our attitude is packed into this too—namely, the feeling that "the GazettE should be like this." In other words, this song is also a manifestation of "dogma."

Uruha:

Among the prominently intense songs on this album, this song stands out as most fitting for its position more than any other. From its introduction onwards, it felt like deciding the setlist for a live performance. The key lies in its speed and explosive power. In a sense, it's an overt song, but placing it here was necessary for the album itself.

Aoi:

"Anger," as the title suggests. It might seem overly simplistic to sum it up in just that word, but it's a song that exudes tremendous intensity. In recent years, the quality of demo recordings has improved, and the impression of the song itself has often remained unchanged from that initial stage.

Reita:

Truly a song that should be placed as the second track. What I seek in a second track is a sense of energy that feels like something is about to explode. I deeply resonate with Ruki's lyrics full of anger.

Kai:

An intense finishing move that erupts at the entrance after opening a heavy door. I think this song, placed here, has a quality that makes everything afterward fall into place no matter how it unfolds. Similarly, if this song explodes early in a live performance, it naturally sets up anticipation for what comes next.

RAGE: Translation

[Are you ready?]

Sad old geezer How do you use us? Too late this asshole cannot be saved

“Pride” “envy” “rage” “sloth” “greed”… Your mortal sins drive your very existence to madness

Stacked away Skanky waster You should know your shame Such a shithead All saints shall die Shitty loser You should know you’re lame Such a dickhead All saints shall die

Because there will never be a world that I can know We cannot change this fact, it is done Z Generation is our Last one

sad old geezer How do you use us? Too late this asshole cannot be saved

“Pride” “envy” “rage” “sloth” “greed”… Your mortal sins drive your very existence to madness

Because there will never be a world that I can know Everything was a lie, such deceit

I can no longer even see the moon I once loved so much

Because there will never be a world that I can know We cannot change this fact, it is done Z Generation is our Last one

Stacked away Skanky waster Hey ! You should know your shame Hey ! Such a shithead All saints die Shitty loser Hey ! You should know you’re lame Hey ! Such a dickhead All saints shall die

DAWN

Ruki:

In 2014, we went through a tour themed "redefinition," where we were made aware of things and reaffirmed what we should do. This song strongly reflects that significance. At our 13th anniversary Budokan performance (March 2015), I think we were able to show that we are evolving, and there's a sensory overlap there.

Uruha:

Another intense song. Right from the start, it relentlessly unfolds with intensity. By the third track, it's a declaration that we're not settling down yet. I don't think we've ever placed a song of this nature in this position before, but in this case, there's meaning in having this song here. Some people actually had the opinion that it might be tiring to listen to nothing but intense songs from the beginning. But personally, I wanted to push through with this momentum.

Aoi:

This song also embodies the image of "dogma." It's so iconic that it could have justified being titled "DOGMA" as well, in my opinion. It's that powerful of a track, akin to the title track.

Reita:

Above all, the chorus's unpredictability is intense. It expands the world of the entire album in one fell swoop. It brings a type of element that hasn't been present in the GazettE before, and there's freshness in whether you can imagine this chorus from the way the song begins.

Kai:

A song that resonates with "DOGMA" in my mind. Despite being relatively up-tempo, it fundamentally differs from what's typically considered an upbeat song, with a heavy weight pressing down. There's a kind of feeling of the former self pursuing darkness.

DAWN: Translation

I sing, digging up [memories of] my past I’d loved so completely From within the depths of the void Time stood still while the distorted dark clouds Swirled all around

I was bound up in innumerable shackles And I want to lose myself in the reality reflected in the chaos around me

I’ve already had a lethal dose of misfortune The ruined gallows towers above me

Overcast sky, Counting song the sound of approaching footsteps

Wild party with emotions running high A merry-go-round of deepest red unfurled That day was the beginning of it all 13 stairs foretell the metamorphosis

Moving past my momentary confusion these roiling emotions rise up [these roiling emotions rise up] [Moving past my momentary confusion  these roiling emotions rise up] Hung up high on that 13th stair

The beautiful answer redefined becomes the new dogma

I was bound up in innumerable shackles And I want to lose myself in the reality reflected in the chaos around me

I’ve already had a lethal dose of misfortune The ruined gallows towers above me

Overcast sky, Counting song the sound of approaching footsteps

Wild party with emotions running high A merry-go-round of deepest red unfurled Accompanied by the end of  peace I lay my hands on the blackened altar Wild party with emotions running high A merry-go-round of deepest red unfurled That day was the beginning of it all 13 stairs foretell the metamorphosis

An evil spell my life

DERACINE

Ruki:

Rootless. It's not that the roots aren't growing, but rather, sometimes in real life, there are situations or relationships where you feel like cutting off those roots yourself, even though you've grown as a person, when the other person refuses to change. It's something that has existed since long ago. It's about feeling like wanting to forget even your own roots.

Uruha:

Among the songs on this album, this falls into the slow category. It hits at the first wave of change that arrives. It's difficult to describe this feeling, but it has a characteristic of being somewhat inorganic.

Aoi:

Initially, the word "dogma" gave me an impression of something inorganic and emotionless. Actually, there's a certain religious connotation to it, but it should also carry a sense of inorganic and emotionlessness. In reality, this song is very close to that "dogma" image for me. It's like I should dig deeper into that world from here.

Reita:

Among the tracks on this album, it's the only one with a transparent image. At the same time, I think it's one of the few songs here with a distinct atmospheric feel. There's a satisfying feeling in being able to beautifully bring out the resonance of the low tones.

Kai:

I feel like this song appearing in the first half of the album can provide a different kind of impact. Initially, I imagined it might be a more inward-feeling song, but as soon as the vocals entered, it expanded tremendously. This is a nuance that hasn't been present before, I think.

DERACINE: Translation

In the womb Was the fate decided? I’m going to be sick The feelings that I hid 4…3…2…1 That can’t be counted overpowering grief

In a maze [Cradle and grave] Raw scar Can’t get back Lie, Coward, Bullshit

My heart is disturbed by you

In the womb Was the fate decided? I’m going to be sick

There are no words that can make our future beautiful [again now that] it’s been torn apart So now I’ll fly away from that love

In a maze [Cradle and grave] Raw scar Can’t get back Lie, Coward, Bullshit

My heart is disturbed by you

Go away I say good-bye to hateful you once again Go away I say good-bye to hateful you Forget up to now with me

In the womb Was the fate decided? I’m going to be sick

I know your ugliness [No restraint] My feelings for you never change [No complaint] My life is dirty now [No restraint] Such a life is sad

[In a maze [Cradle and grave] Raw scar Can’t get back Lie, Coward, Bullshit]

[Go away I say good-bye to hateful you once again Go away I say good-bye to hateful you Forget up to now with me]

BIZARRE

Ruki:

The lyrical focus revolves around what I personally think about so-called juvenile crime. Without fear of misunderstanding, I have a vague feeling that maybe the way juvenile crimes are judged in today's Japan might be "off." Any punishment is decided according to manuals, but in reality, the severity of a crime cannot be measured in such terms.

