#like they’ve said this in interviews and bonus material | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dippedanddripped · 3 years

Link

Debbie Harry doesn’t believe in harbouring regrets. “I have made many, many errors, but nobody leads a perfect life,” she reflects down the telephone from New York. “So, should I regret anything? No. It is a waste of time. It really is a waste of time.”

Dial back to the turn of the 70s and the life that Harry led before fronting Blondie – prior to her image being burned onto the retina of popular culture – was colourful to say the least. “I was so desperate to live life,” she says of her time spent hanging with the outcasts and artists of downtown New York. “I was jamming in as much experience as I possibly could and I don’t know if I could have done anything differently. I learned a lot.”

The old Bowery music venue CBGBs has long passed into music folklore as the place that called the likes of Television, Patti Smith, and the Ramones their house bands. It was also where punk and new wave progenitors Blondie cut their teeth before they sashayed into the wider world with the protean panache that would make them a household name. Classic singles such as “Heart of Glass”, “Call Me”, “Atomic”, and “Rapture” have been responsible for more worldwide rug-cutting than an industrial carpet tool. To imply that they were merely a solid singles band is to do them a cardinal disservice, however.

And although they’ve always cocked their attention to the things ahead of them, Harry and her Blondie cohorts have spent a lot of time looking back just lately. Harry’s long-awaited autobiography, Face It, hit the shelves last year, and Blondie co-founder and one-time partner Chris Stein published Point of View: Me, New York City, and the Punk Scene, a photography book featuring personal snaps taken during the band’s pomp in the 70s and early 80s. “We can’t keep on touring and doing club dates the way that we used to. It would be physically impossible,” Harry concedes. “Living through this pandemic has certainly made us take a long look at the value of what we’ve got with our body of work.” Asked if it is a process of attempting to frame their legacy, she admits it’s something that they “have to do”.

This deep-dive into their canon has culminated in a mouth-watering archive set, Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982, slated for release next year. Coming in four formats, it promises to include extensive liner notes, “track by track” commentary by the entire band, a photographic history plus rare and unreleased bonus material. The group will also go out on the road – coronavirus permitting – for an autumn Against the Odds UK tour with Garbage.

The artist born Angela Trimble was put up for adoption only a few months after she was ushered into the world in the summer of 1945. A loving New Jersey couple took her in, rechristened her Deborah Harry, and raised her as their own. She grew up in a suburb that she “never left”, was voted best-looking girl in her high school yearbook, and oscillated within a social circle that consisted of “many of the same people” throughout her childhood. “I was somehow shy within that,” she recalls, “(but) somebody once said to me that being shy was an ego trip and a light went on in my head. I thought, ‘Oh, uh-huh, let’s have none of that!’”

Harry travelled by bus as a curious teen to nearby Greenwich Village, imbibing the febrile inner-city atmosphere. In 1965, she graduated from junior college with an associate of arts degree and New York’s allure became too enticing to resist. She decamped to the bright lights of the city and made ends meet with a succession of odd jobs, including secretarial work for the BBC, waiting tables and an infamous nine-month stint as a Playboy Bunny.

The period was a traumatic one, too, with Harry enduring an ex-lover-turned-violent-stalker and a near-miss with serial killer Ted Bundy (although Bundy’s identity is contested by others). In her memoir, she writes candidly of the time she was raped by a man wielding a knife while on her way home from a concert with Stein. Music offered a vessel for her creativity, and she spent time as part of girl group The Stilettoes and folk ensemble Wind in the Willows before her meeting with guitarist Stein which set the foundations for Blondie. Their classic lineup was completed by Gary Valentine (bass), Jimmy Destri (keys), and Clem Burke (drums).

“Somebody once said to me that being shy was an ego trip and a light went on in my head. I thought, ‘Oh, uh-huh, let’s have none of that’” – Debbie Harry

Although they self-identified as punks, the parochial and nihilistic mandate as promulgated by the genre’s militant diehards never fit Blondie comfortably. The group looked outwards from the moment they started, drawing inspiration from their cosmopolitan city. Their sound was a melting pot pulling at the seams of culture’s fabric, and they would weave their own patterns from it.

Harry agrees that their eclecticism was down to good fortune in coming from the “metropolitan area of New York” where they ingested “a lot of musical influences”. Taken as a whole, their catalogue bears this out. Blondie never stood still musically – yet never sounded like anyone else – and they loaded their songs with more hooks than a fisherman’s trawler. 1976’s punchy, eponymous debut married surf-rock textures with 50s girl-group sensibilities, and their palette had expanded exponentially by the time of seminal third album, Parallel Lines (1978). Eat to the Beat and Autoamerican followed, by which point they could boast flirtations with disco, rocksteady, funk, hip hop, and more within their enviable output.

When asked to pick one track that encapsulates the essence of Blondie, Harry opts for their 1981 US number one single “Rapture”. “What happens in ‘Rapture’ is very comprehensive,” she says. “It took a form of music that was, or still is, very modern and can be very political. Rap and hip-hop songs back then didn’t have their own songs. Rappers would just rap on somebody else’s music. (‘Rapture’) was crafted specifically for that rap. Until then that hadn’t been done. It was a breath of fresh air.” It stands as one of the things in her career that she feels “very good about”.

Blessed with the sort of features that could sell sand to the Saharans, Harry’s appearance caused a stir from the band’s earliest days. “That’s part of showbiz,” she says to me, trying to downplay it. “We always had an eye for that, the entire band. We always had an idea of making a look that represented our sensibilities and links to British pop and mod.” Maybe so, but it was Harry alone who was immortalised by Andy Warhol in one of his iconic silkscreen prints, and who posed for era-defining photographers including Robert Mapplethorpe and Anne Leibowitz.

Did the disproportionate attention she attracted ruffle feathers within the Blondie camp at the time? “Yes and no,” Harry remembers. “We were all happy that it was working. I suppose there was a certain amount of competition or jealousy but ultimately, no. I think that’s a better question for Clem or one of the other members in the band. Of course my relationship with Chris was so close that he was very happy about everything.”

The band’s wheels eventually came off after their muddy and unfocused sixth album, The Hunter, dashed against the commercial rocks in 1982. They had to abandon their subsequent tour after Stein became gravely ill with a rare autoimmune disorder, pemphigus vulgaris, that proved extremely difficult to diagnose. Blondie had no option but to bow out of the public eye, and they broke up quietly.

15 years later, with Stein fully recovered, the group reconvened and released a critically acclaimed and commercially successful comeback album, No Exit. They even topped the UK charts with lead single “Maria”, but faced tussles with erstwhile members at the time too. Former bassist and co-writer on “One Way or Another”, Nigel Harrison, and guitarist Frank Infante attempted to sue the rest of the band over their omission from the reformed lineup. And when Blondie were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Infante grabbed the microphone to express his ire publicly.

Fast-forward to 2020 and the settled iteration of the band are working on a new album with John Congleton, who produced 2017’s Pollinator. Does Harry have a formula when it comes to songwriting these days? No, as it happens. “When a phrase or a sentiment makes me respond emotionally or physically, I write it down and I save it,” she explains. “At a certain point, I’ll sort of review things. A lot of times I like to just work with a rhythm track. Just a drumbeat or some kind of drone-y rhythm, a groove. Other times people will give me a rough sketch of some chord changes – an idea that they’ve got. I seem to work in a lot of different ways.”

Thanks to her effortless chic and timeless looks, Harry’s relationship with the fashion industry has been a mutual love-in since forever, and she recently announced a revival of her partnership with ethical fashion designers Vin + Omi – the duo responsible for her profane ‘STOP FUCKING THE PLANET’ cape worn at the Q Awards in 2016 and throughout Blondie’s Pollinator tour. They have teamed up for a new sustainable clothing line entitled HOPE, and her enthusiasm for the project is palpable. “I love Vin + Omi,” she says. “They are so creative and adventurous. They have this desire to prevail and do things that are smart and modern in terms of recycling and making energy count. I think that is brilliant.”

As a fledgling bee-keeper, the plight of the bees is also something close to Harry’s heart. It was one of the reasons why 2017’s Pollinator was, well, named exactly that. “You’re either being stung by a bee or you’re going to eat its honey,” she chuckles softly, marvelling at the absurdity of the contrast. “But bees and water are two issues we cannot escape from. We should be concerned with finding better ways of living, using our resources in the best way possible.”

Help is coming, she hopes, through the election of Joe Biden, who is “firmly attached” to the idea of helping the environmental cause – and she believes his ideas can help the economy, too. “I’ve been saying for quite a long time that solar and wind power are renewable (energies) that can create jobs,” she says. It’s a far cry from her feelings towards outgoing President Trump and his “daily infusion of bullshit” and “thunderstorm of endless diatribes”.

“One of the most exciting things about rock’n’roll was that it was about breaking the rules, and (‘WAP”) is certainly a part of that. It’s titillating and aggressive and it is part of what is exciting about popular music. The nature of what we try to do is to shock and entertain at the same time” – Debbie Harry

What strikes you when you speak to Harry for an extended period is not only her warmth, but her unexpected humility for someone so staggeringly famous. I reference a Bob Dylan BBC interview from the 80s in which he observed with sadness how his fame had the ability to change a room’s energy and how he missed seeing people act naturally around him. She paws the comparison away, saying she’s nowhere near famous “to the degree of Bob Dylan”, whom she calls “such a megastar”. This could sound like false modesty coming second-hand, but in person it feels like a sincere statement, even if it is a little bewildering coming from an international icon. She will concede, however, that she has “definitely noticed and felt something like that” and has often wished she could simply be “a fly on the wall”.

There is also an inquisitiveness that makes the conversation a more two-way affair than your quote-unquote typical ‘interview’. She fires questions back at you, not as a deflection tactic, but to expand and explore a topic further. This happens when conversation turns to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ubiquitous “WAP”. A recent interview had her fangirling over the track, but Harry’s feelings no longer appear to be as clear-cut and she wishes to discuss the song further. “I love it and hate it at the same time,” she now shares. “One of the most exciting things about rock’n’roll was that it was about breaking the rules, and (‘WAP’) is certainly a part of that. It’s titillating and aggressive and it is part of what is exciting about popular music. The nature of what we try to do is to shock and entertain at the same time.” She pauses. “I don’t know. Everything is revealed and maybe sexual explicitness has come of age.”

Pushed about what she dislikes about “WAP”, she says she would “hate it” if any young girl or woman was hurt by the song’s message. “I think that, in a way, men have to know that women think like this, and that there is this component,” she says, “but I would hate it to mean that everyone should be treated like this. I don’t think anybody should be hurt by sex”.

Harry has long championed the LGBTQ+ communities. When she refers to her dearly departed friend and Hairspray co-star Divine as a ‘drag queen’ in Face It, she acknowledges the term in some instances is no longer accurate or politically correct. I suggest that it can often seem as though the evolution of our language is speeding up in the digital age – by necessity, of course – and ask her if online culture fills her with concern when it comes to using the right terms. “Yeah, (because) in many cases it can be a slip of the tongue, especially for an old dog like me! Things do move so very, very quickly. It is hard to keep up,” she observes. “Fortunately, I have a lot of godchildren!”

Speaking of younger generations, Harry likes to think she’d have coped with social media if she were coming up today, but is thankful that she had her “dark cocoon” in which to “bloom out of”, a place where she was able to “ripen”. “When you’re under the harsh glare of constantly being analysed, that shapes you whether you want it to or not,” she says. “It’s a germ or a seed that’s planted in your mind. It can take surprising turns and it can affect your growth. For good or for worse, who knows?”

“When you’re under the harsh glare of constantly being analysed, that shapes you whether you want it to or not. It’s a germ or a seed that’s planted in your mind. It can take surprising turns and it can affect your growth” – Debbie Harry

One thing that remains is her fierce level of self-criticism. “I always want to do better,” she declares matter-of-factly. “I’ve always been very critical of everything. I hear things or look at them and say, ‘Oh God, it should have been that (instead).” Maybe this hypercritical inclination is what still drives her forward. “I honestly don’t like resting on my laurels. I like working and I like creating. I always beat myself up about not being more creative or more prolific.”

When looking at the bounty of projects she has lined up, no one in their right mind could put Debbie Harry and laurel-resting in the same sentence. Aside from the new album, archival set and fashion project, the paperback edition of her autobiography will be released with a brand-new epilogue in April of next year. (Just don’t ask her what’s in it – “I don’t remember what I wrote. I’ll have to look it up!” she says with a laugh.)

The signs are that the musician is done looking into the rear-view mirror, though. Time may be passing, the tide may be higher, but Debbie Harry is doing more than merely holding on. Her eyes are locked to the future and she’s positively thriving.

Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982 will be released next year; Face It is out now via Harper Collins

#debbie harry #blondie #Vin + Omi #ethical fashion #explicitness #music blog

8 notes · View notes

manjuhitorie · 5 years

Text

Hitorie’s unreleased concert recordings, are coming out on wowaka’s birthday

https://www.hitorie.jp/Loveless_IKI/

Hitorie’s full length DVDs of 2 concerts: The Loveless tour final and the IKI tour final in their full glory! It's region free and the release date is November, NOVEMBER, 4th. wowaka’s birthday.

The cover art has been unveiled, and the details of the bonus items have been divulged!

The standard edition cover feautures wowaka in ai/SOlate T-shirt twanging his guitar!

It comes with both concerts and an envelope with a lottery ticket for a chance to win a framed photo. It's cheaper and only comes with the 2 DVDs, the perfect piece! Regular edition DVD: via cdjapan

The limited edition cover features all members basked in laser lights!

The complete special package comes with both concerts, a new special photobook of unreleased photos by cameraman Nishimaki Taichi, sticker replicas of the staff passes used for both tours, and an envelope with a lottery ticket for a chance to win a framed photo. It’s also separated into Blu-ray and DVD, so make sure you buy the right one for your gear! DVD limited complete edition: via cdjapan Blu-ray limited complete edition: via cdjapan Bonus pre-order items!!!

If you preorder from select stores you’ll receive a A2 size poster of the wowaka photo (Tower Records and CDJapan are sure to have it)!

Amazon preorders will include a 5 piece set of concert photo post cards! (Amazon hasn’t prepared a page yet though, I'll link it ASAP).

And preorders from the concert venue booths will nab you a Hitorie-chan themed ticket case.

The track list is as follows

From Hitorie’s UNKNOWN-TOUR 2018 "Loveless" at EX THEATER ROPPONGI March 25th 2018 01. NAI. 02. Shinya 0-ji 03. Inperfection 04. One Me Two Hearts 05. Nichijou to Chikyuu no Gakubuchi 06. Bathtub and Sleepwalk 07. Eve Stepper 08. Loveless 09. Monocolor 10. Glare 11. Senseless Wonder 12. Unhappy Refrain 13. Social Clock 14. Namid[A]me 15. Talkie Dance 16. Unknown Mother Goose 17. Absolute Encore 1. Dancing Mannequin, Singing Fool Encore 2. Little Cry Baby

AND

From Hitorie’s National Solo Tour 2017 "IKI" at STUDIO COAST May 7th 2017 01. Heart Breath 02. One Me Two Hearts 03. Inperfection 04. Daydreamer(s) 05. Eve Stepper 06. Rularula 07. doppel 08. Lights in the Polar Night 09. Saihate 10. KOTONOHA 11. Hagure no Color 12. 5 Count Hello 13. Dancing Mannequin, Singing Fool 14. Shutter Doll 15. Little Cry Baby 16. Glare Encore 1. Kara no Waremono Encore 2. Senseless Wonder Encore 3. SisterJudy Encore 4. Montage Girl

"The full crowd bouncing around today was the best, I wish I could've shown everybody how crazy you guys looked. Please stick with us through future endeavors to come." After the IKI show in the DVD, ygarshy had said this.

And now.... that chance to see that day's craziness and follow their future is upon us, please do consider purchasing and dancing!!! And thank you for looking...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

⚠️~~~⚠️~~~⚠️The rest of this post is unnecessary bonus manju material⚠️~~~⚠️~~~⚠️

I had report on the Loveless final compiled together from way back on March 28th 2019, so I’ll post it here again to give a small taste....!

●The stage lighting for Namid[A]me was apparently breathtaking, they made it look like it was actually raining, ●Yumao used a real gong for Social Clock. ●During Senseless Wonder yg went all the way over to snd’s side of the stage, stuck his body against his, and they played it out together. Then came the encore MC break.

●Yu started cheering himself on, while making flamboyant poses: "Yumaooooo!! Oooh~! WOooooOOah *rough voice* !!💪( ＞ω ＜💪)” Crowd: “You’re so cool~!” Yu: “Thank goo~ *Goes to a cutesy voice*” “You’re so cute~!” “Thank goo. Thank you!” SND: “Hey dude, they’re all callin’ ya cute and cool y’know.” Yu: “…(short pause) Thank goooo~~~”

wowaka: (laughing) We’re done, that's all we need for MC ahahaa.

