Rat celebrating the New Year from the rooftops of Times Square with her found family, slightly drunk with Leo and Donnie holding her between them as they all dance to the music floating up from the street 💜💖💙
Hunger Pangs made it through to QLL’s March Madness finals over on Twitter.
I’d say I don’t know how I got here, but the answer is you guys. Thank you!
For the final round I’m up against Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin. I haven’t read that one yet, but you better believe it’s on my list.
If you’d like to vote for me (please!) you can do so here:
(Link in case the above embed doesn’t work)
Thank you so much for getting me this far, gang. It’s been absolutely wild and very humbling to see how many of you show up in the numbers. I think even QLL were surprised 😅
"I sense the world might be more dreamlike, metaphorical, and poetic than we currently believe[...]. I wouldn't be surprised if poetry--poetry in the broadest sense, in the sense of a world filled with metaphor, rhyme, and recurring patterns, shapes, and designs--is how the world works. The world isn't logical, it's a song."
The bond of DIR EN GREY - WOWOW Interview Special (2023)
"There are many things that only the five of us have been through together, and that is the connection between us." — Die
Notes before reading:
This is the last five minutes of the interview. ★BGM:カムイ
The five members were interviewed separately.
Repost and share are welcome.🙌 I translated it all by my ears, so please feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.☺️
--- --- ---
►The bond of DIR EN GREY (DIR EN GREYの絆)
【Kaoru】
Of course sometimes we talk about stupid things, that's nothing special.
We must always maintain equal relationships so that all can communicate with each other. But everyone has that personality, so it'll be a little bit… it's gonna be hard (laugh).
Well, we all had different periods. Even so, we're still five people, spending time together in each other's lives.
I still think we have to be aware of each other and move forward.
Well, all I can say is that it's a pleasure to be in a band with them.
*(一緒にやってくれてよかったなと思って)
【Shinya】
A balance of not being too deep and not being too shallow relationships with the members would be great, wouldn't it?
Maybe during the periods when we were together for a long time, it was a little bit awkward, like a decade or so ago.
Now it's just right.
【Toshiya】
I think it is necessary to consciously maintain a certain distance. Considering this, it should be the most natural feeling now.
Although we have been together all along, we have not had unnecessary conversations. Of course, human beings communicate with each other through conversations, but at the same time, they get unnecessary information.
Personally, if my work and private life are mixed together, I gradually feel like I'm misunderstanding something, and I don't like that.
As for the connection between us, when (everyone said) "Okay, let's go!" (before the live show), there’s a very strong cohesion. I feel that way.
【Die】
I am often asked, "Do the members have a good relationship?" "After all this time, you've become like family members, right?"
It’s *troublesome to answer. *(めんどくさい / mendokusai)
The time we spend together may be longer than that of family members, so do we have a good relationship? Or a bad relationship? It has nothing to do with that. We're beyond that.
There are many things that only the five of us have been through together, and that is the connection between us.
We've been through all kinds of things in the band, happy things, going overseas for the first time, getting frustrated. We've been through a lot together.
We all hit the wall together, rushed forward together, and then hit the wall again.
Precisely because the five of us have experienced many things together, this kind of relationship can only be understood by the five of us. It has nothing to do with whether we have a good relationship with each other, nor are we family or friends.
In DIR EN GREY, there are some things about our relationship that only the five of us can understand.
【Kyo】
I guess I like these guys. *(人間が好きなんじゃないですかね)
There's something to honor in everyone, and I often think that they're amazing.
Maybe even if we didn't form a band, but just meeting and getting to know each other on ordinary occasions, we'd still be friends. At least I'd do that.
It's just that we're connected through music now, even though we don't talk a lot... Yeah.
I guess it's because they all deserve respect.
【Narration】 (cv: Morikawa Toshiyuki)
Although always a *solitary existence, DIR EN GREY has been going on for a quarter of a century. The trajectory of the past 25 years has never stopped and continues to move on to a new path.
The five people connected by the bond of music will bring us deeper pain and hope of being alive.
*(孤高 / ここう / kokō)
🐻 How do they show their love? Is it through gifts? Words? Quality time? Something else?
🐋 What are each of your FOs' nickname? Do they have one for you too?
YEAAAHHHHHHHH THANK U FOR THE ASK 💖
🐪
Leo was first, technically! there's a whole story to it but he and Donnie got together while Rat was gone on a long universal disappearing act as she does pre-PAK repair. Anyway, it was a little awkward, but way overdue, and completely rut-influenced. It worked out 👏
& when she came back Rat was the one to confess in an absolute "fuck it" style moment. getting thrown around the multiverse like a furry ping-pong ball has a way of encouraging that.
🐻
Rat and Donnie are both gift givers! Talking is almost as hard as social time, but gifts are the ideal way to show that yes, they're paying attention, even if they don't always seem like it. We all know how Donnie prides himself on his observation skills! & Rat is very much guilty of the "oh, [appropriate name] would like this" even though she doesn't realize she's as good at gifting as the softshell.
Leo is big on quality time! He always finds a way to stick to one or both of his partners like not-entirely-unwanted glue. He's also just very physical, though Leo does try to reserve most such contact for Donnie since he's accustomed to it. Rat doesn't like to be touched unless she's in a specific mood for it. But she can't say no to spending time with her favorite red-eared slider, especially if it involves beating him in a video game 💙
🐋
💜 Dee, Don, Tello, Smart Dumbass, Gruyere [both from Rat]
💖 Highness, Space Case [from Leo], Spider [from Donnie] [this devolves into specific species from time to time], Cheeseball or Furball
💙 Lee, Nardo, Dumb Smartass, Cabrales [both from Rat]
& an endless litany of loving insults between Leo and Don, because banter will always be what they do best! also cheese, because Rat will always use cheese for nicknames-- Gruyere and Cabrales are just specific ones. but at the end of the day all three of them will come up with any and every nickname under the sun!