Uruha:

It's a very calm song, and it carries a certain inorganic* quality. Within the entire album, this part might give a somewhat flat impression, but it exudes a strange feeling as the title suggests... How to describe this texture in terms of genres aside, I think it's a song filled with elements of madness and trickiness.

Aoi:

A song that exudes an inorganic atmosphere. Because of its inorganic nature, it's difficult to explain in words. But undoubtedly, this is also an indispensable piece of the "DOGMA" puzzle. It was born because of the existence of this concept.

Reita:

A song with an inorganic impression. Even as a player, I deliberately tried to cut out all unnecessary elements and erase human-like qualities. However, despite being a very dry world, there's something strangely compelling about it.

Kai:

At the stage of completion as a recording, this song stands out as one where it's hard to predict how it will come across in a live setting among the tracks on this album. It's a song that could lean towards emphasizing intensity, or swing towards a darker direction... In that sense, it has a fascinating duality of extremes. Therefore, depending on how it's placed in the live setlist and what songs surround it, it could sound completely different.

*"inorganic" in the context of the discussion about the song is "無機質" (mukishitsu) in Japanese. It refers to something lacking organic qualities, often used metaphorically to describe something that feels cold, emotionless, or mechanical. In the context of music or art, it can describe a certain detached or sterile quality.

BIZARRE: Translation

In my spinning, spinning field of vision Someone was violated over and over again In my spinning, spinning field of vision They were violated

Scared eyes of the crowd This gate is to hell That famous bad face [She is bizarre…]

Exaggerated, puffed-up delusions And unformed personalities, An unbridled curiosity that is shattered self-control, With no limits to their bizarre lust, Obsessed with pushing boundaries and Their brutal nature shown in their eyes Are their perverted qualities

scared body This gate is to hell Scared body With greedy eyes scared body This gate is to hell Scared body Death valley

They make their living committing atrocities, the source of immature retribution They deserve death for the pain of loss [they cause]

Exaggerated, puffed-up delusions And unformed personalities, An unbridled curiosity that is shattered self-control, They’ll keep laughing even if you lock them up Their pervasive darkness has creeping roots A generation of impulsive behavior That reality can’t break through

scared body This gate is to hell Scared body With greedy eyes scared body This gate is to hell Scared body Death valley

They make their living committing atrocities, the source of immature retribution The deserve death for the pain of loss [they cause]

Their eyes bask in the terrible spectacle, seeking pleasure until they die

WASTELAND

Ruki:

Nowadays, there's a tendency where the internet judges everything, be it politicians or anyone else. People can easily engage in bashing, even towards figures symbolizing the nation or otherwise, and everyone starts to feel afraid in response. It makes you feel like it's the end of the world in such a society.

Uruha:

After a series of intense songs, there's a sense of descending here. It feels like finally, a song with some air has appeared. Up to this point, the songs have had a tendency to be dense both in terms of sound and arrangement, but with this song, amidst its existential darkness, there are gaps, expanses, and a fluctuation in the air.

Aoi:

When I first imagined the concept of "dogma," what came to mind was, for example, ritualistic scenes or someone being absorbed into something ecstatically... It was trying to express such things that led to the creation of this song. It might not be a direct match for the theme of "dogma," but I think this song was born precisely because that word was presented beforehand.

Reita:

Truly something unique to us right now, or rather, within what's considered the visual kei genre of music, there's a dark, Gothic feeling, something that feels like only adults can handle. This song is exactly that. It's a song that suits us better now than ever before.

Kai:

I think we've had songs with a heavy atmosphere like this before, with a similar tempo. However, in the case of this song, there's a sense of exhilaration somewhere within it. It feels like a beam of light shining through the dark world, creating a sensation of expansiveness. While the imagery may evoke a desolate landscape, it's not entirely pitch black; there's something piercing through. The identity of that "something" might be something I'll come to understand in the future.

WASTELAND: Translation

The thousand eyes that can kill even God Transform into heretics that devour the rules When the time comes and right and wrong disappear It will all end with a blood-red moon

Falsehoods becoming profound sins Judging innocence in their transgressions

The thousand eyes that can kill even God Transform into heretics that devour the rules When the time comes and right and wrong disappear It will all end with a blood-red moon

Embracing the taboo

The bare essence of the world's existence Bound in shadow Descending into chaotic darkness Eyes of the apostles elevated to divinity

Blurring imbalance, a chance to seize

The cunning entanglement of duplicity As time falls, it gives birth to the conflict between good and evil The world of ugly filth and despair

The unveiled divine doctrine of exclusivity Bound in shadow Descending into chaotic darkness Dancing with the taboos

The thousand eyes that can kill even God Transform into heretics that devour the rules

INCUBUS

RUKI:

This is like a nightmare from hell. I've had the same unpleasant dream over and over. Or perhaps something unpleasant actually happens, and it repeats like a trauma in dreams. In reality, I've experienced something like this, and during the production of this album, there were times when it was particularly frequent. It's not just about things I find unpleasant; sometimes dreams also bring wishes like "it would be nice if this happened." However, the reason we have such dreams is precisely because reality isn't like that. I think dreams mostly show us the opposite.

麗 (Uruha):

Among the many intense songs on this album, this song also heads firmly in its own direction. Amidst its intensity, it also reveals glimpses of a beautiful development that could be interpreted as bewitching and sublime, combining a sense of speed with elegance.

葵 (Aoi):

This too embodies a sense of "dogma." In a way, it might be the song that most strongly evokes that feeling. However, listening to the lyrics, it feels like it's speaking to something. From the title "INCUBUS," you can also feel nuances of yokai* or monsters. Dictionary-wise, it means "nightmare," right? It might just be speaking to that. Even though RUKI's singing style doesn't necessarily convey that feeling of speaking to someone.

REITA:

This song also packs a considerable punch. The contrast between its strength and the beauty of its chorus is exquisite, resulting in a high-quality song that isn't just about momentum.

戒 (Kai):

Among the songs on this album, this one falls into the melodic category. The contrast between light and darkness is very clear. It's not like being dazzled by a strobe light but rather an image where light and darkness switch sharply. In that sense, this song also has a duality and is a song that requires a lot of effort.