●Leaving members stuck on what to ramble about, they’ve already talked so much throughout the whole tour, what’s left? So wo suggested that they do a re-cap on all those fun boring discussions they’ve had. Omnibus time.

●Back when the Japan was collectively swept off their feet by the Olympic ice skater Yuzuru Hanyu-kun and his performance, wo had also praised him during MC. Yet just thinking about him puts pressure on Yumao, it inspired Yumao to do his best. And as the next song on Rie’s set list was the inspirational Memai, he concentrated so hard, poured himself in and played super neatly, “Oh shit oh no oh shit, Hanyu-kun makes me nervous.” Yumao explained.

●During the span of the tour SND fell off the stage way more then once... SND: “The skin on my back peeled off once too.” Yu “Eeeh?!” SND “Saying it peeeled all the way off is an overstatement but..” ”Well then the scab ripped off.” “Seriously?!” “But it healed nicely.” “Ahh” “After that, in Niigata, when I went to brandish my guitar up with a “pwooosh” towards the roof, it went bonking into my forehead.” ●SND’s middle finger had also stopped moving, (nerve palsy maybe??) During Talkie Dance there’s the “piropiropiro” where a “pero, pero” bit comes in between (Queue SND and Yuma singing the riff together), which is very straining. He has to press his fingers against the strings one by one to play it, he was scared but nonetheless. So Yuma watched him at the piropero part wondering “Oh no oh no is it gonna move? Is it moving today??””

When it came down to it his middle finger moved for him so thank goodness... (Manju comment: SND is this karma for all the times you gave the crowd the middle finger when they cheered your name,,, or flipped off girls who waved at you, or giving wo the middle finger a lot? God I love you)

●Yumao “Also ygarshy laughed ONCE!” “There was the one time I was talking nonstop (queue SND and Yumao making “blaghblergh” noises together to imitate him). When yga let out a chuckle, which made me super proud in front of everyone… I went Wahooo!!! but turns out it wasn’t because my story was funny or anything. It was because yga was off on his own! Testing how many candies he could eat before we would shut up!” SND: “Did you chuckle because you finished the third candy?” yg: “Uhhh” SND: “Well tell us about it.” wowaka: “Is this the first time he’s talking?” yga: “See, I always think our encore MCs are… long. So I feel like having some candy. I was originally worried I wouldn’t be able to finish eating one in time, the song would start and turn into a problem, but.... it turned out that day’s had become the longest MC yet. I lost my inner bet, damn it, I thought. You guys really can talk. Three whole candies worth of talk! So I laughed, and Yumao thought I was laughing at hims story”

Yu: “Yeah yeah!! Honestly the story I had been telling didn’t have a punchline, so I just used your laugh as an escape.”

SND “Foolish” Yu “Yep” wowaka “Well that day the most” Crowd “laughing” Yumao “...Thank goo~ (laughing)” (Yumao you never have a punchline I swear to God I love you too)

●wowaka talked about the story from back when he used to be so so scared of standing in front of people. In middle school his teacher chose him to represent his class in the English speaking competition, yet he was so afraid that he just, went out to the podium crying hysterically. “I can’t talk English in front of everyone waghhh....”

But now he’s able to do >this<. He’s become such an adult.

SND “I bet there wasn’t even as many people at the competition as there is people here today, haha and you’re able to even talk naturally here, eh, look at you.”

Yu: “Ahh even SND’s such a big boy now~.” SND: “Well we all have.” ●They announced the next nexUs tour at the Loveless tour final. “We just love doing shows”

●Also Pre- Little Cry Baby emotional speech from wowaka. “In living we find cool things and sparkling things, yet there’s moments when we betray those things, we worry if ahhh was I wrong with that, there’s so much of this, in actuality that’s all I do, yet still we’re made out of things we can’t throw away, that’s what I think, what is it! Like those sorta texture that have a paint dried over them, like things that are just superficial just… Those are things that I have NO FUCKING interest in! Like it’s that, c’mON, with music, people are just humans!! trying to be, they’re trying to do what they can do! I have interest in things that only humans can do, some things that can even surpass human, and that’s what fuels me to do music. As long as you follow me, I feel like ,, I could go anywhere!!!!! thank you always, thank you for making me!! Thank you for being here!!!”

This was also the showing they used during the Memorial Service on June 1st… STAFF WE ARE GOING TO CRY “Thank you we were Hitorie, let’s definitely! *through deep breaths* definitely! Meet again!”

Also some from IKI

●wowaka’s mother came to this show.... As divulged in this interview. THE ORAL CIGARETTES had sent Rie flowers in celebration of the event, which were on display at the venue.... Shiohigari SND’s good friend went, also the Synth player of the band “the telephones” who took the picture that’s featured on this blog) went also! ●Before Shutter Doll Yumao did his signature, Yumao! Yumao! Yumao! cheer on rhythm with the familiar intro, but with “Final! Final! instead. Along with We’re ●Hagure no Color had snazzy band introductions molded in between it. ●wowaka had actually cried during Little Cry Baby..... It really is a song that’s so important to him.... I’m anxious to see the video... ●MC: One was wowaka talking about how thankful he is for everyone and everything about this IKI tour. wowaka “I don’t want it to to enddd!” SND “We’re been on this tour for 4 months, it’s been a long time though, it’s amazing, it’s a new record for us.” wowaka “Now what am I going to do with myself tomorrow.“ SND “Go back to our dark dark life...” wo “Why”

SND “You guys had been waiting outside all this time, how was it, was it cold, are you okay? Further crowd: “We were okay-! Closer crowed “(less voices) We were okay.” SND “So you guys were okay and you were cold, okay (laughing). Well if you were cold, then see this sweatshirt Leader is wearing.. please wear one too That thing is perf. Crowd: “Woooah!!” SND: “Why the fuck ‘Woah.’ Even if you said you’re okay then still go buy one alright. Thanks..”

#ヒトリエ #wowaka #first photo is from the IKI show http://meetia.net/music/hitorie-iki-report/#Nishimakiiiii #Hitorie

20 notes · View notes

tisthenightofthewitch · 5 years

Text

GHOST ON HOW THEIR SATANIC CATHEDRAL TURNED INTO A FAMILY AFFAIR

Inside the extremely fun and incredibly satanic world of the pop-metal darlings.

Ghost have created something so special, you would almost think they struck a deal with the devil. Since their 2006 formation, the Swedish metal outfit have turned lyrics about defecating the holy eucharist into quaint singalongs, sold marital aids sculpted in the shape of their frontman’s head, performed on late-night TV to an audience of the demonically possessed and are currently playing stadium shows with Metallica—and all the while, they’ve only been giving it about 20-30%.

“This sounds like a joke, and I’m saying it sort of smiling, but it’s true—everything you’ve ever seen us do has always been a lesser version of what I had in mind. Always. 100%. So my original vision for everything is always twice as ambitious and goes through so many changes that we usually end up with 20 or 30% of it,” Tobias Forge says, also currently known as Cardinal Copia.

Forge, 38, is the Walt Disney figure “band boss” who conducts the decadent dark magic and weird whimsy that are Ghost—a band as humorous as they are blasphemous; as Beach Boys as they are Black Sabbath. They’re arguably the only group who can make an ABBA cover feel like it belongs on a record that contains a track about the conception of the Antichrist.

For those still uninitiated in the theatricality of the band’s iconography and public persona, Ghost are a band of nameless ghouls adorned in uniform black clerical garb and chrome-plated devil masks that are blank-eyed and devoid of mouths and any distinctive facial features. Forge has portrayed a different persona for each of the band’s records, always the demonic leader of the group. He’s been four versions of the satanic antipope, Papa Emeritus, over the course of their first three records and currently assumes the role of Cardinal Copia for their latest release, 2018’s Prequelle. Copia is a loose-skinned, expressionless creature of the Id decked out in a lavish tuxedo and inverted crosses galore, but regardless of the persona, the man behind the unholy imp strives to fully embody his role.

“What I like, especially when you’re stepping into a character, is never to be forced to step out of that character, which you have to do at times,” Forge says. “You allow yourself to become that weirdo onstage that dances ridiculously and does those things, and it just comes naturally. That gives me a kick because I personally transform into someone that I’m not really myself, at least when I’m sober. I’m not very much like that guy onstage in real life, but I can invoke that person by getting all that shit on, getting into character and going up onstage and that thing just happens. All of a sudden, I think differently, I say almost whatever comes into mind…it’s allowing yourself to just go on every impulse, and that’s what makes that character funny as well—he’s obnoxious.”

Throughout the history heavy music, there have been many theatrical bands, but Ghost are not only theatrical, they are theater. The band members are fully committed to their parts. The Nameless Ghouls are truly that—Nameless Ghouls; when onstage, Forge is absolved of himself and exists solely as Cardinal Copia. Forge’s full commitment to concept and character requires him to not only assume the roles of songwriter and frontman, but he also serves as the band’s chief playwright and director. Regardless of role or job description, Forge is, more than anything, an artist possessed by one thing: the idea of finding an unpremeditated flow.

“There is a narrative for every album cycle, and I do envision every show as a play, slightly more than your traditional rock ’n’ roll show even though we are a rock ’n’ roll band,” he explains. “It’s also, to the point, theatrical improvisation, in the vein of Bruce Springsteenwhere he asks the crowd, ‘What do you want to hear?’ That would not work with Ghost. It would disrupt the flow. It’s just not orchestrated that way. It’s not written that way. The setlists would crumble as soon as someone would yell out ‘Monstrance Clock,’ which is our last number. If we played that second, it would fuck up the whole thing. Whereas other bands and other artists, like Bruce Springsteen, have such a massive [catalog] of songs. He has so many ballads and so many uptempo songs that he knows that ‘I can play seven of them in the beginning, and it doesn’t matter because I still have 14 of them in the end.’ So he get away with doing four hours of that.

“As I said, I’m a stickler for flow,” he continues. “I really want it to flow like a Karate kata. I really want it to be like The Matrix when everything just slows down, and he just stands there. It just flows right through me. That’s what I want to achieve every night. So therefore, I regard it as a little bit more of a theater play where there’s a script, and my goal is to do it as fluently as I can without thinking. I don’t want to overthink things at all, and once I step into the character, I preferably want to stop thinking, because if I start thinking, then I start going through the moves, and I start faking it, and that’s what I want to avoid. By having a rigid setlist and a plan, I’m able to get myself and everyone else to do that.”

To many, the early allure of Ghost was how fully devoted the group’s players were to their parts, predicated on the clandestine charm of no one knowing the identities of the band’s members. The faces and names of Papa Emeritus and his Nameless Ghouls were completely shrouded in a secrecy that helped ease their fans into fully suspending disbelief and treating the presentation of the music with as much gravitas as a satanic clergy would command. In deep pockets of the sect, the name “Tobias Forge” had been whispered and attached to the Papa Emeritus character for most of their career, but it wasn’t until 2017 that Forge’s identity would be publicly confirmed as the ringleader of the group.

“I had come to a point in my life and in my career where not doing certain things was not doing me any favors,” he reveals. “It was making life hard, harder than I felt was necessary, and I just felt like now, almost 10 years into my career, the time and effort that I’m putting into the visual presentation should be so strong and so overshadowing whatever I do as a person on the side. So far, I’ve gotten the impression that that’s still the case. As long as I don’t overcompensate that, I don’t think that I will ever do anything that will overshadow the real focus of what I want Ghost to be.”

The 2019 Grammys provided Forge an opportunity to further challenge the public’s perception of Ghost. For the first time, Forge appeared in public as himself—stripped of all elements of pagan pageantry and accompanied by his wife. The couple walked the red carpet, posed for photos together and Forge conducted interviews without any trace of his Cardinal Copia alter ego.

“A lot of fans seem to embrace a lot of things that are mine, like my personal traits, and I’ve tried not to bring that into my presentation,” he shares. “But if they hold on to those and want to include it in their perception, there’s really nothing I can do about that. As long as they find that enriching or interesting, then…fine. The only thing would be those fans, who liked Ghost on the premise that it was something that they knew nothing about, and seeing my face on the red carpet may have destroyed all that and they don’t listen to Ghost anymore…OK. Too bad. These are the turmoils and tribulations that you stand in front of as an artist, you know? [Laughs.] You can’t let that dictate your life just because you’re aware of it.”

The meteoric rise of the band’s notoriety is nothing short of stunning. Throughout their career, the throughline of their material is the one thing they’ve never attempted to keep secret—this band make music about worshipping the devil. There’s nothing discreet or hidden. There is no veil of metaphor to pull aside, no subtlety. They write songs about Lucifer, and they perform on a stage that’s designed to give their audience the experience of attending a satanic church service. Throughout their catalog, they have songs that romanticize plagues, call for the coming of the Antichrist and very literally glorify the dark lord Lucifer, yet their latest release was sold in Target stores with two exclusive bonus tracks and a collectible lenticular album cover.

They’re the rare band who can fully embrace controversial and culturally taboo subject matter without listeners having to play their records backward to find it, yet they write such inherently catchy pop hooks that songs such as “Dance Macabre” are the perfect soundtrack for both your occult worship ritual after-party and something you could probably play if you were driving your mom to the grocery store. They’ve found a way to stay true to the Black Mass and still speak to the masses, and with that unique platform comes an extremely diverse audience and a fanbase who has grown out of the traditional heavy-metal demographic.

“When we’re playing bigger places for some reason, it’s a little more of a family event, to a certain extent,” Forge says. “The people are more in tune with the level that what we want to have it because we’ve been trying to get the point across that we want people to be excited. We want people to stand. We want general admission, big floor in front of the stage. I don’t like seeing frowns. I don’t like seeing feet, but you can’t start moshing. You can’t start hitting people. You can’t stage dive because there are kids everywhere, and there are small girls everywhere, and there are teenage boys and girls that cannot lift you because, you know, you’re a 40-year-old hardcore dude with a lot of muscle. You can’t jump on them.

“I think there’s often a clash sometimes—we are a metal band, originally,” he continues. “Sometimes there have been these clashes where you have the die-hard fans who’ve been with the band ever since [the beginning] who are used to going to metal shows only, and they want to claim Ghost as ‘this,’ and at a metal show, you do ‘this,’ and then you have this 15-year-old daughter of a dad, and they did not go to see Mayhem last week, and they were not at Slayer three weeks ago.”

In support of Prequelle, Ghost have been playing two-and-a-half hour sets with the ultimate goal of having their audience “come in overexcited and leave completely euphoric.” Currently, they’re touring as direct support for Metallica. The tour is further indication of the band’s rising celebrity, having earned the opportunity to play a one-hour set every night, but the gig has also posed a challenge to Forge’s ever-persistent pursuit of “flow.”

“It’s very different from the tours we’ve done so far in this cycle, because it’s supporting again,” he explains. “It’s stadiums. We’re playing for one hour, which is nothing for us. But the stage is four times bigger than an arena stage or a theater stage, so there’s a lot of real estate to cover, and it’s daytime. More often than not, it’s going to be maybe sunset, at best, but it’s going to be an afternoon or evening sun, straight in your face and also, not our crowd. It’ll be a Metallica crowd. They’re waiting for Metallica to play, so it’s a different vibe.”

Although touring in the Metallica support slot, Ghost have been afforded their full stage production setup, transforming the nightly stadium into a cathedral dedicated to Copia’s depraved church—giving the performers a fitting stage and the audience a fully immersive experience. Yet, despite the garish stage pieces and meticulously ornate sets that become more and more elaborate with his band’s growth, Forge heeds to the idea that with everything he does, what the audience sees is a compromised version of his initial vision. Whatever you see Ghost do is about 20-30% of what Forge wants it to be. Currently, Forge is fixated on the potential he sees in using the intermission during their two-hour set to elevate the show to the next level of theatricality.

“The idea with the intermission, originally, was for the stage to change so when we open up again, it would be a different stage. Things like that are what I’m aiming to do in the future if we can stay on an arena level, where we can bring our own stage. Then I would like to do that—whatever we started with ends up being something completely different. I want it to evolve. I want it to change, the same as when you go to see Phantom Of The Opera. They change the themes, and it takes you from A to F, and that’s what I’m hoping to achieve in the end. I think we’re doing a good job of getting people happy and euphoric, but I definitely think we could probably shift gears even more to get people completely euphoric when they leave. But it takes time, and there’s a lot of stars that need to align, and there’s a lot of things you need to work your way up to in order to have that consistency.”

So far, the stars have aligned for Ghost in ways that often never manifest themselves past the point of prayer. Their unlikely amalgam of occult phantasmagoria and radio-ready mass appeal is most likely a once-in-a-lifetime deal—but while it’s happening, Forge is fully devoted to serving Ghost’s congregation.

“I have no problem playing the same songs all the time as long as you have a crowd, as long as you have people there to do it with you,” he asserts.. “So that’s the one thing I’m always hoping for…happiness.”

The band’s latest Prequelle is available now here. Ghost are hitting a handful of U.S. festival weekends and returning in September for a full run. You can check out a full list of dates and tickets here.

ALL RIGHTS OWNED BY ALTPRESS.COM

#Tobias Forge #Tobias Interview #The Band Ghost #Ghost Band #Cardinal Copia

76 notes · View notes

sweetiepie08 · 5 years

Text

Musician with Poison Tears (Chapter 8)

Miguel Rivera’s been fascinated by the story of the legendary ghost, the Musician with Poison Tears, since he was a kid. He’s always wanted to know the full story behind the weeping specter that haunts the train station with its invisible guitar. Now 18, the travels to Mexico City to try to observe the ghost from afar and get some clues about its origin. Who knows? He might even get a song out of it.

This story is based on the art and ghost!au created by @melcecilia14. Go check out her artwork here, here, here, and here. It’s really awesome.

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9. Chapter 10. Epilogue.

Bonus.

When they arrived at the train station, Abel and Rosa asked if he wanted them to go in. He thanked them, but decided he wanted to go in alone. I’m the one who messed things up. I should be the one to fix it.

Over the last few days, Miguel had grown used to being greeted by ghostly guitar music and Héctor calling his name. Today, he was met with only the rumbling bustle of the train station. Instead, Miguel scanned the crowd, hoping to see the ghost’s transparent head or floating feet. “Héctor?” he called. A few living men turned and glanced at him before shrugging and moving on, but no ghosts.

Suddenly, he felt something cold whoosh by him. He turned to his left to see Héctor materialize right before his eyes. The ghost gave the glass doors a determined look. He sped toward them, phased through, then rematerialized back inside. Héctor let out a frustrated huff and geared up to try again.

“Héctor?” Miguel tried again. “Ghost Héctor? What are you doing?”

The ghost looked up and his eyes widened when he saw who called his name. A trickle of blood at his lips suddenly disappeared. “Miguel!” He rushed forward and threw his arms around his friend. “I am so sorry, Miguel.”

“You’re sorry?” Miguel asked. A cold tingling enveloped him under the ghost’s attempt at an embrace.

“When I saw you were gone, I was afraid I scared you away, but then I started thinking about how awful you felt when I looked into your soul. I spent all night trying to get out and find you but…”

“Héctor, it’s okay. I’m okay,” Miguel said, hearing himself imitate his father’s comforting tones. “I actually came here to apologize to you.”

“Apologize?”

“For not believing you and…” he swallowed, “for not telling you everything.”

“What are you talking about, Miguel?”

He moved toward a bench by the windows. “You might want to sit down if you can. There’s a lot to go over.”

“Okay, you’re starting to worry me with that face,” Héctor said with a nervous laugh as he perched on the bench beside Miguel. “What’s going on?”

Miguel let out a heavy breath and looked at the floor. He wanted to stare at the tiles for the whole confession, but he heard his mother’s voice in his head. Look them in the eyes. It doesn’t count unless you look them in the eyes. He looked up. “First of all, I’m sorry I didn’t believe you about being Ernesto’s music partner, and I’m sorry I didn’t believe you wrote your songs.”

“What changed your mind?

“My cousins and I did some research,” he explained. “We found old newspaper ads from Ernesto’s first tour and for every ad up until he left Mexico City, there’s a Héctor listed right next to his name. But that’s not all. You know that songbook I told you about? They’ve actually compared the writing in it with samples of his and it didn’t match. They even compared it with examples of his handwriting from the time the book was written, but it still wasn’t a match. There’s a lot of people who think he lied about writing the songs. I never believed it, but now, with you claiming you wrote them, when you have nothing to gain by it and weren’t even alive when he was famous… it just makes too much sense.”

He went quite for a short moment. “If you knew this already, why did it take you a day to believe me?”

A lump formed in Miguel’s throat. He knew the answer, but it seemed so stupid compared to what the ghost had to go through all these years.

“Because I wasn’t ready,” he admitted. The shame pulled his eyes away. “I’ve looked up to de la Cruz practically my whole life. You see, a long time ago, my great-great grandfather abandoned his family to pursue his dream of becoming a famous musician. He never came back. Ever since then, my entire family hated music. They think music is what tore our family apart. But, I just can’t help it. I love music. It just… The way it makes me feel… When I hear a great song or I play my guitar, my imagination goes wild and I feel a fire in my chest. Not like heartburn or something, but more like… the sun is coming from inside me.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Héctor answered. “It is your passion, a part of you.”

Miguel’s face lit up. “Yeah, and that rush you get when performing, or that feeling when you finally find the right note or the right word… With music, I can say things I can’t say any other way. There’s nothing like it.”

“You are an artist, Miguel.” Warmth radiated from Héctor’s smile. “That is why you feel this way. You can’t help being a musician."

“Well, my family doesn’t want me to be a musician,” Miguel huffed, crossing his arms. “That’s why I idealized de la Cruz so much. I’d hear his songs or watch his interviews and I’d think, ‘He gets it. He would understand how I’m feeling.’ Sometimes, before my cousins found out, I’d think he was the only person in the world who would support my dream. When it became clear he was just a liar and a thief, even when the evidence was staring me in the face, I couldn’t accept it.”

“I see, but you understand there are more musicians in the world than him, ones who share your drive to create.”

“Like you.” Miguel could hardly believe it. He was finally having the kind of conversations he hoped to have one day. He always wanted someone, another musician, who shared his passion, who would understand. Who’d have thought he’d find that in a hundred-year-old ghost?

Then he remembered. He wasn’t here to talk music. He was here on business. “I’ve always wanted someone to talk about this stuff with, but I’m afraid there’s more to tell.”

“Okay, uh, you look serious again…”

Miguel swallowed. There’s no good way to do this. “Héctor, do you remember much about how you died?”

“Let’s see…” He closed his eyes to concentrate. When he opened them again, they glowed white. “I was walking to the train station when I felt a pain in my stomach. I remember falling to my knees, but after some time, the pain passed and I felt fine again. I got up and kept walking. I made it to the station but no one could see me or talk to me. It took me a while to accept it, but eventually I realized I was dead and I was a ghost.” The light went out of his eyes and he turned back to Miguel. “That’s all I remember.”

“What about before? You said Ernesto was there and he gave you a toast.”

“He did, that’s true.”

“Do you remember what he said?”

“You mean that he would move heaven and earth for me?” Héctor answered bitterly. “Instead, all he did was steal my music and try to erase my existence.”

Miguel nodded slowly. Now came the hard part. “Yeah, well, the thing is, Ernesto de la Cruz wasn’t just famous for his music. He also starred in a lot of films.” Does he know what films are? No time to explain, just move on. He quickly pulled up a video on his phone. “In one of them, there’s a character who says something very similar and, look.” He turned the phone so that Héctor could see it.

I would move heaven and earth for you mi amigo. Salud!

Gah! Poison!

As he heard the clip play out, Miguel looked away, hoping to give the ghost some semblance of privacy. He wasn’t sure what the proper protocol was when telling someone they may have been murdered. Would Héctor want privacy? Would he want to talk about it or be left alone? Would he even understand what Miguel was trying to show him?

“Poison?”

Miguel looked back.

The tears on the ghost’s face dried in an instant. “He poisoned me…”

“There’s no way to be sure-”

“No I can be sure.” Héctor’s voice remained quiet. “I remember now, wondering what could have caused my death, if it was something I ate or drank. Now I know. That drink was the last thing I had before I died. Come to think of it, he hid the glasses while he poured it. I thought nothing of it. I never imagined…” His face melted into rage and he rose up toward the ceiling. “How could he do that to me?!”

Miguel opened his mouth then shut it again. What could he say? What was there to say?

The lights flickered rapidly as Héctor continued his tirade. “We were friends! Our whole lives! I never saw my family again! I’ve been trapped here for over a century! All for a few songs? Was that all my life was worth to him?”

“Héctor? Maybe you should…”

“He took my songs! He took my future, my life, my family! He took everything from me!”

The florescent lights overhead burst and the smell of smoke filled the train station. Miguel thought he could feel a sharp shard prick him as it fell. The people around them muttered frantically and the station staff hurried to try to fix the problem.

“Héctor?” Miguel tried again.

The ghost looked down at Miguel. The rage on his face faded and he descended back down to earth, deflated. “I’m sorry, Miguel.”

“No, don’t be. If there were ever a time to blow-up the lights…”

“It’s my fault,” Héctor said. He slumped on the bench, hunched over, eyes toward the floor. “I should have seen Ernesto for what he was. I should have left him sooner. In fact, I never should have left my family at all.”

“It’s not your fault.” Miguel tried to put a hand on Héctor’s back but it went right through. Instead, he held his hand where the specter’s body began and let the cold nip at his hand. “You said you and Ernesto were friends for your whole lives. You should have been able to trust him. He’s the one who betrayed you.”

Héctor looked up. A weak smile tugged at his lip, then disappeared.

“Have you noticed you stopped crying?”

“It seems I have,” the ghost said as he put a hand to his cheek. “Poison tequila, right? I guess, in some way, I always knew.”

“So, no more uncontrollable crying, no more bleeding from the mouth,” Miguel said with an attempt at a smile. “Those must be good signs, right?”

“Maybe,” Héctor looked down at his transparent hands and flexed his fingers. “I know now who I am and why I’m here.”

“But something’s still wrong.”

“Of course there is!” He rose up off the bench. “I just found out my best friend murdered me! I spent a century tapped here! Is this all there is for me?” He sighed and deflated, lowering himself back down again. “I always thought, once I remembered my past, I’d cross over. At least then, I’d get to see my family again. I could tell them how sorry I was that I left, that I stayed away so long. I never came back to them. They never knew I was dead. Do they think I abandoned them? That I didn’t love them enough to come home? They must hate me…”

“Héctor…”

“If I could just see them again, I could tell them that all I wanted was to come home. Every day on that tour, I wished I could be home with them.” He closed his eyes and clutched his hands at his chest. “I love them so much, Miguel. I love them so much that it hurts. I used to never feel anything before but now, it hurts just knowing I may never see them again.”

Miguel chewed his lip as he thought. Héctor had his memories back, at least the important ones, but it still wasn’t enough. Something still had to happen, but what? Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together. “You will,” he said firmly.

Héctor looked up. “What?”

“We’re going to make that happen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re going to figure out whatever it takes to get you to the afterlife.” He tried to put his hand on Héctor’s shoulder, but it phased through. He accepted the cold tingles on his hand and he continued. “You’re going to see your family again and I’m not going to give up until that happens.”

Héctor flashed a weak smile, but it quickly dissolved. “But when I first met you, you said you had to go home at the end of the week. How much time do you have left? The days run together in here so…”

“I don’t have to go home.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m staying with my grandparents and I’m going to live with them while I go to university. I’m coming back in a few months so I might as well just stay. I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s settled. I’m staying in Mexico City.”

A familiar scolding tone sounded from behind him. “What do you mean you’re staying?”

Miguel turned to see his cousins standing behind him. Rosa hand her arms crossed and glared at him in a way that reminded him of Abuelita’s stories about Mamá Imelda. “Rosa?” Miguel said with a shaky laugh. “I thought you guys were outside.”

“We saw the lights flickering and got concerned,” Abel answered. He didn’t look as mad as his sister, but he was giving Miguel a sorry-but-I’m-siding-with-her kind of look.

“Oh yeah, well there’s good news,” Miguel piped up, hoping to add some levity to the situation. “Héctor remembered his death and he was definitely murdered by de la Cruz.” He paused and cringed as he heard what he just said. “I realize that doesn’t sound like good news now that I’ve said it out loud but…”

“Forget it,” Rosa snapped. She softened her glare as she turned her attention to Héctor. “I’m glad you’re getting your memories back, but we need to talk to Miguel real quick.”

Rosa grabbed his hand and pulled him away leaving Héctor floating by the bench. “What’s this about staying in Mexico City?” Rosa said, once they were out of the ghost’s earshot. “Our family expects us back in Santa Cecelia in 2 days.”

“I know but I can’t just leave anymore,” Miguel replied. “Héctor needs my help.”

“With what?” Rosa snapped in a hushed tone. “He remembers his past and he’s still here. What more can we do?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll figure something out. I promised him.”

“You promised Abuelita, remember?”

“It’s just a little bit longer.”

“It’s just a little bit now,” Abel cut in, “but then it’ll be a little bit more and a little bit more until you never come home.”

“You don’t know that,” Miguel argued. What was with them? He was only going to stay a few extra days or weeks. Sure, didn’t know exactly how much longer he’d be here, but it wasn’t like…

“Remember Mamá Coco?”

Miguel’s blood went cold as soon as those words left Rosa’s lips.

“Rosa…” Abel said in a warning tone.

She ignored him and pressed on. “Remember how, toward the end, she used to stare at the door and say she was waiting for her Papa to come home? Remember how painful that was for Abuelita to watch? You want to leave her like that? Staring at the door, hoping that maybe one day you’ll walk though it? Maybe it’ll be little Coco waiting for you.”

Her words sent a sharp pain through his heart. “That’s a low blow, Rosa. I’m not going to be like him. I’m coming back, just not now.”

“Maybe you won’t be like him and maybe you will. That’s up to you,” Rosa said sternly with a steady stare. “But if you don’t want to be like him, you need to start by keeping your promises. You can’t just say you’re coming home, you need to do it and you need to do it when you promised you would.”

“Miguel, go home.”

Miguel turned to see Héctor hovering just over his shoulder. “Héctor, I…”

“It sounds like you have an important promise to keep,” he continued.

“Helping you is important.” Miguel felt a lump form in his throat. How could Héctor be saying this? He’d been alone for a hundred years. Was he really willing to go back to that again?

“Miguel, all I want is to see my family again,” Héctor said softly. “I can’t keep you from seeing yours. You might think you’ll never run out of chances to be with them, but the fact is you will, and you never know when that day will come.”

Miguel blinked back the tears forming in the rims of his eyes. “I can’t leave you.”

Héctor smiled and floated down to Miguel’s eye level. “I’ll be alright,” he said, putting a hand on Miguel’s shoulder. “It’s only a few months. I’ve lasted this long, haven’t I?”

“But-”

“Miguel, you’ve already helped me more than I can ever repay. Go, see your family. I’ll be alright.”

Miguel leapt forward and put his arms around his friend as best as he could. “I’m coming back for you. I won’t let you be all alone again, I promise. I’ll help you cross over. You’ll see your family again, whatever it takes.”

Cold tingling enveloped him again as Héctor returned the hug. “I believe you, Miguel. Thank you for all you’ve done.” He released the hug and placed his hands on Miguel’s shoulders. The warmth in his smile far outweighed his freezing touch. “Now go. You can’t keep your family waiting.”

#coco #coco fanfiction #ghost au #ghost hector #hector rivera #miguel rivera #rosa rivera #abel rivera #sweetiepie08 #mwpt #coco ghost au #ghost au coco #sweetiepie writes #sweetiepie fanfiction

39 notes · View notes

btsandvmin · 6 years

Text

A Vmin throwback - 2017

Is it just me who’s kind of tired of seeing “*insert ship* is dead” all the time? I mean it’s not just with Vmin, but I’ve seen it a lot when people talk about Jimin and Taehyung’s relationship lately. I don’t get it. I mean some just say it as a joke, and that’s fine I guess. But at the same time people seem to get the image that Vmin aren’t as close any more, and I think even those jokes can play a part in that.

However, my biggest complaint is simply that people seem to forget so quickly. Like I agree that BST era had a ton of Vmin moments and interactions. Possibly because Taehyung was going through a really tough period and Jimin did his best to cheer him up and support him. But just because they aren’t attached 24/7 that doesn’t mean that 2017 haven’t given us some really outstanding Vmin moments. So, to remind you all that Vmin is very much alive I’ve done a small (read HUGE) recap post to just show you a few things that we actually got for 2017.

First 2017 was off to a great start with ISAC.

You see that when Vmin get the free time to do what they want, without supervision, they tend to spend that time together. Separation issues? We already know they have them. Remember Jimin looking lost and searching for Taehyung? Jimin basically clung to Tae that whole day.

Just a few things that happened on ISAC was Jimin clinging to Taehyung, playing with his hair, listening to music together and of course the spanking.

Jimin got some butt smacking done too.

Also, they took selfies and made finger hearts towards each other. They only took photos with their two drawn poster images too. Oh, and they danced towards each other.

This and even more was all in just one day, one day where they chose to stay close and played around freely. (One day on the event that is considered a dating ground for Korean Idols.)

youtube

This video is 14 minutes long (I would have made a video of my own if I had the time) and doesn’t even cover all of the great Vmin moments from that day!