*Yokai (妖怪) are supernatural beings or phenomena from Japanese folklore. The term "yokai" is often translated as "monster," "spirit," "apparition," or "ghost," but these translations don't fully capture the breadth of yokai diversity and characteristics.

INCUBUS: Translation

I cannot get out away now from the maze

Un, deux, trois Reality and nightmares intersect in the night And spread forgotten memories over my parched tongue They keep clinging to my mind that won’t wake up Traces of countless loveless days gone by

The things that “you” want I don’t even know what they are Even now I feel that feeling of fear spreading down my spine

I arise to broken nights

My dreams are depressing I remember them, and each time, I pray that I can forget But their shadow will never disappear Still my eyelids slip closed

God, is this a sign Tell me my crime Is it my fate to suffer

Uninvited one

Un, deux, trois Greed and courtship psychological trauma Reality and nightmares that can never be escaped They keep clinging to my mind that won’t wake up Traces of countless loveless days gone by

The things that “you” want I don’t even know what they are Even now I feel that feeling of fear spreading down my spine

I arise to broken nights

All these sad memories flood over me Even if I try to cover my eyes, they won’t go away Because I can still see myself In that never-ending dream

These repeated dreams won’t pass me by It’s a nightmare and a lie

I can’t change fate Even if I die

These repeated dreams won’t pass me by It’s a nightmare and a lie

So fuck the why And get lost

I cannot get out away now from the maze

LUCY

RUKI:

This song is condensed with a kind of anger. It's about various conflicts, being deceived, and not exactly an accusation, but rather a song connected to human greed, I guess.

麗 (Uruha):

It's a song with strong hard rock elements. However, rather than directly exposing that, it reflects our established approach within the album's loud and intense flow. I feel like we've solidified our way of handling such musical tastes. This song also stands out as one of the prominent "colors" of intensity in this album.

葵 (Aoi):

I suppose this would also be considered an angry song, right? There's a strong sense of edge in the sound. However, it's not just a simple angry song; it's different from mere hatred or listing grievances. It feels more like frustration towards things that are hard to accept. It's a song where such feelings are vaguely expressed. It's definitely not a type of song we've had before, and you could say it's a very the GazettE-like song. It's hard to explain more specifically, but I feel it's something we can identify with.

REITA:

If we were to say something idealistic like "cheers from the fans" are the driving force behind this band, deep down, I still think it's anger. I feel like this song expresses that the strongest. Honestly, I feel like once again, this band is made of anger.

戒 (Kai):

It gives off an image of just rushing forward. However, it's not simply about being fast; there are moments where you must firmly put the brakes on, and it's not a song where you should just seek the rush. In other words, the way it runs isn't easy. It's a song I'm looking forward to facing in live performances.

LUCY: Translation

Fascinated by the darkness, your hands scrabble in a hive of greed

Conformity steeped in pleasure: Vice Half-crazed and writhing Your crafty antics are reaching heights of sheer stupidity

Lucy Your vice masquerading as godliness is [finally] exposed 「Greed」「Lust」「Folly」「LIE」「Bluff」「Crime」 Over again Don’t look away Eat me

Vital ability your character is lacking That material is ripped away from you just like that If you could be tamed, I’d keep you

Swallowed up by your greed, you forgot you were being strangled

Conformity steeped in pleasure: Vice Half-crazed and writhing Your crafty antics are reaching heights of sheer stupidity

Lucy You’re hanging, a slave to love on the King’s Highway 「Greed」「Lust」「Folly」「LIE」「Bluff」「Crime」 Over again Aggression comes next Lucy Your vice masquerading as godliness is [finally] exposed 「Greed」「Lust」「Folly」「LIE」「Bluff」「Crime」 Over again Don’t look away Eat me

You’re trying to flee, my dear Lucy

GRUDGE

RUKI:

This was inspired by the American movie "Gone Girl". It's about the extreme emotions of a woman, stemming from the desire to control, which is pure yet taken to extremes.

麗 (Uruha):

Regarding the guitar, it seems like a relatively calm song, but it reflects Aoi's character as the composer. It has a beautiful flow with subtle fluctuations, combined with a kind of intensity that creeps up gradually. That was my first impression of this song.

葵 (Aoi):

This is also my "dogma". While bringing out quite a muddy aspect, I tried to introduce a heavier feeling as well. When embodying the concept of "dogma" into a song, various emotions were intermingling within me. If I were to say this song straight up embodies my personal "dogma", then "WASTELAND" would be the further exploration from here.

REITA:

It's not coolness in the sense of being detached, nor is it stylish in that manner, but I think it's a song that's refined in our own way. I feel it's beautifully composed in terms of its atmosphere. The fact that this has come together as a whole is because of the experiences we've had thus far. If we had tried to create such a song in the past, it would likely have been more cluttered with various phrases. It seems like a song that is both simple and intricate. Rather than cramming in multiple answers, it's about sticking to one straight answer. That's exactly what this song is.

戒 (Kai):

Describing this song in words is extremely difficult. Each scene that makes up the progression of the song is quite clear. For me, I didn't want it to end in a cramped feeling. When you try to grasp it from your own perspective, it tends to become narrow, so I made sure to incorporate the images that other members also hold, and tried to grasp the song itself with as broad a perspective as possible. While other songs presented similar challenges, this song may have been the most difficult in that sense. I remember crossing my arms and deeply contemplating when I first listened to the original track.

GRUDGE: Translation

If I could, I would hold you in my arms As we descend together into the icy sea

We’ll sink so deep that we won’t be able to rise again, and in those dark depths Your confession – broken, shattered, scattered – Won’t reach my deaf ears My sea of resentment

I leave behind only words and broken memories as death creeps closer I am no longer the ‘me’ you once recognized

I am completely unable to stop myself From hating that look of concern in your eyes

I can’t say when all the threads that bound us together came undone I’ll never hold your hand in mine Or feel anything [for you] ever again The raw wound that is ‘me’ Has left behind nothing but a shadow

I leave behind only words and broken memories swimming in your clear eyes I am no longer the ‘me’ you once recognized

A moment of hesitation hangs over your head And the look you give me is one like you’ve seen something disgusting I wonder what kind of person you think I am [When] you can’t even comprehend suffering

I can’t say when all the threads that bound us together came undone I’ll never hold your hand in mine Or feel anything [for you] ever again The raw wound that is ‘me’ Has left behind nothing but a shadow

The memory of blood welling from brimming eyes will stay with me I’ll save you with my cold serenity

In the sea of resentment We’ll embrace our sins We will never escape [As we sink] into the fathomless depths

PARALYSIS

RUKI:

The weak self. This also stems from a story based on a certain incident. Amidst relentless brutal incidents, there are cases where both the perpetrators and the victims fall into such depths due to their own weaknesses. This is about the helplessness in such situations. Ultimately, people can be driven to death by it.