Anyways, moving on from ISAC despite there being material enough for a post of it’s own.

So we know Vmin has a hard time being apart. Remember Jimin letting us know he missed his oppa?

We also had some confirmed jealousy as well, no “look at that stare”-kind of jealousy (though we got that too).

...But actual jealousy from Jimin regarding Tae hanging out with other people and saying he loves his Hwarang hyungs.

Jimin even got asked about it in an interview and not only admitted to it, but Tae thought it was cute, and Jimin even asked his other friends about it.

And maybe we didn’t get any pure Vmin vlives, but we did get a lot of vmin from various Vlives throughout the year.

Jimin and V crashing JK’s vlive together in their pajamas. Most likely they shared a room or were at least together before getting to JK’s room.

Tae and Jimin talking about each other’s birthday presents on Vlive, and almost spoiling it for each other.

Also Tae talking about Jimin’s previous Vlive showing he watched it. (I am starting to think V can’t go a full Vlive without mentioning Jimin)

Jimin thinks Taehyung is so handsome (Nr 1 most handsome face in the world 2017) and wants to hang a picture of Tae on his wall.

During one vlive Tae talked about how Jimin’s adlib was his favorite part.

And in another one he also mentioned how Jimin should do a cover because he can’t shut up about Jimin.

Also remember Taehyung talking about going shopping with Jimin during his Vlive in May? And getting the tiger pendant and the Gucci belts that they both keep wearing?

Also, how they went to the museum im New York together and later on for Taehyung’s “hobby section” there were two pictures of Jimin. Basically showing Jimin is Taehyung’s interest.

Actually they’ve taken a lot of pictures of each other and together this year and most of it we’ll never get to see.

Just because they don’t post it doesn’t mean they haven’t taken any.

We know this, but sadly I can’t show all the examples due to lack of time.

There are several other examples... Alas I can’t include them all.

Also remember that conversation Vmin had in the fanclub chat?

Not only did Jimin try to call out Tae in the middle of the night just to bicker with him. Tae also more or less exposed that he has nudes of Jimin.

Jimin also posted this super sensual sounding video of him saying “ Kim Taehyung, do it. I told you to do it.” It’s about passing on doing aegyo but that voice is killing me...

youtube

So, there are plenty of Vmin videos and photos out there. They just might not want to share them all. ;)

And do I need to remind you that Gayo track 10 was a thing that happened? It was Vmin all over that episode.

No matter when they keep on complimenting each other, Jimin even got flustered.

The Gayo episode where they made an MV for Spinebreaker and Vmin just looked at each other to confirm they were a team.

All that dancing together. And Tae saying Jimin’s smile makes him forget his blue feelings.

Then we have all the Run episodes. Remember the jail episode, with V saying Jimin’s crime is being cute and also plenty of clingy Jimin moments.

When in the waterpark we got a bunch of cute Vmin moments.

We got a lot of Vmin from these episodes, even though they cut out their turn in the waterslide for some reason. We even got a moaning Tae getting a massage, come on!

Ice-skating and taking pictures for each other again.

Also, being on the same team for the sled-curling and being sweet, Jimin thanking V for his achivements. Also we can’t forget Tae cheering for Jimin in his race against JK and then going straight to hug him after he lost. (Look how cute Jimin is, smiling at Tae coming to him.)

Pretty much every Run episode has had some Vmin. Like when Tae helps Jimin cook to his best ability? This is why we need Vmin on the same team more often. All those soft moments!

And also Yoongi telling them to hug, but they already did.

You should let them be together, they obviously want to.

If they were allowed to pick for themselves more often I’m sure we’d get a lot of Vmin on the same team.

Like here, where Jimin really, really, wanted to dress Taehyung and even picked out an outfit specifically for him. (Also, bonus couple necklace)

The best part though, is that even if Vmin doesn’t end up on the same team they still manage to gravitate towards each other.

Even if they compete against each other they can’t help but flirt and distract one another.

They just have to touch and goof around.

I love bickering Vmin.

But I have to move on from Run, it’s taking all the space.

So, moving on, just a few different moments worth reminding you all of.

Remember when Jimin wasn’t allowed to dance? A Tae kept going to him to make him feel included.

Even RM ships them.

Speaking of RM... There’s also V bringing up Jimin writing him a birthday letter when asked who’s romantic in the group and RM refusing to translate the “I love you.”

Jimin and V talking about going to the Sapporo snow festival and playing in the snow together.

Oh, and what about Jimin climbing on top of Tae and groping his butt while lying on him in bed? (There were also that soft moment where Jimin fixes Tae’s hair. The duality of Vmin.)

youtube

Then we have the BT21 where Tata is basically based on Jimin, and Jimin thinks it’s meaningful because Tae used to draw it a lot.

V just has to compliment Jimin and Jin is so done. (Seriously, Jimin is on Tae’s mind 24/7)

We also can’t forget 4 O’Clock, a song which content was partly inspired by the feeling Tae felt as he waiting for Jimin at dawn.

There is of course also the sun and moon theme that became pretty obvious with Vmin this year.

We even got a Vmin photo to celebrate 95z Day from their producer with “Caught in a lie” as the tagline.

The whole second season of Bon Voyage was filled with Vmin moments.

Remember how Taehyung just bought a gift to Jimin randomly? Which was a snowglobe with a couple in it?

Constantly finding each other when blindfolded to the point they just gave up and held hands.

Them softly by the sea, Jimin holding on to Taehyung.

Them ending up being nostalgic and talking about their late night walk at the harbour in Kobe. And also late night walks where they gazed at the stars. Every night!

Remember those separation issues? Yeah, they even swam with their arms around each other.

Jimin ordering a burger because he knew Taehyung might not like his. And then feeding Tae with said burger.

Whatever this chase was, look at Tae teasing Jimin like in some romantic parody gesture.

Taehyung wanting to go look at tattoos with Jimin (and getting a henna sun and moon).

Taehyung sneakily trying to get Jimin to cook for him, but failing. And Jimin who just keeps complimenting Tae.

Just to mention a few, because Vmin is ALWAYS ALIVE!

And of course the big one, which will definitely get its own chapter in the Vmin history: Taehyung’s letter!

youtube

Of course it’s also good to note on how Jimin doesn’t think anyone else understands why Tae cry and what they are both feeling, not even the members. Intimacy on another level.

I could have made several posts just for Bon Voyage alone!

Another random moment: Taehyung had a nightmare and admitted to going to Jimin’s room to sleep together. Jimin also gave Taehyung a dreamcatcher after.

And we have some really nice concert moments too of course.

Maybe you all magically forgot Jimin running and jumping into Taehyung’s arms? And maybe all those lovely moments when Jimin couldn’t dance is something that didn’t really happen.

Spring Day also kind of deserves its own chapter for Vmin this year. Just look at them flirting!

And this funny yet soft moment when Vmin was in the balloon together. Look at Jimin leaning against Tae.

youtube

There was also the annual flirting at awards shows, when they sit together and can’t stop themselves. Taehyung getting his hands on the jibooty without any shame.

That wink Tae gave Jimin during the Billboard awards, what was that for? Remember them being clingy again and sitting next to each other for awards? Or maybe Tae staring some more at the jibooty?

There are so many moments that I just couldn’t include, because this post is already too long.

And these aren’t even all moments, but just a collection of the ones we actually get to see. If anyone can say that Vmin is dead after they’ve witnessed Taehyung’s letter to Jimin they are just fooling themselves, because it’s obviously not true. Basically this year has been super good for Vmin, just like 2016, people just seem to forget faster now. They’ve also been a lot more private, and maybe they’ve together less on shows, but still as prominent in their own free time. So yeah, Vmin isn’t dead, and it won’t be for a long time. I for one is looking forward to 2018 and plenty of new Vmin moments to come.

So, Happy New Year and don’t you dare say Vmin is dead.

#vmin #taehyung #jimin #vmin moments 2017 #vmin in love #bts #2017 #happy new year #compilation #gif #photo #my post #btsandvmin

464 notes · View notes

sinceileftyoublog · 6 years

Text

Live Picks: 6/22

Kacy & Clayton

BY JORDAN MAINZER

SEVEN shows tonight--and some of them start early!

6/22: Sondre Lerche, Schubas

Two weird things about tonight’s Sondre Lerche show at Schubas: One, it’s billed as “an evening of solo pleasure”. (It refers to the album Solo Pleasure, a stripped-down version of last year’s Pleasure.) Two, it starts at 7 P.M. to make time for Erin Rae at 10. The Solo Pleasure songs sound exactly like you think they would--dude and a guitar with the same arrangements as Pleasure--but that doesn’t stop me from recommending the gifted artist, whose songs occupy that sweet middle ground between pop and indie rock.

6/22: Erin Rae, Schubas

We interviewed Nashville singer-songwriter Erin Rae about her new album Putting On Airs earlier this week. On adapting to the stage and playing the new songs live, she said, “That’s the fun part of getting ready to enter in to this touring season for me–discovering how we want to perform the songs and experimenting with how we want to translate it. These next couple weeks, we have keys, bass, guitar, guitar, and drums, plus some nice background vocals from the guys. Its fun.”

Good Buddy, the project of Nashville-based artist Jason Staebler, opens.

6/22: Thursday, Lincoln Hall

Tonight, twice tomorrow (6:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M.), and Sunday, Thursday celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band. They perform Full Collapse in full tonight and early tomorrow and War All The Time in full tomorrow night and Sunday. While sound issues plagued their Riot Fest 2016 comeback set, the band should thrive in Lincoln Hall.

6/22: Kacy & Clayton, Hideout

Kacy & Clayton play an early show at the Hideout outside as part of Picnics on the Porch, a Friday evening summer concert series now in its third year. The Canadian country folk duo broke out in late 2015 with Strange Country, landing them on a touring bill with Wilco. That led to Jeff Tweedy producing their latest, last year’s great The Siren’s Song, which sounds classic and warm but also much bigger, the band having added a drummer and bassist. Still, the band is named after their singer and guitarist, respectively, and the vocals and inventive guitar chops remain the band’s selling point. The show starts at 6:00 P.M., so get there early!

6/22: Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Gallagher Way

Rocky Mountain jammers Big Head Todd & The Monsters play Gallagher Way as part of a summer concert series at the new Wrigley Field venue. Here’s what we wrote when we previewed their Vic Theatre show back in January:

“The Colorado jam band that saw mainstream success in the 90′s is touring fresh off of last year’s heavy New World Arisin’. In 2016, as Big Head Blues Club (the band’s project with a wide array of blues legends like Cedric Burnside and Charlie Musselwhite), they released Way Down Inside. But for the full potential of Big Head Todd and the Monsters, go a few years back and try 2014′s Black Beehive, a rawer, more diverse blues record than you’d expect from the band who recorded “Bittersweet”. What’s for sure is that live, they’ll lean heavily on the new material while not forgoing their more beloved classics.”

Blues hero Shemekia Copeland opens.

6/22: The New Pornographers, Temperance Beer Co.

After playing Thalia Hall last night, The New Pornographers headline the second Out of Space event that celebrates SPACE’s tenth anniversary. Here’s what we wrote to preview the TH show yesterday:

“We caught The New Pornographers, too, at Pitchfork 2015. Since then, they’ve released Whiteout Conditions, an album that slides by the synth sheen of Brill Bruisers to return to what the band does best: sing about depressing topics over bright power pop. Still, nothing matches the band’s unparalleled first three records. They know it, too, saving the sky high “Bleeding Heart Show”, “Mass Romantic”, “Testament For Youth and Verse”, and “Use It” for the end of the set. Without Neko Case or Dan Bejar, AC Newman, Kathryn Calder, and company have to fill in some serious shoes but always do it admirably.”

Split Single, who we profiled last year, opens.

6/22: Jill Scott & The Roots, Ravinia

The Roots have been one of the best live hip hop bands around for a long time now. (Revisit our review of their Taste of Chicago set in 2016 for evidence.) So why aren’t they headlining? Because neo-soul singer Jill Scott is one of a kind. Discovered by Questlove after being a spoken word artist, Scott broke out in 2000 with her debut album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, which included spoken elements but really allowed Scott to show off her quiet storm singing voice. She followed that up with the equally great Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2. While she hasn’t been at that level since, she pops up once in a while to deliver the goods, whether stealing the show on a Lupe Fiasco track, modeling, or acting. She’s the ultimate performer.

And of course, you get to see The Roots as an added bonus. While they should release a new album this year, live, they tend to heavily favor their 90′s output and the hits. They also want you to have a good time--don’t expect anything from the amazing, death-obsessed, avant-garde Undun. The most recent tracks will be from the uplifting How I Got Over.

Lastly, Scott’s got history of performing with The Roots, first taking over for Erykah Badu for live performances of “You Got Me” upon the tour behind Things Fall Apart. Don’t be surprised if there’s collaboration.

1 note · View note

hakuouki-history · 7 years

Text

Okita Souji - 2010 Japanese Wiki Entry

From the Japanese-English Bilingual Corpus of Wikipedia’s Kyoto Articles . This is a translation from Okita Souji’s Japanese wiki entry, exactly as it was in 2010. It is taken from PNM00891 in that collection.

For information on the database and how to use it, please check this post.

Just like English wikipedia, none of this information is guaranteed to be accurate. It’s not a current version of the Japanese article either.

As these wiki articles go, Okita’s article is pretty good, because it often explains the sources for some of the facts and stories about him. You have to know where a story came from to be able to judge its reliability. The article isn’t well-organized; like many wiki articles, it suffers from too many authors just editing in their revisions and theories wherever they like, but I think you’ll get a lot out of it.

Some notes on the translation. They’ve consistently written “It is believed that ..... but not proven” when the original article’s meaning is that *someone* has such-and-such a theory, not that it’s commonly believed.

Imina is translated as “original name” when “posthumous name” is the more common English translation. And when it states that Okita’s “real name” was Fujiwara, it’s referring to his clan name, literally “honsei” - real name, but doesn’t mean Okita’s a fake name, just that the Okita family were - like many people - descendants of the Fujiwara clan. (As a bonus, if you’re a Gintama fan. Yorinuki Gintama ED4 is full of all sorts of symbols, including this shot of Okita with wisteria, the symbol of the Fujiwara.)

The translated sentences used in this service contain English contents which are translated by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) from Japanese sentences on Wikipedia. My use of these translated sentences is licensed by the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Please refer to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or http://alaginrc.nict.go.jp/WikiCorpus/ for details.

Soji OKITA (summer, 1842 or 1844 - July 19, 1868) was a member of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto, at the end of Edo period (there are two theories about the year of his birth, but no decisive historical materials against either of them have been found. Also, no historical materials confirming his birth date have ever been identified, and all that is known is that he was born in summer). He was the Assistant Vice Commander, captain of the First Corps and a master of kenjutsu sword fighting.

His real family name was Fujiwara.His Imina (original name) was Harumasa and later, Kaneyoshi. His childhood name was Sojiro. He was the eldest son of Katsujiro OKITA, a clansman of Shirakawa Domain in Mutsu Province. He had two older sisters, one of whom, Mitsu OKITA, married Rintaro OKITA, making him the head of the family. Mitsu's great grand son Tetsuya OKITA (1930-) is a scholar of public administration and an emeritus professor of the department of politics and economics at Meiji University.

Biography

He was born in Shirakawa Domain's Edo residence (Minato Ward, Tokyo). His father Katsujiro died when he was four years old, and it is thought that his mother also died when he was young. At the age of about nine, he was apprenticed to Shuzo KONDO, who taught the Tennen Rishin-ryu style of martial arts at a dojo in Ichigaya, Edo, and it was here at the Shieikan dojo that he met fellow students Isami KONDO and Toshizo HIJIKATA, who would later be central in the formation of the Shinsengumi.

Even though he was young, he served as the school manager of Tennenrishinryu. Okita's genius with the sword is said to have been unequalled although his teaching style was rather rough. Later in his life, he softened his teaching style.

He joined the Roshigumi (an organization of masterless samurai) upon its formation in 1863 and left for Kyoto, remaining there with Kondo and forming the Shinsengumi after the group split. Okita's First Corps was constantly tasked with important missions and, although the Shinsengumi was filled with expert swordsmen, often had the most number of kills, and was involved in the assassinations of Kamo SERIZAWA and Hikojiro UCHIYAMA in October, 1863.

Okita's first recorded kill was on the evening of May 11, 1863. His opponent was Yoshio TONOUCHI, a member of the Roshigumi's First Unit, who had come at Hachiro KIYOKAWA's request.

After the Ikedaya Incident of July 8, 1864, where he was involved in the killings of several members of the anti-Shogunate faction, he collapsed after coughing up blood from tuberculosis (according to many theories) but based on his subsequent involvement in the Shinsengumi, it is unreasonable to think that he developed lung tuberculosis on that day. Instead, there is a theory that he collapsed from heat stroke.

In February 1865, he was sent after Shinsengumi Vice Commander Keisuke YAMANAMI, who had attempted to desert, and arrested him in Kusatsu City, Omi Province. Yamanami committed suicide assisted by Okita. Although Okita seemed to regard Yamanami as an older brother, he barely touched upon Yamanami's death in a letter he sent home. He was active on the front lines until 1867, after which, unable to take part in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, he was escorted to Osaka.

(The most widely-accepted theory at present is that he was injured on his way to the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and developed tuberculosis on the boat he was being escorted to Osaka on.) [Me: ok, usually I don’t comment within these articles, but no, this is not true and is contradicted in other bits of the article. Wiki is funny this way.]

After defeat at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, he sailed back to Edo with other members and although according to several theories he joined the Koyo Chinbutai (the successor to the Shinsengumi), he was forced to drop out halfway. After that, it is thought that Ryojun MATSUMOTO, a retainer of the Shogun, made arrangements for him to hide in a plant shop in Sendagaya, where he died in 1868. Since his date of birth is uncertain, there are several opinions about how old he was when he died, but he is believed to have been between twenty-five and twenty-seven.

The purpose of their attack was to avenge the murder of their leader, Kashitaro ITO, by the Shinsengumi the previous month, but Okita had left for the Fushimi Magistrate's office and therefore escaped the attempt. In the evening of the same day, Isami KONDO was shot and injured by Abe and the others on his way back from Nijo Castle. In the evening on the same day, Isami KONDO was shot and got injured by Abe and other members when he was back from Nijo-jo Castle.

Two months after Isami KONDO was beheaded, Okita died, unaware of KONDO's death. The poem he composed on his deathbed reads 'In the dark, flowers and water cannot be discerned unless they move'. His grave is in Sensho-ji Temple in Motoazabu 3 cho-me, Minato Ward, Tokyo. His Kaimyo (posthumous Buddhist name) given by Sensho-ji Temple is Kenkoinjinyomeido-koji. The inscription on the Okita family grave stone states that he held menkyo-kaiden (a document handed down by a teacher to the student he believes is most capable of carrying on his art) for the Hokushin Itto-ryu school as well as Tennen Rishin-ryuu.

There are three theories about his age when he died: twenty-four according to the Okita family grave stone; twenty-five according to documents held by the Okita family; and twenty-seven, if, as described in Shikanosuke KOJIMA's "Ryoyushiden", he was twenty-two when he left for Kyoto.

There are also two opinions about the place where he died, one being Sendagaya and the other Imado (Taito Ward), but at present, it is widely accepted that after staying in Imado to recuperate for a while, he moved to Sendagaya and died there.

Shozan SAKUMA's son, Keinosuke MIURA, had been made fun of by a fellow Shinsengumi officer. There is a story that a few days later, Hijikata and Okita were playing a game of Go when Miura attacked the officer who had made fun of him from behind and Okita, infuriated by the cowardly attack, grabbed Miura by the collar and, calling him a 'bloody idiot', pushed his face into the floor until his nose was raw.

Belying his appearance as an able leader of the Ichiban-gumi, he was apparently a cheerful person who was always telling jokes and laughing. It seems he often played with children in his neighborhood. When novelist Ryotaro SHIBA was writing a book featuring the Shinsengumi, he interviewed an old woman who used to play with Okita when she was small. (Taking into account that the interview took place around 1960 and that the Meiji Restoration was in 1868, the woman must have been quite old, but it means that people who actually met Soji OKITA were still alive.)

Although Kanefumi NISHIMURA was known for severely criticizing Kondo, Hijikata and other members of the Shinsengumi, he left no comments on Okita or Keisuke YAMANAMI. This seems to show that Nishimura had no bad feelings towards Yamanami and Okita, and Okita is believed to have been easy-going towards people who were not hostile to the Shinsengumi.

It is believed that just before his death, he tried several times to kill a black cat which often sneaked into the plant shop's yard but always missed and, realizing his own weakness, he said as follows. Alas, I cannot kill it!' See! (he said to the old woman who was attending him), I cannot kill it' (this story is said to have been created by Kan SHIMOZAWA.)

There is also a story that he was worried about Kondo and, up until his death, he repeatedly asked, 'I am wondering how the master (Kondo) has been. Didn't we receive a letter from him?' Because people close to him were prohibited from telling him about Kondo's death, he passed away without learning of it.

There is another anecdote that when Kondo was still alive and visiting Okita in bed before setting out with the Koyo Chinbutai, the usually cheerful Okita on this occasion sobbed loudly.

It is generally thought that Kondo, Hijikata and Okita were very close to each other, with Hijikata and Okita in particular being like brothers, but this is largely the result of novels by Ryotaro SHIBA and Kan SHIMOZAWA. There are no materials to show that Hijikata and Okita were extremely close, although there is a record of Okita writing a letter on behalf of Hijikata.

Juro ABE, who was opposed to the Shinsengumi, said, 'Kondo's high-caliber disciples, Soji OKITA and Kuwajiro OISHI, are very cruelhearted men and, from the beginning, appear not to have realized even the existence of the state or the Imperial Court' ("Shidankaisokkiroku") and attacked them and Izo OKADA for having no ideological background and for being used as "tools to kill people".

In addition, according to Okita's students, he was 'extremely harsh and quick-tempered' and they feared him more than the master, Kondo. The image of Okita gained from anecdotes such as his telling his trainees, 'Don't kill people with your sword! Kill them with your body!' and other records differs greatly from the gentle and calm image that is widely known in public.

Okita's most famous sword technique is the 'Sandantsuki' (Three Stage Thrust). Starting from the Tennenrishin-ryu stance of 'hiraseigan', he delivered three thrusts in the time he was heard to take one step forward. It is often presented in novels as his opponent thinking he has been stabbed once when actually, in the blink of an eye, he has been stabbed three times. However, the exact details are unknown.

According to Sen SATO in "Shinsengumi Ibun", Okita's sword style was identical to his master, Kondo's and even his thin, high-pitched yells were very alike. However, it is thought that he had a habit of leaning his body forward and holding his sword with the point slightly lowered, a slightly different posture to Kondo, who pushed his abdomen a little forward in the hiraseigan stance.)

Shinpachi NAGAKURA's statement that Okita's technique 'left Toshizo HIJIKATA, Genzaburo INOUE, Heisuke TODO, Keisuke YAMANAMI and the others looking like children playing with bamboo swords. Everyone said that if Okita seriously fought his master, Kondo would lose,' ("Nagakura Shinpachi Idan,") is well-known but there are also comments to the same effect from outside the Shinsengumi's inner circle.

Shikanosuke KOJIMA mentioned before the formation of Shinsengumi (in July 1862) that Okita 'is someone who will definitely reach the level of a master of the sword later in his life' ("Kojima Nikki") and Kanefumi NISHIMURA, although critical of the Shinsengumi, called him 'Kondo's most cherished follower and the best swordsman in his unit' and 'a genius with the sword' ("Mibu Roshi Shimatsuki"). Juro ABE, who fought against the Shinsengumi, stated in "Shidankaisokkiroku" that 'As one of Kondo's students, Soji OKITA is an excellent swordsman', ' Soji OKITA and Kamajiro OISHI are young but have shown great skill with the sword on many occasions' and 'Kamajiro OISHI, Soji OKITA and Genzaburo INOUE have killed people without reason', all of which shows it would have been extremely dangerous to make enemies of them. The only negative opinion was from Yaichiro CHIBA, a member of the Shinchogumi (the Shinsengumi's Edo counterpart) and a colleague of Okita's brother-in-law, who said, 'from our viewpoint, their skills are suitable for mokuroku (a low level)'

Of course, Nagakura's statement that Yamanami, who had attained 'menkyo-kaiden' in the Hokushin Itto-ryu, and Todo, who was almost at the mokuroku level, were like children seems extreme, but may imply how superb and outstanding Okita's skill with the sword was.

In novels, the sword owned by Soji OKITA is depicted as being a 'Kikuichimonji Norimune' (swords made at the beginning of the thirteenth century). The story gained popularity following its appearance in the novel "Shinsengumi Keppuroku" by Ryotaro SHIBA, who based it on descriptions in biograraphies such as that by Kan SHIMOZAWA, where the sword is described as being 'a thin Kikuichimonji one'. However, despite being a period when Japanese swords were everyday items, Norimune swords were extremely valuable old swords, and it is believed that, from an economical point of view and from the necessity of having to use it often in actual battles, Okita would hardly have been likely to own one, although the matter has hardly been discussed among researchers.

Okita is known to have owned swords made by Kiyomitsu KASHU and Yasusada YAMATO NO KAMI. In addition to the Norimune swords, there were several other thin types of swords with a "Kikuniichi" crest, and it is possible that Okita's sword may have been one of these. In any event, like the other members of the Shinsengumi, he is likely to have exchanged his swords often during his stay in Kyoto.

Since his appearance in Ryotaro SHIBA's novels, he has often been depicted in fiction, including novels and TV series, as a handsome young man.Okita's likeness can be seen in a portrait that was painted in 1929 based on a claim by his older sister, Mitsu, that her grandson, Kaname, 'somehow resembles Soji'. There are no descriptions of him being 'a handsome youth' from members of the Yagi family or from people connected to the Shinsengumi; instead, he is described as having a 'face like a flatfish, though tanned and not unnattractive when laughing', 'square shoulders', 'a rounded back' and being 'very tall.' (In "Ryoma ni omakase!" (Leave things to Ryoma) and "Getsumeiseiki - Sayonara Shinsengumi", the depiction of Okita was closer to the above.)

The image that emerges from these descriptions casts doubt on the 'handsome youth' theory. Ryotaro SHIBA, wanting to enhance the drama (a young man killed by tuberculosis just as his skill with the sword is becoming legendary) in Okita's life and so made him a handsome young man in his novel "Moeyo Ken", which was followed by many other works, including the movie "Bakumatsu Junjoden" in which Okita was depicted as beatiful girl. The image of Okita as a handsome young man seems to come from the mistaken notion that the dramatized image of him as "a powerful swordsman and cheerful but, at the same time, sickly and pale" is the generally accepted image. The fact that Okita is always played on the screen by young, good-looking actors is also thought to have had a significant influence on his image.

However, the origin of the 'Soji's face is like a flatfish' belief seemed to be a light jokey answer made by a great grand son of Hikogoro SATO when Haruo TANI said a lighthearted joke to him in a TV program, and according to Tani, 'Soji's face is like a flatfish' does not mean his face is flat but the two eyes of other family members including his sisters in photos are closely-spaced.

However, Tetsuya OKITA completely rejected this idea. According to him, Soji was described within the Okita family as 'a light-skinned and small man'. For likenesses and pictures, follow the external links.

Following his appearance in Ryotaro SHIBA's books, Okita is generally often depicted in fiction as a pure and innocent young man. Most works describe him as having a platonic relationship with the daughter of a local doctor, and in actual fact, he seems to have steered clear of women from Karyukai (the geisha district), unlike Kondo and Hijikata.

However, according to the April 22, 1863 entry of his Matsugoro INOUE's diary, Hijikata, Matsugoro, Genzaburo INOUE and Okita paid for prostitutes at the Yoshidaya in the Kuken-cho area of the Shinmachi courtesan's district, so it cannot be said that he never played around with women, although when talk turned to a woman he was fond of, he became very serious.

The register of deaths at Koen-ji Temple lists as 'Okita's relative' a woman who is thought to have been Okita's lover. According to the researchers, the woman's name was Tsune ISHII and she had a daughter. It is believed, but unproven, that the woman gave birth to Okita's daughter, who was named Kyo. There was another Okita in the Shinsengumi, a man called Jonoshin OKITA, who had been recruited by Hijikata in Edo in 1865, and there is a theory that the 'Okita' in the register of deaths may be Jonoshin.

There is an old anecdote that a woman (who was apparently a strong-willed and spirited person) working in the Shieikan dojo asked Okita to marry her but he turned down her proposal, saying 'I am still an apprentice' (the woman attempted suicide, possibly because of his rejection, and later married another man after being introduced by Kondo). It is believed that this woman was Ko IWATA, who is thought to have been Shuhei KONDO's fiancée.

He is also thought to have been close to a girl called Kin, the daughter of the Satomo Inn on Aburakoji Street.

Works of fiction always have Soji OKITA coughing up blood and collapsing during the fighting in the Ikedaya Incident. However, as mentioned above, this anecdote is not supported by researchers. Reasons include the fact that the description of Okita's coughing up blood only appears in Kan SHIMOZAWA's "Shinsen-gumi Shimatsuki"; Okita participated in the hunt for the remnants of the Choshu forces (see "Akebonotei Jiken", the Akebonotei Incident); and there is a record ("Koshi sensoki" Kanefumi NISHIMURA) of him joining Isami KONDO, Saizo HIJIKATA, Kanryusai TAKEDA and Shinpachi NAGAKURA in the Kinmon Incident the following month, and if his tuberculosis was advanced enough to cause him to cough up blood, they would not have dared to let him go.

There is another anecdote that after the Shinsengumi's group medical examination in around 1866, the shogunate's doctor, Ryojun MATSUMOTO, left a note that 'one of the members had pulmonary tuberculosis', and it is thought that the man may have been Soji OKITA.

In 1867, the disease seems to have progressed enough that people around him noticed it; Shikanosuke KOJIMA in "Ryoyu jitsuroku" said he contracted it in March; according to Kanefumi NISHIMURA's "Mibu Roshi Shimatsuki", he was seriously ill around September when the quarters were moved to Fudodo Village; and in a letter to Kondo dated October 13, Kojima wrote that he was worried about Okita's worsening condition. Given the above, when Okita's health condition worsened so critical that he could not bear fighting was from autumn to winter in 1867. It is also thought that his intense exercise might have been an added burden on his lungs and aggravated his illness.

The scenes of Okita spitting blood and falling unconscious at the Ikedaya in works such as "Shinsengumi Shimatsuki" seem to have originated in Shinpachi NAGAKURA's "Shinsengumi Tenmatsuki", which, while not mentioning spitting blood, does describe Okita falling unconscious. He may have suffered a light and temporary heat stroke following the intense battle, which took place on a humid and extremely hot day in early summer, and it is thought that his condition did not raise any questions about his lungs for those close to him, including Kondo and Nagakura.

#shinsengumi #okita souji #bakumatsu #japanese history #japanese 2010 wiki translations

125 notes · View notes

sage-nebula · 7 years

Text

Okay, so when I first heard the news about the third season of the swimming anime on Facebook, my immediate reaction was, “If it doesn’t end with Makoto and Haru getting married, or at least engaged, then what’s the fucking point?” I was kind of being facetious, but at the same time, I’m actually a little serious.

I normally don’t care very much if my ships become canon. I mean, obviously it’s great! It’s always nice to have a canon ship, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. Fandom is there to provide what canon can’t or won’t. I’m a fanfic writer. If canon doesn’t want to make my ships canon, then fine, I’ll just make some fanon myself, it’s nbd. Even in the event that I’m the only person on a little inflatable raft of a ship because the juggernaut ships are notps, that’s fine, I will happily row myself and my fics right out to sea, see if I won’t.

But in this case, I actually do care. Not just because MakoHaru is one of my all-time favorite ships (seriously guys, I love it so much), but also because at this point . . . look, I’m not one to whip out the queerbaiting accusation very often. I think that, a lot of times, people in fandom use that term too loosely, applying it to ships that they personally like a lot, but that were never actually teased to be canon. Queerbaiting is very specific; there has to be actual teasing that insinuates that the ship has a real shot at being canon, only for it to be yanked away at the last minute (and often replaced with a het relationship instead). So I’m cautious about lobbing that accusation out there, because oftentimes it’s just not true, and I don’t want to be someone who reads too much into something. I don’t.

But the thing is, the swimming anime has been known as a fanservice anime since it’s introduction. I mean, look at it. The very first season of the very first episode has Makoto pulling Haru up from the bathtub (with Haru’s swim trunks revealed at the last minute). One of the characters, Gou, routinely gushes over the boys’ muscles. The animation is gorgeous and no expense is spared at showing just how built these athletes are. Couple that with how close all of the relationships are in the show, and yeah, you can see why it’s called a fanservice anime. That’s justified. Likewise, like with many sports anime out there, the relationships do veer into homoerotic territory sometimes, with “wink wink, nudge nudge” jokes made about it sometimes. That’s where the accusations of queerbaiting come in, and where they start to gain more legitimacy.

Nonetheless, this was something I accepted at the start. I figured that no ship in this anime would become canon. And to be perfectly honest, when I first started watching this show, I did so as a joke. My friend and I started watching it with the intention of getting a good laugh, because we thought it was hysterical how the OP to a swimming anime went as hard as it did, and also everyone on tumblr was talking about it. So we figured, hey, why not. We never expected to get invested, and I especially never expected the story to be as rich and emotional as it was, but here we are. Nonetheless, even after getting invested, I still didn’t expect anything to become canon, much less my preferred ship. I knew what sort of anime I was getting myself into. I was prepared.