麗 (Uruha):

There are aspects of this song that go beyond the religious imagery of the entire "DOGMA" album, aiming for something more exposed and aggressive. Personally, I have a feeling like, "I could die playing this..." It's not about fast playing, but rather a relentless pounding of the right hand. In that sense too, it's a song pushing towards its limits.

葵 (Aoi):

This is truly about pushing limits. It's a challenge to the limit, or rather, it goes beyond that. But inversely, I was drawn to it out of simple curiosity. In that sense, it might deviate from the artistic image of "DOGMA," but in terms of playing, it might be the most impactful song with a character that breaks free from conventions.

REITA:

In terms of playing, this was the most challenging. As a bassist, this song had the highest difficulty level. The vocal shouts are also packed intensely. In the latter half of the album, this song strongly expresses the desire to deliver a final blow. And that blow is overwhelming. I feel its position in our live performances will naturally become apparent.

戒 (Kai):

A song that expands its scope while being intense. Initially, when listening to the original track while predicting its development, it was a series of "Oh, it's different" and "Oh, is it going this way?" moments. Intensity is an important weapon for us, and this song made us realize it could be increased anew.

PARALYSIS: Translation

Die and restart

These feelings that became entangled out of instinct Hurt more than I can even comprehend I can’t know it

Hide out Lies are stacking up There’s no blank space left It’s all been bedecked with tricks

I close off my heart because of my own weakness

My life is buried in loneliness [Even if] I try to throw it all up the loneliness always keeps coming back again

Distress I bought into that powerful, dubious love, and nearly drowned in it Everything dissolved into that illusion but nevertheless, for some reason, my heart was at ease I didn’t even realize that my emotions had become paralyzed, or that this reality is insubstantial I can’t know it My fate

Creepy the past inside me I want to bury it The facts inside me Once more so it won’t ever come back Past…Buried…Forever [Before I die] Am I so clever? [Until I die] Past…Buried…Forever Can you still see it?

My built-up desires have reached their limit as if just begging to be loved But I can’t see how that will ever happen

Creepy the past inside me I want to bury it Past…Buried…Forever [Before I die] Am I so clever? [Until I die]

[Distress] I bought into that powerful, dubious love, and nearly drowned in it Everything dissolved into that illusion but nevertheless, for some reason, my heart was at ease…

Die and restart

DEUX

RUKI:

About the two personalities within myself. Within myself, there exist such aspects. For example, there's a part of me that wants to dash across the road, and there's another part that puts the brakes on that impulse. Even when I understand the danger of jumping from a high place, sometimes curiosity about what would happen if I did jump can arise. This inner struggle between reason and curiosity might also be a form of dual personality.

麗 (Uruha):

This song was actually intended to be a single. It's structured in a way that should be enjoyable even if released as a single. It has proper vocal elements, intense parts, and overall, it offers a variety within a single song. Of course, it's also an essential piece for this album, but I think it stands well on its own as a single.

葵 (Aoi):

This is the kind of song that could have been released as a standalone single given the opportunity. In fact, we performed it during the March Budokan concert, and for an album like "DOGMA," it plays a role at the entrance, making it accessible to the audience. It could be likened to the "candy" in "carrot and stick" approach. Especially within this intense album.

REITA:

This is a song we've performed live before, so many people might recognize it. Not that it's the only one, but within this album, I think it holds a position as a "precious vocal piece." When you touch upon it as an individual piece of music, the feeling might be slightly different.

戒 (Kai):

Beautiful grotesqueness. That's the impression I get. For instance, if blood were dripping down from the top of a wall, it would normally be considered a grotesque sight. However, the contrast of bright red blood against a pure white wall is aesthetic, I believe. Similarly, this song possesses not just a grotesque aspect but also a beautiful one.

DEUX (TWO): Translation

This inescapable answer is gripped by despair; I hope it’s all just a dream[Because] this is an Inferno

You’re my enemy You make that clear when you sabotage my dreams that won’t come true Scary night Split mind bringing only Pain I’m praying for a Nightmare

Weakness draws near to my closed-off heart as it floats in the darkness of unconsciousness It’s scary to sleep in lonely silence, but whose fault is that?

This inescapable reality is gripped by despair; I hope it’s all just a dream [Because] this is an Inferno

You’re my enemy You make that clear when you sabotage my dreams that won’t come true Scary night Split mind bringing only Pain I’m praying for a Nightmare

Cut off from my destination, bewildered, the barrier around my mind is torn apart and my heart wound up breaking Innocent eyes full of yearning slip closed when the emotional storm has passed; without so much as a sound [tears] overflow

Our weakness superimposed atop one another, you and I will rot in the bottomless darkness Sleeping in lonely silence, weakness blossomed into isolation; but now all I have to do is take a step forward I won’t be of two minds anymore

You will become my dream

I sleep in lonely silence, broken as I am So mesmerized by “the end” that awaited me, I jumped Terror bared its fangs again but I’ll abandon my hesitation Wouldn’t even death be sweeter than slowly growing comfortable with being toyed with?

[FATE]

-We will die-

BLEMISH

RUKI:

About the parts of myself that I think are no good, or something I lack within myself. People try to fix such flaws or try to put an end to their past, but there are times when you can't change yourself easily. I feel like my shadow is distorted because of my past. Humans live in the present while trying to repair it, but the past cannot be changed. Even if you think you've changed it, you end up realizing that you're still the same.

麗 (Uruha):

To tell you the truth, during the song selection meeting, this spot was the only vacant one. Among several candidate songs vying for this position, I really wanted the chorus of this song here, no matter what. It wasn't just about the song but specifically about having that chorus here to create a moment of openness. As a result, by rearranging the flow leading up to that chorus, this song was reborn. I think within the entire album, this chorus itself becomes a crucial moment.

葵 (Aoi):

When you think of "dogma," it gives a sense of something absolute, like a doctrine. This song feels like confronting such an absolute. It has a somewhat authoritative stance or coercive force to it. When dealing with "dogma," I had the impression that it inherently carries such elements.

REITA:

In developing the live performances accompanying the album "DOGMA," this song is absolutely necessary, indispensable. Of course, it's not limited to just this song, but it should be a very clear song. I also feel it's a song that equals our current selves.