But then . . . well, everything happened.

The thing is, it’s not just content within the show itself, although there’s plenty of that as well. It’s also everything surrounding the show. Everything in the side materials, the official art, interviews with the directors and writing staff. There have been so many insistences that Makoto and Haru are not only the closest of best friends (able, as we’ve had reiterated to us time and again, to communicate without spoken words, pretty much telepathetically, due to how close they are), but also that they are literally each other’s other half. The directors and writing staff have gone out of their way to paint this picture for us, and most of the extra materials (such as the first movie, which was a prequel) have focused around their relationship. By now, so much has piled up that it genuinely feels they are one step away from canon---one tiny little nudge to canon. Just off the cuff (and in no particular order save accessibility):

In the official novelization for episode six, it’s revealed that losing Makoto is Haru’s biggest fear. It’s also apparently said at another point in the novel that Rin “taught Haru what nakama is,” but that Makoto “is different from that.” (Additionally, Haru tries to answer Makoto’s “it’s meaningless without you,” but Makoto understands what he’s feeling without words once again.)

In the new movie, Makoto has a dream about living together and cooking for Haru. Additionally, he has concerns about Haru’s new apartment because there’s something creepy there (?) and he’ll be coming over a lot. This prompts Kisumi to tease him about how close he and Haru are.

KyoAni made a magazine spread titled “sweet love life” with Makoto and Haru (and also Nagisa/Rei).

When asked whether Rin was Haru’s other half, the director not only said no, but specified that Makoto is Haru’s other half.

In one of the drama (well, comedy) CDs, Nagisa, Rei, and Makoto think Haru has turned into a mackeral and can only be awoken with true love’s kiss from a prince. Both Nagisa and Rei immediately assume this means Makoto must be the one to do it.

One of the lead writers has called Makoto “Haruka’s childhood friend and partner”, and has said that their relationship “makes you wonder ‘what’s going on with those two . . .’” because they’re so close.

That same writer has said that “it’s very easy to become a married couple’s conversation” when describing the dialogue between Makoto and Haru, and in that same conversation, the director said “they belong together.”

The director has also said that they have a “telepathic relationship” and that “they need each other.”

The director of the prequel movie has said that Haru and Makoto’s relationship is “an inviolable sanctuary.”

The show director has said that Makoto is the only one who is “drawn to Haru’s existence alone,” and that when he tells Haru “it’s meaningless without you,” he means that it’s meaningless without Haru as a person rather than Haru as a swimmer. The director also “strongly fought” to keep the line “it’s meaningless without you” in the anime.

In the prequel movie, Makoto is asked by another member of the swim team if he’s swimming because he actually likes swimming, or if he’s there because he likes Haru. Makoto is conflicted for a good part of the movie, and avoids Haru because when they’re together “his feelings are more confused.” He ultimately apologizes for the unintentional avoidance, and comes to the conclusion that, “I love swimming, and I love you, Haru-chan.” He uses the word “daisuki,” which is very powerful when said to another person. It’s powerful enough to be a romantic confession. The way Haru’s eyes light up doesn’t help shake this feeling.

When Makoto and Haru fight near the end of season two, Haru not only races home to curl up in bed, but he’s so depressed over it that he doesn’t even bring his swimming gear to Australia with him. (This is big for Haru.) I don’t have a link for this, but it’s in the last couple of episodes of season two.

Likewise, no link, but in the bonus episode following season two, Nagisa starts to say, “Our Haru-chan and Mako-chan are . . .” before they both look panicked and hush him. Hm, what could they not want him to reveal?

And so on and so forth. The implications in the show alone could be an essay, but looking at everything that has been said in interviews and the like (and there’s more I’m sure I’m forgetting), the feeling that they are one tiny nudge away from canon is, I believe, a justifiable one. When you consider that Yuri On Ice! has a confirmed queer pairing in Yuuri/Viktor, thus opening the path for such relationships in mainstream sports anime, I feel that at this point, KyoAni has absolutely no excuse. I always forgave them for it in the past because I know how Japan is with LGBTQA issues, I know they’ve still got a long way to go, I figured there was no way they could get confirmed, canon MakoHaru greenlit. Both since Yuri On Ice! did it, I feel that now they absolutely can. YOI opened the gate. KyoAni could do this now, particularly with how popular the swimming anime is, and how much emphasis they have placed on Makoto and Haru’s relationship. (Again, the first prequel movie---released in theaters, iirc!---was all about their relationship, and the emotional climax had young Makoto telling Haru that he loved him. Come on.) It’s right there. They are so close. And if they don’t do it, then I feel that not only is this flat out queerbaiting, but also that there’s no point, there’s no excuse, what are we doing here if we aren’t going to make these two officially, inarguably, canonically involved?

So yeah, I have a lot of emotional stakes in this. To use a meme: Just make them fucking canon, you cowards. I’m of course not going to attack KyoAni over it or anything (I’m not one of those), but . . . god, KyoAni. Please. Come through for me on this. Please. I’m not asking much, but if they’re not at the least engaged by the end of all this, then honestly . . .

. . . what’s the fucking point?

#/#//#///#////#/////#swimming anime #nanase haruka #tachibana makoto #makoharu

51 notes · View notes

personalrecoverykit · 4 years

Text

Incredible Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Rick Porter and Imminent Business

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus

https://t.co/RpPSfpDu1Z

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses from Imminent Business. Check out the Knowledge Broke Blueprint reviews and bonuses for the new mastermind training course and Mindmint Software.https://t.co/VWsCxRGXk2#knowledge #entrepreneurs #tonyrobbins pic.twitter.com/6EsFl9vdip

– QAnon Marines – Semper Fi (@RickPorterSEO) February 26, 2020

Knowledge Business Blueprint Review, Insight And bonuses

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses

youtube

The Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus refund policy can be found on their order page. Tony Robbins is the person that has had the single greatest effect on my life. I would not have the success, happiness, and also life I have today if it had not been for Tony Robbins. If you don’t understand who Tony Robbins is he’s a peak efficiency coach as well as writer that has actually worked with the greatest names in the world such as Bill Clinton, Kobe Bryant, and Hugh Jackson, among others.

Tony Robbins was the person that made me recognize that I CAN adjustment, that I TIN create my very own fate. I’ve been to Unleash The Power Within (UPW) occasion 7 times as well as Date With Destiny three times. I’ve additionally attended his Business Proficiency as well as Leadership Academy occasions. A great deal of people ask me why I keep going to his events.

I’m committed to mastery. I do not intend to stay at the surface with his teachings (Russell Brunson). I wish to grasp his teachings due to the fact that it works. I recognize that rep is the mother of mastery, as well as that the more I go to his occasions the extra it’s going to internalize within me and aid me grow.

I had the possibility to interview Dean and also located he’s a guy that genuinely appreciates individuals and also wishes to make a massive effect on the globe. Right here’s the interview I finished with Dean if you’re interested: Russell Brunson is the owner of ClickFunnels, a $360 Million Buck SaaS firm. ClickFunnels is a terrific software.

It allows us to develop high transforming landpages as well as funnels quicker than any kind of other software program out there that I recognize of. Russell is one of the top online marketing experts in the globe as well as is a pacesetter in the room. Tony Robbins had Russell help him release his brand-new publication Money Master The Video Game.

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Review & Mastermind Bonus

Knowledge Broker Blueprint BonusesI had the pleasure of interviewing Russell and you can enjoy it here: In very early 2019, I was called by Tony, Dean and Russell to aid promote and also share with the globe their brand-new training course, which at the time was passing the name of Knowledge Business Plan. They’ve because relabelled it to Knowledge Broker Blueprint, due to the fact that the term “understanding broker” is the term that is extra widely utilized in the market.

These bonuses are genuinely incredible and also will aid compliment the KBB program. This web page has associate web links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will get a commission (at no added cost to you) – bonus. Thank you for your support!.

Have you ever took into consideration starting your own expertise business? There’s never been a far better time to act, as well as is the very best method to start today (bonuses). Why ought to you appreciate the understanding industry?Because understanding businesses, like masterminds, on the internet programs, and membership websites drive $355 million A DAY in revenue.

In this legendary testimonial of The Knowledge Broker Plan, you’ll find out every little thing there is to understand about what’s inside, both the great and the negative (although if you want to place in the job, there actually aren’t any kind of downsides) – Mastermind.com. In my honest point of view, if you desire to begin a mastermind or workshop there’s no much better program to instruct you how.

My goal is to respond to all the concerns you have regarding The Understanding Business Blueprint with this evaluation, and also to aid you make a decision whether or not it’s an excellent suitable for you. I’m an affiliate for Tony and Dean’s training course, so I’ll get a commission if you decide to acquire The Understanding Broker Blueprint via my associate link (but don’t stress, if you use my web link, it’s no added cost to you .. (Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses). you’ll get the exact same price)., I only promote items that I 100% count on, so my status as an associate doesn’t influence my referral in any type of way.

Mindmint Software & Knowledge Broker Blueprint Review

Or else, you’ll locate a clickable table of contents listed below that you can use for very easy navigating. This in-depth testimonial is over 5,500 words long, so feel complimentary to leap around whenever you desire, yet if this is your very first time ever before becoming aware of KBB, it’s finest to begin with the beginning. Knowledge Business Blueprint.

Both Tony as well as Dean are very successful authors that have actually been squashing it for years in the knowledge industry.Tony Robbins has actually transformed motivating pupils right into a science as well as in numerous means is the face of the self renovation market. Mastermind.com. He transforms $6 billion a year with his understanding companies in an industry that drives $129 billion a year!The most outstanding part of Tony’s tale though is that he got his begin without having any kind of real proficiency of his very own.

The remainder is background, and in The Expertise Business Blueprint, Tony shows you the exact same approaches he utilized to partner with Jim. KBB Method.Dean Graziosi is the developer of “Believe a Little Various” as well as “Electric motor Millions”: exceptionally successful details training courses that show people how to make money selling property as well as automobiles.

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus Overview

This publish within the Knowledge Broker Blueprint FB Group below will blow your mind

What are employability skills examples?

Examples of knowledge-based organizations include education institutions; media; professional firms providing information-based services like medicine, accounting, finance, engineering, and law; and scientific and technological research companies.

If you suppose that this program just isn’t the appropriate for you, then you can get your cost refunded with none questions. I haven’t returned mine and I will definitely keep you up to date as I go ahead with Knowledge Broker Blueprint.

What is a mastermind personality?

The four women in Wednesday’s report include Kimberly Stokes, a live-in personal assistant who started working for Robbins in 1988. She claimed Robbins walked into her bathroom while she was showering and “dropped his towel,” exposing himself. Stokes said she had rebuffed his advances once before.

Software, too?yup, we’re not playing.

youtube

The product is filled with a wealth of resourceful advice that may benefit people from all walks of life. Whether you have a startup or a global business, the data you learn from this merchandise can it soar to heights you by no means imagined it would reach.

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses

One of the key element that sets apart Knowledge Broker Blueprint from some other course out there is the ability to use what you already know to earn extra money, have more time, or do no matter you love most. In the top irrespective of how sturdy you might be, in case you are surrounded by negativity each small hill will appear to be a mountain. That’s why I’m so glad Dean created such KBB neighborhood of like minded folks the place you are not the odd one out, and by no means alone. A non-public Facebook group with Dean, Russell and their staff as well as all of the members of KBB.

It’s a mastermind group, within the style of a program to be followed, that allows people to achieve new heights in their business or entrepreneurial venture.

As a knowledge broker, you’ll be able to create a mastermind in any area of interest by combining your associate’s knowledge with your advertising and planning expertise.

Here you will study the artwork of marketing from Dean, the billion in gross sales guy, and particular strategies from his consultants.

One will study of marketing methods that may help him/her sell the idea they need to people with ease.

My personal business coach?

He made his success from being a really profitable on-line entrepreneur. He made DVDs about the way to make potato guns and bought them to people.

Part #3: Who is The Knowledge Broker Blueprint For?

Part of the rationale why the software program is so successful is that Russell created a complete ecosystem round ClickFunnels. This includes books like DotCom Secrets, in addition to data products and stay occasions. According to an article from Forbes, Etison LLC is now a 360 million dollar business. An fascinating factor about the course materials is that it’s set on helping you in being successful in constructing masterminds, organizing seminars, small group coaching, and establishing workshops, and so forth. It goes a step additional by providing you many advertising strategies and strategies that you will require to have a successful program.

Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi’s new Knowledge Broker Blueprint is the second coming, quite actually, on tips on how to effectively setup a web-based business and find yourself being an elite business proprietor the correct method by. Dean Graziosi and Tony Robbins are legends on the earth of masterminds. Knowledge Broker Blueprint is their in-depth training program that may educate you tips on how to further what you understand and create your own profitable mastermind. Given that these two men already have appreciable affect, the people they entice to their program are a level apart, and actually improve your studying experience. I additionally host my own high-ticket Mastermind occasions and apply everything that you’ve heard about so removed from Tony, Dean and Russell inside the Knowledge Broker Blueprint.

In this lesson, Tony Robbins teaches you the way to have the proper attitude and mindset so you possibly can boost your progress and attain massive success. This module offers with discovering the last word place to begin in your knowledge business. It shows you tips on how to discover the distinctive experience you’ll be able to promote to make earnings and impression the world. These three world-class leaders are the brains behind the Knowledge Broker Blueprint course. Russell has bought hundreds of hundreds of copies of his marketing books, excellent mastermind occasions, and has a following of over 1,000,000 entrepreneurs.Dean obtained his begin as an expertise broker simply like Tony did, and also in Module 4 of The Expertise Broker Plan, he shows you just how to join an expert to develop your very first top-level knowledge business. Russell Brunson is the founder of ClickFunnels, a sales funnel software program that has actually aided customers create their ideal lifestyle by creating over $63 million in profits (Dean Graziosi).

The most vital part of any knowledge business is getting customers to appear, as well as Russell shows you exactly how in his 47-minute bonus video clip. Russell likewise shows up in several bonus offer video clips at the end of several of the lessons. With each other, Dean, Tony, and Russell set out an in-depth plan for running your very first high-level mastermind or workshop (KBB Method).

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Free Training On Feb!!!

Knowledge Broker Blueprint BonusesDeep down, the optimal individual for this training course has a purposeful message that they understand can help as well as serve others. However, they might really feel overwhelmed or totally shed about where to start and exactly how to obtain their message throughout. The perfect person for this program could work excessive and also the idea of beginning a mastermind is simply too overwhelming.

syndicated from Incredible Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Rick Porter and Imminent Business via David Rawlins

syndicated from Incredible Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Rick Porter and Imminent Business via Personal Recovery Kit

#Personal Recovery Kit #best franchise opportunity #fit body boot camp #best franchises #bedros keuili

0 notes

chefkonstantine · 4 years

Text

Best Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses

https://t.co/RpPSfpDu1Z

– QAnon Marines – Semper Fi (@RickPorterSEO) February 26, 2020

Knowledge Business Blueprint: Knowledge Broker Blueprint

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses

youtube

The Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus reimbursement plan can be discovered on their order web page. Tony Robbins is the individual that has actually had the solitary best impact on my life. I would not have the success, happiness, as well as life I have today if it had not been for Tony Robbins. If you don’t recognize who Tony Robbins is he’s a peak performance instructor and also writer that has actually collaborated with the greatest names on earth such as Costs Clinton, Kobe Bryant, and also Hugh Jackson, to call a few.

Tony Robbins was the person that made me realize that I TIN change, that I TIN produce my own destiny. I’ve been to Unleash The Power Within (UPW) event seven times as well as Day With Destiny three times. I’ve also attended his Business Proficiency and also Management Academy occasions. A lot of individuals ask me why I maintain going to his events.

I’m dedicated to proficiency. I don’t intend to remain at the surface with his mentors (bonus). I intend to understand his mentors because it functions. I know that repetition is the mother of mastery, and that the extra I go to his events the much more it’s going to internalize within me as well as aid me expand.

I had the opportunity to speak with Dean as well as discovered he’s a male that genuinely respects people and wishes to make a substantial effect on the world. Here’s the interview I performed with Dean if you’re interested: Russell Brunson is the creator of ClickFunnels, a $360 Million Dollar SaaS business. ClickFunnels is a great software application.

It enables us to build high transforming landpages and also funnels quicker than any kind of other software in the marketplace that I understand of. Russell is among the leading online marketers worldwide and also is a trailblazer in the area. Tony Robbins had Russell aid him release his brand-new book Cash Master The Game.