戒 (Kai):

The immediate image when listening is a vivid red. Not like blood-red, but more like a clear, vibrant red like a red strobe light. When RUKI initially brought the original version to the early song selection meeting, it had a stronger digital tone. However, if left as it was, it would have stood out from the album's world. It was later redesigned. Still, because it existed in the initial stages, it was easy to expand upon its imagery.

BLEMISH: Translation

Killing my past

[Fuck this] 

I set out, my pulse racing, but something was missing In some respects, I had always been in denial about my own existence

I seem to lose all dazzling light Can’t understand this broken sight

Redo the pain, pain, start all over I want to kill the past I feel the shame, shame, it’s never over (SHAME, SHAME) These days I’m better dead

I want to be reborn

leave me alone I had to stifle my cries when I caught sight of my own twisted shadow

Shite Fuck What’s happened to me Why is it always just like this? Go to hell

God damn it fuck What’s happened to me Why is it always just like this? Go to hell

Redo the pain, pain, start all over I want to kill the past I feel the shame, shame, it’s never over Why do these days last?

Redo the pain, pain, start all over I want to kill the past I feel the shame, shame, it’s never over These days I’m better dead

In darker dreams A goddess speaks to me And it seems I cannot see the light Out of sight And reborn somewhere else Don’t just abandon me Please Please Please Please

FUCK YOU

OMINOUS

RUKI:

In a world that symbolizes ourselves lately, it feels like we've been standing there for a while. Moreover, I wanted to create a feeling that there's something more to come...

麗 (Uruha):

At the demo stage, it had a relatively cleaner song image. As the original composer reworked it and it became titled like this, the flow leading up to the chorus became more murky. Initially, there was surprise in how the chorus is so beautiful while the first half is murky, but I think it became a magnificent song with convincing grandeur suitable for the flow of the album "DOGMA." It was born beautifully but grew murky. Truly ominous.

葵 (Aoi):

This could have also been named "DOGMA," I feel. Actually, it naturally seems somewhat similar to the title track, using the same sound as in "DOGMA" in this song as well. I think even RUKI himself might have seen these two songs as a continuation or a pair. Because there's "DOGMA," there's also "OMINOUS," or rather, it's apparent that he wanted it to be that way. I believe this album wouldn't have been complete without this song. Just like how a book cannot be complete without its back cover.

REITA:

I didn't initially expect this to be the closing song. However, once the idea of placing it last came up, I couldn't imagine it anywhere else. Now, I can't think of any other place for it but here. It's a song that leads the world of "DOGMA." Without this song, the album might have ended up shallower. It was necessary to conclude it as something deeper.

戒 (Kai):

An image of everything turning pure white. However, it's not just about ending simply; rather, it's about opening another door... That might be the exit. Like "DOGMA" served as the entrance, this is quite a heavy door as well. There's an image that links with "DOGMA." These two songs have a relationship of front and back, yet they are also integral to each other.

OMINOUS: Translation

Sleep… Count me down… Again

So I’ll close my eyes As I turn to face you

My prayer shattered into ruins Is reflected in your eyes as you spread your wings to fly

I see you whirling with nightmares Through a sky thick with darkness

Don’t forget That the heart can’t die Don’t forget Really, dreams don’t always mean what they seem

True… Dread

Sleep… Count me down… Again

This cycle of constant change is ominous I fall into the recurring darkness

It steals away my formless future and whenever I step forward The sky darkens until I can no longer see I’m killing myself with loneliness and even my screams Won’t bring any rescue

Sleep… Count me down… Again

...

UGLY: Translation

Play in the circle Come pay for your filthiness The bloody scaffold and bitch

Please die… Before I die Lies and boastful eyes

Evil fame Inside SHARP 2 It’s completely distorted and Insane

Death to Traitors Scaffold and bitch Hatred ringing out, violated, nothing but a number Death to Traitors Scaffold and bitch Forgetting to beg [is a] Crime

This pain doesn’t reach you You, living with lies You can’t sleep beside me Are you still alive?

Play in the circle Come pay for your filthiness The bloody scaffold and bitch

Please die… Before I die Lies and boastful eyes

Evil fame Inside SHARP 2 It’s completely distorted and Insane

FUCK Traitors Scaffold and bitch Hatred ringing out, violated, nothing but a number Death to Traitors Scaffold and bitch Forgetting to beg [is a] Crime

Lies will always come tumbling down You are ugly and falling apart Even now you stand at the edge of the death’s abyss

Are you still alive?

Death to Traitors Scaffold and bitch Hatred ringing out, violated, nothing but a number Death to Traitors Scaffold and bitch Forgetting to beg [is a] Crime

DEPRAVITY: Translation

What isn’t written on that paper Are the absurd pretexts and hushed-up truths

Can you praise a God who doesn’t call it a sin To heap violence upon his devout believers? [You should die] That’s how it always is with the hidden side of the truth In bitter tears [Somebody has drowned]

Linked hearts And the hopes that traveled between them: What will be lost when the undesired end comes?

Looking back to the past, was it really as depraved as it seemed? My mind is filled with Despair

What isn’t written on that paper Are the absurd pretexts and hushed-up truths

Can you praise a God who doesn’t call it a sin To heap violence upon his devout believers? [You should die] That’s how it always is with the hidden side of the truth In tears of blood [Somebody has drowned]

The darkness that completely engulfs me won’t let me go

Crushed by my helplessness I lived through sleepless nights Destroyed by my weakness I couldn’t even cry anymore

Linked hearts And the hopes that traveled between them: What will be lost when the undesired end comes?

GODDESS: Translation

Suffering day after day My reason for living Is to embrace the answer that scratches the surface

Trapped inside, drowning in what I can’t see, I’m unable to believe in “someday” These bleak thoughts are my sacrifice that will one day begin to thaw into a selfless, smiling heart Drain

I want to become the stars that fill the silence Giving voice to my multitude of sins, growing louder until it’s distorted Floating in a haze within this shallow sleep Your hand gently caresses my crippling despair as I face this moment

Suffering day after day For all eternity I simply wish that I might live [But] it’s the end of me…

Trapped inside drowning in what I can’t see, I’m unable to believe in “someday” These bleak thoughts are my sacrifice that will one day begin to thaw into a selfless, smiling heart

I can’t become the stars that fill the silence Giving voice to my multitude of sins, it kills me as I struggle [If only] I could share my  grief that can’t be put into words [If only] I could face reality and live accepting my crippling despair…

UNDYING: Translation

Sleep… Count me down… Again I won’t arise from this

Black philosophy: the only thing left behind is a future engulfed in misery When your unclear reality becomes a hindrance, what can you believe in? what can you hope for?

Ominous shadows completely obscure this sky Spreading my wings, I will circle them for all eternity

7 　“Disjointed thoughts” 6 　“Retribution and separation” 5 　“The gallows” 4 　“Wishes and the future” 3 　“Forbidden words and crushing heaviness” 2　 “Broken dreams” 1 　“Betrayal”

I deny all of it Smothered in blackness [Sleep…Count me down] Dancing with death [Count me down…Again] Come, let’s end this

I screamed to drown out everything else Have I changed at all? What did you see in the ever-darkening sky? My heart has been broken

Too late the truth that gushes forth was smothered by the darkness

7　Foolish courage Crawling, smeared with destructive desires 6　Eyes feigning apathy will bring the ruin of evil 5　[Foolish courage] [Crawling, smeared with destructive desires] 4　I mock even the God I’ve fooled 3　[Foolish courage] [Crawling, smeared with destructive desires] 2　[Eyes feigning apathy will bring the ruin of evil] 1　[Foolish courage] [Crawling, smeared with destructive desires] 0

The sky that represents eternity is nothing but sad

Life, don’t change my fate God, entomb my hate

Their depth of meaning begins to vanish along with the power of these words And even if I can see the end The dream I had was full of unforgivable hopes I can still see it even now

[Even now]

I’m drowning in the depths of the endless tide of sin

MALUM: Translation

I saw the abyss Like a nightmare

Morally bankrupt and completely drenched in red like a demon In the indiscriminate inhuman depths of extreme greed even my fantasies are half-hearted The shards of this life are scattered

“Her body heat can’t be felt anymore”

Why did you KILL? Though I lament She can’t return

In a garbage heap,  I degenerate into a beast dripping with malice I will never forget The meaning of it

Until you die / I will live Until it KILLS you It will never end I know Until you die / I will live Until I KILL you Pray as your eyes gaze down into the “abyss of death”

Why did you KILL? Though I lament She can’t return

In a garbage heap, I degenerate into a beast dripping with malice I will never forget The meaning of it

I’m already like this

Until you die / I will live Until it KILLS you It will never end I know Until you die / I will live Until I KILL you Pray as your eyes gaze down into the “abyss of death”

What do you think of the death I dealt you in retaliation? The nothingness will continue to spread until everything [is covered] And in it, even your reason for living brings you nothing but ruin.

VACANT: Translation

[Even] as we’re tangled around each other I understand That it can never go back [to how it was]

What do you think? The answer is discolored by my self-condemnation I’ve lost sight of [our] perfect world That trick of my unconscious mind Prevents me from even dreaming

The setting sun brings to mind the “parting” that will happen one day The cherry blossoms simply flutter amidst the sound of my never-ending tears Their fleeting life will fade as the days pass by, and my grief continues to grow Even now it won’t leave me

Just don’t forget That the end will certainly be just like that day

[Even] as we’re tangled around each other I understand That it can never go back [to how it was]

On that wall of indifference [between us] that seems as if it could one day crumble away [I pin] the end and all my broken dreams

In the misery of being unable to reconnect our threads now untied, Time begins to pile up on itself, stopped dead in its tracks

The cherry blossoms merely flutter I can’t escape that day It’s as if you’re vacant, and you’re withering

I count the wishes you left me with

I grieve that I can’t change the way things are now And remember What I lost on that day

... MASS lyrics book All lyrics translations are from Defective Tragedy blog, I did some changes to Dogma and Wasteland because I felt the need to (I study DOGMA lyrics like a religious text, because it is one). The Dogma book members comments are translated by ChatGPT. All scans are from The Archive. Tumblr has once again messed up the formatting, sorry about that.

Notes to self: Ruki calls dogma the antithesis - in hegelian philosophy it is the negation. antithesis was also written on 15th anni merch, specifically the black shirt aoi wore. Inorganic feel - deracine - in the womb, Ninth mother/ Matrix, Uruha said The Mortal is about AI, so the Matrix, while babylons taboo is the ninth cover art track. 99.999 is the most inorganic of them all but its also the sum of all their previous works. Ruki directly confirms that dawn and 13th anni is about the scarlet woman and the redefinition tour was part of the intro to dogma. 13th anni - 13 dogma songs - 13 the number of the high priestess card, she is on the cover of dogma. Also dawn lyrics literally say answer redefined becomes the new dogma. Deux - the 2 triangles of a hexagram. Blemish - redness, like a red strobe light. was supposed to have a stronger digital tone?? Inorganic??? ninth goddess. Strobe light at the beggining of the mortal live. Bizarre 3x inorganic, she is bizarre. red visualiser, composed by uruha- gate to hell - bab - the mortal - in hell. Ominous - whiteness ( it reads more like redness to me with the heart being torn open and bleeding in the dogmatic final performance. Blood is smeared on ninth cds but also ugly vid and also spookybox lucy cd. Did ruki mean ninth with more to come or ugly? probably both. But Kai said exit door and Door is Daleth so ninth. Maybe it's the whiteness turning into redness. ) lucy + barbarian.

[blogofyolo]

LOFAM 5 ACT 2 - COVER ART

recently i had the opportunity to contribute to the new lofam so i thought i'd share the album covers i did here! (with commentary)

starting off with probably my favorite cover art for what might be my favorite song: sburban juxtaposition. the track is so good i basically drew the whole cover while listening to it on loop. coloring the meteors was a lot of fun too. rose's pose is actually inspired by miles' leap of faith from spider-man: into the spiderverse (the spiderverse movies have consumed me ever since i saw atsv in theatres, it can't be helped).

next up we have celestial company. the track is very relaxing, i figured it would make sense to replicate that feeling in the art itself through adding pleasant shades of blue to skaia and john's hood. i also added a yellow spirograph for contrast. i think it worked out pretty well!

sunbumper! a very upbeat and energetic jade track. there's two cool things about this image: one thing is a rather obvious nod to the neverending story, while the other thing is hidden in plain sight. it's a reference to outer wilds, i'll say this much.

caliborn's lament. look. i couldn't not jump at the opportunity to draw art for a song that adapts act 6 act 6 act 4. i just love caliborn, and that's all there really is to say on the matter. his comically sad face is probably the best thing i drew for this project.

karkat loses his mind and learns holy c. i tried a different style for this one, since it's for a song referencing templeos. editing the logos and all was a really funny experience. there's also this Pleasant Hoofbeast Drawing, which i never really got to use:

maybe it'll turn out better this time is a title that immediately reminded me of the retcon. in the cover art, i decided to highlight how the joy of the post retcon timeline almost completely overshadows the suffering of characters that we actually followed for years. idk, replacing these guys with slightly different versions of them always felt weird to me.

aaaaand that's it! hope you guys enjoyed these covers (and the lengthy commentary) just as much as i enjoyed making them :3

[merakiui]

Nooooooo the tags!!! The tweels in HBE!!! Imagine Jade having a thick album, completely mushroom-themed (the hobby must be nurtured and passed down from youth, he said), and the first few dozen pages were just X-ray photos of baby tako. Floyd lamented that there were too many repetitive pics and Jade should just spare those pages for when baby tako was born, but Jade insisted on keeping those and said he could always get another album when this one ran out of pages (except it never did 😭 and now it just sits in a corner far away from Azul's or darling's eyes...)