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Review & Mastermind Bonus

Knowledge Broker Blueprint BonusesI had the satisfaction of speaking with Russell and also you can watch it below: In very early 2019, I was spoken to by Tony, Dean as well as Russell to aid promote and also show to the globe their brand-new training course, which at the time was passing the name of Understanding Business Plan. They’ve since relabelled it to Understanding Broker Blueprint, because the term “knowledge broker” is the term that is extra extensively utilized in the sector.

These incentives are absolutely unbelievable as well as will help compliment the KBB program. This web page consists of affiliate links. If you purchase an item via one of them, I will get a payment (at no added price to you) – bonus. Thanks for your support!.

Have you ever thought about beginning your own knowledge business? There’s never been a better time to take activity, as well as is the very best means to obtain started today (Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses). Why ought to you appreciate the expertise industry?Because knowledge organisations, like masterminds, on-line training courses, as well as membership sites drive $355 million A DAY in profits.

In this impressive evaluation of The Expertise Broker Plan, you’ll discover every little thing there is to understand concerning what’s inside, both the great and also the negative (although if you agree to place in the job, there actually aren’t any downsides) – Dean Graziosi. In my straightforward point of view, if you wish to start a mastermind or workshop there’s no much better program to instruct you how.

My goal is to respond to all the questions you have concerning The Knowledge Business Blueprint with this evaluation, and to assist you determine whether it’s a good suitable for you. I’m an associate for Tony and also Dean’s course, so I’ll obtain a payment if you decide to purchase The Understanding Broker Plan through my affiliate link (yet don’t stress, if you utilize my link, it’s no additional price to you .. (Knowledge Business Blueprint). you’ll obtain the same rate)., I just promote items that I 100% think in, so my condition as an associate doesn’t affect my suggestion in any kind of method.

Knowledge Business Blueprint Review, Insight And bonuses

Or else, you’ll locate a clickable tabulation below that you can utilize for easy navigating. This thorough review mores than 5,500 words long, so feel totally free to leap around whenever you desire, however if this is your very first time ever listening to regarding KBB, it’s ideal to begin with the start. bonus.

Both Tony and Dean are very popular writers who have been crushing it for years in the understanding industry.Tony Robbins has actually transformed motivating trainees into a scientific research as well as in lots of means is the face of the self renovation sector. Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus. He makes over $6 billion a year with his expertise services in an industry that drives $129 billion a year!The most outstanding component of Tony’s story though is that he got his beginning without having any type of real experience of his own.

The rest is background, as well as in The Expertise Business Plan, Tony shows you the very same strategies he utilized to companion with Jim. Knowledge Broker Blueprint.Dean Graziosi is the creator of “Think a Little Different” as well as “Motor Millions”: incredibly effective details training courses that instruct individuals how to generate income selling realty as well as autos.

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus Overview

Part #1: What Is Knowledge Broker Blueprint?

What are employability skills examples?

If you think that this program is not the appropriate for you, then you can get your fee refunded with none questions. I haven’t returned mine and I will definitely maintain you up to date as I go ahead with Knowledge Broker Blueprint.

What is a mastermind personality?

Software, too?yup, we’re not playing.

The product is full of a wealth of resourceful advice that may benefit people from all walks of life. Whether you’ve a startup or a world business, the data you study from this products can it soar to heights you by no means imagined it will reach.

youtube

KNOWLEDGE BROKER BLUEPRINT BONUS #three – KAJABI FREE 60 DAY TRIAL

One of the important thing element that sets aside Knowledge Broker Blueprint from another course out there’s the power to use what you already know to earn more cash, have more time, or do no matter you’re keen on most. In the top irrespective of how robust you are, if you are surrounded by negativity each small hill will look like a mountain. That’s why I’m so glad Dean created such KBB neighborhood of like minded folks where you are not the odd one out, and by no means alone. A personal Facebook group with Dean, Russell and their team as well as all of the members of KBB.

It’s a mastermind group, in the fashion of a program to be adopted, that permits people to achieve new heights of their business or entrepreneurial enterprise.

As a knowledge broker, you’ll be able to create a mastermind in any niche by combining your partner’s knowledge with your marketing and planning expertise.

The community created by the connections you make within the KBB is solely unbeatable.

One will study of selling strategies that may help him/her promote the thought they have to individuals with ease.

Part 10: The Knowledge Broker Blueprint Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

He made his success from being a really successful on-line entrepreneur. He made DVDs about tips on how to make potato weapons and bought them to individuals.

Who is that this Knowledge Broker Blueprint course FOR?

Part of the reason why the software is so profitable is that Russell created an entire ecosystem round ClickFunnels. This consists of books like DotCom Secrets, in addition to information merchandise and live occasions. According to an article from Forbes, Etison LLC is now a 360 million greenback business. An fascinating thing in regards to the course material is that it’s set on helping you in being successful in building masterminds, organizing seminars, small group training, and establishing workshops, and so on. It goes a step additional by offering you several marketing strategies and methods that you’ll require to have a profitable program.

Tony Robbins and Dean Graziosi’s new Knowledge Broker Blueprint is the second coming, somewhat actually, on the way to effectively setup a web-based business and end up being an elite business proprietor the proper method by. Dean Graziosi and Tony Robbins are legends on the planet of masterminds. Knowledge Broker Blueprint is their in-depth coaching program that can educate you tips on how to additional what you know and create your individual successful mastermind. Given that these two men have already got appreciable influence, the individuals they appeal to to their program are a degree apart, and really improve your learning experience. I also host my own excessive-ticket Mastermind events and apply everything that you have heard about so far from Tony, Dean and Russell inside the Knowledge Broker Blueprint.

In this lesson, Tony Robbins teaches you how to have the proper attitude and mindset so you’ll be able to boost your progress and attain large success. This module offers with discovering the ultimate place to begin in your knowledge business. It exhibits you tips on how to discover the unique expertise you’ll be able to sell to make earnings and impact the world. These three world-class leaders are the brains behind the Knowledge Broker Blueprint course. Russell has bought lots of of 1000’s of copies of his marketing books, perfect mastermind events, and has a following of over one million entrepreneurs.Dean got his start as a knowledge broker simply like Tony did, and also in Module 4 of The Understanding Broker Blueprint, he reveals you exactly how to partner with an expert to create your initial top-level expertise business. Russell Brunson is the co-founder of ClickFunnels, a sales channel software that has assisted customers design their suitable lifestyle by creating over $63 million in income (Mastermind.com).

One of the most vital part of any type of expertise business is obtaining customers to appear, and Russell shows you how in his 47-minute benefit video clip. Russell also appears in several bonus video clips at the end of some of the lessons. With each other, Dean, Tony, and also Russell outlined a comprehensive prepare for running your first high-level mastermind or workshop (Mindmint Software).

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus (7 In Total!)

Knowledge Broker Blueprint BonusesDeep down, the perfect person for this training course has a significant message that they recognize can help and offer others. Unfortunately, they might really feel overwhelmed or entirely shed concerning where to start and how to obtain their message across. The best individual for this training course might work as well much as well as the thought of beginning a mastermind is just also overwhelming.

syndicated from Best Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

Syndicated From Best Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

#Chef Konstantine #franchises #franchise opportunities #best franchise #top rated franchise

0 notes

intphys · 4 years

Text

Best Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses

https://t.co/RpPSfpDu1Z

– QAnon Marines – Semper Fi (@RickPorterSEO) February 26, 2020

Knowledge Business Blueprint: Knowledge Broker Blueprint

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonuses

youtube

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Review & Mastermind Bonus

Knowledge Business Blueprint Review, Insight And bonuses

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus Overview

Part #1: What Is Knowledge Broker Blueprint?

What are employability skills examples?

What is a mastermind personality?

Software, too?yup, we’re not playing.

youtube

KNOWLEDGE BROKER BLUEPRINT BONUS #three – KAJABI FREE 60 DAY TRIAL

It’s a mastermind group, in the fashion of a program to be adopted, that permits people to achieve new heights of their business or entrepreneurial enterprise.

As a knowledge broker, you’ll be able to create a mastermind in any niche by combining your partner’s knowledge with your marketing and planning expertise.

The community created by the connections you make within the KBB is solely unbeatable.

One will study of selling strategies that may help him/her promote the thought they have to individuals with ease.

Part 10: The Knowledge Broker Blueprint Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

He made his success from being a really successful on-line entrepreneur. He made DVDs about tips on how to make potato weapons and bought them to individuals.

Who is that this Knowledge Broker Blueprint course FOR?

Knowledge Broker Blueprint Bonus (7 In Total!)

syndicated from Originally posted on Best Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

Syndicated From Best Bonuses for Knowledge Broker Blueprint from Imminent Business and Rick Porter

#Integrattive Physiology #best franchise #Fit Body Boot Camp #franchise opportunities

0 notes

selenelavellan · 7 years

Text

Temporary

Concert AU

Dirthamen, Kel, Fear, Deceit, June, Falon’din, and Sylaise all belong to @feynites

TW for Drugs, Food, Fire, and Addiction

They are out for a walk with Kel in her stroller, when Des stops dead in his tracks.

Well. He's still alive, but his attention has been fully arrested by two figures in an alley, and a familiar glowing blue substance in a Ziploc bag.

Selene notices it too, eyes narrowing.

“Des.” she calls.

He inhales sharply through his nose.

“Yes. Right.” he clears his throat, his usual easy grin returning to his face as he falls back into step and flips one of Kels toys dangling over her head and she lets out a loud giggle.

Selene lets out a breath of her own, grip loosening as color bleeds back into her knuckles.

“Your new job is in a great neighborhood.” Des teases.

“It's just temporary,” Selene insists. “I'm not technically an employee of theirs. I'm just doing some contract work for more money than I probably deserve.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Contract work means I have the right to say 'No' to anything they try to throw at me. And since they seem to want me there more than I want to be there, it gives me leverage as well.”

Des snickers.

“You really believe that?”

Selene lets out a sigh “No,” she admits “But if I phrase it the honest way of 'they blackmailed me into working for them,' Fear probably wouldn't even be comfortable letting me in the same zip code as June and Sylaise.”

“You say that like it's a bad thing.”

“...I like working, Des. I like having something in my life that's just mine. Something I can do outside of the house. The others have the band, and you have your job, and I've just been stuck taking care of the house and the chores.”

“And Kel.” Des points out.

“And Kel,” Selene agrees. “Who I love. But who is also only a few months old, and not a great source of conversation.”

Des still seems skeptical as they pass the still partially under construction skyscraper Selene has started working at.

“It's only temporary.” She reminds him.

“You use that word so much, sometimes I wonder if you remember what it means.”

–

The strangest part of the job for Selene, is the dress code. She had interviewed in torn up jeans and a t-shirt, to indicate that she didn't actually want the job June had offered her. Sylaise hadn't so much as batted an eye at it throughout the lunch, as she ensured Selenes wine glass stayed full and Selene resolutely tried to stick to her water instead. Somehow she had still managed to come out of it with a job, a signing bonus, and a list of official positions for her to choose from.

Technically, she works for June. She has no experience in legal, which makes her largely useless to Sylaise in any sort of professional capacity. But it doesn't seem to matter, as Sylaise always manages to be around somehow whenever Selene steps into the office in the morning in her boots and her jeans and her comfortable sweaters. And each morning, Sylaise links her arm with Selenes and makes surprisingly pleasant conversation all the way up the elevator and into her office where there is a closet full of name brand suits and clothes and shoes spanning across the length of one wall.

Each time, Selene argues that she really doesn't mind wearing her usual clothes, she likes them, really.

But each evening sees her heading home in heels and a blouse and, when she can't particularly find the strength to fight, a pencil skirt.

She is starting to accrue a collection of Armani because of it.

After the first week, her lovers have at least stopped pointing it out.

Mostly.

“Just to verify,” Fear drawls as they stir the pot of pasta, side-eyeing her as she enters “They are not changing your clothing, right?”

“There's a changing room.” Selene assures them as she slips out of the purple heels Sylaise had insisted she keep.

Fear gives a quiet grunt of acknowledgment and returns their attention to dinner. Selene slips past them and up the stairs to change, carefully hanging up todays outfit and changing into a soft pair of pajama pants and a large shirt. She goes back downstairs, joining Deceit and Dirthamen and Kel for tummy time on her favorite playmat. There are halla running across it, as the background of the circular mat shifts from night to day, a field and flowers in the center.

“You are enjoying working for my sister?” Dirthamen asks quietly, glancing away from Kel while she focuses on flipping herself onto her back to watch the overhead mobile more easily.

“Technically, I work for June,” Selene evades “But it's not nearly as bad as I expected it to be.”

Dirthamen gives a nod while Deceit pretends to not be listening in. “What precisely do you do for him?”

“Right now I'm just helping him get the skyscraper finished. He tends to get focused on details, and I try to keep him and his team focused on the bigger picture stuff. And I take a lot of notes on the process, so it can be replicated later without him having to stare over his construction teams shoulders.”

“Getting any good dirt on them?” Deceit finally asks.

Selene contemplates the various discussions she's heard between June and Sylaise. They've been inviting her to join them for lunch, so there's not really a lack of material to sift through, but they don't seem to argue about much.

“They were having a pretty heated discussion last week about something one of Junes parents said? I think they already moved past it though.”

Deceit lets out a disappointed huff at the lack of gossip, and goes back to playing with Kel.

Dinner is ready not long after that, and the next few days pass in a similar rhythm.

On Friday though, Selene spies something strange out of one of the windows; Des, walking alone down the street.

Towards the alley they had passed together.

“I'm taking my lunch,” Selene says, hurriedly dropping her notes onto the nearest solid surface and leaving a blinking June mid-sentence behind her. She races down the stairway and out the front doors, slowing as she approaches the alleyway.

Two voices are speaking.

One of them is nauseatingly familiar.

She turns the corner, blocking the exit onto the main street, and feels the flames licking beneath her skin again.

“What are you doing.” She accuses. Her voice is rough, and deep, and she is so angry as she sees Des with a wad of cash in his hand, only a step away from one of the men they had passed before.

He swallows, frozen as he spots her.

“I...” He starts, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

The other man takes a step away from Des, slowly putting his hands up beside his head.

Selenes eyes dart to him and narrow.

“Run.” she hisses.

He doesn't need to be told twice. The other man makes a speedy exit past her and back out to the main streets. Leaving her alone in the alley.

With Des.

Des, who she thought had been doing so well. Des, who shared their bed just last night. Des, who is helping to raise a child.

“What are you doing.” She repeats, voice low and dangerous.

“It's not-It's not what it looks like-”

“Really? Because it looks like you were trying to buy lyrium from a stranger we passed on the street. Or maybe he wasn't a stranger? How long have you been using again, Des?”

“Fuck, Selene, it's not-I wasn't going to use it!”

“No?”

“No!”

“Then what were you going to do?”

“I just-I just wanted to have it! Just-just to keep it around. For emergencies. There's no harm in that.”

“And what about the other mages we live with, Des? What if Kel grows up to be a mage, and you've got lyrium stashed in your room and she hears it calling and-and-and-”

“I wouldn't do that to her!” he roars.

Selene gestures at their environment, at the alley and the rolled up money sitting in his hand.

Des swallows at that, as guilt seems to rush over him. “I didn't...I wouldn't...” he sighs “You don't understand.”

“Then explain it, and I'll try to.”

“I need it, Selene!” He finally yells, shaking with the admission of it. “I need the rush I need...I need the power! You've no idea what it's like!”

“You don't need it, Des.” She responds, quietly.

“How would you know! You're never even home anymore! Moving on without me again and ju-”

“No.” Selene interrupts. “No, Des no-”

“Playing games with Dirthamens asshole family while they play dress up-”

“How dare you-”

“-And you pretend like you're not just as broken and rejected as I am-!”

Selene explodes.

Literally.

The alley fills with fire and heat as Selene screams, walking towards Des. “You can't blame me for this! I didn't push you to lyrium! I gave up everything to keep you safe! Everything I loved, everything I had worked for, and you have the nerve to blame me for this?! You ungrateful-”

Selene pauses, as the words coming out of her mouth finally register. The flames dissipate, and her hands swiftly move to cover her mouth.

'Ungrateful.'

How many times had her father thrown that in her face? And now she's....Des...

She wraps her arms around him, pulls him close while he shakes. Scared of her. Scared that she might be leaving him, that she's finally done with him.

She had been only a breath away from saying exactly that.

“Des...” She whispers into his hair. “Des, I didn't mean...”

“You did.” He interrupts.

Selene swallows.

“You should go home,” She says instead. “Fear's home today, right? Talk to them about this. Deceit and Dirthamen too. We all love you, Des. We love you so much. I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did.”

“...you're going back to work.”

Selene lets out a breath. “...I think you and I need a little space. Just temporarily. Until we're both cooled off a bit.”

Des nods slowly into her shoulder before peeling away, wiping away his tears and smudging his eyeliner.