And Floyd!!! The shoes, the baby shoes he went on a shopping frenzy for when the pregnancy was announced! And he's gonna have matching shoes with the baby. They were gonna be the coolest duo ever. If he couldn't find the miniature version of his favorite style, he's gonna decorate a pair himself. Doesn't matter if he's got one too many pairs, Jade's just jealous he couldn't have matching shoes with the baby (except they couldn't be the raddest looking duo ever. The mini shoe collection stays in a corner with Jade's album, but he still washes them regularly. And whenever he puts on a new pair of shoes he thinks of a mini version of it just to realize no one's ever gonna wear them anyway...)

Yes I thought I had finally recovered from the angst in HBE (Mera I love HBE but it surely hurts 😭) yet the uncle tweels brainrot is too strong. They could have been the coolest uncles ever, and they would fight to be baby tako's favorite. If only they still had that chance 😭😭😭

- 🌟 anon (I'm still around all this time but sometimes my asks got eaten by tumblr and sometimes I hit send before I signed, sorry for the angst but I couldn't help thinking of uncle tweels)

AAAAAAAA ｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡ they cared about you and baby tako so so SO MUCH. It makes me so ill to think about all of the fun, exciting years that were awaiting you and Azul (and the tweels as well). And those years will never come to pass. The twins were so excited, so ready to be the best uncles in the world (and yes they're fighting to be number one uncle), so happy for you and Azul. The photo album and the shoes were once mementos filled with promise and endless enthusiasm as the twins eagerly await the day when they can fill the album with more photos, match with baby tako, and document every wonderful moment alongside you and Azul. They're practically part of your family with how close all of you are.

And now things like the shoes and the album are just bad memories overshadowed with gloom. It's so heartbreaking because it's a reminder of what could have been and what should have been... :(

[crimium]

My thoughts on the new Hifuu Album

Well, Taboo Japan Disentanglement just came out! after reading the story and listening to the tracks, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the album!

The tracks

I'm going to go through the album tracks in order and give my individual thoughts on them.

1 - Morning Comes on Tanabata Hill (Original)

This is surprisingly emotional for an opening track. The new drum set here is wonderful, and the piano is soothing and atmospheric. I do think the melody is kind of all over the place though, and it's a bit hard to follow. All in all, a really nice calming song.

2 - Tinkerbell of Inequality (Original)

I've been excited to listen to this one ever since the album got announced because of the interesting title, and HOLY SHIT THIS SONG IS AMAZING. The instrumentation is so weird but oh so good. The track is ominous but jazzy. The melody is catchy. It reminds me of GFC and CoSD, with it's apocalyptic futuristic vibe. This is easily the best track in the album. Solid.

3 - Does the Forbidden Door Lead to This World, or the World Beyond? (HSiFS arrangement)

Now we get to the arrangements. The song is sporting a new drum set and piano, and I can safely say that the instrumentation is a huge improvement to the original. To be frank, I'm not too much of a fan of HSiFS's instrumentation, now don't get me wrong, the songs are great, but they suffer a bit because the instruments ZUN uses are a bit lackluster. Here, that is not the case, this a great arrange. Something I do want to note, is that the BPM of the arranges seems to be lowered a bit from their original counterparts. Not a bad thing, but it's interesting to keep in mind as you keep listening.

4 - Smoking Dragon (UM arrangement)

HOOOOOOLYYYYYY SHIIIIIIIT. The key change. the new drumset. the new, climactic/triumphant atmosphere. The new section added in??? It's all so perfect, this does the original song justice. I love this so much. One of my favorite arranges in the whole album.

5 - Mugen Noh ~ Taboo Marionette (Original)

This song is calming, but sinister sounding as well. It hits a nice balance of calming and uneasy. The instrumentation, once again, is really good here. I do feel that the electric guitar a bit later in feels a bit out of place, but in general, the song creates a really good atmosphere, and it's definitely a standout track.

6 - Crazy Backup Dancers (HSiFS arrangement)

I don't really have much to say about this one, other than that it's a fairy good arrangement of the original song. ZUN added a new synth(?) into the mix, which gives it a distinct sound from the original. It's fun!

7 - Yorimashi Between Dreams and Reality ~ Necro-Fantasia (AoCF arrange)

ZUN. you can't keep getting away with this. This is peak. The song has a newly added intro of the Necrofantasia main theme before the song kicks in, and WOW does it create an atmosphere. The instrumentation is once again great and the key change (that just dissapears half-way through lmao) is also really cool. This is a great track.

8 - The Lonesome Path in Hitachi (Original)

A surprisingly upbeat track given the title. It's composed in swing rhythm, and because of that, it kinda reminds me of Let's Live in a Lovely Cemetery and Like the Brilliance of Fairies. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does make it sand out a bit less for me. Still a good track, though! Also ZUN chill out with those reverbs

9 - The Lamentations Known Only by Jizo (WBaWC arrange)

I like the new choir here, it makes it sound more dramatic. I am a bit disappointment that the flute kind of overshadows the Spooky Lead from the original, but it's not a bad arrangement at all. And man this drum set is really doing wonders rn

10 - The Concealed Four Seasons (HSiFS arrange)

WOW. TALK ABOUT A GREAT FINALE. This arrangement tweaks just enough without completely changing the vibe of the original song, and it's fantastic. About halfway through, there's a key change that makes it sort of feel like a phase 2 to the song, and it really completes the whole package. Fantastic.

11 - Apparitions Abound Even Outside of Night (Original)

Oh cool, what a nice, calming, uplifting trac- ZUN WHAT ARE YOU DOING. So the song starts off very calming and atmospheric, and then turns into digi-rock like a minute in. It's kind of jarring but I think it works, the song is still fantastic, and does a good job wrapping things up for the album, and the story. Speaking of which...