“...I'm sorry, too.”

Selene gives a soft smile, and gives him a brief kiss. “I forgive you. Make sure you call your sponsor about this though, ok? And go straight home? Promise me?”

“I promise.” Des agrees, hands cupping her jaw and pulling her close for a deeper kiss.

Selene walks him out of the alley, watching as he heads back to their home.

She sends a text to Fear, and asks them to send her one once Des is home.

Just in case.

Selene slogs her way into the elevator, feeling exhausted after having her magic loosed so unintentionally. She's already nodding off by the time the doors ding open, and she has to straighten herself up to go back to work.

“...Go for barbecue?” June quips.

Selene blinks.

“What?”

He indicates towards her clothes, which have become soiled with eyeliner and dirt and predominantly ash and the associated smell.

“Oh. Uh...Something like that.”

He tilts his head back towards the elevator. “Go see Sylaise. She'll get you changed and send those off for cleaning.”

“Right,” Selene nods, following his instructions, still more than a little dazed.

Sylaise tuts, and dismisses Tasallir when Selene steps out onto her floor. She hands over another change of clothes once Selene has sufficiently washed up. Selenes phone vibrates while she's changing; Fear letting her know Des made it home.

She lets out a breath of relief, and feels a bit more weight fall off of her shoulders as she lets out a long yawn.

“Are you alright in there dear?” Calls Sylaise through the door.

“Yes, sorry,” Selene calls back, fiddling with the zipper. She steps out again, and Sylaise has her spin before stepping forward.

“You should keep this dress,” Sylaise hums as she gently moves Selenes hair to the side and pulls the zipper up her back. “It suits you.”

Selene nods, and gives her thanks before letting out another long yawn and an apology.

“Would you like some coffee?” Sylaise offers.

“That would be great actually,” Selene says “Thank you.”

Sylaise directs Selene to sit on one of her couches and instructs someone to brew up a fresh pot in the hallway. The couch is surprisingly plush, and soft, and Selene is tired enough that she lets out yet another yawn as her body cries out for her to lay down on it.

“Is there something bothering you?” Sylaise asks as she comes back into the office. “You can always talk to me, you know.”

Selene nods, but doesn't say anything. She knows better. Sylaise seems sweet, and so far she's certainly better than Falon'din in Selenes eyes, but she's always got a motive. Selene's not sure what it is yet, and that makes her dangerous.

“Troubles at home?” Sylaise guesses.

Selene shakes her head and then shrugs. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“I always worry about you Selene,” She coos. “You're not like Dirthamens other...partners.”

Selene raises a skeptical eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well,” Sylaise says “There's a rather recurring theme with them, isn't there? Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. And then there's you. With your legs and your sweaters and your soft quirks hiding under sharp features. You said you used to be a teacher. What on earth would convince you to take up with a group like that?”

“I love them.” Selene asserts.

“Well yes of course,” Sylaise agrees while making a dismissive gesture. “Of course you do, Dirthamen is very lovable with his sort of...baby bird who has fallen out of the nest and forgotten how to fly....personality, lets call it. He's the only member of the family besides myself that's any use at all, really. And I'm sure he's great fun and very reliable and stable, but surely you can't expect that to last.”

Someone comes in then, with two cups of coffee. They place them carefully on the table between the two women, who stay silent but maintain eye contact, and step back out of the room.

“Dirthamen loves me,” Selene assures her. “And I love him. And Deceit, and Fear, and Des. We all love each other.”

“And no one is disputing that,” Sylaise nods. “I only mean that...well, Dirthamen tends to get obsessed with things for a long while, and then once his curiosities are satisfied he just abandons them and moves on to the next thing. Like, Falon'din. They were inseparable when I was younger. Some people used to joke that Dirthamen was practically his shadow. But then one day, he just abandons him. He found Fear and Deceit and now...well, you saw how they get on now.”

Selene takes a long sip of her coffee, and tries to settle her nerves. She doesn't have the strength right now to erupt again, at least.

“Falon'din stranded Dirthamen in the woods,” Selene says slowly. “Falon'din struck Dirthamen. Dirthamen didn't get bored, he found the strength to leave an abusive relationship.”

“And your little display in the alley, that wasn't a piece of an abusive relationship?”

Selene freezes.

Sylaise glances up at her, mouth turning into a grin around the lip of her mug.

“Oh don't worry, I won't tell anyone about the fireworks. I suppose that means you likely started the fire at fathers house too? That explains why he couldn't put it out then. It puts some questionable rumors in your background to rest, too.”

Selene stays silent.

“Seems you're still quite the little firebug. No judgment on my end, that just means father will like you all the more. And now you've got the baby. Seems like whoever has a hold of you, would have him wrapped around their finger for the next...oh, twelve years or so?”

Selene lets out a breath.

“She's not my baby.”

“But with my team, she could be. Easily.”

Selene shakes her head “What are you even trying to do here?”

“You're going to leave my brother,” Sylaise explains. “If he has an actual child and I don't, father won't care about my false promises to have one some day. But when you join June and I, that will give us a baby already. No more pressure, not for a while at least.”

Selene laughs. “I'm not leaving your brother to make you your fathers favorite again. What are you even on?”

Selene goes to stand, to tell June she quits because his wife is insane and to go back home to help Fear with Des, but finds her legs won't respond.

She blinks, and looks down at her legs. Her head swims at the motion, and she practically falls over onto the couch from the dizziness.

“I'm not on anything,” Sylaise assures her as she places her coffee mug down on the table. “You, however, are currently suffering from a mix of rohypnol and diazepam. The coffee was decaf too, so you never really had a chance there.”

Sylaise stands, and pulls a blanket out of the closet, draping it over Selene. “Don't worry dear. You'll be well cared for here. We'll make it worth your while. You’ll see, this will all work out for the best for everyone.”

Selene does her best to glare at Sylaise through drooping eyelids, tries to spit a curse at her, to pull on her magic, but her muscles are feeling so relaxed and she is so tired that it is hardly even noticeable.

Sylaise tuts, and brushes a strand of hair out of Selenes face.

“I know my dear; you loved them. But you were always replaceable in their eyes, anyways. It was just a temporary thing.”

The world turns black, and silent.

Selene doesn't dream.

#Concert AU #Dirthalene #Selene Lavellan #Des #Heed the warnings #recently someone mentioned that I write Sylaise too soft #so i guess i felt like i need to point out that i write the softness as a facade #sylaise always has a motive #she just keeps them close to her chest #Also I just glossed over the whole interview #Fey if you wanna fill in the blanks or something feel free I just couldnt get it to work myself #So this is after June has figured out they have Kel #but before anyones told anyone else

13 notes · View notes

fluentlanguage · 4 years

Text

# Clear The List June 2020: This is Fine for Chinese and Welsh

Hello there! Why don’t you grab a cup of very gentle camomile tea and join me on my latest post in the Clear the List series. Clear the List is a monthly language learning round-up where I share my goals and progress.

If you’re inspired to try your own check-in, why not join our #clearthelist blog round-up hosted by Shannon Kennedy and Lindsay Williams.

Previously On Clear The List..

I barely remember typing my last Clear The List entry. That was back in early April, so I missed a month on documenting. As you probably know, it’s almost impossible to grasp all the many things that have happened in the world since then.

During lockdown, I’ve celebrated Easter, my birthday and my 5th wedding anniversary. This also makes it nearly 5 years of learning Welsh and I’m very happy to call that TWO love affairs in my life.

The Fluent Show

The podcast has been back on its usual weekly schedule with renewed energy.

Here are 3 highlight episodes for you:

How to Learn a Language Every Day

An interview with the lovely Sara Maria Hasbun on languages, lockdown and long-term success - perfect episode for world travellers who love languages

A special statement about racism, only 6 minutes long and inspired by recent events

I’m very very proud and grateful to the Fluent Show patrons. There are 36 of them now, making a real contribution to the podcast. Patrons of the Fluent Show get extra show notes, news from behind the scenes, and discounts and bonus audio on a regular basis.

If you are interested in becoming a patron, go to www.patreon.com/fluentshow to get involved.

How I Learnt Languages in April and May

Having moved house during the truly frightening anxieties of Coronavirus overwhelming the UK, I didn’t find it easy to focus on languages for the first half of April. But slowly, the stars started to align again.

italki Language Challenge

90% of language learning will have to happen online for the foreseeable future. Fun events like cultural festivals are cancelled. It’s a GREAT time to make friends with online lessons.

During lockdown, lots of new teachers opened the doors to their very own one-person language schools. This included my friend Dafydd who shared that he’d just started teaching on italki. Dafydd has been a super patient practice partner for my Welsh on several occasions, so it felt like the perfect time for me to book some classes.

If you’ve never tried italki before, check out my review here for more information.

And while I was over on italki, I spotted that they were running a new language challenge and signed up on the spot! This challenge isn’t complicated: simply set a goal of at least 12 lesson hours during the challenge period and work towards it.

During the last italki challenge, I didn’t manage to hit 12 hours. Travel commitments got in the way, and I found it hard to fit it all into 4 weeks. This time, italki offered an extended challenge period of 6 weeks and obviously I wasn’t going anywhere.

Welsh Speaking Progress

Since April I’ve been taking regular one-hour practice lessons in Welsh, chatting about everything and nothing with Dafydd. Just like every other tutor I’ve worked with on italki, he’s fab and very patient. I’m comfortable with Welsh now and that hour a week is a great way to keep going and get better.

Chinese Speaking Progress

In Chinese, April was a great time for me to try again in terms of speaking. I booked new classes with my old “Google translate read out loud” partner Zuo, who’s always fun to talk to. And behold, this time I was able to say that much more!

I’m still far from “conversational” in Chinese, but it’s always nice to feel that my work has actually paid off.

The conversation based lessons are fairly loose and chaotic (and short!) and I wasn’t going to reach 12 hours that way alone, so in addition I signed up with a more established teacher in China. She took one look at me, said a few incomprehensible things, and then exclaimed “HSK 1!” and sent me a huge PDF containing the full HSK1 materials. These lessons are different, they mostly consist of us working through the textbook and there’s a LOT of non-entertaining content. But as I had misplaced my textbook anyway during the move, it felt kinda right to bring in this element of structure.

The “start right at page 1” approach might have been disheartening to some, but my ego was restored very quickly as I found I’m breezing through pages 1-50.

Language Goals for June

Nearly halfway through the year, I’m still refusing to give up on learning Chinese. No, we’re not on cloud 9 together yet. But I have hope, or at least I have my ambitions! It’s great to be learning my first Asian language, too.

Chinese Language Goals

My most important commitments are to improving my listening, reading and speaking skills. I’m a natural doodler, so I’ve found that writing down vocab and even practicing Chinese characters tends to happen as standard with me. That’s enough for now.

Listening

I’ve got into episodes of iPartment on Yabla and neglected them during the italki language challenge, but I’ll be happy to return to these. I do love Yabla because of the super easy rewind and loop functionality!

Yabla used to be my morning activity and I’ll aim to bring it back for 10 minutes (minimum) on weekday mornings.

Speaking

In terms of my pronunciation, I’m happy. People can understand me and make positive remarks. Now if only I could express myself better… the goal is simple here: Take 3 Sunday lessons with my HSK1 teacher and 2 conversation classes with community teachers, all through italki

Reading

My favourite study app for Chinese is Lingodeer and I’m about halfway through their HSK1 skill tree. They’ve also added more reading exercises, so my goal is to focus on Lingodeer practice and reach the next checkpoint in the app.

Having finished all mini stories, I’ve got a bit of a Lingq gap at the moment, so let’s save Lingq practice for July.

Welsh Language Goals

Usually around this time I’d start to get excited about planning my Eisteddfod trip to Wales, but due to Coronavirus this was not to be. I have lots of Welsh in my life through conversation lessons and exchanges, television and social media.

The only extra goal I’d like to add for the summer is to find a new book to read! After finishing Ffenestri last year, I had planned to buy a new one in Wales and again Coronavirus blocked me there. So it’s time for a trip to Hive.co.uk to find new entertaining Welsh writing.

What are Your Language Learning Goals?

I hope you’re safe and healthy, and finding consolation and calm in a linguistic refuge right now. What are your language goals? Did you put a tenner on my commitment to Chinese? Leave me a comment below or say hi over in my Facebook Group to chat more!

#clearthelist

0 notes

recentanimenews · 5 years

Text

Who's the Best Girl of Anime's Spring 2019 Season?

The spring anime season is just about over. In a couple short weeks, we'll be making way for summer's hot new releases. But before we clear out and move on, there's still one all-important question to answer: who is Best Girl?

The past few months have given us lots of options, from schoolgirls to demons to kappa princesses. Choosing the absolute Best Girl of the season is a daunting task... and besides, choosing the Best Girl of 2019 will eventually be up to all of you when the next Crunchyroll Awards season rolls around! But for now, we're taking a look at some of our top girls from this past season. Who are they and what makes them great? And, more importantly, how do they stack up to your picks? Peruse our Top Five and talk it out in the comments.

On to the list... in no particular order, of course!

Hitori Bocchi (Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu)

Is there anything more relatable than social anxiety? That's not sarcasm. When Hitoribocchi no Marumaruseikatsu premiered, lots of viewers found themselves sympathizing with the title character. She's a loner - it's right there in her name, literally. She has one good, reliable friend. Or she did, anyway. Now that they're going to different schools, said friend has thrown down an ultimatum: make friends with everyone in her class, or she will never speak to Bocchi again. Rough.

After attempting to get out of the deal with such well-thought-out plans as "convince everyone school no longer exists," she finally realizes she hasn't got much of a choice. Somewhere between her awkward forced social interactions and the discovery that she's a lot more at ease talking via text message, she does start to befriend her fellow students. It's not smooth sailing, of course. But then again, when is socializing ever smooth sailing?

Sara Azama (Sarazanmai)

Idol? Princess? Greek chorus? Get you a girl who can do all that and more.

The shiny-eyed Sara is an ever-present figure in Sarazanmai's version of Asakusa, reporting on the day's Lucky Selfie items and generally knowing way too much about the goings-on of the series. Besides being an absolutely adorable starlet, she's also chock-full of cultural references, from E.T. to Castle in the Sky. Plus she really loves her prince, even if she does occasionally use him as a bowling ball or shatter him into a million pieces.

Between her constant info on monsters of the week, her cheery disposition, and her catchy image song (just... don't listen too closely to the lyrics), what's not to love?

Senko-san (The Helpful Fox Senko-san)

She's cute, she's friendly, and she makes the best tea ever. Senko-san the fox girl is already off to a good start.

In this day and age, most of us - even if we're not specifically overworked salarymen - could really use some comfort and pampering at the end of the day. Because work doesn't really end with work. We still have to get dinner, clean house, and take care of any lurking chores that may have built up over the course of the day. A fox goddess appearing in our lives to take care of all the tough stuff would be a welcome breath of fresh air.

The best part? She knows how to tell a workaholic to sit down and accept being pampered. Because, really, that may be the most difficult part of the whole thing. Now if only we could get in touch with the home office and find our own helpful foxes.

Nezuko (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)

There's something to say for a girl who doesn't even let getting bitten and turned into a bloodthirsty demon stop her from being Best Girl material.

Nezuko started off lovable from the very beginning, but it wasn't long at all before the plot kicked in. Her transformation into a demon wasn't even enough for her brother Tanjiro to give up on her, though. Rather than letting her be killed, he decided to find a way to cure her. So far, it seems his instincts are in the right.

Despite her demonic transformation, the person Nezuko was is still in there. She's protective, caring, and... okay, maybe she's a lot more likely to bite a person's hand off now than she would have been prior. But she and Tanjiro still care for each other despite her condition. As an added bonus, she can get super-big or super-small as the situation demands.

Tsubasa Arihara (Cinderella Nine)

You know that one friend who's really into something, to the point that you just want to get into it too because they seem so happy? And then they're really welcoming and nice and supportive about it? If you don't have that friend, don't worry: Tsubasa is now your friend.

The ace baseball player just wants more friends to enjoy her favorite sport with, and the fact that they've never played and know nothing about it isn't a deal-breaker. As opposed to other sports anime heroes who are in it to win it, she's in it for fun and teamwork. Even a losing game is a win in her book, because it gives her the opportunity to take stock and improve.

Her positive vibes are infectious, both within the show and to viewers. If you're feeling down about yourself and need a pick-me-up, Tsubasa will be there to inspire you.

With a season this full of great characters, there's no way there are only five Best Girl candidates... so now it's your turn! Who are your picks for Best Girl of Spring 2019? Let us know in the comments... and get ready, because we're rolling out our picks for Best Boy soon!

-----

Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and interviewer with bylines at VRV, We Are Cult, Fanbyte, and many more. She is also the co-founder of Altrix Books and co-creator of the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. Kara blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

0 notes