The story (spoiler warning)

Without going into too much detail, because I highly recommend you read the story on your own, the predictions of Merry and Renko being separated where not exactly wrong, although I think the story was a lot less heartbreaking than everyone thought it would've been. It serves as a nice drama and really shows how these characters relate to each other. Seeing Renko drop everything just to save Merry shows that even if they get on the wrong foot, they're still the Hifuu club, through and through.

In conclusion, this album is absolutely stellar. ZUN's instrumentation this time around is incredibly diverse, and I can tell he was having fun experimenting. The story is also well written, showcasing these two characters and their conflicting yet similar ideals. Please, go give this album a listen! It may have been 8 years since the last hifuu album, but it was definitely worth the wait.

[abattoirstars]

im back, and would love you to share your hypothesis on Why The Band Hate Arc

— out of town for the day anon

back to music discourse. i'll have to get c @hellkitepriest to mine for the interview footage where jon especially recoils a bit from Arc because it's the foundation of this take BUT if we take that as read, the timeline goes like this:

Cough Cough drops as a single in October 2012 and charts (still the band's only top 40 single). Then in January 2013, three days before Arc releases, Bastille release Bad Blood with Pompeii on it and completely explode the whole scene.

I reckon Pompeii especially stings because it's doing SUCH a similar thing to Cough Cough but through a combination of factors (including Dan Smith being a much more indie-darling quiffed up frontman) it completely overshadows literally every other song released that year. It was the UK's most streamed song of all time until mid-2014.

So my take is that the band (Jon especially) has a residual bitterness about Arc and Cough Cough/Kemosabe because THEY should've maybe been the percussion heavy, rnb influenced indie pop album that went Huge or at least charted well that year, but instead their first major label release got swept out from under them by a band I guarantee they thought were making much less musically interesting decisions than them (even if Bastille do sing about Twin Peaks).

Interestingly, Bastille ALSO then release Wild World in 2016 which is doing the exact same Farage and Brexit thinking as GTH/AFD and again outsells, though at least this time GTH/AFD become cult classics.

(I have wider thoughts on the Dan Smith being hot and marketable thing but they start to sound quite parasocial. I will just say that Arc is notably the only album cover of theirs to feature their own faces until it's deliberately referenced/parodied/bastardised by Re-Animator, and they've really tried to beautify the FUCK out of them)

[joesalw]

Her announcing new albums at award shows is kind of leaving a bad taste in my mouth atp because it's literally overshadowing others, less well known artists' achievements. This specific year the Grammys were so important because I was so sure people would talk about the genocide that's going on but she managed to completely overshadow that. It's giving narcissist

well she is a narcissist

[thegreatimpersonator]

i so desperately want to listen to her music without thinking about who the songs are about. i did do that earlier. but now her relationships are soo overexposed, even if I don't want to know about it, ill find out some way or the other. and it sticks in my subconscious, which really ruins things for me. i love listening to halsey and hozier without thinking about who the songs are about, cause their private life is still very private. but that is just not possible with taylor. and that's not completely her falt either. she's the media darling, and she's everywhere now. it's impossible to escape.

Oh i feel you! There's this added step of detangling her personal life with her songs when you approach her work as a listener, and maybe that's why a lot of neutral people dislike her music bc you can either get too invested in her private affairs to get "the lore" behind her albums or you're listening to music that is...objectively....okay?? Overhyped? Overshadowing other artists? I don't know. She's a wonderful songwriter don't get me wrong , but her fans paint her as modern Shakespeare lmao it's too difficult to engage with just the music when it comes to her

[girllblogging777]

Hey, same anon from the question you just posted and I have to say I completely agree! I didn't really get into her music until a bit later but once I started listening to her music I heard a few of the songs from debut and I fell in love. Teardrops on my guitar and picture to burn in particular were some of my favorites and now looking back on it I can't believe how many of my friends who are also swifties don't talk about or listen to debut. It breaks my heart a bit to see how many people rank it so low compared to her others when it's such a good album. All of her albums are good but that's one where I love every single one of the songs on it. With all of the talk about rep tv I honestly hope she instead gives us debut tv so everyone can finally appreciate just how good it is. All of her other albums overshadow it and it will hopefully get more recognition.

exactly ! as much as i love reputation i can’t say i’m super excited about the re-recording because this album is so perfect to me that i’m afraid it can’t get better. i can’t imagine a new cover or version of the songs and i’m honestly tired of swifties clowning.

like ttpd was released only a couple of months ago, it’s an amazing album with 30+ songs and i don’t understand why everyone got over it so quickly ! i love taylor for being so productive in the past couple of years but i feel like swifties need to stop pushing it

and as for debut, i completely agree with you. i would love it to be the next album she releases instead of reputation ! like she knows everyone wants rep and that’s why she made us clown but she’s gonna do the opposite (very taylor swift of her)

[iwanthermidnightz]

Honestly it does seem Taylor is running out of steam for these rereleases and, frankly, I don’t blame her. She said this started as a passion project - I don’t think her original intention was to have such a huge era for each rerelease. I can imagine it feels very limiting as an artist to just rehash every previous album, rather than moving forward with new music. In a way Midnights was overshadowed by Eras tour and rerecords.

So I can imagine she’s trying to just get the last couple albums out and move on to NEW eras, new projects, not stay stuck in reliving every period of her life up till now. As a person, as an artist, it’s gotta be weird. So yeah, maybe she realized that doing a whole THING every time is just too much. I think we owe her some grace. And like you said, she doesn’t owe us any of this - ultimately this project isn’t about us constantly getting new content from her, it’s about HER owning her music. I think some people get swept up in the excitement and forget these things.

Yes exactly. From what I’ve read she hasn’t been recording just one album at a time, but multiple. She released two 1989tv tracks like two years ago. I’m sure in between touring it’s exhausting some days.

I agree that her original intent was to re-record and release each album without repeating an era, but I think she did want to make it special enough for the fans who have supported her along the way.

It probably is exhausting to deal with rehashing certain things that happened during an era… to the point where she had to make a speech about her fans behaving online during tour before Speak Now tv came out. She’s a completely different person now who learned certain lessons along the way. I wouldn’t want to relive some parts either.

But I do think she has found joy in it too, remembering special moments and falling in love with the music again, which is all that matters. It’s the principle of reclaiming what’s rightfully hers.

She’s been more than generous with the amount of music and content she has put out in the last 3 years, and everything in between. So I hope she continues doing what works for her and makes her happy 🤍